Facing Dragons is a mobile health game that gives quests and challenges to young adults (17-29) to help them figure out what to do with their lives, gain an empowered sense of self and unlock their purpose in life.

One of the key research innovations in this game is the addition of a special interface for support workers and caregivers that helps them get to know the young adults they work with.

Our project will be the first research in Canada that draws the techniques and resources from four disciplines - education, psychology, psychometrics and computer science - to investigate the effects of robotics education (RE) on child cognitive development, self-efficacy and enjoyment. Hence, our research findings will help Robokids School to understand the long-term effects of RE and to make a better decision on their investment.

The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) has created aTask Force on Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and Graduate Education (Reconciliation Task Force). This Reconciliation Task Force will examine the implications for graduate education in relation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Calls to Action, to reflect on the role of graduate education in promoting reconciliation between non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples in Canada, and to conduct a systematic review of reconciliation graduate educational practices from across the country.

Specialty medicine training in Canada is transforming to a competency-based model. This is the biggest change in specialty education in a century. The new education system emphasizes the abilities to be acquired of specialist physicians, the sequencing of skills (from foundational to complex), tailoring of training to meet the needs of the individual, and assessment systems that capture and adjudicate successful, authentic practice of specialty medicine. There are numerous assumptions underlying this complex educational intervention.

The Beaver Hills Biosphere is a newly established biosphere reserve that needs to communicate why it is a special place to its residents and visitors. The UNESCO Biosphere program wants biosphere reserves to promote the exchange and transfer of knowledge on environmental problems and solutions, and to foster environmental education for sustainable development. Research related to environmental education, public history, Indigenous histories and communications efficacy can highlight the importance of personal place-relationships within a biosphere.

A key factor in fostering the resilience of children and youth is the presence of at least one caring adult who holds high but reasonable expectations of them. In some instances, this relationship is formally facilitated by an organization in the form of mentorship. Despite the documented positive effects men have in the lives of children, the majority of mentors are women. Many organizations report having significant difficulty recruiting and retaining male mentors despite a growing demand. To date, virtually no research has been conducted in Canada to explore this issue.

In the twenty-first century, coding literacy provides individuals with a host of useful skills and competencies as well as accompanying psychological benefits. Yet, at present, very few pedagogical models or curricula include coding literacy as a central focus. STEM interventions, often found in after-school care programs and summer camps, help address this gap by offering targeted programming aimed at developing these competencies in children and youth.

Thales Canada develops control systems for avionics applications, which operate in harsh environments that may compromise the functionality of very high density chips. The company needs to develop a generic power interface for different avionics applications with a high level of criticality. However, such circuitry requires a lot of space on printed circuit boards when implemented as discrete components.

The project is the start of a bigger vision to help improve ‘Employability in an ever-changing, global and digital economy.’ The Partner organization and SFU Communications lab has a larger vision for where we may take this innovation initiative over the long-term, however initial pursuits will start out to develop a better understanding through an applied research project to explore ‘just-in-time learning practices impacting employability’.

Preparing students for a changing job market means teaching them the skills needed to succeed across a wide range of contexts. Employers especially value the sort of person who can solve problems in ways that address the complexity of real world contexts, people colloquially referred to as wise. What exactly do we mean when we use that term, and can Wisdom be taught within an already constrained education system?