Preamble

Keynote Address
Advancing Knowledge for Public Good
Dr. Marlene Scardamalia

Abstract:
Knowledge Building enables production and continual improvement of ideas and artefacts
that are of value to a community. A knowledge building community operates within a
community-of-communities, connected historically and globally, enabling accomplishments
greater than the sum of individual contributions, and is part of broader cultural efforts.
Internet communication, plentiful resources, diverse media, and increasing accessibility
provide important modern infrastructure, yet a different order of support is required for
pervasive and inclusive engagement to advance knowledge for public good. Knowledge
creation must become part and parcel of daily work, coextensive with work in global
innovation networks. That, in turn, requires innovations to uncover new student
competencies, foster new models of professional development and assessment, and envision
collective intelligence channeled into students’ capacity to address problems of the modern
world. This presentation provides an overview of theoretical, practical, and technological
underpinnings of Knowledge Building to address these challenges.

Dr. Marlene Scardamalia’s Biography:

Dr. Scardamalia is a University Distinguished

Professor of Knowledge Innovation & Technology at
the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education. She also directs the Institute
for Knowledge Innovation and Technology and
serves as President of Knowledge Building Research
International. In these various capacities, she leads a
worldwide innovation network transforming
schools for education for knowledge creation. Her
work focuses on democratizing knowledge by
exploring Knowledge Building theoretical models,
social structures, pedagogies, and technologies to
enable “a place for everyone in a knowledge
society.”
 Invited Panel of Speakers
Challenge, Change & Resilience in Career Trajectories
In this session, three panelists who completed (or are currently completing) graduate
studies at McGill University shared their career trajectories and experiences. Each panelist
has charted a unique and impressive career path either in or out of academia. Panelists
shared some of the career challenges they've faced, how they've handled change and
transition, and ways they've been resilient throughout. A brief biography for each invited
panelist follows.
Dr. Ramona Parkash Arora is the Vice President of Global Talent Development at Dell
Technologies serving as the organization's Chief Learning Officer, overseeing the
consultation, design, development, and deployment of leading-edge learning solutions aimed
to elevate the capabilities of 135K+ team members, leaders, and executives across the
company. With a vision for continuously infusing a modernized approach to learning,
Ramona’s leadership pushes the boundaries on learning and development, inspiring her
team to transcend traditional classroom and virtual learning practices to create learning that
incorporates the use of AI and chatbot technology, behavioral science, simulations,
kinesthetic experiences, and even film. From her roots as a high school social science teacher
(instructing 9-12th grade geography, sociology, and nutrition science classes) and Varsity
Boys Basketball coach, Ramona‘s passion and expertise is grounded in helping people
maximize their potential and supporting organizations in developing their people in
meaningful ways. With over twenty years of experience navigating the world of learning in
various geos and with a variety of learners, Ramona is often called a “talent tinker,” “career
connector,” and “fairy job mother” as she applies her teaching, research, coaching, strategic
and data-obsessed muscles to help individuals connect their true talents with organizations,
work, and people that enable a values and vision-aligned career journey. Her keen interest
in this work led her to pursue her doctorate degree from McGill University in Montreal,
Canada where she studied the impact of (socio)economics, migration, and cognitive
decision-making on human capital trends through a critical lens of studying the career
journeys of young adults from small island communities, and uncovering how small-island
nations and organizations cultivate, leverage, and sustain diverse talent to meet the changing
economic and strategic landscape of their workforce. This work and these experiences
inform so much of the work Ramona currently drives. Today, Ramona often finds herself in
the learner seat as she interacts with the world through her three children – ages 10, 6, and
Ryan Trudeau currently holds the position of Senior Advisor at the Anti-Racism Secretariat
at Global Affairs Canada (GAC). A graduate from McGill University’s Department of
Integrated Studies in Education (B.Ed. 2012, M.A. 2014), he is a Prosci® certified trainer and
change practitioner, expert facilitator, and natural born leader with a background in
participatory research and grassroots engagement. As a featured diversity, equity, and
inclusion speaker on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's (TBS) Federal Speaker's
Forum, his talks focus on topics related to antiracism, allyship, and change management.
Ryan has delivered his presentation titled “Turning White Fragility into White Humility: My
Journey Through Change” to more than 15 different government departments and agencies,
and to over 15,000 federal public servants and counting. Through his presentation, Ryan
guides his audience through his struggles with his own white fragility using powerful
personal experiences, practical change management principles, as well as material from
leading anti-racism scholars. He then shares pertinent information related to allyship,
finishing with an inspiring but challenging message to all in embarking on our own
respective journeys in dismantling systemic racism. As a straight, able-bodied White man
born in Canada, Ryan’s perspective on matters related to diversity and inclusion may not
seem obvious or even logical at first glance. However, the convergence of his experiences as
a father, his personal journey with his partner, and his professional background intricately
illustrate how we are all capable of change and that the systemic change we desire first
begins at the individual level, one person at a time.
John R. Sylliboy is L’nu from the Millbrook Mi’kmaw Community in Nova Scotia. John is a
co-founder and Executive Director of the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance (W2SA) – a Two-
spirit (2S) organization that advocates for 2S people in Atlantic Canada and nationally. John
integrates Indigenous perspectives using Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing in curriculum
development, research, and cultural studies especially in areas that impact Indigenous youth
and their well-being. John’s doctoral studies explore gender, sexuality, and sex, using
L’nuwey perspectives to explore cultural strategies to address mental health for Two-spirit
youth.

Invited Panel of Speakers

Challenge, Change & Resilience in Publication

In this session, four journal editors shared their expertise from within the world of
publication and academic journals. In addition to sharing the focus and scope of their
respective journals, each panelist shared their knowledge and experience regarding
challenges associated with publication, the ways journal publication has changed over the
years, and their advice on how resilience plays into academic publishing.
Dr. Teresa Strong-Wilson is the Editor-in-Chief for the McGill Journal of Education (MJE).
The MJE is a peer-reviewed, open-access, bilingual scholarly journal that promotes
multidisciplinary educational research, theory, and practice over three issues published
each year.
Dr. Claudia Mitchell is the Editor-in-Chief for Girlhood Studies, a peer-reviewed
interdisciplinary journal that publishes articles to promote discussions of girlhood from
diverse perspectives, including medical, legal, ethnographic, philosophical, historical,
literary, cultural, and media research perspectives.
Dr. Kurt Clausen is the Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian Journal of Action Research (CJAR),
an open-access peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles related to action research,
participatory action research, community-based research and similar methodologies.
Dr. Lauren Halcomb-Smith is a managing editor with the Journal of Belonging, Identity,
Language & Diversity (J-BILD). J-BILD provides opportunities for peer support,
collaboration, and dialogue about belonging, identity, language, and diversity.
 Invited International Speaker
Paradoxes of Inclusion of People with Diverse Learners: Understanding
the Socio-Cultural Bases of the Challenges

Dr. Santoshi Halder

The broadest implications of inclusion involve addressing any sort of seclusion and minority
experiences related to a person’s background, identity, and ability (i.e., gender, sexual
orientation, race, ethnicity, age, culture, and social class). Categorization based on abilities
or disabilities influences peoples’ well-being. Since the second half of the twentieth century,
international and regional human rights movements have fostered a strong cosmopolitan
culture against excluding people with disabilities, and these movements have called for
dismantling discrimination and upholding the participation and independence of every
human regardless of their differences. However, discrimination remains a structural feature
of our societies, and the path to equality seems to be a path of continuous challenge. Inclusion
is a process that is only possible when the philosophy behind inclusion is deeply and
rationally understood. This includes environmental and contextual factors, which vary
considerably across countries. It is important to understand how socio-cultural factors
impact inclusion in order to see an effective intervention and support system developed.

Dr. Santoshi Halder’s Biography:

Dr. Halder is a Professor Department of Education,
University of Calcutta, India. She has a Post-graduate
degree in Education and a Ph.D. in Applied psychology. She
is an international fellow, and has received prestigious
competitive International awards/fellowships, including:
Shastri-Indo-Canadian Award recipient (2020-22);
Fulbright Academic and Professional Excellence Fellow, USA
(2020); Rockefeller Fellow, Italy (2019), Japan Society for
Promotion of Science/ JSPS Fellow, (2019). Dr. Halder is
passionate about inclusion of people with diverse needs
and has been actively involved internationally and
nationally in multifarious ways for the inclusion of people
with diversities primarily through various academic and
research endeavors since 2000.
 --- Panel Presentations ---

Exploring Unconventional Literacies

Emily Mannard, Anita Hagh & Tatiana Becerra
Our team has come together to collaboratively explore ‘unconventional’ literacy practices across varied
backgrounds and contexts – from adolescents’ language-learning through videogames and live-streaming at
a local youth center, to digital communities and the discursive cultures that bind them, and the pluriversal
(often overlooked) literacies youth encounter in rural communities of the Global South. With the overarching
goal of subverting the limiting colonial literacy practices honoured within contemporary Western societies,
our work asks the following questions: How can educators and researchers work together to reconceptualize
literacies for the 21st century? How have digital texts and technologies transformed literacy studies towards
more equitable, collaborative, and meaningful practices? Through varied methodologies – design-based,
digital ethnography, and discourse analysis – and theoretical perspectives – decolonial, discourse, and affect
theories – our team of researcher-educators will share diverse examples of youth literacies that might
contribute to a broader understanding of literacies. This presentation aims to expand notions of literacy-
learning and re-center discussions towards youths’ diverse identities, interests, literacy practices, and areas
of expertise within and beyond formal learning contexts. With consideration of the current climate and need
to challenge and change problematic normalized practices, our work fits nicely into this year’s conference
theme of challenge, change, and resilience.

Dismantling White Supremacy Culture in the Academy:

Labour, Language, and Discourse
Aisha Barise, Shannon Hutcheson & Welly Minyangadou Ngokobi
Following recent racial justice movements, discourses on racial inequity became mainstream in academic
contexts. In response to these movements, neoliberal institutions such as the academy are undertaking
strategies to tackle anti-Black racism. However, these efforts are nullified or remain performative when
reproduced synchronously with White supremacist (WS) ideologies and praxis. The academy, much like any
neoliberal institute, is rooted in WS culture which contributes to the subordination of BIPOC through its
ideology that priveleges White bodies, ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Though pervasive, WS culture is
difficult to identify due to its implicit nature. To address this paradox, we develop an analysis to pinpoint the
characteristics of WS culture, drawing from the taxonomy developed by Okun and Jones (2000) and adapted
by the Centre for Community Organizations (COCo, 2019). In this panel, we target the manifestation of WS
in four domains that are foundational to the academy: labor, language, epistemology, and discourse. These
domains are subjected to WS culture through: cultural taxation, raciolinguistic injustice, epistemicide, and
neoliberalism. WS regulates labor division within the academy by inflicting cultural taxation (Padilla, 1994)
on BIPOC, engendering racial labor exploitation. This is coupled with raciolinguistic injustice (Alim, 2016),
reflecting dehumanization through WS linguistic hegemony. In the epistemological domain, the superiority
of Eurocentric knowledge as in epistemicide (Mesaka, 2017) has detrimental ramifications in the teaching
context, all instances of which are driven by neoliberal discourses (Brown, 2012) that shape the overall
academic ecology. This panel initiates critical conversation with members of the academy across domains
and contexts to cultivate a cumulative shift of WS ideology.
 Indigenous Community-Centered Research:
Navigating Ethics, Cultural Protocols, and Relationships
Wahéshon Whitebean, Kahterōn:ni Stacey & Daniella Birlain D’Amico
Background: There is a growing interest in Indigenous research, placing added pressures and demands on
Indigenous communities. This presentation explores new developments and challenges in Indigenous
community-based research, specifically in the Kanien’kehá:ka community of Kahnawà:ke. The panelists
collaborated to co-research and co-write a Research Policy and Code of Ethics for the Kahnawà:ke Education
Center (KEC), which led to the establishment of a new community research ethics process. The panelists
reflect on their personal experiences navigating peer-support, community research roles, and Indigenous-
settler relationships through the themes: challenge, change, and resilience. Objectives: To provide examples
of Indigenous and community-centered research while introducing an Indigenous approach to research
ethics guided by cultural protocols; and to exemplify co-learning through research collaborations among
peers in the research community. Methods: This panel is a reflexive exploration of research process and
personal experience. In round one, the three panelists, all of whom are doctoral students in Educational
Studies at McGill, will introduce themselves, their individual research background, and their role as co-
writers of the KEC research policy. In round two, each panelist will highlight three take-a-ways from this
experience, one for each theme (challenge, change, and resilience). Conclusion: An Indigenous community-
centered method rather than a pan-Indigenous approach to research, provides opportunities to build
research capacity founded on relationships that are both equitable and culturally safe. The KEC Research
Policy & Code of Ethics provides a model for Indigenous community-based research, grounded in cultural
protocols that are specific to the peoples and lands they represent.

