The Student Experience: Supporting Student Success
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students sitting around one of our tables
discussing their assignments with other
students and with the tutor. Students fre-
quently comment that they feel welcome by
the tutors and are comfortable working with
them.
At first sight it would appear that Principle
7 “Faculty use evaluation to promote learn-
ing” would not apply to learning centres,
since the tutors there do not give tests to
students. This principle includes the role of
feedback, however, and students do receive
constructive feedback from tutors and each
other at the learning centre.
In sum, based on Maryellen Weimer’s
work, six of the seven principles of learner-
centred instruction are at work in the learn-
ing centres of Okanagan College.
(See Barnstable (2013) for an explanation
of why LCI matters.)
As the coordinator of the Student
Success Centre at the Salmon Arm
campus, I am one of the many Okana-
gan College employees who work to
support student success. Okanagan
College supports student learning in a
number of ways; such as, promoting
the use of learner-centred instruction
(LCI), and offering a Learner-Centred
Instruction Certificate program for col-
lege faculty and staff. I recently com-
pleted this program, and doing so has
lead me to a reflection of how the staff
at a learning centre can and do con-
tribute to the implementation of LCI.
Learner-centred instruction helps
learners become the main force be-
hind their own learning in an environ-
ment that promotes cooperation and
intellectual exploration. The main facil-
itators of this process are the instruc-
tors who interact with students in the
classroom; but the staff members of
learning centres also play an important
role in the use of LCI to help students
achieve their academic goals.
Weimer (2013) presents the seven
basic principles that guide the imple-
mentation of LCI. These form a list of
actions that “teachers” or “faculty” need
to take; however, in her discussion she
makes it clear that learning centres can
also play an important role. Upon exam-
ination of these principles, it appears
that six of the seven can be implement-
ed by the tutors at a learning centre (the
exception being a principle related to
instructional design).
Weimer’s Principles 1 and 2 read as
follows: “Teachers let students do more
learning tasks” and “Teachers do less
telling so that students can do more
discovering.” These processes are es-
sential components of our work at the
learning centre. A math tutor lets stu-
dents work on their problems and
guides them when they need help rather
than leading the process. An English
tutor listens carefully and asks ques-
tions in order to help the students clarify
and develop their own ideas.
Weimer’s Principle 4 states that
“Faculty do more to explicitly model how
experts learn.” At the learning centre
we can show students how a writer goes
about writing an essay or how a mathe-
matician figures out a problem. Princi-
ples 5 and 6 indicate that “Faculty en-
courage students to learn from and with
each other” and “Faculty and students
work to create climates for learning.” It
is common to see a group of science
The Student Experience: Supporting Student Success
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
The Success Centre
1
Fostering student success
2
Supporting
Students in
Second Language
Learning
2
What is
Success? 3
Importance of Faculty Involvement in Orientation
Events
3
Aboriginal Access &
Services
4
Supporting Student Suc cess: What do Students Think?
5
Disabilities Services
6
Admissions Process
6
Mindfulness in the Classroom
7
Conferences & ILT Programs
8
Contact ILT 8
V O L U M E 5 I S S U E 2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Learner-centred instruction helps
learners become the main force
behind their own learning in an
environment that promotes cooper-
ation and intellectual exploration.
The Student Success Centre By Joaquim Camps, Student Success Centre, Salmon Arm Campus
References
Barnstable, K. (2013). Does learner-
centred instruction matter? Enhancing the
Practice of Learning and Teaching, 4(2), 3.
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Assets/
Departments+(Administration)/ILT/
ILT+Newsletter+(4$!2c2).pdf
Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-centered
teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 2
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Defining student
success is difficult.
Apart from common
benchmarks, it is
likely that underneath
a broad definition of
success also lies a personal definition such as
uniquely formulated and deeply held goals or
ambitions. For example, a young student
might aim to achieve the dean’s list and to
minimize stuttering when public speaking in
class. She might not articulate the stuttering
goal to anyone, but will measure her success
by it. It is this individual uniqueness that
makes student success challenging to define.
