#pidp3100

From personal experience, I can speak to the merits of learner empowerment. As a child growing up in Greece, learning was based on memorizing facts and taking tests. One of my relatives joked that to get into university after post-secondary school, depending on which Greek university you were hoping to get into, you must memorize the textbooks and the periods, commas, and semi-columns. Learning by doing was not within the intention of designing the Greek education system. The instructors' knowledge was also questioned based on their lesson preparedness. In my experience, instructors often read from the book while teaching class and encouraged learners to memorize the material word for word. This type of teaching was not engaging. The learning mostly took place outside the classroom, raising the question about the usefulness of learners attending class. In summary, this was the least engaging experience and did not empower learners to seek their learning outside of memorizing the textbooks.

            Kolb & Kolb (2017) speak to the instructor’s ability to direct attention away from themselves. These approaches to learning move the learner away from memorization and enhance the need to explore resources in search of answers. By searching for those answers, learners expand their source base and learn more than needed for their courses. They develop a level of expertise that can then be shared with their colleagues in the classroom and the instructor. As a result, while the instructor is technically still the subject matter expert, learners in the classroom also become subject matter experts because they have been empowered to search for sources that will expand their learning horizons. I feel that empowering learners in and out of the classroom helps expand their knowledge base, enhancing their expertise in subjects of interest to them.

References

Kolb, A., and Kolb, D. (2017) "Experiential Learning Theory as a Guide for Experiential Educators in Higher Education," Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education: Vol. 1: No. 1, Article 7. Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/elthe/vol1/iss1/7

Becoming a full-time academic three years ago, after 17 years as a senior healthcare executive and a part-time academic, was an eye-opening experience in many ways. One of those ways is using a learning management system (LMS) for online courses and traditional courses taught in the classroom. When I began teaching online in 2013, we used an online platform that was challenging for both the instructor and the learners. I often printed hard copies of materials to read, mark, and provide feedback offline and by email. This process seemed redundant, and explaining the point of it all to learners was also challenging. In 2022, I was puzzled when I was informed that an LMS was the learning tool for in-person classes until I realized that it was a different LMS, one that was easy to use and that it was a helpful tool. 

Literature

Reid (2019) discusses recent trends in adult education, which have characterized the introduction of LMS systems as a “game changer” in delivering educational programming. The author also discusses the change in student bodies, which are moving away from traditional in-person education to a model that supports distance learning. The LMS makes that transition possible in ways that distance learning previously never did. For example, an LMS system allows instructors to keep the information up to date for courses without having to re-create a course or keep track of the changes. Any changes are maintained electronically, which allows for future consultations of past materials effectively and efficiently. It also allows for asynchronous education, where learners can study from anywhere without speaking to someone or attending class in person. 

What does that mean for my practice?

While I am aware of these trends and what I call an early adopter, I would like to share some of the lessons I have learned over the past several years. For one, learners and instructors like routine. Imagine being a learner and taking five courses and having course LMS sites, each organized uniquely. I have taken classes like that, and they drove me crazy. I found it challenging to locate course materials as courses were never organized similarly, and it took more time to find the materials than to do the work. To expand my learning, I have taken many online courses and have found that if courses are organized using the same template, the learning process is much smoother. Learners are focused on learning and not figuring out the institution’s bureaucratic politics, resulting in happier learners and faculty. In reaching that conclusion, I have taken many courses and have been a happy learner when I do not have to figure out the structure of a course repeatedly every time I register for a new class with a professor I have had before. So, I have adjusted my courses to all using the same template. This means the format is the same, although the materials are different for every course. When learners take my course once, the subsequent courses with me will all have the same format. 

As Instructors, we must realize that LMS is a tool that will be around for a while. The best choice we can make is to embrace it and use it to its full potential. Both literature and experience allude to that, so we might as well realize it and keep moving forward to support learners in our classrooms. 

References

Reid, Lester. (2019). Learning Management Systems: The Game Changer for Traditional Teaching and Learning at Adult and Higher Education Institutions. 19. 1. 10.34257/GJHSSGVOL19IS6PG1.

Interesting Links

Canada continues to experience shortages in the health field. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers are in short supply across our communities, which leads to challenges. Smaller communities in rural and remote areas are negatively affected because people must travel to bigger communities for diagnostic tests and procedures. Over the years, rural and remote Canadians have lived with the promise outlined by the Canada Health Act (CHA), which speaks to all Canadians having access to equivalent healthcare services (Health Canada, 2025). Meanwhile, how can the government promise that a fly-in community of 300 can have the same timely access to health services as those living in big centres? While the answer seems simple, it is complex. 

Canada began and continues to be built with immigrant labour. Statistics Canada shows that most of the country's population growth is due to immigration (Statistics Canada, 2024). Important announcements in the past few years regarding licensing times for nurses and doctors in Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia College of Nurses, 2023; CBC News, 2024)were made. It seems there is a commitment to ensure that internationally trained providers are licensed with quicker turnaround times. This will likely help sustain the healthcare system with qualified professionals and reduce shortages. It will likely also result in Canada importing more internationally trained professionals to fill needs country-wide. Whether this will address the level of shortages Canada is currently experiencing remains to be seen. 