--- ‘Other Format’ Presentations ---

Presentation & Interactive Music Lesson Demonstration
Meaningful Modeling: YouTube Music Lessons as an
Instructional Tool for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Nicole Mara
This presentation addresses the benefits of using YouTube as an instructional tool for teaching Elementary-
level music to students on the Autism Spectrum (ASD). Recent research shows that using web-based videos
as a component of in-person learning can be an effective instructional strategy. YouTube’s accessibility
allows educators to use it at virtually no cost. Learners with ASD, in fact, show a preference for screen-based
instruction, and can sustain attention for longer when taught by a video “model” versus an in-vivo lesson. A
review of the latest literature in the field of Autism and educational technology shows that using video
lessons with a virtual “teacher” modeling a skill (in this case, singing or sustaining rhythm) helps students
with ASD improve their joint attention, develop interoception, and improve gross motor skills. These are
promising findings that could help educators use their students’ innate strengths to teach music effectively,
while supporting their executive functioning development. This presentation consists of a 15-20 minute
discussion of the theoretical framework and research evidence, followed by a 5-7 minute interactive
demonstration of a music lesson with a YouTube video component and audience participation. This
presentation focuses on the “Change” component of the conference theme. The goal is to show that while
adapting classroom instruction from familiar in-vivo learning to include screen-based components may
seem daunting, students with ASD could benefit immensely from learning with video lessons. With YouTube
at our fingertips, the use of technology in the classroom does not have to be complicated or costly.
 Reflective Inquiry Presentation
Collaboratively Exploring Researcher Identity
Anna Villalta, Lucia Smith-Williams, Midhat Noor Kiyani,
Abdullah Majjar, Cory Legassic & Jennifer Sweer
While many doctoral programs prepare emerging scholars by guiding their research, little attention is
directed toward the development of their research identity. Six first-year doctoral students learn the
importance of reflection as they journey both individually and collaboratively, exploring the challenges of
starting their doctoral studies and building resilience in collaboration with a community of scholars. The
objective of this presentation is to narratively portray the journey of each emerging researcher. A three-fold
visual inquiry process was used to reflect on experiences and subconscious feelings that led students’
emerging research queries and helped to draw connections that shaped their identities as researchers. To
trace this unique transformative journey, we focused on three points of inquiry: Who am I? Why am I here?
What am I trying to achieve as a researcher? Our journey began with an initial exploration, plotting the
pivotal key life moments that lead to our research inquiry. These moments were then projected into a
concept map to demonstrate the non-linear interconnection between these life events. Finally, a
collage designed by each researcher elicited, through metaphor, analogy, and allusion, an awareness of the
hidden researcher identity. Each step of this process wove together our identities as we moved beyond the
self-reflection and discovery process by engaging in collaborative meaning-making activities with fellow
doctoral students. We believe this exercise will help doctoral students position and situate themselves in
their research practices while revealing the power of ‘community of practice’ to overcome the challenges
that they face.

Online Exhibition
Material Investigations for an Environmentally-Oriented Art Education
Jackie Stendel
From planetary warming and natural disasters to social precarity and community unrest, the environmental
crisis continues to pervade daily life. Although art education (AE) has the potential to help learners confront
the ever-changing reality of the crisis, many materials used in AE are produced by harmful industrial
practices that are complicit in the crisis. Due to this relationship, these materials often reflect a humanist
framework and fail to integrate the experiences of more-than-human agents. In this asynchronous
presentation, artworks that challenge the embedded notion of duality and embrace more-than-human
‘others’ will be on display. The exhibited artworks explore a large range of material solutions, from recycled
paper to copper crystals and abandoned toys to repurposed mud. The artworks are sourced from research
participants who were involved in a larger study that investigated the profound implications of
environmental art practices. Through employing arts-based auto-ethnography and engaging in open-ended
conversations with art educators, this study explored (1) methods of artistic production that work in tandem
with the more-than-human world and (2) the implications environmental art-making methods have in
promoting responsible ecological attitudes. The virtual exhibition is an attempt to document these research
findings in a way that can be easily accessed by educators. By providing visual examples of materially
discursive environmental art-making, the virtual exhibit will provide educators with ideas for how they may
incorporate environmental art creation in various learning settings. Creating an ecologically responsible AE
is becoming increasingly important as doing so can help learners develop environmentally responsible ways
of thinking and acting - an imperative for preparing learners for these times of transition.
 --- ‘Fast 5’ Presentations ---

Second Language Learning: Interplay of Human Emotions

and their Impact on the Learners’ Acquisition of the Language
Sana Abbasi
This research examines the changes in the emotions of ESL learners when they are involved in the process
of learning a second language. Such a change, this research will contend, will have a considerable impact on
the learner’s progress of the second language being learned. The purpose behind studying the changes in
emotions of language learners is to challenge the preexisting notions about the secondary role of emotions,
in contrast to ‘cognition’ in the field of SLA. This will be done by observing the emotional changes in language
learners in an ESL classroom at McGill University as the students transition through three mains stages of
learning a second language i.e., a beginner stage, an intermediate stage, and an advanced stage. The minimum
number of language learners for this research are estimated to be ten, and the time span for this research is
four months. The researcher will observe the changes in the emotions of ESL students and will record them
in the form of field notes during each language lesson. Afterwards, a short questionnaire about the kinds of
emotions students felt and the impact that these emotions had on their learning will be filled out by students
in focus groups. By observing the emotional changes and the impact such changes have on the acquisition of
a second language, this research will highlight the need for addressing the emotional needs of language
learners in the field of SLA.

Caring in Community: A Narrative Inquiry into Agency,

Harm Reduction, and Peer Education
Aria Brunetti
The purpose of this study is to explore how peer education can be an essential tool in harm reduction praxis
for people who use drugs recreationally. Harm reduction is a set of policies and practices that aim to reduce
the harm of risky behaviours. Effective harm reduction practice has far-reaching positive implications to
empower individuals to protect themselves from drug-related harms such as overdose and addiction (Noyes
et al., 2021; Voon et al., 2018). Current literature identifies peer support and peer education as key factors
in successful harm reduction practice (Hauspie et al., 2021; Ruane, 2018). Using a social constructivist lens,
this study gathers the lived experiences of harm reduction volunteers who teach in non-traditional
educational spaces, such as music festivals and raves, to describe how peer education affects educator
agency. The overarching research question is: How do peer education-based harm reduction practices affect
agency and inform praxis? The sub-questions are: (1) What lived experiences motivated volunteers to
become community educators? (2) How has teaching harm reduction increased their agency? (3) What do
these narratives reveal about harm reduction praxis in non-traditional educational spaces? Employing
narrative inquiry as the methodology (Kim, 2016), data will be collected in one-on-one interviews and
analyzed using inductive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The implications of describing peer
education from the viewpoint of frontline educators and people who use drugs will inform effective harm
reduction educational approaches.
 Exploring the Science Identities of Students with Learning Disabilities
Cinzia Di Placido
People with disabilities are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). Individuals with strong science identities (SIs) are more likely to pursue a STEM career
or academic program. However, research is limited on the SIs of people with disabilities. In this study, I
explore the SIs of students with learning disabilities (LDs) through their in-school and out-of-school science
experiences. I use the “recognition” criteria in Carlone and Johnson’s (2007) SI model to understand how
students recognize themselves as “science people” and how others recognize the students as “science
people.” Interviews with students with LDs and their science teacher were conducted to gain a student and
teacher perspective. This study’s findings show that students with LDs value science, enjoy participating in
science activities, and believe that they are good science students. Results also reveal that science teachers
recognize their students as “science people,” however, parents do not recognize their children as “science
people.” I argue the need for strategies to support students in developing their SIs and recognizing
themselves as “science people.” Additionally, with the great influence that parents have on their children,
they require resources to assist them in recognizing their children as “science people.” Developing students
with LDs SIs through self-recognition and recognition by others will help increase representation of people
with disabilities in STEM fields.

Conceptual Change Methods for Islamophobia and

Anti-Muslim Racism: A Scoping Review
Nesma Etoubashi
The purpose of this review was to explore the potential for conceptual change methods, namely refutation
texts, in correcting misconceptions and improving attitudes regarding Muslims and Islam. A scoping review
(Arksey & O’Malley, 2005) of 17 peer-reviewed articles was conducted to answer the following research
questions: (1) What are the strengths and limitations of refutation texts on changing misconceptions and
improving attitudes for controversial issues? (2) What are the most common misconceptions that affect
Muslims? (3) Could refutation methods be used as a tool to tackle islamophobia? Thematic analysis resulted
in four themes for the conceptual change studies and five for the islamophobia articles. The themes for
conceptual change studies were: (a) refutation texts work, but other intervention-types may be stronger; (b)
conceptual change improves with enhanced refutation texts; (c) conceptual change for controversial issues
is still possible with identity-conflicts; and (d) refutation texts foster attitudinal change, so long as identity
values do not get in the way. For islamophobia, the themes were: (a) Muslims are terrorists; (b) Islam
oppresses women; (c) Muslim men and Islam are violent and barbaric; (d) Muslims do not believe in Jesus
and Allah is their God; and (e) all Muslims are the same. Together, these results suggest that an enhanced-
refutation text intervention that reduces identity-conflicts and the sense of threat would be feasible for
fostering conceptual and attitudinal change regarding islamophobia. This review aligns with the conference
theme, given that its purpose is to challenge and change harmful misconceptions towards a heavily targeted
marginalized community in Quebec and Canada.
 The Role of Spirituality and Culture in Emerging
Adolescents’ Theory of Mind and Prosocial Behaviour
Nadia Khalili & Victoria Talwar
Theoretical studies suggest that Theory of Mind (ToM), that is, the ability to understand others’ mental states
and predict their behaviours, reciprocally interacts with prosocial behavior, which is voluntary action that
benefit others (Weller & Lagattuta, 2014). Yet empirical studies on children yielded inconsistent results in
these interactions (Imuta et al., 2016). Furthermore, existing research has found a link between ToM and
spirituality in terms of caring and helping others which may also vary across cultures (Eisenberg, 2003;
Imuta et al., 2016). However, the moderating role of spirituality and culture of these associations has been
rarely examined in children and not examined in emerging adolescents experiencing a sensitive transitional
period of their life (Bosacki et al., 2018; Crocetti, 2017). To fill this gap, this study empirically examines the
role of spirituality and culture in relation to ToM and prosocial behaviour in emerging adolescents. A total
of 300 (160 girls) emerging adolescents (M=11.502, SD=2.228) were recruited from Montreal, Canada and
Karaj, Iran. A double moderation analysis was conducted and results indicated nonlinear relationships
between culture, spirituality, ToM, and prosocial behaviour. A higher level of spirituality indicated a strong
negative influence on ToM and prosocial behaviour for all subjects. However, low and middle levels of
spirituality differed by culture. Implications for youth’s social-emotional understanding will be discussed.

'When we know better, we do better.' …So Why Don’t We?