Regardless of its definition, certain steps can
be taken to help create a classroom environ-
ment that fosters its achievement. Yes—
student success is the sole responsibility of
the student, as any goal is to its owner. How-
ever, a classroom culture with the right ingredi-
ents can help equip and motivate students in
its pursuit. A few ideas to help create a suc-
cess-infused culture are listed below.
Encourage Students to Set Goals
Before success can be obtained, it must
first be defined. This provides a great oppor-
tunity for faculty to create an atmosphere that
stimulates discussion and thought on this
topic. Whether at the beginning of a term or
occasionally throughout, such discussions
could benefit a classroom in a number of
ways. First, conversation centered on success
and goal setting could potentially help stu-
dents—for the first time—discover and articu-
late what they want to achieve. Second, it
could be a source of inspiration for students
to hear other students, and even faculty,
share their insights. Lastly, it could simply be
a reminder of the importance of goal setting.
Encourage Students to Discover Learning
Styles
To be successful in an education context, it
is very helpful to be aware of learning styles.
Akin to goal setting, this provides a great op-
portunity for faculty to intentionally create an
environment of discussion and awareness
around learning styles. It also provides faculty
the opportunity to practically equip students
by pointing them to various resources and
methods, such as the VAK model (visual,
auditory, kinesthetic). For example, if a
student struggles with grasping a concept
via a lecture (auditory), but discovers that
he can understand the concept by reading
the textbook (visual), he has not only won a
momentary battle but is also potentially
better equipped for future classroom suc-
cess.
Encourage Communication
In terms of student success, an open
and question-friendly classroom culture
can make it easier for students to ask po-
tentially difficult questions, to express ide-
as that would otherwise be left unspoken,
or to encourage the offering of positive
feedback to peers. Faculty can help build
and promote this type of culture by provid-
ing space for students to talk or intention-
ally asking students to speak up and facili-
tating dialogue around their comments.
Fostering Student Success By Matthew Knegt, BUAD Student, Kelowna Campus
Student success is hard to
define, but steps can be taken to
build a success-infused classroom
and encourage its probability.
The paramount goal of educators every-
where is that their students succeed and
that their skills as teachers play a signifi-
cant part in supporting that success. Stu-
dent success, therefore, is intimately relat-
ed to teacher success. Indeed it can be
said that student success and teacher
success are to each other like the faces of
a coin. They exist together, the one inform-
ing the other.
The most important contribution of
teachers in support of student success is
the curriculum they create. In the field of
adult second-language education—which is
the field in which I work—this has meant
the development of different teaching
methods on the one hand, and different
views of the teacher-student relationship
on the other.
For example, if we rolled back time to
the 19th century, we would find a situation
where the teacher was at the center of
things and the student was subordinate to
the teacher. The Grammar Translation
Method prevailed then and the focus was
on the written word. Through this method,
Supporting Student Success in Second Language Learning By Fred Van Winckel, General Interest French Language Courses for Continuing Studies
students learned grammatical structures and
practiced manipulating them in translations
into and from the mother tongue. Supporting
student success as we
know it today did not exist.
To succeed a student did as
directed by the teacher.
Today a more liberal and
democratic approach is
widely used in language
training; namely, the Communicative Approach.
Its distinguishing characteristics are that it is
learner-centered and very much concerned with
the needs of the student. It does not propose a
specific methodology but draws on different
currents of thought thereby encouraging experi-
mentation and creativity on the part of the
teacher. It allows the student to take full re-
sponsibility for learning, and it encourages the
teacher to facilitate rather than direct the learn-
ing process. It favours an implicit and non-
analytical approach to grammar and does not
require perfection of the student in using the
target language. What matters is that the stu-
dent be able to get his or her message across
in the second language.
Given the above, it is obvious that
there has been a considerable shift to-
ward supporting student success since
the heyday of the Grammar Translation
Method. This shift is entirely consistent
with the changes that
have occurred in the
broader context of edu-
cation since then. For
example, the notion
that knowledge is the
product of an active
process of inquiry and problem-solving
(John Dewey) combined with the idea that
true education is the development of
learning abilities, such as the capacity to
think clearly and creatively (Lev Vygotsky),
has led, along with other notions, to the
development of curricula that promotes
critical thinking, independence of mind,
and collaborative learning. With respect
to second-language learning, this has led
to programs such as the Communicative
Approach where students learn to manip-
ulate language structures, both in group
and individual activities, thus gradually
developing the ability to use the lan-
guage.
