• COVID-19
• Publicationsclose
• 2018-2022close
• CA close
• English close
• VIUSpace close
• COVID-19 close

Conference paper: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Conference dates: June 26 - 29, 2022. Location: Minneapolis, MN. © 2022 American Society for Engineering Education. This paper was originally published as: Dick, B. (2022). Long-term impact of COVID-19 on the first-year engineering experience at a mid-sized teaching focused university [Paper presentation]. 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/41352 This paper discusses the COVID-19 adaptions made within the first-year engineering design curriculum, and reflects on their impact fulfilling the required learning outcomes, mitigating student mental health issues, and addressing academic misconduct. It will further articulate the adaptations that are planned to be continued within the first-year experience as students return for face-to-face instruction. The impact of these changes will continue to be studied over the coming academic year. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26179/DickASEE2022.pdf?sequence=3

This report was originally published as: Jóhannesson, G.T., Welling, J., Müller, D.K., Lundmark, L., Nilsson, R.O., de la Barre, S., Granås, B., Kvidal-Røvik, T., Rantala, O., Tervo-Kankare,K., & Maher, P. (2022). Arctic tourism in times of change: Uncertain futures - from overtourism to re-starting tourism. Nordic Council of Ministers. DOI: 10.6027/temanord2022-516 This report presents the findings of the third and final workshop and field course hosted by the project Partnership for Sustainability: Arctic Tourism in Times of Change funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Co-operation Programme 2018–2021. The focus of the workshop was on overtourism and the impact of and response to COVID-19 by companies and stakeholders in Arctic tourism. This publication was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25309/delaBarre2022.pdf?sequence=3

This article was originally published as: Dames, S., Kryskow, P., & Watler, C. (2022). A cohort-based case report: The impact of ketamine-assisted therapy embedded in a community of practice framework for healthcare providers with PTSD and depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803279 Amid an international pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis, ketamine-assisted therapy is emerging as a promising solution for those deemed “treatment resistant.” Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are on the rise, with accelerating direct (e.g., burden of suffering) and indirect (e.g., disability/role impairment and impact on family) costs. Psychedelic-assisted therapies show significant promise in the treatment of a number of clinically challenging conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life distress. Ketamine is currently the only safe, effective and legal widely available psychedelic-like medicine. To address the echo pandemic of health care provider distress, a multi-disciplinary team was charged with developing a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program, delivered in a community of practice (CoP) group model and evaluated in a quality improvement framework. Program evaluation occurred through mixed methods. Quantitative mental health assessments included the PHQ-9 for depression, the PCL-5 for PTSD, GAD-7 for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and B-IPF for work/life functionality. Participant narrative feedback was collected to evaluate outcomes and for quality improvement purposes. Mean mental health scores were collected across three cohorts, totaling 94 patients. The mean aggregate scores of participants meeting the mental health assessment cut-off criteria (screening positive) were analyzed to assess clinical significance. Mean aggregate results comparing baseline vs. outcome measures (measured within 1–2 weeks after completion of the 12-week program) were clinically significant, demonstrating significant improvements in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and work/life functionality. In summary, 91% saw improvements in generalized anxiety, 79% saw improvements in depression, 86% of those who screened positive for PTSD now screen negative, and 92% had significant life/work functionality improvements. Qualitative feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with several unsolicited self-reports of transformation. Participant and team feedback enables the program to continue improving with each iteration. Results speak to the effectiveness of ketamine for psychedelic-assisted therapy, supported by a CoP framework. Outcomes are relevant for mental health programming, education and healthcare policy. The project was supported by Vancouver Island University, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Knowledge Synthesis grant, a British Columbia Ministry of Health COVID-19 Research grant, the Regional Initiatives Fund, in-kind support from Island Health, the British Columbia Nurses Union, First Nations Health Authority, and philanthropic funds. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. It was originally published as: Dames, S., Kryskow, P., & Watler, C. (2022). A cohort-based case report: The impact of ketamine-assisted therapy embedded in a community of practice framework for healthcare providers with PTSD and depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803279 https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25308/Dames2022.pdf?sequence=3