A Critical Analysis of Quebec’s Current Education Systems with
Regards to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Welly Minyangadou
The ways in which we have been conditioned to learn (that is, our relationship with education) are part of
the colonial heritage that has embedded our realms of becoming for generations since the first settlements.
As such, in the teaching context, it is important to take a step back and reframe education and learning as we
understand them to be today. Indeed, these colonial legacies, which operate through Western education
systems, have been kept alive through tools and approaches undertaken within institutions. These range
from teacher-centered pedagogies to ill-fitting, tokenizing, and opportunistic celebrations of student
diversity. Altogether, these legacies and approaches to learning have been intended to erase the student as
a human being and to reduce them to space holders in the classroom. To push back on these harmful and
outdated ways of learning, it is vital that we challenge these doctrines and bring student identity awareness
and cultural responsiveness to the forefront of our teaching practices. Educators ought to accept students as
they are, that is, as entities in their own respects, and approach teaching in a manner that welcomes students’
knowledge base as legitimate sources of learning content. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, I take a
qualitative look at what the successful application of student-centered pedagogies such as Funds of Identity,
Funds of Knowledge and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy would look like in the Quebec context: “What are
we doing now, and how can we get there?”
 Braiding Knowledges to Dismantle Internationalization of
Colonial Knowledge Production: An analysis of Decolonial Curriculum and
Pedagogy Practices at Concordia University
Ezgi Ozgunum
Purpose: In the wake of the final report and calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)
in 2015, many Canadian colleges and universities deepened their commitments to become more accountable
to the legacies of colonialism that have shaped institutions. However, many have also started to ask critical
questions about the extent to which postsecondary institutions have adequately responded to the TRC Calls
to Action and other calls for reduced inequalities and decolonization (Ahenakew, 2016; Andreotti et al.,
2015; Daigle, 2019; Gaudry & Lorenz, 2018). Educational importance of the study: This research examines
how faculty, staff, and students in social sciences curricula are currently engaged in integrating Indigenous
and other marginalized knowledge systems in their teaching, research, and community engagements. It also
explores what kinds of support (including resources and further research) are needed in the field to deepen
intellectual and practical approaches to knowledge integration. Theoretical framework: This research is
oriented by the insights of decolonial, Indigenous, and Global South scholars who have critiqued the
hierarchies of knowledge that center and universalize Western knowledge, especially Western science and
education (Battiste, 2013; Grosfoguel, 2013; Smith, 2012; Spivak, 2004). Methodology: This research uses
semi-structured interviews and critical discourse analysis methods. The data will be collected at Concordia
University from the Departments of Communication Studies and Religion and Cultures. Connection to
conference theme (Challenge, Change & Resilience): This research intends to fill the gap between intellectual
critiques of colonization and the affective and relational capacities to enact ethical forms of knowledge
integration; and considerable resistance to institutional changes that seek to go beyond tokenistic inclusion.

Feasibility of Multimodal Prehabilitation to Enhance Functional Capacity of

Esophageal Cancer Patients During Concurrent Neoadjuvant Chemotherapies
Jade St-Pierre
Background: Surgery coupled with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) have become standard in the
management of advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), contributing to improved surgical and survival
outcomes. However, NACT can have deleterious effects on patients’ physiological reserves and functional
status, and is often poorly tolerated. Multimodal prehabilitation has been shown to improve perioperative
health in a variety of oncological surgery patients. However, there is a gap in the literature addressing
prehabilitation within EAC patients undergoing NACT. Methods: This pilot study is of a single prospective
cohort, non-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Patients diagnosed with locally advanced EAC referred to
receive NACT prior to esophagectomy were approached for recruitment. All patients received a personalized
prehabilitation program. Feasibility was assessed via self-reported adherence to both exercise and
nutritional interventions. Functional capacity was assessed via various physical tests. Patient reported
outcomes included: FACT-E, ESAS, DASI, CHAMPS and HADS. Clinical outcomes of interest included
adherence to NACT, postoperative morbidity and mortality. Results: Preliminary data demonstrated a
recruitment rate of 56% with 13 patients completing the program. They all received either home-based
(n=6), in-hospital supervised (n=5) or supervised teleprehabilitation (n=2). Satisfactory adherence rate was
measured in both groups (68.9% home-based, 70% supervised, p= 0.7). Conclusion: Data thus far confirms
that personalized prehabilitation can be delivered safely and feasibly during NACT for EAC patients.
Although there were no functional improvements per say, patients were able to maintain their function. It is
postulated that prehabilitation may play a role in combatting the physical decline and deterioration
otherwise anticipated.
 --- Oral Presentations ---

Ethnographic Research During COVID-19 with Migrant-Background Students

Learning French in Quebec: Preliminary Findings and Methodological Reflexivity
Alexa Ahooja
In Québec, most migrant-background (MB) students attend French schools, and some of these learners need
to learn the language of instruction in welcome classes before ‘graduating’ to the regular stream (De Koninck
& Armand, 2012). This student population is growing rapidly. However, little ethnographic research has
examined secondary-level learners’ diverse sociolinguistic experiences in such a context. This study
(ongoing) contributes to this area of knowledge by closely following two adolescent MB students’ everyday
experiences in a Greater Montréal welcome class and in their home during one academic year. Using a second
language socialization lens (Duff, 2007), the study examines the development of their academic
competencies in an additional language, their membership acquisition processes, and their sociolinguistic
identity negotiations and positionings. The current study also offers unique insight into these learners’
experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is predicted to affect students’ social and academic
outcomes (Azevedo et al., 2020; Garbe et al., 2020). Data collection has consisted of fieldwork (tutoring and
co-teaching), observations, field trip chaperoning, student interviews and in-class activity recordings as well
teacher and parent interviews. Because of the participatory nature of the study, the researcher has had to
adapt the study to fit participants’ needs—which were crucial to address during a time of crisis. Preliminary
findings related to the impacts of COVID-19 on students’ integration processes and the researcher’s reflexive
stance on methodological issues concerning this type of research will be shared to move the conversation
towards adopting ‘mutual aid’ approaches when conducting classroom-based research.

New-Thinking Towards the Global Out-of-School Children Pandemic

Afees Akinola Agboola
Out-of-school children is a ‘global pandemic’ cutting across more than half of the world’s countries. This
problem affects over 258 million children of the population of the world. This is a growing problem
exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. While current literature focuses on homeless children, there is a
relatively small body of work that investigates the growing social challenges and educational implications of
out-of-school children in order to combat the problem. In this paper, I examine the issues contributing to the
increasing population of children that are out of the school with specific focus on developing countries of the
South. I adopt a multidimensional approach, analyzing available data focusing on a combination of
educational policies, children development initiatives, government development programs, and social
security factors of selected African countries as factors leading to this problem. The importance of this work
is to understand how these collectively reinforce children’s economic incapability and vulnerability to
security risks in the global South. Ultimately, the findings will aid rethinking and redesigning of educational
policies and programs that will reintegrate street children back into the schooling system.

Participating in the Visual with TikTok

Sarah Amodeo
TikTok has quickly evolved to become a ubiquitous part of many student lives. Of relevance to the
burgeoning area of participatory visual methodologies and the ways in which changing technologies can
have an impact on who can participate, this presentation examines the nuances of TikTok in order to look at
the ways this seemingly ‘DIY’ platform might explore visual methodology alongside participatory video and
cellphilming. How can an examination of the phenomenon of TikTok deepen an understanding of both
production and analysis in visual research? To carry out this exploration, I will be drawing on my work with
immigrant adolescent students in the English Adult Education sector. Adult education is often an overlooked
realm as it falls between the cracks of traditional academic paths and mainstream media. Many of the
students in this sector are adolescent immigrants who are maneuvering around Bill 101. This population is
deserving of research that examines their day-to-day realities on TikTok and how that influences the life
they build in Quebec. Adolescent immigrant students in Adult Education are individuals who inherently face
many challenges with change and adversity. During the pandemic, these students sought comfort and
demonstrated resilience through their expressionism on social media applications. By locating TikTok as
both phenomenon and method as part of a participatory visual methodologies framework, this presentation
will propel foundational aspects of research to understand the day-to-day realities for these students and
the role that TikTok may have played for them during the pandemic.

Understanding Challenges and Aspirations of Bangladeshi

Women Science Teachers through their Identity Narratives
Shamnaz Arifin
Research shows that representation of minority teachers is vital for students’ success in reducing the gender
gap in science. Women science teachers can thus serve as important role models to increase girls’ interest in
science. In Bangladesh, only 14% of all science teachers are women. Those women who succeed at becoming
science teachers often face numerous struggles. In order to develop strategies for gender-inclusive science
teacher education, there is an urgent need to understand women science teachers’ motivations to pursue
these careers and the challenges they face in this profession. To understand the role that sociopolitical
structures play in the experiences of women science teachers, I ground this research in sociocultural
perspectives on gender and identity in science learning. This qualitative research study explores the
challenges and aspirations of women science teachers and how their challenges and aspirations are shaped
by institutional and cultural factors. To do so, I will conduct two rounds of interviews with ten women
science teachers from ten different secondary schools in Bangladesh. After the first round of interviews, I
aim to apply the photo-reflexivity technique which will allow for a more creative representation of the
teachers’ experiences. This will be one of the first studies to contribute to our understanding of how social
and political structures impact women science teachers’ experiences in Bangladesh. The outcomes of this
study will provide recommendations for how teacher education programs in Bangladesh can incorporate
gender-inclusive programming for future women science teachers.

A Scoping Review on Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation and Activity of Central Neural

Substrates Implicated in the Perception of Breathlessness
Rachelle Aucoin
Breathlessness is characterized as a severe breathing discomfort that varies in intensity – most prevalent in
clinical populations diagnosed with chronic lung disease (CLD). Pharmacotherapies exist for CLD
management; however, these therapies are ineffective at relieving symptoms of breathlessness; ostensibly
preventing the individual from comfortably participating in exercise, and reducing their quality of life. It is
essential to identify alternative, non-pharmaceutical breathlessness-specific treatments for this population.
The inhalation of menthol or cool air directed to the face significantly relieves breathlessness without
concomitant changes in peripheral physiology. Consequently, the underlying mechanism governing these
improvements remains unknown. It is well established that menthol and cool air stimulate the trigeminal
nerve, responsible for sending pain, touch, and temperature sensations from the face to the brain. This study
aimed to identify the available evidence to support a link between trigeminal nerve stimulation and
activation of brain regions involved in the perception of breathlessness. Following the PRISMA guidelines,
four databases were searched on April 26th, 2021. From these searches, 29 studies were included.
Trigeminal nerve stimulation activated a total of 63 brain regions, 13 of which were identified as being
previously implicated in the perception of breathlessness. Menthol activated 70% of the 13 brain regions,
while cool air activated 30%. These findings support the hypothesis that menthol and cool air relieve
breathlessness through a neuromodulatory mechanism mediated by the trigeminal nerve. Menthol and cool
air may represent a practical means of reducing breathlessness associated with CLD with therapeutic
potential to improve quality of life for diagnosed patients.

Love as Way of Resilience: A Young Forced Migrant’s

First Pregnancy Journey during the Pandemic
Meghri Bakarian
“Love as way of resilience: A young forced migrant’s first pregnancy journey during the pandemic” is based
on a curated album project that I first developed for a course, which then turned out to be something that I
wanted to learn more about. I take up two main questions in the presentation: (1) What can working with
family archives/photos teach us about social change? (2) What are some of the challenges in working with
family archives/photos in narrative research? My presentation draws on visual methods, building on the
work of Rose (2016) and Mitchell et al. (2017), and in this auto-ethnographic work I consider how curating
an album on social change can lead to new possibilities for teaching what social change is, or for teaching in
general (James, 2017). As part of my presentation, I will exhibit images and explore how I was impacted by
the social change around me, in this case, the pandemic. This presentation has a strong connection with the
conference theme Challenge, Change & Resilience for main two reasons: First, it highlights the social changes
that the pandemic brought to a forced migrant’s pregnancy journey; and second, it highlights the importance
of using visual methodologies as a powerful tool in education that can bring various challenges and changes
of teaching concept. References: James, A. (2017). Academic autoethnographies: inside teaching in higher
education by Daisy Pillay, Inbanathan Naicker, and Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan (Editors). || Mitchell, C., De
Lange, N., & Moletsane, R. (2017). Participatory visual methodologies: Social change, community and policy.
Sage. || Rose, G. (2016). Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual materials. Sage.

