Facing the pandemic, Canada’s colleges and institutes demonstrate innovation and resilience
Existing distance education capabilities have allowed colleges and institutes to rapidy shift to courses online. istock.com
From flexible learning options and applied research to community support, Canada’s colleges and institutes play a pivotal role in our nation’s COVID-19 response.
One example comes from Fredericton, New Brunswick, where a startup – with the help of a college student – created a valuable resource for vulnerable community members and frontline workers.
Building on its expertise of listing spaces, products and services for people with sensory challenges, Sensory Friendly Solutions reached out to Phoebe Nguyen, a programmer analyst student at the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), who had previously developed an app with the company as part of her work-integrated learning.
By volunteering her time to compile an online database of 189 special coronavirus shopping accommodations, Ms. Nguyen helped to continue NBCC’s tradition of giving back to its campus communities, which recently also included providing food for local seniors in Miramichi and donating perishables to Moncton’s children, seniors, homeless and low-income families.
Canadian colleges and institutes have been at the forefront of addressing emerging needs in their communities, and Denise Amyot, president and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), says this includes enhancing the well-being of their students.
“Red River College in Manitoba organized deliveries of computers, emergency food, food hampers and even repair services to ensure Indigenous students felt supported,” she says. “Students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic could make online video appointments with counsellors. And many institutions helped students find alternative accommodations when their residences closed.”
With student success a key part of their mandate, colleges and institutes have stepped up efforts to adapt their services to COVID-19 conditions. They have worked to ensure access to Wi-Fi or computer equipment, helped students secure financial support in the absence of summer jobs, and looked for creative ways to maintain community connections at a time of physical distancing, says Ms. Amyot.
The inherent flexibility of colleges and institutes also enabled a system-wide transition to online delivery soon after physical distancing recommendations curtailed classroom instruction. In just four days, the College of the North Atlantic implemented an extensive academic programs continuity plan that involved moving 181 of its 205 programs online, says Ms. Amyot. “And at St. Lawrence College in Ontario, classes are being delivered through a combination of online and digital simulations and collaborations over the summer.”
A 2019 survey by the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association found that prior to COVID-19, 76 per cent of post-secondary education institutions already offered some form of online learning.
“Colleges and institutes are known for providing options that allow them to meet the needs of diverse learners with different backgrounds and at various stages of their lives – and online learning is part of that,” says Ms. Amyot, who believes existing infrastructure and expertise enabled the timely implementation of additional measures to conform to the recommendations from local health authorities.
One of the main challenges is to retain the “applied nature of many of our programs,” says Ms. Amyot. “Colleges and institutes are considering hybrid learning models and look at incorporating augmented reality and virtual reality to continue offering hands-on opportunities.”
Measures can include condensing the time spent in classrooms and labs as well as further reducing the already small class sizes for which colleges and institutes are known. While health and safety are top priorities, Ms. Amyot suggests it is also essential that colleges and institutes continue their applied research endeavours to help their partners adapt to changing market conditions.
“Many colleges and institutes report that a growing number of businesses and organizations reached out for support over the last few weeks,” she says.
While answers could come in many forms – from innovation enabled by applied research to new training opportunities – one thing is certain: colleges and institutes will be instrumental in defining the “new normal and charting a way forward from the pandemic,” adds Ms. Amyot.
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