UNBC students, faculty, staff and supporters have all worked together to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the sweeping shift to alternate modes of course and service delivery earlier this year.  

The University is exploring the positive effects of this pedagogical transition and Ecosystem Science and Management Associate Professor Dr. Lisa Poirier sees an opportunity for increased student engagement.

Poirier says online learning opens the gates to conversation for students, creating more engagement and space for discussion. Her courses have been made available online this semester for asynchronous learning – meaning students can login anytime, not tied to a strict schedule. This provides students who are working from home and in various locations more flexibility in terms of time restraints. 

“Learning isn’t going to look much different, but how you get there might look different,” Poirier says, explaining that instructors are learning too and that “we are all in this together.” 

UNBC students have shown remarkable adaptability in moving towards an increasingly virtual campus experience. The first day of virtual learning included 3,377 active users on UNBC’s online learning platform. Morning Yoga, Trivia Tuesday and Leadership Development workshops are offered online by UNBC Student Life. And a new Virtual Learning Commons provides a one-stop-shop for students needing key supports such as tutoring, career help and student technology troubleshooters.

As students move into their new learning environments, faculty and staff have been working hard to create innovative and instructive online content. The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology has done tremendous work to support faculty and graduate students by providing Facilitated Online Learning (FLO) events in conjunction with BCcampus to help instructors prepare for courses. FLO events assist faculty in designing and facilitating their online course material, including creating accessible learning resources, designing assessment rubrics and using inclusive dialogue. 

These are just some of the amazing initiatives that our students, faculty and staff here at UNBC are tackling.  

This continual cultivation of online learning and support initiatives demonstrates that we are all learning together, moving forward and adapting to the challenges of COVID-19 as a community.