What if Anne Frank Had a Camera instead of a Diary?

Using a Vlog Approach in an Attempt to Teach Complex
Historical Experiences and to Preserve Holocaust Memory
Catherine Berthiaume
Seventy-seven years after the Holocaust, the event has become increasingly foreign, distant, and
disconnected from younger generations’ reality and understanding of the world. Considering the worldwide
rise of hate crimes, fake news, populist rhetoric, and far-right movements, it is especially important to
preserve Holocaust memory and educate youth on these complex and painful historical events in order to
promote peace education. So, how do we teach difficult historical narratives in our digital age? This is an
issue that the Anne Frank House museum has grappled with and in response to which they created a
YouTube series presenting Anne Frank’s diary in a vlog format. Can we use social media as a space for peace
education to teach about the Holocaust? This paper will address these questions through an analysis of the
strengths and weaknesses of the Anne Frank YouTube Video Diary project in preserving Holocaust memory
as an educational tool. While Anne Frank’s video diary offers a credible adaptation of the original diary in an
appealing format to a young audience, and sparks discussions on themes related to World War II and the
persecution of Jews, it is an insufficient pedagogical tool. By focusing on relatability, the series leads to an
inappropriate feeling of personal identification with Anne from the viewers and emphasizes Anne’s
adolescent turmoils which overshadow the crucial historical context and the purpose of this narrative. There
are merits to this series, but the drawbacks outweigh its successes.
 Links between White Settler Colony in Quebec and the Barriers to the
Economic Integration of Skilled Latin American Immigrants
Milagros Calderon-Moya
Although Quebec’s current economy is struggling with labour shortages in all regions of the province caused
by the shrinking labour pool, many new foreign-educated immigrants often face great difficulties entering
the labour market and integrating into the workforce. Among those facing challenges are recent immigrants
from African, Asian, and Latin American countries who are considered part of visible minority groups or
cultural communities. Scholarly sources indicate that such unequal treatment is the result of discrimination
on the basis of national and ethnic origin. This study focuses on the Latin American economic immigrant
group, a community that has received limited scholarly attention in Canada. The gap between human and
social capital of minority group immigrants and majority group Quebecers cannot be explained simply by
analyzing racially motivated actions from individual decision makers, professional orders, and government
agencies. Rather, Quebec as a white settler colony plays a much more important role than discrimination
and racism in the barriers skilled immigrants from racialized countries face in obtaining equal levels of
income. By analyzing postcolonial perspectives, this study aims to challenge the way language politics,
immigration policy, and notions of citizenship and global neoliberal capitalism have shaped a hostile labour
market that contributes to structural causes for inequality among Latin American immigrants in Quebec.

Hope in the Anthropocene: Supporting Action-Competent Students in

Environmental and Sustainability Education
Daphne Chalmers
This presentation of a master’s thesis proposal centers on climate change, which is often described as our
society's most urgent challenge. A key task for postsecondary education, therefore, is to prepare future
generations of climate leaders. Especially important here is “action competence”, or students’ capacity to
engage with political and social change movements. However, fear and anxiety around climate change are
prominent concerns. As our emotions drive our behaviors, this fear can inhibit young people from taking
tangible action. However, recent studies have shown how eliciting constructive hope in education can help
to motivate tangible action. Therefore, I will explore the role of emotions in postsecondary environmental
and sustainability education (ESE) that elicits a sense of action-competence in learners. In particular, I focus
on the elicitation of hope through pedagogy. My research questions ask: (RQ1) What is the role of
constructive hope in the pedagogical practices of professors teaching about climate change? (RQ2) How do
the practices identified in RQ1 affect students' emotions and their sense of action-competence? This study
will focus on 3-4 McGill University courses that relate to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal
#13: Climate Change. Three to four professors and two students from each course will be interviewed using
semi structured interviews. This research proposal fits the conference theme because it will be instrumental
in understanding the role of pedagogy in generating a sense of hope and action competence in higher
education learning environments, creating students who endeavor to resist, challenge, and change the world.

Resources Mobilized to Notice Responsive Teaching Across Math and Science:

A Case Study of Three Elementary Preservice Teachers
Vandana Chandrasekhar
Recent reforms suggest that teachers should build on students' prior knowledge for students to become
effective math and science learners (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000; National Science
Education Standards, 1996). One way teachers can engage with students' ideas is by adopting responsive
teaching. Responsive teaching is composed of teaching practices that are adaptive and responsive to
students' thinking to promote students' understanding of content. Many teacher education programs have
designed their math and science methods courses to provide preservice teachers (PSTs) with different
resources to engage in responsive teaching (e.g., samples of student thinking, lesson plans) (Benedict-
Chambers & Aram, 2017; Mitchell & Marin, 2015). Though discipline-specific research indicates that
resources support PSTs to notice aspects of responsive teaching in that discipline (Benedict-Chambers &
Aram, 2017), there is a gap in understanding how elementary PSTs mobilize resources to notice responsive
teaching across disciplines. Drawing on a socio-political lens, I explore how elementary PSTs mobilize
resources when noticing responsive teaching practices in their teaching across math and science in the
teacher education context. For this case study, I conducted two interviews with three PSTs, and video-
recorded and collected field notes for all the lessons supporting their teaching. Results revealed what
resources NTs used and how NTs used those resources differently across the discipline. These results can
provide insight into modifying future teaching methods courses to better support PSTs' responsive teaching.

Posthuman Experimental Theatre/Drama Pedagogies

for Collective Knowledge-Making
Marta Cotrim
This oral presentation works from a critical posthumanist framework (Barad, Braidotti, Haraway) to argue
that in-service or pre-service teachers curious about adapting their pedagogy to account for changing
notions of the human and its relationship to the world may find considerable value in undergoing workshop
training in theatre-based pedagogies. The argument focuses on how concepts central to critical
posthumanism, particularly the relational nature of reality, challenge existing pedagogical models that
center the teacher-as-knower and knowledge-creator while positing the student as recipient or consumer,
with no creational role in their learning experience. Theatre-based pedagogy, introduced via ongoing
professional development in lab or workshop settings, offers particular forms of collaborative knowledge-
making and collective authorship that differ markedly from both traditional pedagogies that center the
teacher and their knowledge and contemporary “student-led” models that often fail to account for the role
and capacities of the teacher in the learning context. The author argues further that teacher training in
experimental theatre-based practices must be delivered in experiential forms so that teachers themselves
experience the embodied nature of this alternative way of knowledge-making with others.

Dismantling Linguistic Imperialism through Translingual Literacy Practices:

Standardized and Non-standardized Englishes
Renee Davy
Despite the overwhelming presence of several non-standardized varieties of English across North America,
the current trends in education point to the preference and privileging of literacy practices related to a
standardized form of English. In such situations, speakers of non-standardized varieties of English often find
that their literacy needs are overlooked, and their literacy practices viewed as deficient and inferior. This
literature review examines ways in which the education system, through curriculum design and practices,
perpetuates this form of linguistic imperialism. It also examines how a translingual approach to literacy can
serve to disrupt and dismantle this sort of language ideology by valuing the different literacies that children
bring to the classroom and by exposing monolingual speakers of a standardized English to other English
varieties which they will encounter in a globalized world.
 Centering Women of Colour as Feminists: A Review of the Literature
Christine Faucher
This narrative review examines the contribution to the literature by Women of Colour (WoC) as scholars
and writers, all of whom situate their work within a feminist paradigm. These WoC advocate a decolonizing
approach to de-center whiteness in mainstream feminism which is accompanied by fundamental challenges.
These challenges include de-centering dominant Eurocentric world views that currently dictate mainstream
feminist popular culture and pervade the academic community. Centralizing and legitimating alternative
knowledge systems within feminist ideology links the intersectional issues that exist for WoC within
feminism. This review examines the central literature in the field of contemporary feminist discourse. This
is not an exhaustive review, rather the findings situate a pivotal theme of contemporary white feminist
literature which defines a universal definition and omits WoC’s feminist ontologies. I examine emerging
scholarship analyses in differing practices, from decolonizing research methodologies to feminist WoC who
challenge the inherent whiteness in mainstream feminism and its associated hegemonic power structures.
There is a significant divide in feminist ideology which persistently ignores the voices of WoC as legitimate
members within feminist discourse and in positions of power in academia. Higher education neglects
genuine inclusivity and diversity practices which go beyond "token" institutional policies. Genuine solutions
for systemic and structural changes must shift the parameters of racial biases and gender discrimination
that exist in corporate institutions. Further research is needed in how the academy would position more
WoC as (feminist) scholars in leadership roles for diversity, while centering WoC as legitimate voices in
dominant feminist discourse.

Effect of Oral CBD on Objective and Subjective Sleep Outcomes in People with
COPD: An Open-Label Clinical Pilot Study
Félix Girard
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects ≥17% of Canadians aged 40 years and older. More
than half of this population suffers from low sleep quality (SQ). Effective management of poor SQ in people
with COPD is a challenge and requires novel therapeutic solutions. Following the 2018 legalization of
cannabis in Canada, cannabidiol (CBD), a safe and non-psychoactive component of the Cannabis sativa plant,
has received increased attention for its potential medicinal properties. Evidence suggest that CBD may
improve SQ in healthy adults and in people with sleep and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the effects
of CBD on SQ in people with COPD is unknown and represents the focus of our research. We will thus be
examining the effects of orally ingested CBD-oil on SQ outcomes: following a one-week baseline assessment
period, 24 adults with clinically stable COPD will be randomized either in the 300 or the 600mg/day CBD
regimen, both lasting four weeks. From baseline and throughout treatment periods, objective SQ outcomes
(e.g., total sleep time, number of awakenings) will be recorded nightly by a wrist-worn biometric watch (i.e.,
Actigraph), while subjective SQ will be evaluated once per week using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
We hypothesize that both interventions will be associated with improved SQ without significant adverse
side effects. Anticipated results would provide necessary evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of CBD-
isolate in the management of sleep disturbance in COPD, thus challenging the numerous stereotypes
surrounding the use of cannabis for therapeutic benefits in clinical populations.
 Is being Nice and Smart Enough? Empowering Students
through Justice-Oriented Citizenship Education
Kevin Gu
The traditional Aristotelian character education permeates the current education system. Critical to this
approach is fostering personally responsible citizens with good virtues. The emphasis is thus on individual
merits without a well-grounded social purpose. I argue that such approach is conservative and
individualistic in nature, failing to empower students marginalised by societal injustices. Because education
reflects society, and power dynamics in classroom reflect societal power hierarchy, empowerment in
classroom can only be achieved if the entire class collectively challenges external injustices that will
otherwise be mirrored in the classroom. Inspired by the works of Westheimer, I propose a justice-oriented
approach to citizenship education that encourages students to problematize social, political, and economic
structures, and I analyze how the interplay of these forces contributes to the unjust reality. My point of
investigation is on how students are empowered as a result of challenging the kinds of larger injustices that
directly implicate students in classroom. This process of empowerment occurs mainly in two stages, the
theoretical problematization of social structures, succeeded by society-wide activism that realizes such
problematization in practice. Results of this investigation will offer helpful insights in explaining some of the
challenges our modern democracy faces, such as the decrease in the sense of ownership of society amongst
the youth, as well as the increasingly skeptical attitude amongst the public towards education for the
common good.

