(Re)Considering the Scholarship of Learning: Inviting the Elephant in the Room to Tea

This essay argues that the SoT(L) field has mistakenly equated learning solely to teaching and the teaching classroom, and has systematically ignored the other moments and opportunities within higher education institutes where learning and scholarly learning occurs—particularly within academic support and development programming. Therefore, we endeavour to discuss what we see as the elephant in the SoT(L) living room—learning, scholarly learning, and the Scholarship of Learning—and examine the ways in which learning and the Scholarship of Learning can be brought back into the SoT(L) discussion through an examination of academic support and development programming. Through the creation of a new theoretical and diagrammatic SoTL framework, this essay presents a more integrated, enhanced, and expanded understanding of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and does so to further dialogue and to recognize the Scholarship of Learning as a strong and important contribution to the SoTL literature

Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Subsistence Hunting and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Canadian Arctic

This paper examines the role of Inuit traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in adaptation to climate change in the Canadian Arctic. It focuses on Inuit relationships with the Arctic environment, including hunting knowledge and land skills, and examines their roles in adaptation to biophysical changes that affect subsistence hunting. In several instances, TEK underpins competency in subsistence and adaptations to changing conditions, which includes flexibility with regard to seasonal cycles of hunting and resource use, hazard avoidance through detailed knowledge of the environment and understanding of ecosystem processes, and emergency preparedness, e.g., knowing what supplies to take when traveling and how to respond in emergency situations. Despite the documented importance of TEK in adaptation and in maintaining a level of competency in subsistence, the relationships between TEK and adaptation to climate change are not well defined in the scholarly literature. This paper aims to conceptualize the relationships between TEK and adaptation to climate change by drawing on case study research with Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. TEK is considered an element of adaptive capacity (or resilience) that is expressed as adaptation if TEK is drawn upon to adapt to changing conditions. This capacity depends on the development, accumulation, and transmission of TEK within and among generations.Cet article se penche sur le rôle des connaissances écologiques traditionnelles (CET) inuites en matière d’adaptation au changement climatique dans l’Arctique canadien. Il porte plus précisément sur les relations des Inuits avec l’environnement de l’Arctique, notamment en ce qui a trait à leurs connaissances de la chasse et à leurs pratiques ancestrales, puis il examine leur rôle en matière d’adaptation aux changements biophysiques qui exercent une influence sur la chasse de subsistance. Dans plusieurs cas, les CET servent de fondement aux aptitudes de survie et à l’adaptation aux conditions changeantes, ce qui implique de la souplesse vis-à-vis des cycles saisonniers de chasse et d’utilisation des ressources, l’évitement des dangers grâce à une connaissance approfondie de l’environnement et à la compréhension de la dynamique des écosystèmes et l’état de préparation en cas d’urgence, à savoir les vivres et le matériel dont ils doivent se doter lorsqu’ils sont en déplacement et la façon de réagir en situation d’urgence. Malgré l’importance documentée des CET sur l’adaptation et le maintien d’un niveau de compétence en vue de la subsistance, les liens entre les CET et l’adaptation au changement climatique ne sont pas bien définis dans les écrits érudits. Cet article cherche à conceptualiser les liens entre les CET et l’adaptation au changement climatique en s’appuyant sur une recherche d’étude de cas avec les Inuits de l’Arctique canadien. Les CET sont considérées comme un élément de la capacité adaptative (ou de la résilience) exprimée sous forme d’adaptation pourvu qu’elles soient employées pour favoriser l’adaptation aux conditions changeantes. Cette capacité dépend du développement, de l’accumulation et de la transmission des CET au sein des générations et entre elles

Youth-Led Participatory Video as a Strategy to Enhance Inuit Youth Adaptive Capacities for Dealing with Climate Change