Today a more liberal and
democratic approach is widely
used in language training;
namely, the Communicative
Approach.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 3
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
What is success?
Success is a slippery thing—it is very hard to
define or pick one definition because success
means different things to different people. For
example, success might mean making a lot of
money and having a big house for one person,
or it might be as simple as putting food on the
table. It might mean working up the courage
to walk in the college door for the first time or
simply asking for help or knowing when help is
needed. For others success might mean get-
ting the almighty “A.”
How can the word success be applied to
students?
My role is to help students be successful in
whatever way I can. For some it might be to
encourage students in a writing style that is
already fairly polished. Or to help them deter-
mine the best word choice or best punctua-
tion. Or to read over an assignment sheet so
they can actually put together an assignment
that meets the requirements laid out on that
assignment sheet. Sometimes helping a stu-
dent be successful is just sitting and listening
and letting the student talk about whatever is
preventing them from feeling successful. For
many of our students it is getting good grades.
Some students are not satisfied with 88% they
want over 90% on that essay.
What are the pros and cons of helping
students be successful?
A definite pro is when a student says, “Oh My
God, that makes so much more sense now!”
For me, I have been successful in helping that
student when they have that “Ah Ha” moment
(I don’t like that expression—but that’s what it
is!). Also when students come back on a regu-
lar basis and tell me they feel more confident,
they are getting better marks, they feel better
equipped to work on assignments, and they
understand the requirements for the assign-
ments.
A downside is when a student forms a de-
pendency on me. I then have to work quite
hard to persuade them that the skills they
have learned or perfected will stand in good
stead in the future, and they can be independ-
ent—that they don’t need my help on a regular
basis. Some students don’t seem able to be
independent, and that can create a bit of an
issue. I then have to approach helping them
from a different perspective. Another chal-
lenge is when it’s obvious a student cannot be
successful if they stay on a particular pathway.
Having the courage to say, “If you carry on this
way you will
not be suc-
cessful.
But I can
help you
find re-
sources
that will
give you the
foundation-
al skills you
need to be successful if you move over to a
different path.” That can be very difficult
sometimes.
Success and Learner Centeredness…
What is that?
At OC we adhere to a learner-centered
philosophy. A colleague shared the follow-
ing: He regularly alters course material and
adjusts it to help students understand
more clearly. Sometimes he changes the
point not only partway through the semes-
ter, but partway through a lesson so that
he can help the students understand more
easily simply by being flexible.
Success rests on a certain degree of
flexibility, and if we can be flexible in our
approach to the students then the stu-
dents will have a more successful learner-
centred experience.
(Interview transcribed by Karen Friesen,
Vernon Campus Library)
What is Success? An Interview with Mag Evans
Student Success Centre Coordinator for Writing and English, Vernon Campus
Success means different things to
different people.
The Importance of Faculty Involvement in Orientation Events
By Carlyn Young, Student Information As-
Orientation week at Okanagan College is a
period of transition for first-year college stu-
dents. For many, this will be their first time
away from home, family, and friends. Orienta-
tion events help ease that transition and are
critical for students in making friends, learn-
ing about resources available to them at
school and in their community, and helping
make the college their home for the next two
to four years.
In addition to academic and professional
growth, college is a time for social growth.
Fun campus activities, such as orientation,
enhance their college experience and leave
them with positive memories which will in-
crease the odds of them returning the follow-
ing year and continuing to complete their
education at Okanagan College.
The goal of the orientation week organizing
committee at the Kelowna campus is to cre-
ate a welcoming and positive space for stu-
dents entering the college and provide infor-
mation that will help prepare them for a
successful college career. Faculty interac-
tion on this first day through program orien-
tation sessions provides students with infor-
mation about their disciplines, the careers
related to that discipline, and also gives
them a sense of what to expect during their
time at the college. Research shows that
faculty involvement is critical to helping
students establish and maintain a connec-
tion with the college and ultimately increas-
es student retention.
This year the committee hopes to expand
orientation to include other activities during
that first week to two weeks students are
being welcomed to our campus.