Cultural and Gender Identities, and Resilience to Discrimination

Yang Yi Lin Guo, Gina Cormier, Carolina Martinez, Alix Wong, Ayse Turkoglu,
Robin Dionne, & Nicole Andersen (Concordia & McGill – SAPP Lab Team)
Background: Belonging to a minority group (cultural, gender, political) on university campuses has been
found to influence how often students experience discrimination on campus (Leonardelli & Brewer, 2001).
Some groups report greater discrimination than others (Booth et al., 2011). Our objectives were to explore
which identities were more resilient (i.e., more likely to continue expressing their opinions despite having
experienced discrimination). Further, to explore whether this is moderated by self-perceived censorship.
We hypothesized that students who identify as minorities would be more resilient, and report
discrimination less often (Hayes, 2007; Ruggiero, 1997). Further, that comfort of expression would
moderate this relationship. Intersectionality (e.g., Asian, female) may moderate this relationship by
influencing how discrimination is perceived (Bowleg et al., 2008). Methods: The data were drawn from a
larger, ongoing national survey on campus climate currently being conducted online. Participants include
both undergraduate and graduate students at Canadian universities from all fields of study. Results: Our
sample included 1063 Canadian university students (Mage = 22.6, SD = 5.6). We focused on survey questions
relating to gender, cultural identity, political beliefs, comfort of expression, and frequency of experienced
discrimination. Data analyses are under way. These findings will be crucial in examining how being a
minority impacts one’s resilience to discrimination, and how self-censorship impacts experienced
discrimination. Conclusion: Better understanding how discrimination is experienced by students of different
identities may contribute to the development of appropriate policies on campus to help students build
resilience to discrimination by avoiding the many negative consequences of experiencing discrimination.
 Working Towards Increasing the Representation of Blacks in STEM,
One Equitable Classroom at a Time
Sabi Hinkson
There is an underrepresentation of Blacks in STEM; the research in this area is heavily developed in the
context of the United States of America, but it is underdeveloped in Canada. This study aims to gain an
understanding of the experiences of Blacks in STEM in order to gain some insights about why they are not
remaining in the STEM fields. This study also aims to use the knowledge acquired from the previously-
mentioned experiences to develop strategies that educators can use in order to help improve retention of
Blacks in STEM. The goals of this study are explored through the use of critical autoethnography with a
critical race theory (CRT) lens. More specifically, in hopes of amplifying Canadian voices in this area of
scholarship, the author (a Black Canadian female) critically reflects upon her experiences as she navigated
through the STEM pipeline, and uses CRT to pinpoint occurrences when the systems that she was exposed
to worked against her because of her race. The findings of this study demonstrate that the STEM terrain is
systematically constructed to make it difficult for Blacks to develop a sense of belonging and a STEM identity,
thus rendering it “inviting” for Blacks to drop out of the STEM pipeline. This research also showed that most
of the strategies that can be implemented on the school level to help with the retention of Blacks in STEM
are strategies that ultimately serve to help Black students develop a STEM identity.

Surrealism and ELA: Subversion and Resistance in the Arts

Stephanie Ho
The Surrealism movement (Breton et al., 1972) formed an act of collective artistic resilience. Surrealism
critiques political and societal systems that restrict individuals’ abilities to access free thought and employ
criticality in their decision (and meaning) making. In other words, Surrealism recognizes the power of the
arts to incite societal change. This Doctoral project utilizes principles derived from the Surrealism movement
to prioritize creative and critical thinking in contemporary English Language Arts (ELA). The
implementation of Surrealist-style pedagogies within an ELA classroom will be rooted in Critical Pedagogy,
which addresses the influences of economic-oriented educational systems (Giroux, 1988). As the historic
Surrealists questioned the politicization of the arts, I see value in challenging contemporary ELA education
structures. Critical Pedagogy will enable the subversive artistic and political aims of Surrealism to be
transmitted to a classroom context. Through aesthetic reading strategies (Rosenblatt, 2005), students will
engage in reflective literary experiences, illuminating the contextual relevance of texts. This research will
therefore explore how Surrealist-oriented pedagogies could restore imaginative freedom and deconstruct
conceptual barriers (normative standards, curricular constraints, and status quo power relations) in
ELA. Surrealism can also be used as a political and pedagogical model to address societal problems mirrored
in ELA classrooms. The ELA curriculum has potential to create laboratories for critical discussion and active
movement towards social change. From this research, I aim to show how Surrealism is not confined to its
original historic school, but is ongoing and worthy of revisiting in light of dilemmas in contemporary
classroom practices.

Conceptualizing International Student Encounters with Sexual Violence

Through Systematic Content Analysis of Case Law
Shannon Hutcheson & Addy Parsons
Background: While sexual violence (SV) continues to be pervasive in university contexts, having
international student status can create additional challenges for survivors of SV. Non-citizenship status can
further complicate accessing supports, reporting SV, and navigating a foreign justice system. Purpose:
Although a modest body of research highlights how international students are impacted by SV, it would be
bolstered by more systematic and rigorous approaches. To bridge this research gap, we have conducted a
systematic content analysis on case law involving international students who have experienced SV. Because
SV remains largely underreported, performing a thorough analysis of the cases provides deeper insight into
what it means to be an international student and survivor of SV. Methods: This systematic content analysis
allows us to quantify the previously unquantifiable. Using the data mining engine LexisNexis, we searched
through case law involving international students in the United States and Canada, narrowing results with
Boolean operators for relevancy. This initially yielded 561 results, which are being systematically reviewed
for inclusion and subsequent coding (e.g. perpetrator characteristics, profile of the international student,
and contextual factors of the case). Higher order themes from emergent thematic analysis include power
differentials, legal literacy, and racism. Implications: Hopefully, following this systematic content analysis,
more international student-centered research will emerge to highlight the disproportionate impact SV has
on these students, guiding stakeholders to change services and better support international students.
Furthermore, our work will demonstrate the utility of employing systematic content analysis for gaining
insight on areas lacking systematic research.

Efficacy of using Model Essay Approach as a Corrective Feedback Tool in Writing

Instruction: IELTS Writing Task Achievement and Coherence/Cohesion
Mohamadreza Jafary
Proficiency in the writing tasks of IELTS as an international exam has a significant role in high
score achievement. To examine the effectiveness of the corrective feedback for both task 1 and task 2, the
present study conducted a quasi-experimental approach to find how model essay instruction can improve
the IELTS writing module. In a pre/post-test administration, 60 Iranian students were assigned to treatment
(instruction with 10 model essays) and control groups (instruction with reformulation). To analyze the 'task
response' and 'coherence and cohesion' as the two writing band descriptors, two skilled raters scored the
typewritten form of the students' writings. Applying ANOVA and Bonferroni as post hoc tests, the results
demonstrated that the treatment group achieved significantly better scores for the sub-scores of the two
components. Also, further analysis based on a multi-mediator indicated that the total IELTS score was
influenced by these writing rubrics.

The Haunting of Entrances and Exits:

Exploring the Affect of Institutions through Arts-Based Methods
Cassandra Jones & Shannon Roy
Within institutional environments, our ‘entrances and exits’ are emotionally powerful; specifically, the
liminal spaces of school and hospital where transformations occur and rites of passage are underway. The
purpose of our research is to explore the juxtaposition of affect in institutions, in this case, schools and
hospitals. More specifically, we explore what type of affective state technology generates within these
institutions. We will use an arts-based approach to look at the ‘here and the elsewhere’ - how technology is
mobilized in these spaces as a way to escape the institution or body, through the use of VR technologies in
oncology and at end-of-life to simulate experiences beyond the hospital, and in the proliferation of
technologies in classrooms moving to virtual spaces due to COVID-19. Our research questions are: Does
technology create affective experiences of the institution? What is the quality of these increasingly virtual
experiences (offered by institutions) to our patients, students, and colleagues? How can arts-based methods,
specifically creative writing and photography, uncover the role of affect in caring and teaching in
institutional settings? Through photographic epigraphs and epilogues (arts-based photography method)
alongside creative writing, we will employ an autoethnographic approach to explore the affective states of
the institutional spaces we both work in, schools and hospitals. This autoethnographic exploration seeks to
contribute to understanding the role of technology within institutions for caring and learning. As we
increasingly move services and teaching online due to (bio)technological innovation and the pandemic, we
face new challenges. Arts-based methods cultivate resilience through mobilizing art to explore social change
and its impacts on wellbeing and future directions related to teaching and caring.
 Parents and Quebec Language Policy:
Challenging Stakeholder Dynamics for Fairer Representation
Andréanne Langevin
Quebec’s Charter of the French Language ensures the vitality of French as "the language of social cohesion"
(Gouvernement du Québec, 1977, 2008). The survival of French, a language considered by some as "under
threat" (Castonguay, 2020; Termote, 2017), serves as justification for the legal infringement of some citizens’
individual rights through restrictive provisions (Rousseau & Côté, 2017). A famous example of these
provisions is the denial of some Quebec parents’ right to choose the language of instruction for their children.
This presentation showcases the results from a 4-month focus group study where 44 Quebec parents shared
their opinions regarding the province’s language policies’ impacts on their school-aged children. Data was
thematically analyzed according to three variables identified in the literature as likely to influence the type
and quality of language education Quebec children receive: (1) place of residence (Corbeil & Houle, 2013),
(2) ethnocultural profiles of the families (Ballinger et al., 2020), (3) eligibility status to English instruction
(Bourhis, 2019). Throughout this research project, participants’ stakeholder identity emerged as pivotal to
the identification of potential points of ruptures between official language policies and the language
instruction desired. Participants questioned whether the principle of the state-stakeholder relationship –
the theoretical underpinning of Public Policy Theory (Buchholz and Rosenthal, 2004) – is equitably applied
in the provincial decision-making. Results from this study cast a shadow on Quebec’s language policy, which
can be viewed as striving to promote French as the province’s "language of social cohesion", while keeping
some of its stakeholders at bay.

Climate Change Education: Transition and Transform

Stephanie Leite
Climate change is adding stress to our ecosystems, economies, and wellbeing worldwide. As a risk multiplier,
it amplifies humanitarian and environmental crises such as conflict, disease, and food insecurity. To respond
to these intersecting crises, education has been identified as playing a key role in transitioning to a more
sustainable world; on the other hand, education has also been identified as complicit in replicating and
accelerating unsustainable practices that, in turn, are accelerating climate change. For education to play a
role in positively transforming our world and mitigating issues such as climate change, scholars and
international bodies such as UNESCO have called for an increase in transformative learning approaches.
Transformative learning uses critical reflection to reorient perspectives and worldviews, and has been
adopted by climate change educators as a necessary method for addressing the roots of our unsustainable
trajectory. However, to truly transform our education systems, changes need to be made at multiple levels,
simultaneously, and interconnectedly. I argue for the need to expand mainstream conceptions of climate
change education to include transformative learning and systems transitions, catalyzing transformation at
both the individual and institutional levels. This presentation will also include a discussion of nested levels
of our education systems, potential leverage points, and how to affect change, ranging from shallow to deep
transformation.

SparkNotes Use and Attitudes Among High School English Language Arts Students
Amanda Light Dunbar
It is an open secret in high schools that students do not always read the books they are assigned in their
English Language Arts (ELA) classes—a concerning phenomenon given the known positive association
between reading motivation, reading volume, and academic achievement. English teachers often blame
literary study guides, namely SparkNotes, which they claim students use to avoid the readings and cheat
their way through English class. This mixed-methods Master’s study explored former high school students’
recollections of SparkNotes over the past 20 years, interpreting the findings through the lens of New Literacy
Studies. An online survey collected quantitative and qualitative data from 209 anonymous participants, most
of whom described themselves as good readers who enjoyed reading. More than two-thirds reported that
they had used SparkNotes for support with English homework, and this proportion did not vary significantly
across geographic, vocational, or reading behavior-based cohorts. Forty percent of participants said that
using SparkNotes is not cheating, but nearly as many said it depends. When prompted for elaboration,
participants’ comments suggested ambiguous and conflicting definitions of reading. The findings suggested
a values-based culture of literacy education wherein certain reading behaviors (like close reading) are
associated with virtue and morality, while other equally common ones (like skimming) are seen as being
lazy or dishonest. But in the context of New Literacy Studies, skimming or skipping sections of text could
also be seen as an adaptive strategy that contributes to student resiliency in the face of accelerating literacy
demands.