Personalizing student learning holds significance in the new British Columbia curriculum. Teachers are expected to meet individual student needs while also providing them with flexibility and choice. This is a challenging task and one that teachers have been striving to achieve for years. With the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, distance learning suddenly became much more mainstream, as schools all over the world were forced to teach their students online. This was a real challenge for teachers who were not familiar with online teaching and for students and families who were used to learning face-to-face in a brick-and-mortar school. In order to meet future online learning as well as to personalize student needs, it is important that teachers begin to consider adding digital learning to their teaching skills. This project is designed to support teachers who wish to continue to work with some online learning opportunities to meet individual student requirements while still participating in the face-to-face learning needs of lower primary students. This project addresses the Critical Challenge Question: How can educators use Blended Learning to contribute to effective and individualized literacy programs in the lower primary classroom? I have created a website that will support teachers who want to continue to utilize or learn about the Station Rotation model of Blended Learning to personalize their students’ academic programs and to meet their students’ individual needs. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26129/Wicks.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

As online learning continues to grow in popularity and becomes increasingly necessary with the spread of Covid-19, it is crucial for educators to offer well-developed courses that meet the requirements of their learners. A well-designed online course can enhance learning and enable students of all needs and abilities to succeed. For the most part, Open Source, senior-level Mathematics courses that are found online today lack variety and motivating content. However, motivation is essential for a student's success as it guides their actions and fosters engagement. The literature shows that for learners of Mathematics to be successful, Mathematical self-efficacy and a positive mindset are necessary. The purpose of this Process Paper was to utilize existing research and technologies to address the Critical Challenge Question, 'How can a Learning Management System be utilized to create robust and interactive, fully-online secondary Math courses to increase student motivation and engagement?' A comprehensive Literature Review and utilization of Insturcture’s Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) has contributed to the creation of a fully online, asynchronous Pre-calculus 12 course based on British Columbia’s current curriculum. Using a modularized learning approach, the aim of creating this course was to provide Maple Leaf International School (MLIS) secondary students the opportunity to learn in a well-designed, accommodating, and flexible environment that offers a means to develop self-efficacy with regard to successful learning in Mathematics. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25699/Swan.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

This book chapter was originally published as: Riedel, M., Moll, R, Taplay, A., & Fisher, P. (2022). Fostering K-12 student-teacher and collegial relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for teacher education. In M. Jacobesen & C. Smith (Eds.). Online learning and teaching from Kindergarten to graduate school (pp. 57-86). Canadian Association for Teacher Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40509 This community-based participatory action research project was prompted by the rapid shift to emergency remote learning in March-June 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of researchers at a regional teaching-focused university in BC initiated the research based on their shared belief that new understandings about the relational character of teaching and learning would come from an examination of the lived experience of educators during this difficult time. The study involved six community partners who collaborated with the researchers to co-develop the research questions and co-design data collection tools. The study was intended to be mutually beneficial for the teacher education program and the school districts/schools involved. It engaged 413 participants (teachers, administrators, educational assistants [EAs], and non-enrolling teachers) who answered survey questions about relationships, communication, equity and inclusion, shifts in practice, and leadership. This chapter is focused on data specific to the role of relationships in education and how relationships were impacted during the pandemic. Three themes emerged from the data analysis relevant to online learning environments, yet applicable across all modalities: relationality as a core value of BC K-12 educators, affordances and challenges for relationships, and affordances and challenges for equity. Recommendations specific to teacher education aim to advise teacher education programs to expand their focus on relationship building; to re-envision the work of teaching as a collaborative and not a solitary act; and to advocate for the inclusion of online teaching and learning pedagogies into teacher education programs. The copyright for each piece in this collection stays with the respective author(s). The authors assign a non-exclusive right to publication to the Canadian Association for Teacher Education and a non-exclusive license to educational and non-profit institutions and to individuals to use their piece in this publication for personal use and in courses of instruction provided that the pieces are used in full and this copyright statement is reproduced. Any usage is prohibited without the expressed permission of the author. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26468/RiedelEtAlCATEChapter.pdf?sequence=3