Faculty involvement and support for these
initiatives are imperative in achieving the
four goals of orientation at the Kelowna
campus:
● Provide students with a great first expe-
rience on campus.
● Assist with increasing retention
rates at Okanagan College.
● Familiarize students with their cam-
pus and the resources available to help
them become a successful student.
● Help students make a new friend.
Proven positive outcomes of a success-
ful orientation include student retention,
academic achievement, critical thinking,
satisfaction with faculty, and overall
satisfaction with the college.
We would welcome your input and in-
volvement in orientation events in Ke-
lowna for this coming September 2014.
If you are interested in learning how you
can get involved, please email Carlyn
Young at cyoung@okanagan.bc.ca.
Research shows that faculty involve-
ment is critical to helping students
establish and maintain a connection
with the college and ultimately in-
creases student retention.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 4
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Okanagan College’s Aboriginal Access and
Services Department supports Aboriginal
learners interested in applying to and study-
ing at Okanagan College. Aboriginal Access
and Services strives to enhance students’
educational experiences at Okanagan Col-
lege by providing culturally relevant support
including the following: Aboriginal Services
Coordinator, Aboriginal Transitions Planners
at each of the regional campuses, and Abo-
riginal Peer Mentors. Also we provide host-
ing for cultural events; course planning; con-
necting students with employment, commu-
nity, and awards information; and student
services referrals. There are Aboriginal Stu-
dent Centres at each regional campus that
offer students a place to study, relax, con-
verse with other Aboriginal students, use a
computer, or receive support from Aboriginal
Access and Services staff members. The
department strives to help students over-
come any hurdles they are experiencing in
reaching their educational goals.
Over this past year, the Aboriginal Access
and Services Department has collaborated
with faculty and students on a variety of cul-
tural events. The department has incorpo-
rated student-centered learning through
supporting and implementing events that
students have initiated and led. A few of the
recent events the department has been in-
volved in are as follows:
● On January 16, Chief Joe Alphonse, Chief
Roger William, and Chief Percy Guichon of the
Tsilhqot’in Nation Government spoke at Oka-
nagan College about the Tsilhqot’in fight to
protect Teztan Biny.
● On January 28, Aboriginal Access and Ser-
vices' Gail Smith and Aboriginal Peer Mentor
Tina Miller collaborated with Okanagan Col-
lege Faculty Association’s Norah Bowman-
Broz to organize an Idle No More Teach-In.
The Idle No More movement called upon its
supporters to organize local teach-ins to dis-
cuss the movement, the First Nation Educa-
tion Act, and the broader Termination Plan
that it represents.
● On February 14, in collaboration with Oka-
nagan College’s Golden Day of Service, Aborig-
inal Access and Services, faculty, students,
and community members organized an event
honouring the Missing and Murdered Indige-
nous Women in Canada.
● The fifth annual Aboriginal Student Recogni-
tion Celebration took place on March 22 in the
Lecture Theatre at the Kelowna campus. Ap-
proximately 130 people attended the event.
The afternoon program opened with a pray-
er and welcome from Elder Grouse Barnes
from Westbank First Nation.
Jim Barmby, Okanagan College Regional
Dean of the Shuswap-Revelstoke region,
spoke to the students about the importance of
getting an education and congratulated them
on their achievements.
The program included a performance by the
award-winning Akachuk family hoop dancers
and the keynote speaker was author and
Chief of the Soda Creek Indian Band, Bev
Sellars.
Sellars recently won the 2014 George Ryga
Award for her book They Called Me Number
One about her experiences in the residential
school system. Sellars has served as advisor
for the B.C. Treaty Commission and spo-
ken out on behalf of her community on
racism, residential schools, and on the
environmental and social threats of miner-
al resources exploitation in her region.
“Sellars was inspiring and delivered a
powerful message to students,” said Gail
Smith, Aboriginal Transitions Planner.
“She said that while you may face hard-
ships when you are obtaining your educa-
tion, it’s by overcoming obstacles that you
become real winners.”
Three graduating students addressed
the group about their journeys at Okana-
gan College: Courtney Campbell, Bachelor
of Business Administration, Ashley Maas,
Bachelor of Business Administration, and
Terrena Buck, Associate of Arts degree.