Internationally Mobile Students from the Global South and the Impact of/on
Parenthood: A Review of the Contemporary Literature
Keenan Daniel Manning, Halima Hamed, Dania Mohamed & Lisa De Paola
The global population of internationally mobile students is growing and diversifying at a significant rate,
with institutions and governments adopting a range of strategies to attract talent to their own shores.
However, the construction of the international student often excludes, or fails to adequately support, those
who do not fit the ‘mould’. This paper seeks to examine the existing research regarding internationally
mobile students from the global south, and the impact of parenthood on their decision, approach, choices,
and coping strategies, as well as the various support mechanisms and barriers that exist for these students.
The researchers conducted a systematic literature review, using key terms to gather the existing literature
on the issue and conducted a thematic analysis of the available research to highlight key themes, areas of
divergence and disagreement, and to identify any extant gaps in the available literature with a view to
guiding future research, as well as to provide insights to those with an interest in internationally-mobile
parent-students.

Into the Wild: Outdoor Education in a Boys School

Matt McCarney
Jickling (2018) defines wild pedagogies as those that: "seek to challenge recent trends towards increased
control over pedagogy and education, and how this control is constraining and domesticating educators,
teachers, and the curriculum." Focusing on an emergent Outdoor Education program in a single sex Montreal
high school, this presentation discusses the development and implementation of Wild Pedagogies and the
resulting effects on students and teachers.

The Role of Wearable Technology in the Management of

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Ahzum Mujaddid
The role of wearable biosensor technology in the telemonitoring of individuals with respiratory diseases has
significantly increased and continues to grow. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a treatable
disease characterized by abnormal lung hyperinflation and is a leading cause of morbidity globally and in
Canada. Barriers exist in providing equitable access to care for respiratory diseases due to the need for
sophisticated equipment that is restricted to the hospital setting. Therefore, there is an urgent need to
validate a portable medical device that can be worn during daily life to remotely monitor improvement or
decline in respiratory health following the administration of prescribed bronchodilator therapy. The
purpose of this study is to validate if Hexoskin, a wearable biosensor shirt, can measure improvement in
lung function after the administration of bronchodilator medication. This study will be a prospective
controlled pre-post study of 24 adults, age 40, with clinically stable COPD (12 male, 12 female). While
wearing Hexoskin, participants will be administered a bronchodilator and will perform an exercise test
validated to induce levels of lung hyperinflation associated with worsening COPD. Hexoskin will be used in
parallel with gold standard respiratory assessment equipment during the exercise test to determine if this
wearable device can accurately measure and report improvement in lung function to that of currently used
medical grade equipment. The anticipated results of this study will allow for disadvantaged individuals
residing in rural locations to receive proactive medical care from clinicians through remote respiratory
monitoring provided by Hexoskin.

Create2Solve: DIY STEAM Kits to Engage Students of

Economically Disadvantaged Countries (EDCs)
Midhat Noor Kiyani
Why are dropout rates in economically disadvantaged countries (EDCs) continuously rising despite the
emphasis on retention of primary and secondary pupils? One of the most overlooked challenges to this
exponentially increasing dropout rate is student disengagement, a by-product of the alienating classroom
content which is disconnected from the students’ lives and interests. Thus, to better engage students from
EDCs, we took inspiration from Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy theory to design and implement the
Create2Solve Do It Yourself (DIY) STEAM kits that are contextually authentic and community-relevant for
students. Students used the Create2Solve Waste Management Kit and Recycled Electronics Kit to design
useful and innovative low-cost products for solution of prevailing issues in their community like ineffective
waste disposal and electricity cut-off. We used an exploratory multiple case study design approach to obtain
rich contextual data from 8 primary and secondary school students from EDC. We then used an adapted
version of Behavioral Engagement Related to Instruction (BERI) protocol and semi-structured interviews to
explore the impact of this intervention on the engagement of students. Findings revealed that the learner
and community-centered kits engaged students from EDCs by: involving them in community-responsive
activities relevant to their local context; bridging the gap between classroom instruction and students’ local
knowledge; and providing them an opportunity to contribute to personal and societal change. Through this
study, we propose the use of learner and community-centered curriculum to engage school students in
education, thereby contributing in the decline of dropout rate.

The Kids are Alright: Narrative Mathematics Identities of

Children Born Extremely Premature
Rebecca Pearce
Studies involving preterm children and mathematics have shown that up to 50% of extremely premature
children (<28 weeks gestational age) show serious impairments in mathematics. These studies, however,
involve large-scale analysis of quantitative data that groups all extremely premature children together,
rather than examining them as individuals. In contrast, identity research in mathematics education has
increasingly been used to examine individuals’ math learning and experiences with mathematics in a more
holistic and agential way. My study answers the research question, “What are the mathematics identities
formed by and about preterm children and what insights may these identities provide about their
mathematical learning and doing?" This presentation will discuss findings from interviews with Joe,
Mekhai, and David, three secondary school students who were born extremely premature, and their
parents. Within a case study methodology, I draw on a discursive framework of identity that views
mathematics identities as narratives about mathematical learning and doing that an individual tells about
themselves, or narratives that are told by others about the individual. Students’ identity statements were
extracted from transcripts of semi-structured interviews, and then emergent themes within and across
cases were examined. This study illustrates that even though the participants have experienced challenges
in mathematics, they show resilience and maintain positive mathematics identities that are often closely
aligned with narratives told by significant others like parents and teachers. These results can give insights
into the individual learning and future success of these students.
 Teachers’ Perceptions of a Plurilingual Approach to Language Teaching
Li Peng
Multi/plurilingual approaches that engage learners’ entire linguistic and cultural repertoires have recently
gained much attention in language teaching (Lau & Van Viegen, 2020; Kubota, 2020) and advanced
theoretically (Piccardo, 2019). Yet, implementation is still seen as a challenge among teachers, who often
resort to one-language-only approaches (Cañado, 2016; Cenoz & Gorter, 2013); for example, English-only
in TESL. Previous literature shows that teachers who lack training in plurilingual pedagogies may not fully
understand plurilingual theory (Galante et al., 2020; Wang, 2019), which may limit its potential benefits in
implementation. Well-trained pre- and in-service teachers or those with solid plurilingual knowledge may
still be hesitant about implementing plurilingual approaches given the monolingual discourse and
assessment practices often required by educational institutions (Prece & Marshall, 2020). Thus, it is urgent
to investigate both pre- and in-service teachers’ perceptions of plurilingual practices, including affordances
and how they overcome potential challenges. Following a mixed methods approach, I collected data from
demographic questionnaires, the PPC Scale (Galante, 2020), and semi-structured interviews with 15 pre-
and 15 in-service language teachers (N = 30). Preliminary analysis of interview data shows that both groups
of teachers have a high interest in plurilingual pedagogies but one of the main challenges faced goes beyond
pedagogical training, such as power dynamics with stakeholders who are unaware of the importance of
plurilingual approach. This study is important as it unpacks the power dimensions in institutions, which
may limit the implementation of plurilingual pedagogies despite pre- and in-service teachers’ willingness
to do so.

Peace Education in Mexican Education Policy Documents:

A Critical Discourse Analysis
Jessica Perez Meza
In the afflicted violent context that has recently surrounded the central Mexican region of Guanajuato,
questioning the role of education and its contribution to creating peaceful environments is crucial. Peace
Education is a promising venue to influence violent settings. Scholars describe Peace Education (PE) as an
orientation that highlights human dignity and seeks to develop awareness, knowledge, abilities, values, and
behaviours to help children and youth interact peacefully within society. PE aims at raising consciousness
for humans to collectively transform the social structures that originate violence. This project analyzes
Mexican education policy documents (e.g., Law for a violence-free co-existence in school spaces of
Guanajuato; current study plan for Mexican basic education; and Civics and Ethics Education curriculum
for secondary education). For this analysis, I have used Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), an approach that
combines a critical analysis of social experiences and language study to pinpoint human-constructed social
realities, usually benefiting some to the detriment of others. I aim to identify the types of discourse
embedded in official education documents to understand whether they align with PE premises. The
discourse used in such documents can reveal strategies to transform youth behaviours from violent to
peaceful settings. However, the discourse can also disclose the reproduction of unequal societies. Initial
findings suggest a discourse that omits the recognition of violence in Mexico, the first step in a
peacebuilding process. This study fits this conference theme, as it explores transformations through
language in educational policy and curriculum.
 Conservative challenges to history teaching in Brazil:
The connections between the “Escola Sem Partido” Movement
and the Programs for the Militarization of Public Schools
Thais Cattani Perroni
Teachers in Brazil have been directly affected by the rise of controversial conservative educational trends.
Since the late 2010s, the establishment of programs for the militarization of public schools—that is, the
attribution of some schools’ organizational functions to the Military—and the advocacy for restrictions to
teachers' liberties to teach, effected by the Escola Sem Partido movement, have gained popularity. Some
recent studies indicate that these two trends are part of the same conservative project for Brazilian public
education. However, to this moment, the literature lacks studies that analyze this proposition in detail. To
address this problem, this study focuses on understanding the similarities and differences in the ideas
propagated by these trends and how they particularly affect history education in the country. Based on a
Critical Pedagogy theoretical framework, I conducted a discourse analysis focusing on the ideological
patterns from 50 texts produced by the trends’ representants. The findings suggest that even though the
way both trends enact a conservative and traditionalist ideology for education is different, the apparent
divergences between their ideas are enactments of a similar conservative rationality that opposes
progressive and social-justice-centered teaching. The findings of this analysis provide a comprehensive
understanding of the ideological underpinnings of these trends, which can inform initiatives to counter
their negative effects on teachers and their practices.

A Critical Discourse Analysis on Newspapers:

Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education Debates in Iran
Vahid Rashidi
Language-based demands, and education in mother tongue in particular, occupy a central place in Iranian
national discourse and consciousness. Perceived in mainstream Iranian discourses as a threat to national
unity and territorial integrity, the call for education in mother tongue from minoritized communities has
been classified as an imported foreign idea that must be opposed. This study explores the role newspapers
play in the debates around mother language education. In analyzing the discursive strategies deployed to
produce and circulate hegemonic discourses on minority language education in the mainstream Iranian
newspapers, this presentation highlights the role of media discourses on maintaining a monolingual
education system and reproducing linguistic hierarchies and marginalization. The Iranian newspapers
represent the discourse of minority language education as an un-Iranian and anti-national phenomenon
brought to Iran by minoritized ethnic activists who seek to dismantle Iran. Thus, Iranian newspapers
reproduce the status quo and contribute to the rationalization and naturalization of the monolingual
hegemonic discourses and practices in education.

A Case for Accelerated Education - Student Agency & Resilience

Sakina Rizvi
Researchers have published various empirical studies on the veracity of accelerated learning models. Most
studies attest to the effectiveness of accelerated learning and highlight the importance of providing
students with a nurturing environment to explore and pursue accelerated learning options. However, there
is still significant resistance to accelerated learning due to social norms and conceptions about normality,
success, and achievement. In the 1970s and 1980s, acceleration was a relatively new phenomenon. Recent
scholarship in the field has addressed many of the concerns raised by educational policy makers and
teachers about the socio-behavioural impact of accelerated learning. Although the evidence is
overwhelmingly positive for acceleration, students who try to learn at a faster pace continue to encounter
significant systemic and institutional barriers. To create an inclusive learning environment for all students,
educators need to be willing to open the space for alternative pathways for achievement. It is possible to
create a brighter future for students by engaging in holistic pedagogy that allows learners to adopt an
agentic role in selecting their learning pace.

