• COVID-19
• 2021-2021close
• Thesis close
• CA close
• English close
• VIUSpace close

Tourism has been affected on a global scale due to the novel coronavirus. Governments of all levels are trying to navigate how to move forward with the tourism industry in order to support best practices whilst addressing challenges that hinder economic prosperity, such as social distancing and border closures. This work focuses on identifying the local government planning and tourism resilience practices that are being put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, establishing the role of the local government planner in tourism resilience planning practices. Research was first acquired through a literature review and providing the Vancouver Island context. Additionally, four information interviews were conducted with destination management organization professionals and community planners on Vancouver Island. Lastly, a survey was sent out to local government planners on Vancouver Island in order to reach a larger scope of participants. Concluding this thesis are a set of recommendations rooted in local government jurisdiction for the planning profession, moving forward. Thesis/major project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/24390/BurnsThesis.pdf?sequence=3

Reggio Emilia education began in Italy following World War II. In recent years, as educational reforms have focused more on experiential, hands-on, or inquiry-based learning, the Reggio Approach has spread worldwide. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Reggio Approach and its learners suffered as learning was moved online. This sudden demand for technology-based learning left students and teachers of British Columbia —and globally —in a scramble to find, adapt, or develop new pedagogy and resources, but particularly challenged the core values of Reggio programs. This project looks to unite the values and pedagogy of Reggio-inspired education with the technology-based practices that are becoming commonplace in schools. Specifically, this project is based on an intermediate elementary learning environment in a Reggio-inspired setting and examines the lack of research in these areas. The Reggio Approach is most frequently used with young students while technology-based education is used with older students and implemented by teachers who are comfortable and competent with the available tools and resources. Through this project, the gap that is intermediate elementary is examined in both the context of Reggio-inspired education and technology-based resources. Finally, this project is dedicated to merging technology into the Reggio Approach in a way that respects the philosophy. The project itself presents a number of technological resources and tools that can be used within the Reggio pedagogy https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/24400/Noon.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

The purpose of this study was to explore the connection between leisure, basic psychological needs, and resilience during times of uncertainty. The context of this research was conducted within leisure gardeners on Vancouver Island, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This thesis acknowledges a call to develop leisure frameworks that incorporate basic psychological needs (Gui et al., 2019a; Leithwood, 2020), and to the author’s knowledge, is the first study to investigate that in tandem with resilience and times of uncertainty. Data collection occurred over the summer months of 2020 and utilized photovoice and semi-structured interviews to document psychological implications of the pursuit. The data was thematically analyzed and indicated that all participants reported a heightened sense of resilience because of their decision to garden as a leisure pursuit. The data also indicated that leisure gardening has a positive effect on participants’ basic psychological needs, while the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect. A proposed framework was developed linking times of uncertainty, leisure pursuits catering towards basic psychological need criteria, and resilience, to be tested in future studies. Implications of an effective framework could inform psychological sustainability initiatives, including personal wellness strategies and disaster preparedness plans. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25991/Lawrence.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y