Coralee Miller and Tina Miller were rec-
ognized for the support they give students
and their participation in the Idle No More
Teach In that was held at the Kelowna
Campus on January 28. Coralee designed
the artwork and Tina was instrumental in
getting staff, students, faculty, and com-
munity members involved in the event.
Both students have been invited to the
2014 President’s Dinner for Student Am-
bassadors on March 27.
After the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a
reception with light refreshments and Indi-
an Tacos.
A total of 30 students were recognized
at the event.
Aboriginal Access and Services: Supporting Aboriginal Learners By Gail Smith, Aboriginal Transitions Planner, Central Okanagan Region
To keep informed of future events, please
visit our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
Okanagan-College-Aboriginal-Access-
Services-Kelowna/208452309305506
or
talk to an Aboriginal Access and Services
staff member at one of our campuses in
Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon or Salmon.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 5
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
In a recent
article entitled
“In Defense of
Teaching” in
The Teaching
Professor, Cox
and Yearwood
(2013) make
the case that college teachers are more than
just instructional designers and choreogra-
phers of learning experiences. Their article is
in response to the current educational dogma
which asserts that the classroom (or online)
experience should be exclusively about stu-
dents learning and not about teachers teach-
ing. Cox and Yearwood acknowledge the im-
portance of research-based best practice and
that student-centered approaches are integral
to student success. But they also warn that
the exclusive focus of the educator as a “guide
on the side” diminishes some of the other
important roles a teacher may have. To sup-
port student learning, they contend, a college
teacher’s role is multifaceted: at times a
teacher will need to be the sage and at other
times the motivator, the role model, the story
teller, and the mentor.
While I fully support any attempt to improve
instructional approaches, to create lessons
which are more engaging, to aspire to be bet-
ter facilitators of learning, Cox and Yearwood’s
article prompted me to wonder if sometimes
our pursuit of best practice in a technical
sense, may result in us losing sight of the core
to being a supportive teacher.
Given the theme of this issue of the ILT
newsletter, I thought it would be helpful to
gather data from my own first-year students
concerning their view on how a teacher can
support student success. Based on an infor-
mal but anonymous survey, the students’ re-
sponses can essentially be summarized in
four lines. A teacher can support student
success by:
●Being available in and out of class to answer
questions in a non-judgmental and supportive
way.
●Structuring multiple opportunities for stu-
dents to receive feedback on their learning
through low-stakes assignments,
online practice, and through the availability of
practice tests.
●Encouraging students to be self-reflective, to
do their best, and to seek help when required.
●Designing lessons that are clear and under-
standable.
In reading the student comments, I found
myself opening to a simple clarity about the
practice of learning and teaching. While some
of their feedback was about how an in-
structor designs learning opportunities,
most of it was related to how a teacher
relates to them at a personal level. As in
any human interaction, the students are
looking to have their struggles validated
and supported by a caring and friendly
fellow human being. In evaluating whether
they felt supported, the students seemed
less concerned about whether an instruc-
tor uses the latest educational tools and
more about whether the teacher smiles
and is genuinely happy to assist them with
their questions. As one student wrote: “I
think an instructor is supporting success if
they are always available to help you when
they can and (if they) greet you with a
smile”.
May we all find ways to promote best
practice and support the needs of our stu-
dents so that ultimately they may be suc-
cessful in their endeavors.
To support student learning, [Cox and
Yearwood] contend, a college teach-
er’s role is multifaceted: at times a
teacher will need to be the sage and
at other times the motivator, the role
model, the story teller and the mentor.
Supporting Student Success -
What do Students Think? By Carl Doige, Chemistry Department
Reference
Cox, J.R and Yearwood, D. (2013) In Defense of
Teaching, The Teaching Professor, 27 (1), 4.
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/
The Student Experience:
Supporting Student Success
Okanagan College Student Services
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/
Student_Services.html
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 6
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Having just attend-
ed a seminar on the
topic of the “Duty to
Accommodate” with-
in the post-
secondary sector, it
is timely to write about supporting student
success from a Disability Services perspec-
tive. Human Rights Lawyer Patrick Gilligan-
Hackett eloquently outlined some important
reminders in the daylong seminar. I will
share three key points that I took away from
the presentation.