Effect of Oral Cannabidiol on Markers of Systemic and Pulmonary Inflammation in

People with COPD: An Open-Label Clinical Pilot Study
Emily Russell
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects 17% of Canadians at the age of 40, and is
characterized by abnormal circulating levels of systemic and lung-specific inflammatory biomarkers.
Consequently, these abnormal levels of inflammatory biomarkers increase the risk of adverse health
outcomes, including exacerbations and comorbidities (e.g., cardiovascular disease [CVD]). Effective
management of inflammation in COPD remains a challenge for healthcare providers. Cannabidiol (CBD) is
the main non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid of the Cannabis sativa plant that is receiving progressively
greater attention for its potential anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of CBD therapy on
inflammatory biomarkers in COPD is unknown and represents the focus of our research. We hypothesize
that CBD therapy will decrease circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, tumour necrosis
factor (TNF)-a, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and surfactant protein-D (SP-D), and increase circulating levels of
Clara cell protein-16 (CC-16). Twenty-four adults (12 males, 12 females), age 40, with COPD will be
recruited. Following a one-week baseline control (pre-CBD) period, participants will be randomized in a
1:1 ratio to receive either 3 or 6 mg/kg/day of oral CBD isolate for a period of four weeks, where CBD will
be given in an open-label manner. Serum concentrations of systemic inflammatory biomarkers (CRP,
fibrinogen, TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-8) and lung-specific inflammatory biomarkers (CC-16 and SP-D) will be
measured and compared at multiple time points throughout the baseline and treatment periods. The
anticipated results of this study will provide preliminary evidence on the efficacy of oral CBD as a novel
anti-inflammatory therapy in COPD.

Exploring Young Men’s Interest in Gender-Based Violence Prevention

using a Visual and Participatory Approach
Grace Skahan
In recent decades, it has been well established by scholars and activists alike that engaging men and boys
in gender-based violence prevention and gender equality efforts is critical to the success of these
movements. However, little information exists on young men who are involved in gender-related causes,
and about the ways in which their pathways to this interest are informed by gender-transformative
principles. The extent to which these principles uphold this work is important to understand as
constructions of masculinity not only play a role in the perpetration of violence, but also in men’s
willingness to intervene or stand up against all forms of gender-based violence. These counterhegemonic
iterations of masculinity hold the potential to replace unequal and problematic gender norms and are
therefore very important to understand and unpack. Using arts-based, visual, participatory, and feminist
methods and methodologies, my research seeks to better understand what leads young men to be
interested in gender-based violence prevention and to what extent these counter hegemonic masculinities
are informed by gender-transformative and intersectional principles. To pursue this objective, my research
questions are: 1) What institutions, cultural and social practices and relationships lead young men to be
interested in gender equality, feminism, and/or gender-based violence prevention? 2) In what ways does
awareness of male privilege or a critical understanding of masculinity lead young men to become interested
in gender equality movements?
 Towards a New Material Environmental Art Education:
Building Skills for a Changing World
Jackie Stendel
From planetary warming and natural disasters to social precarity and community unrest, the
environmental crisis continues to pervade daily life. Although art education (AE) has the potential to help
learners confront the ever-changing reality of the crisis, many materials used in AE are produced by
harmful industrial practices that are complicit in the crisis. Due to this relationship, these materials often
reflect a humanist framework and fail to integrate the experiences of more-than-human agents. During my
presentation, I will introduce how the current AE framework leads to missed possibilities for learners, such
as the opportunity to develop capabilities that are essential in a changing world. By employing arts-based
auto-ethnography, engaging in conversations with art educators, and recognizing material entanglement,
this study uncovers (1) the potential that environmental art-making has to unearth networked connections
and (2) the power new-material art-making has to encourage environmental capabilities in learners.
Throughout my presentation, I will unite these findings by discussing ways in which an environmental
approach to art-making encourages learners to develop skills for a changing world. The skills presented
can help learners form social resilience and hope. This is increasingly important as the environmental crisis
does not only have growing consequences for the ‘land’ but has detrimental social implications.

Sport, Art, or Both? Examining Conceptualizations of Dance

in Ontario University Athletic Contexts
Natalie Tacuri
Is dance a sport? Is dance an art? Can dance be categorized as both? The controversy surrounding dance’s
categorization has been an ongoing debate since the early 1970s. With no definite conclusion to this debate,
dancers do not have a clear designation as either artists and/or athletes. This has significant implications
for competitive dancers in postsecondary contexts, as their perceived value and significance as student-
athletes and opportunities for participation in sport contexts are largely impacted by conceptualizations of
dance by university athletic stakeholders. As such, this research examined perceptions surrounding dance
as a sport, art, or combination of both in universities across Ontario. University-level competitive dancers,
dance coaches, and athletic department staff participated in virtual interviews to share their beliefs,
knowledge, and understandings about competitive dance and the ways dancers can occupy spaces as artists
and athletes. Perceptions of dance from each group of key informants proved to be dependent on a range
of factors within universities and across individual participants. Most participants stated they viewed
dance as both an art and a sport but demonstrated tension in how dancers occupied spaces as legitimate
athletes. While participants indicated openness to the idea of dance as a sport and dancers as athletes, the
ways this was attainable at the university-level was hindered by various institutional and systemic barriers.
The results of this study contribute to the conference theme as they challenge various historical, traditional,
and sociocultural ideologies that have been put into place to privilege “traditional” sports and “ideal”
student-athletes.

Mapping Spatial Barriers to Education for Montreal Students

Samantha Traves
Students who take public transit and attend schools far from metro lines or on non-frequent bus routes may
have to wake up earlier to spend more time traveling to school or are more likely to be late getting to school
compared to students attending schools with better transit access. For students who take public transit to
school, the length of their commute could impact their sleep, which should concern educators and
policymakers because sleep loss negatively impacts academic performance (Curcio et al., 2006).
Additionally, infrastructure barriers create risky or impossible crossings that make attending school
difficult or unsafe for some students. To identify schools in areas under-served by frequent public transit
and those near crossing barriers, I combined data from Société de Transport de Montréal (STM), Education
Points of Interest, Rail and Highway Crossings Assessment of Montreal (Salt, 2021), and spatial data from
Statistics Canada 2020. In QGIS 3.22.2, I joined frequent transit lines with spatial boundaries and barriers
to map the relationship between frequent transit, barriers to connectivity, and schools serving grades 7-
12. I found three neighborhoods with schools without frequent transit services and six crossing barriers
that represent significant barriers to students walking to school. These findings show that students in these
areas experience barriers to education before they even get to school.

Listening to Students’ Voice: A Case Study of

Sino-foreign Cooperative Institution
Sitong Wang
As a result of the rapid development of educational internationalization, Sino-foreign cooperation has
inevitably become popularized as a significant aspect of China's higher education. Undoubtedly, the
purpose of Sino-foreign cooperative education is to develop compound bilingual talents capable of meeting
the demands of worldwide competition. In this context, the immersion bilingual teaching model is
implemented, which requires a higher English proficiency of students as a prerequisite. To confirm
language proficiency, students from the Sino-foreign cooperative institution must often pass the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Academic English test. Otherwise, they would not be able to enroll in professional courses. As a result,
students face the dual challenges of improving their English level and gaining expertise. They need to use a
foreign language to obtain a professional diploma in a non-English-speaking country. The standard college
English teaching paradigm is ineffective in achieving the goal because students have varying language
learning requirements. This paper takes Program H, a Sino-foreign cooperative institution running schools
for undergraduates, as a case, investigating the present implementation of immersion bilingual teaching.
The study uses questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews to learn more about students' wants
and problems. A SWOT model of S (Strengths) W (Weakness) O (Opportunities) T (Threats) is employed to
analyze the data. The paper aims to provide some references to understand students’ opinions from
different perspectives.

Multigenerational Stories at Indian Day Schools in Kahnawà:ke

Wahéshon Whitebean
Background: Various colonial institutions were created for the assimilation of Indigenous peoples in so-
called Canada, including Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools, and child welfare institutions. This
research examines experiences of Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) community members that attended Day
Schools in Kahnawà:ke. The loss of language, culture, and identity caused by Indian Day Schools are
traumatic experiences that affected several generations of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This
presentation covers challenges in the research process from the archives to oral interviews, including
impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective: To provide a snapshot on the history of Indian Day Schooling
in Canada through the lens of Indigenous research methods/methodology and the themes: challenge,
change and resilience. To spark conversation and feedback as a co-learning exercise with my peers.
Methods: Building on my experience conducting master’s research on Indian Day Schools, this research
centers on Indigenous methodology and methods such as storywork (storytelling). I present my ongoing
doctoral work through a reflexive exploration that includes my roles as a Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke,
Indigenous researcher, and claimant in the Federal Indian Day Schools settlement. Conclusion: An
Indigenous community-centered approach to research provides opportunities that empower communities
to share collective traumatic experiences without revictimizing participants. Indigenous researchers face
unique challenges in navigating the research process. Broadening the understanding of Indigenous realities
within research, academia, and the public, is critical to reducing harms and contributing to successful
outcomes.
 Are we Different in the Virtual World? A Bourdieusian Exploration of Chinese
Rural Students’ Use of Social Media in an Elite Urban University
Yujie Liao
Purpose: In the context of higher education in China, the urban-rural divide is a core factor of educational
inequality. This proposed study aims to examine how the use of social media demonstrates Chinese rural
students’ encounters and perceptions of cultural differences in their early experiences of university. The
research questions are: (1) What are the features of rural students’ use of social media in an urban
university? (2) How do rural students generate or accumulate cultural capital using social media? (3) In
what sense does the use of social media by rural students explain the urban-rural divide in higher
education? Theoretical Framework: Bourdieu’s conceptualized cultural capital supports viewing social
media as a cultural practice, including digital writings, interactions, and identity constructions. Cultural
capital and reproduction theories suggest educational institutions’ role in legitimizing the urban-rural
divide. Bourdieu’s theories approach social media from a non-technology-centric perspective, forming the
theoretical foundation of this study. Value: This proposed study can demonstrate educational inequality
and cultural reproduction in China from a micro perspective. Theoretically, the focus of this study on social
media usages also helps to expand and enrich the conception of cultural capital. Methods: This study
proposes using a qualitative research method combining life history and semi-structured interviews to
collect participants’ personal stories and subjective experiences. Connections: Students in higher education
have increasingly turned to digital educational activities under the changing times caused by Covid-19.
Social media-focused research will promote understanding inequality issues in post-pandemic education.

The Role of Plurilingualism in Affirming Immigrants' Identities in Canada

Lana Zeaiter
Immigrants account for over 80% of the Canadian population growth (Statistics Canada, 2020). They
contribute to Canada’s multilingualism and cultural diversity by bringing in new languages, ideas, and
customs (Government of Canada, 2019). To increase their integration in different aspects of Canadian
society, immigrants seek to improve their language skills in Canada’s official languages, English and French.
However, research has shown that current language instruction to immigrants disregards their linguistic
and cultural backgrounds (Li & Sah, 2019; Mady & Masson, 2018) and can impede immigrants’ linguistic
and cultural identities, as language and culture are closely tied (Moore, 2019). Thus, Canada’s current
language learning instruction to immigrants risks leading to poorer results – counter to the goal of
immigrant integration. To address this problem, my PhD research will investigate plurilingualism as one
alternative to current language teaching models to empower newcomers to affirm their linguistic and
cultural identities. Although a vast body of research highlights the positive impact of plurilingualism on
student identity (e.g., Galante, 2020; Piccardo, 2019; Takeda, 2021), there is a lack of research on how it
can support adult immigrant populations in Canada. Accordingly, I will design, teach, and assess two
language courses for immigrants (one in French and one in English). Aligned with the theme of the
conference, my study is original as it focuses particularly on a unique curriculum that I will design in both
English and French on plurilingual pedagogy for immigrants. I will then investigate its potential for
transformation in the areas of identity development, empathy, and empowerment among immigrants.

How to Improve Elementary School Students’ Computational Thinking Skills:

Comparative Study of 4th Grade Mathematical Textbooks
between China and Canada
Yimei Zhang
A child’s analytical ability is a vital component of learning in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). Specifically, the analytical ability to transfer theoretical problems into practice is
challenging for elementary students, especially in Math classes. Computational thinking (CT), regarded as
solving problems patterns and skills can promote students’ ability to propose mathematical inquiry and
solve problems via abstraction, modelling, etc. However, the perception and application of CT in classrooms
is not recognized by teachers. This study explores perspectives on CT: Why is CT important for educators,
teachers in Classrooms and Pedagogical Frameworks? How do teachers perceive and apply CT, thus
improving students’ intelligence in Math? The research will analyze 4th-grade mathematical textbooks in
China and Canada and use evidence-based research to see how to improve elementary school students CT
skills. The presentation is part of a larger research project that explores how computational thinking can
be implemented in elementary schools in different countries and how unplugged activities can be engaged
in the development of CT skills for preparing children to better adapt to the digital world. To investigate
how mathematics textbooks represent the improvement of CT skills in China and Canada, I will select nine
mathematics textbooks at the 4th grade level from the two countries and establish a conceptual framework
about the development of CT skills procedures for coding and data analysis.