The Canadian Institute for Health Information presents data showing that while Canada has had more luck recruiting doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and other healthcare professionals from abroad, the numbers exiting practice are high enough that retention of healthcare professionals and recruitment in high numbers remains vital for the sustainability of the systems (Canadian Institute of Health Information, 2024). 

References

Canadian Institute of Health Information. (2024, December 17). Health workforce: Recruitment and retention. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from Canadian Institute of Health Information: https://www.cihi.ca/en/the-state-of-the-health-workforce-in-canada-2023/health-workforce-recruitment-and-retention#international

CBC News. (2024, October 08). Nova Scotia to reduce assessment time for licensing internationally trained doctors. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from News: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-to-reduce-assessment-time-for-licensing-internationally-trained-doctors-1.7345969

Health Canada. (2025, January 10). Canada Health Act. Retrieved from Health: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/canada-health-care-system-medicare/canada-health-act.html

Nova Scotia College of Nurses. (2023, March 16). NSCN Announces a First in Canada Licensure Process for Nurses Coming to Nova Scotia. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from Nova Scotia College of Nurses: https://www.nscn.ca/explore-nscn/news-and-media/news/2023/nscn-announces-first-canada-licensure-process-nurses-coming-nova-scotia

Statistics Canada. (2024, December 17). Canada's population estimates, third quarter 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025, from The Daily: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/241217/dq241217c-eng.htm

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/canada-health-care-system-medicare/canada-health-act.html

Who is Dennis?

Since 2007, Dennis’s leadership experiences have spanned across the continuum of care in Health and Social Services, Education, and Justice. Dennis’s focus is organizational development, mental health and addictions, and quality improvement. A self-declared northerner, a two-time immigrant, and a seasoned senior government executive with extensive experience in health, education, social, and public safety services. Originally from Greece, Dennis moved to the USA in 1994 accompanying his parents in their pursuit of medical education. Dennis immigrated to Canada in 2003 to pursue his own educational, professional, and personal dreams. Ever since, Dennis has focused on working with people in rural and remote communities in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and British Columbia. While in Canada, Dennis has earned graduate degrees, a graduate certificate, three professional designations, lived in parts of the country that many people only dream of visiting, and has connected with communities and cultures which have enriched his life personally and professionally. Dennis enjoys outdoor activities, and has taken on activities such as mountain biking, running, hiking, and cross country skiing.

Dennis in Education

In 2022, Dennis shifted his career focus to the field of education. While this seems to be a big change - it is actually not. In his past experience as a leader, Dennis was responsible for educating all those around him. Dennis thinks that teaching and learning go together. In his classroom, Dennis is teaching learners just as much as he is learning from them. It is a two way street - an approach that he has used for his whole career, and will continue to. Dennis becomes a better teacher when he is a better student.

*Create Blog Week 1

*Brief Autobiography (+100 words) Week 2

A friendly hello and introduction from me, Esme.

For career I am a Licensed Practical Nurse working in mental health and long term care.

For fun I am an adult educator, my program is Health and Human Sciences , Continuing Care , mentoring and guiding students in the Health Care Aid course. This gives me great joy and is the reason I am in the PIDP program as a student myself.

I'm classified as Gen X and cannot say I don't relate to almost everything under this category. I do enjoy humour and believe I have a wicked sense of humour to deploy on others as a result of childhood survival skills.

I have some work to do for self care as I am a workaholic. I am not a social butterfly although I tend to get along with most everyone and look forward to meeting co students via VCC platform.

Cheers all,

CBC reported on the changing demographics in Canada here:

I teach at a post secondary college where foreign students compromise 34% of the intake.

Canada's current policy of allowing large numbers of immigrants has changed the demographics of the population, increasing the number of people in the workforce and driving down the average age in the country.

Sometimes I wake up with an idea, thinking that I'm a genius, only to do a bit of research and learn that my idea has been around for a long time.

In the teaching kitchen where I work we have lots of information posted around, but I need a way for students to look further. QR codes seem like the perfect solution.

For example, I have many YouTube playlists that I have curated, full of valuable information for learning students. I'm going to post QR codes that point them to these playlists so that they can watch videos on their own time.

I also have a photo sharing site where I post photos and videos of past classes. A QR code posted in the kitchen would give a link to this site, even if the student no longer has access to Moodle.

Here's a really good site that I found explaining some of the uses of QR codes in the classroom:

And a great TED talk on the subject:

I had a great discussion with my classmate Dale regarding this very subject. We talked about how QR codes could be used for bring up service manuals, equipment logs, safety procedures, and more.

I experimented by posting a QR code on my office door with no explanation.

It links to a fun video that I produced some years ago. Without any prompting some students followed the link and had a good laugh. They encouraged others to follow the link and watch the video.