The first point is that not only do we ac-
commodate students who have disabilities
because we are an inclusive organization, it
is also a legal obligation. All students includ-
ing those who have disabilities have the right
to equal access to services under the BC
Human Rights Code (Section 8[1]). This
means, that a student with a disability who
meets the entrance requirements of a pro-
gram has the right to equal access to full
participation in that program as would any
other student. It is then the responsibility of
the college, in collaboration with the student,
to provide accommodation to allow for this
full participation. This is where Disability
Services comes in. Disability Services coordi-
nators are the key contacts in the process of
implementing accommodations. They help
students to gain access to grant funding to
support the students’ required accommoda-
tions, they approve appropriate accommoda-
tions in the classroom, and they liaise with
instructors/professors to support the imple-
mentation of those accommodations.
The second point worthy of note is that all
students must meet the same academic
standard regardless of any disability that they
may have. This is a very important piece be-
cause the goal of disability accommodation is
to give a student equal access to demonstrate
that they have met the required outcome, but
not to change the outcome. This can, in some
situations, be a complicated distinction. It is
important that the essential outcomes of a
particular course or program are clearly identi-
fied in writing so that a determination can be
made about what can be accommodated and
what cannot based on the academic integrity
of the course/program. An example of this is
when a student must demonstrate a skill dur-
ing a time-limited assessment. It is important
to know whether the time limit is a part of the
essential outcome of the course. If the time
limit it is not essential to show mastery of the
skill, then an accommodation for extra time
can be implemented. If it is an essential out-
come, then extra time could not be granted.
The third point I would like to share from
the presentation was Mr. Gilligan-Hackett’s
response to the common concern that if a
student is accommodated during their
education they may be ill-prepared to work
in their chosen field after graduation. He
reminds us that there is also a duty to ac-
commodate in the workplace. Employers
are required to provide accommodations to
employees who have disabilities. I would
also add that not all students have a goal
of employment at the end of their educa-
tion. As we know, many people pursue
education for personal interest and fulfill-
ment. Years ago, in a different role, I pro-
vided accommodations for a student who
had a terminal illness so that he could
complete training to be a professional pho-
tographer. He was well aware that he
would likely never be employed in the field,
but it was a goal of his to complete a post-
secondary diploma.
In closing I’ll share one last message
from Mr. Gilligan-Hackett. He suggested
that when faced with a request from a
student for accommodation that post-
secondary organizations should approach
the request from the perspective of “How
can we accommodate this?” This paves
the way for an open-minded discourse that
is solution focused.
The Student Experience: Supporting Student
Success from a Disability Services Perspective By Amanda Pope, Disabilities Services, Vernon Campus
Whether you are enrolled in your final year
of high school, already enrolled in a post-
secondary program, or currently employed in
the workforce if you are contemplating apply-
ing to one of the many exciting programs of-
fered at Okanagan College, this will be of
interest to you. We all know that there can be
a certain level of anxiety and apprehension
associated with taking on a new endeavor in
our lives. I am hopeful that the following in-
formation will give you peace of mind as you
navigate through the application and admis-
sion process.
First and foremost, and to establish a
preference, review the programs that inter-
est you most in our online calendar http://
webapps-5.okanagan.bc.ca/ok/calendar/
search.aspx. If you have questions relating
to these programs, please make an ap-
pointment with an Okanagan College Pro-
gram Advisor who will be able to guide you
through the program pre-requisites and
application process.
When applying to any of the programs at
Okanagan College, applicants are required
to submit a $30 non-refundable application
fee. This
application
fee allows an
applicant to
apply to a
maximum of
three programs without further cost. Sev-
eral programs offered at Okanagan Col-
lege have a limited capacity. By applying
early you can increase your chances of
being accepted. We encourage applicants
to apply to the program(s) of most interest
(continued on bottom of next page…)
All students including those who have
disabilities have the right to equal ac-
cess to services under the BC Human
Rights Code (Section 8[1]).