--- Poster Presentations ---

Co-creating Translanguaging Pedagogy in a Class for Youth from Refugee
Backgrounds and Limited Prior Schooling
Karen Andrews
In Ontario, children and youth from refugee backgrounds with limited mother tongue (L1) literacy are
placed in English Literacy Development (ELD) programs. Fostering L1 literacy is essential for children and
youth from refugee backgrounds in ELD classrooms, as they arrive in Canada with years of missed schooling
because of conflicts and prolonged exile. The second language acquisition (SLA) literature strongly suggests
that critical plurilingual pedagogical approaches such as translanguaging in the classroom will lead to
stronger literacy in both the L1 and English or French, increased overall academic success, and positive
identity formation. Recently, a school board in Ontario has called for collaborative inquiry approaches to
using critical pedagogies to move towards anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and decolonizing classrooms to help
all students succeed. My project will involve a collaborative inquiry in the English Literacy Development
(ELD) classroom at my former school within this school board. The proposed poster will use the firsthand
insights I gained teaching ESL and English literacy development (ELD) learners in Ottawa over 18 years
and draw on the current approach to ELD instruction in Ontario. I will also highlight the opportunities for
using collaborative inquiry research within this school board and my proposed project to adopt a
translanguaging approach with multilingual learners in the ELD classroom, their teacher, and their families.

Impact of Digital Tracking Devices on Physical Activity for Adults

Tiffany Chao & Yu Xin Hu
Introduction: Digital tracking devices (DTDs), such as Fitbits, are mobile intelligent devices that track
health-related activities, (e.g., number of steps taken), and vital signs (e.g., heart rate). DTDs are becoming
increasingly popular, and are often used to track the amount of physical activity (PA) one achieves.
Objectives: The objective of this paper is to establish the effectiveness of DTDs on PA in the adult population
as well as determine how DTDs can be used in a physiotherapy context. Methods: Database searches were
performed on MEDLINE, PubMed, and CINAHL, providing 377, 1688, and 752 articles, respectively. The
inclusion/exclusion criteria included those that assessed PA, used DTDs for at least one group, and had at
least one group without chronic conditions. Results: Five of the most relevant articles were considered.
Overall, it was found that there was a moderate and vigorous increase in PA, daily step count, and energy
expenditure with the use of DTDs. However, it was also found that there was a decrease in adherence over
the long term. DTDs should be used for over three months in order to build a habit for PA. Implication for
physiotherapy: DTDs are beneficial for both the general adult population and adults with chronic diseases.
Physiotherapists could combine DTDs with behavioural change techniques or other health promotion
programs to improve the efficiency of DTDs in increasing PA. Conclusion: DTDs appear to increase short-
term PA levels and help initiate improved adherence to PA. Future studies should investigate its effect on
long-term PA levels.

#Stayingconnected: What does it mean for the mental health of adolescents?

Farhin Chowdhury, Yasemin Erdogan & Cynthia Di Francesco
Within what has become a heavily virtual world, greater levels of negative mental health such as depression
have been found to be associated with problematic social media use (e.g., excessive social media use and
viewing of pornographic material) use among adolescents (Kelly et al., 2019). Past research has
documented the positive relationship between resilience and mental health (Killgore et al., 2020) and has
highlighted the value of social connectedness, particularly positive friendship experiences, for
psychological well-being (Cleary et al., 2018). Thus, understanding how both individual factors (e.g.,
personal resilience) and social factors (e.g., friendship) can protect youth’s mental health is key. The
present study examined the role of resilience and friendship for mitigating the effects of social media use
on mental health outcomes, specifically feelings of hopelessness. In total, 996 adolescents (Mage = 15.83,
SD = 1.25, 51.8% girls) across high schools in Canada participated in this study. Participants completed self-
report questionnaires assessing demographic information, feelings of hopelessness, problematic social
media use, level of resilience, and quality of friendship. Controlling for grade, gender, and socioeconomic
status, results from our structural equation modeling revealed the negative contribution of social media
exposure on youth’s feelings of hopelessness was significantly moderated by friendship (β = .332, t = 3.28,
p = .001). However, resilience was not found to be a significant moderator (β = .183, t = 1.07, p = .282). Our
findings highlight the importance of cultivating meaningful friendships for protecting youth against the ill
effects of social media use.

Defining and Nurturing Creative Productive Gifted Behaviours in Students

Sarah Andrea Lubbe
Often, gifted and talented students do not receive the appropriate curriculum adaptation they need and
deserve (Renzulli 1996). These tenacious, bright children are left behind as school administration and
teachers assume they are smart enough to make it on their own (Coleman & Cross, 2000). This dangerous
assumption or "quiet crisis" (Renzulli & Reis, 1991, p. 26) results in a population of children not getting
their needs met, becoming unmotivated, unfulfilled, and not reaching their full potential. The issue we face
is that there are few definitions for creatively gifted students. Of the few definitions that are available, they
are ambiguous and varied. These variations increase the risks of inadequate services and "creating
inequities of access for students in poverty, from racial and ethnic minority groups, English learners, and
those with disabilities" (National Association for Gifted children, n.d.). This paper will present a definition
of a student with creative / productive gifted behaviours, four theories of creativity, and an overview of
identification and assessment tools that educators can use when evaluating potential creative / productive
gifted behaviours in children. This literature review will also present models and specific programs that
educators can use for developing creatively gifted programming and curriculum. The poster presentation
will present a program designed to nurture creative/productive gifted behaviours in students. It is time to
dedicate the time and resources these incredibly unique students deserve. Helping creatively gifted
children reach their potential will benefit the world as they create and solve current problems.
 Language Education at the Crossroads of Power, Identity, and Creativity
Bianca Gonzalez
Many high school students fall in between the cracks of standardized curriculum and testing offered by
public school systems in Canada. Academic disengagement correlates to feelings of isolation, higher risk of
unemployment, and lower motivation. Disengagement in language learning is no different in that
globalization, technology, and immigration have made speaking multiple languages of great importance for
education and society. Particularly in the multilingual context of Montreal where youth themselves
recognize the value of bi/multilingualism in accessing more academic and professional opportunities,
building connections, and forming identity. Informed by translanguaging theory, this poster will explore
the connection between motivation, identity, and power in language learning. Grounded in participatory
visual methodology, I will propose an innovative, critical, arts-based pedagogy for out-of-school language
learners in Montreal. I argue that language education has great potential for igniting critical thinking,
agency, and community building among youth and educators.

Examining the Role of Teacher Support and School Climate in

Adolescents’ Disclosure of Cyberbullying
Seonwoo Hong & Kennedy Critch
Cyberbullying is a complex phenomenon that occurs verbally and visually on multi-media platforms. The
ever-changing nature of cyberbullying continues to impact adolescents’ psychosocial well-being. However,
adults are at a loss for how to support targets of cyberbullying, which has been especially evident in the
student-teacher relationship. A lack of support has resulted in a pattern of underreporting by youth and a
culture of silence around the issue. As such, the current research aims to better understand non-disclosure
in youth by investigating the role of age, sex, type of cyberbullying (verbal vs. visual), type of teacher
support (emotional vs. no support), previous experience as a cyber-victim, and current school climate in
predicting adolescents’ likelihood of disclosing cyberbullying to their teachers. A sample of 103 adolescents
(ages 12 to 17) completed self-report measures and watched vignettes where teachers either provided
emotional or no support for cyberbullying before being asked about the likelihood of disclosing the incident
to that teacher. A multiple regression revealed a significant model (F(6,337 = 31.23, p<.00, R2 = .36), where
emotional support from teachers (β = 3.62, t = 13.15, p<.00) and positive perceptions of school climate (β
= .02, t = 3.11, p<.00) predicted adolescents’ likelihood to disclose. Overall, these findings highlight the
pivotal role of a positive and supportive school environment in promoting disclosure of cyberbullying
among adolescents. Continued examination of factors that promote engagement with cyberbullying
intervention programs (e.g., disclosure) remains critical in addressing the adverse consequences of
cyberbullying on youth’s well-being.

Challenges of Expression Across Independent and Interdependent Cultures

Rui Tang, Gina Cormier, Carolina Martinez, Alix Wong, Ayse Turkoglu, Robin Dionne,
Yangyilin Guo, Nicole Andersen (Concordia & McGill – SAPP Lab Team)
Background: Research has indicated differences in expression across eastern and western cultures in that
people from western (individualistic) cultures prefer expressing themselves in a direct way (Nisbett &
Masuda, 2003) whereas those from eastern (collectivistic) cultures are less likely to express feelings
publicly (Markus & Kitayama, 1991). This study explores whether self-censoring varies by western and
eastern culture. We hypothesized that students from eastern cultures would be less likely to express their
opinions. Methods: The data were drawn from an ongoing online survey on campus climate.
Participants were recruited from universities throughout Canada. Examples of questions that were asked
include: “Have you ever censored yourself during discussions with professors or other students?” and “How
comfortable or reluctant would you feel about speaking up and giving your views in class” on either a non-
controversial or a controversial issue. Results: Data analysis is in progress. Data was collected on 1063
 students (M = 22.6, SD = 5.6), and 117 of these students self-identified as Asian. Further, more than half of
the total sample indicated that they feel the need to self-censor on campus. Results varied on controversial
topics. Given the above, we suspect the evidence will support our hypothesis. Conclusions: These findings
will be crucial to exploring challenges of cross-cultural expression on-campus, and how expression can
change across cultures. Further implications and recommendations for future research will be explored.

Interaction Between the Language Status of Learners and the

Linguistic Demands in Math Questions
Yuennie Wong, Dan Chen, Michelle Jang & Gigi Luk
This study explores the interaction between the language status of students and the linguistic demands in
math questions using state-level data from a Northeastern state in the U.S. Based on the questions, a coding
scheme was developed to quantify the number of linguistic demands found in individual math questions
from the 2019 Grade 3 and Grade 8 state exam in mathematics. The sample sizes are around fifty thousand.
We aim to extract data from students in general education and who completed the exam without any
accommodation. Then students’ performance on math questions with high or low level of linguistic
demands will be analyzed with a between-within subject ANOVA to examine whether students with English
as a second language performed significantly inferior in math questions with higher linguistic demand,
rendering the math state exam do not purely test the knowledge of mathematics. This study highlights the
importance of language in playing a role in students’ ability to understand math questions and suggests
that modifications to linguistic structures of math questions could benefit all students, in particular, English
language learners.

Empower Students’ Computational Thinking Skills: An Analysis Study

of Elementary School Mathematical Textbooks
Yimei Zhang
After JM Wing (2008) proposed the theory of computational thinking (CT), it has been recognized as an
important skill in education, particularly in mathematics and science classrooms. Although students are
adapting to a digital and computational world, developing CT for students in primary education is
particularly challenging due to a lack of technology and academic content to detail describe and teach what
CT is and how to apply CT. However, I discovered traces and potency of CT in Mathematical Curriculums,
particularly in classroom unplugged activities and textbooks. In the research, I will present a mix-methods
study of four fourth-grade mathematics textbooks from different parts of the world (Mainly in China
Mainland, China HK, Canada) in which Computational Thinking is part of the mathematics curriculums in
different ways: Modelling; Abstractions; Algorithms, etc. and research on the tasks which are assigned in
the textbooks and have connections to CT. Discussions: There are two hypotheses I will test: 1) Although
the complexity of CT has different meaning and Epistemologies in Mathematics, these tasks containing the
CT skills at cognitive levels can be employed to ground and understand mathematical concepts and
procedures. 2) CT embedded into mathematical thinking, despite being ignored, has a lot of already-
unemployed-potential, especially in cognitive level, which can deeply promote mathematical teaching and
learning.

Acknowledgements & Sponsors