In March 2020, schools in British Columbia were closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty of the whole situation was a traumatic event for both staff and students in BC schools. Even when staff and students returned to school, teachers had to learn a new way of connecting with their students and delivering curriculum. When schools reopened, educators had to address and ensure the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) needs of their students were being met. This pandemic increased anxiety and affected the mental health of staff and students in BC schools. Using a mixed method design, I explored the relationship between mental health and social emotional learning. Through an explanatory sequential approach, I utilized questionnaires followed by one-on-one interviews as my research tools. The purpose of this research was to gather data about the effects of COVID on the mental health of staff, students, and their families, and identify which SEL practices were most commonly used and found most effective during this time. The data triangulated between the questionnaires and the one-on-one interviews resulted in five main recommendations: increased mindfulness practices within the classroom and school, opportunities to connect with each other every day, additional exercise and time spent outdoors, and implementing strategies to prevent teacher burnout. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25741/Corea.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Cet article examine les impacts de la COVID-19 sur la prestation des services sociaux dans la région centrale de l’île de Vancouver, sur une période de 18 mois à partir du moment où la pandémie a été déclarée. Des changements externes et internes ont été apportés pour répondre aux exigences des ordonnances de la santé publique, assurer la sécurité des services et répondre aux besoins accrus de certains secteurs de la population. Des impacts différents sont observés pour chaque tranche de six mois étudiée. Les leçons à tirer au-delà de la COVID-19 sont les suivantes : favoriser le passage d’une priorisation du micro-système vers le macro-système, permettant une adaptation rapide; faciliter l’inclusion, notamment des personnes les plus marginalisées; et assurer une réflexion constante et continue. Cela implique de garder à l’esprit les besoins des utilisateurs-rices de services, des prestataires de services sociaux et de la communauté. This contribution considers the ways in which COVID-19 impacted social service delivery in the central Vancouver Island region over 18 months after the declaration of the pandemic. Significant shifts in the external and internal environment were made to accommodate requirements of public health orders, ensure safety in service, and respond to the heightened needs of certain sectors of the population. The impact had a different character for each of six-month tranches studied. Lessons for a post – COVID-19 future include: make micro- to macro-level shifts that allow room for rapid adaptation; facilitate inclusion, especially of those most marginalized; and ensure ongoing reflection. This involves keeping in mind the needs of service users, service providers, and the community.

This research has aimed to identify the ways in which social service delivery in the mid-Island region of Vancouver Island has shifted because of COVID-19 conditions. Prompted by initial informal comments regarding the effect of the pandemic, we initiated an 18-month research process that checked in with representatives of social service agencies at six-month intervals. The study offers a local perspective that may have insights and lessons relevant to social service organizations elsewhere. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25255/SchmidBradley2021.pdf?sequence=3

Conference paper: 2021 First-Year Engineering Experience. Virtual conference dates: August 9 - 10, 2021. © 2021 American Society for Engineering Education. This paper was originally published as: Dick, B. (2021). Enabling hands-on, team-based project work during COVID-19 [Paper presentation]. 2021 First-Year Engineering Experience Conference. https://peer.asee.org/38378 COVID-19 has impacted delivery of the first-year engineering design curriculum throughout the post-secondary system. At Vancouver Island University (VIU), instruction of the first-year curriculum shifted to an entirely remote learning environment where students were not expected to be in physical contact at any point during the term. This presented a significant challenge to delivering its learning outcomes and activities, particularly hands-on, team-based project work. At VIU, students typically complete a cornerstone design project in the second term of their firstyear of studies. Due to COVID-19, this project was modified to allow for completion within a virtual learning environment. Teams of three or four students were tasked to cooperatively create a rolling ball structure, built in isolation, but delivered and assembled at the University campus by the course instructor and its technician. This structure was required to form a path for a rolling ball, and interact with its neighbouring structures to create seamless track. Collectively, all team structures (a total of ten) formed a ring allowing for continuous ball movement once started. These pass-off points between each structure were determined collaboratively between both teams and individuals. This paper describes how a team-based cornerstone project experience was managed, and its impact on the student experience. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26194/DickASEE35475.pdf?sequence=3