Supporting Students through the Admissions Process
By Heather Brown, M.A., ILT Fellow for Employees with a Non-Instructional Focus
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G Spring 2014 page 7
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
Mindfulness,
perhaps best de-
fined by Jon Kabat-
Zinn (1994)
“means paying
attention in a particular way; on purpose, in
the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”
Several recent studies have found that stu-
dents who meditate or have a regular mindful-
ness practice are better able to focus, have
improved cognitive functioning, and retain
more information than students who do not
(Paul, Elam & Verhulst 2007; Ramsburg &
Youmans 2013, Shapiro, Brown & Astin
2011). This should not be a surprise consider-
ing the reported benefits of a mindfulness
practice for people in other areas of their life
(reduced stress and pain, improved self-
regulation, health and relationships, Kabat-
Zinn 2005). What better way to promote
mindfulness for students than to have profes-
sors incorporate mindfulness-based activities
in their classes and model the benefits of their
own practice. Meiklejohn, et al., (2012) who
highlight the suggested benefits of mindfulness
training in K-12 education, provide research-
based evidence that a mindfulness practice
can foster resilience in educators as well as
students.
While just about everyone knows that medi-
tating or practicing mindfulness is good for
you, many people, not withstanding students,
find it difficult to incorporate a regular practice
into their busy schedules. Perhaps this is
because there are many
misconceptions about how to
practice mindfulness. Or may-
be we just simply forget or
feel too tired. After many
years of an on and off again
sitting meditation practice, I
finally discovered yoga
(which is a moving meditation), and I rarely
miss a day of practice now. In addition to the
benefits of stretching muscles that were
abused from too many years of playing goalie,
yoga has helped me reconnect to my entire
body. It has also helped me learn how to
come back to my breath whenever I feel
stressed, and many friends have told me that I
appear more relaxed and happier than ever
before. If yoga isn’t your thing, there are nu-
merous other ways to practice mindful
and even ten minutes a day can produce
noticeable changes.
While it can definitely be helpful to join a
weekly meditation or yoga group at the
beginning, there are numerous online re-
sources for students and educators alike
that make establishing a regular mindful-
ness practice much easier than ever be-
fore. For mindfulness practice, google
anything by Jon
Kabat-Zinn or Jack
Kornfield to get
started. For yoga,
www.doyogawithme.com has hundreds of
free high quality videos. Even
smartphones can be mindful (does that
sound like an oxymoron?) and two of my
favorite apps are Mindshift from
www.anxietybc.com and Stop, Breathe &
Think from www.toolsforpeace.org. If you
have some favorite “mindfulness” sites or
apps, please let me know at
ddoige@okanagan.bc.ca . Namaste.
What better way to promote
mindfulness for students than
to have professors incorporate
mindfulness-based activities in
their classes and model the
benefits of their own practice.
Mindfulness in the classroom begins with you By Derrick Doige, M.Ed , CCC, Counselling Services, Vernon Campus
References
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2005). Coming to our senses: Healing ourselves and the world through mindfulness. Hyperion.
Meiklejohn, J., Phillips, C., Freedman, M. L., Griffin, M. L., Biegel, G., et al. (2012). Integrating mindfulness training into K-12 education: Fostering the
resilience of teachers and students. Mindfulness. doi:10.1007/s12671-012-0094-5.
Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Astin, J. (2011). Toward the integration of meditation into higher education: A review of research evidence. Teachers College
Record, 113(3), 493-528.
Paul, G., Elam, B., & Verhulst, S. J. (2007). A longitudinal study of students' perceptions of using deep breathing meditation to reduce testing stresses.
Teaching and learning in medicine, 19(3), 287-292.
to them. Please note: If an applicant does
not pay the required application fee within
a week of applying, their application(s) will
be cancelled.
Once your application (and application
fee) is received in the admission office,
one of our knowledgeable staff will assess
the application and send you a letter to
inform you of the next step in the admis-
sion process. If you are concerned that
you do not meet the academic require-
ments of the program you have applied to,
please contact the admission staff mem-
ber responsible for that program in order
to discuss what options may be available
to you to ensure you register and complete
the required pre-requisite courses within a
specific timeframe.
The key to ensuring that your application is
processed seamlessly is to pay close attention
to all deadlines. If you are unable to meet a
specific deadline, please contact the admis-
sion staff member responsible for that program
to discuss alternate arrangements.
Remember, the staff in the admissions office
is here to support you as you proceed through
the admission process at Okanagan College.
Admissions http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/
BecomeaStudent/Admissions.html
Supporting Students through the Admissions Process (continued from previous page)
We all know that there can be
a certain level of anxiety and
apprehension associated with
taking on a new endeavor in
our lives...
Remember, the staff in the
Admissions Office is all here
to support you as you proceed
through the admission
process at Okanagan College.
I N S T I T U T E F O R L E A R N I N G A N D T E A C H I N G
I L T I N F O L I N K S
Winter 2014 page 8
As part of its mandate to support dialogue amongst peers and to enhance the practice of learning and teaching the ILT publishes three
issues of its newsletter a year (Winter, Spring, and Fall). All employees of Okanagan College are encouraged to contribute.
Thank you to each of the authors for your valuable contribution to this issue of Enhancing the Practice of Learning and Teaching! The
thought, expertise, and time that has gone into creating the end product is appreciated. Theme topics for the fall newsletter are under
consideration. We will keep you posted!
ILT Newsletter production team:
Managing Editors: Darrell Skinner dskinner@okanagan.bc.ca and Carl Doige Cdoige@okanagan.bc.ca
Copy Editor + Distribution: Michael Orwick MOrwick@okanagan.bc.ca (Articles are submitted to Michael Orwick for editing)
Design/Layout Editor and Newsletter Committee Chair: Jennifer Sigalet Jsigalet@okanagan.bc.ca
For more information please see the ILT newsletter website below:
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Newsletters.html
ILT Website http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
ILT Mission Statement http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Mission_Statement.html
ILT Fellows http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Meet_the_Fellows.html
ILT Educational Programs http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Educational_Programs.html
ILT Newsletter http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Newsletters.html
ILT Resource LibGuide http://libguides.okanagan.bc.ca/ILT
I L T N E W S L E T T E R C O N T A C T S
LEARNNG AND TEACHING CONFERENCES
May 7-8, 2014 10th Annual Learning Conference Reflecting on Scholarly Approaches
Kelowna, British Columbia UBC Okanagan Campus http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/ctl/conference/register
June 19 -20, 2014 CanFlip14 http://www.canflip.ca/
The goal of CanFlip14 is to bring passionate educators together to discuss 21st century teaching and learning techniques including, but
not limited to, the Flipped Classroom. CanFlip14 is co-sponsored by the Institute for Learning and Teaching, and will be held at the
Kelowna campus of Okanagan College. If you are interested in registering, please contact Rosalind Warner at rowarner@okanagan.bc.ca.
June 27-28, 2014 ASCD Conference on Teaching Excellence
Dallas, Texas http://ascd.org/conference-on-teaching-excellence.aspx?gclid=CK2HjOeItr0CFQqCfgodFb8ACw
Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is the global leader in developing and
delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. Comprising
140,000 members—superintendents, principals, teachers, professors, and advocates from more than 138 countries—the ASCD
community also includes 56 affiliate organizations. The nonprofit's diverse, nonpartisan membership is its greatest strength, projecting a
powerful, unified voice to decision makers around the world.
The association provides expert and innovative solutions in professional development, capacity building, and educational leadership
essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.
LEARNING AND TEACHING CONFERENCE DIRECTORIES
CETL maintains one of the most comprehensive directories of teaching conferences and their sponsor
ing organizations. Upcoming conferences are listed chronologically. Click on the links to visit the home
page for the conference or its sponsoring organization. Each conference listing also includes links to
similar conferences based on Discipline or Topic in Higher Education.
Kennesaw University. Teaching Conferences Directory http://cetl.kennesaw.edu/teaching-conferences-directory
For more information on other learning and teaching conferences please go to the ILT Events page at the ILT Website :
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Events.html
ILT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS (LCIC, SLCO)
For information on the ILT education programs (Learner Centred Instructor Certificate (LCIC) program and Service & Support in a Learner
Centred Organization (SLCO) please go to:
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/about/Institute_for_Learning_and_Teaching/Educational_Programs.html
www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt www.okanagan.bc.ca/ilt
L E A R N I N G & T E A C H I N G C O N F E R E N C E S A N D I L T E D U C A T I O N A L P R O G R A M S
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