Rapid climatic and environmental changes experienced throughout the Canadian North are having significant impacts on the lives of Inuit, with implications for the future of the large Inuit youth population. Within the adaptation research and practitioner community, youth voices, perspectives, and involvement are essential in ensuring representative and sustainable adaptation strategies. This paper examines the potential of youth-led participatory video (PV) as a strategy to foster known protective factors that underpin the resilience of youth and their capacity to adapt to various stresses, including impacts of climate change. The work draws on a case study from the Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada, where a two-week PV workshop was conducted with seven youth and followed by in-depth interviews with participants and community members. The findings show that PV may be a pathway to greater adaptive capacities because the process connects to known protective factors that enhance resilience of circumpolar indigenous youth. PV also shows promise as a strategy to engage youth in sharing insights and knowledge, connect generations, and involve young Inuit in planning and decision making in general.  Les changements climatiques et environnementaux rapides qui surviennent dans le Nord canadien ont des répercussions importantes sur la vie des Inuits, avec des conséquences pour l’avenir de la grande population de jeunes Inuits. Au sein de la communauté de praticiens et de recherche sur l’adaptation, la voix des jeunes, leurs perspectives et leur participation sont essentielles pour assurer la mise en oeuvre de stratégies d’adaptation représentatives et durables. Cet article examine la possibilité de faire des vidéos participatives dirigées par les jeunes comme stratégie pour favoriser les facteurs de protection connus qui sous-tendent la résilience chez les jeunes et leur capacité d’adaptation face à divers agents stressants, notamment les conséquences du changement climatique. Le document s’inspire d’une étude de cas de la communauté des Inuits de Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, au Labrador, Canada, où un atelier sur la vidéo participative d’une durée de deux semaines a eu lieu avec sept jeunes, suivi d’entrevues approfondies avec des participants et des membres de la communauté. Les résultats démontrent que la vidéo participative pourrait être une façon d’améliorer les capacités d’adaptation parce que le processus est relié à des facteurs de protection connus qui améliorent la résilience des jeunes indigènes de la région circumpolaire. La vidéo participative s’avère également une stratégie prometteuse pour amener les jeunes à échanger leurs idées et connaissances, établir un lien entre les générations et faire participer les jeunes Inuits à la planification et à la prise de décisions en général

Climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Canada

Background: This exploratory study used participatory methods to identify, characterize, and rank climate-sensitive health priorities in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada. Methods: A mixed method study design was used and involved collecting both qualitative and quantitative data at regional, community, and individual levels. In-depth interviews with regional health representatives were conducted throughout Nunatsiavut (n = 11). In addition, three PhotoVoice workshops were held with Rigolet community members (n = 11), where participants took photos of areas, items, or concepts that expressed how climate change is impacting their health. The workshop groups shared their photographs, discussed the stories and messages behind them, and then grouped photos into re-occurring themes. Two community surveys were administered in Rigolet to capture data on observed climatic and environmental changes in the area, and perceived impacts on health, wellbeing, and lifestyles (n = 187). Results: Climate-sensitive health pathways were described in terms of inter-relationships between environmental and social determinants of Inuit health. The climate-sensitive health priorities for the region included food security, water security, mental health and wellbeing, new hazards and safety concerns, and health services and delivery. Conclusions: The results highlight several climate-sensitive health priorities that are specific to the Nunatsiavut region, and suggest approaching health research and adaptation planning from an EcoHealth perspective

A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth

Objectives: To review the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Study design: A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English-language research was conducted to systematically examine the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with elements of a realist review. From 160 records identified in the initial search of 3 databases, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for full review. Data were extracted using a codebook to organize and synthesize relevant information from the articles. Results: More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature

Assessing the feasibility of adaptation options: methodological advancements and directions for climate adaptation research and practice

The Paris Agreement put adaptation prominently on the global climate action agenda. Despite a surge in research and praxis-based knowledge on adaptation, a critical policy roadblock is synthesizing and assessing this burgeoning evidence. We develop an approach to assess the multidimensional feasibility of adaptation options in a robust and transparent manner, providing direction for global climate policy and identifying knowledge gaps to further future climate research. The approach, which was tested in the IPCC Special Report on 1.5 °C (SR1.5) to assess 23 adaptation options, is underpinned by a systematic review of recent literature, expert elicitation, and iterative peer review. It responds to the challenge of limited agreement on adaptation indicators, lack of fine-scale adaptation data, and challenges of assessing synergies and trade-offs with mitigation. The findings offer methodological insights into how future assessments such as the IPCC Assessment Report (AR) six and regional, national, and sectoral assessment exercises could assess adaptation feasibility and synthesize the growing body of knowledge on climate change adaptation

The Scholarship of Learning: The Elephant in the Room

Arguing for the Scholarship of Learning, this session will outline a framework of learning that is nonremedial, non-counseling based, and not attached to the power dynamics of grading; rather, this research discusses the learning that students experience through academic support programming, and examines how the subsequent learner transformations affect and inform the teaching that occurs in formal classroom settings. The presentation objectives are as follows: 1. to present a theory of learning that occurs in informal academic settings and discuss related experiences and research 2. to (re)conceptualize a new approach to the learning component of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 3. to expand and enhance current definitions and understandings of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 4. to learn from participants\u27 experiences in this area We conclude with a discussion of future research possibilities, and examine how these findings can (re)define and (re)inform teaching and curriculum design and delivery

Examining relationships between climate change and mental health in the Circumpolar North

Indigenous people living in the Circumpolar North rely, to varying degrees, on the natural environment and the resources it provides for their lifestyle and livelihoods. As a consequence, these Northern Indigenous peoples may be more sensitive to global climate change, which has implications for food security, cultural practices, and health and well-being. To date, most research on the human dimensions of climate change in the Circumpolar North has focused on biophysical issues and their consequences, such as changing sea ice regimes affecting travel to hunting grounds or the effects of melting permafrost on built infrastructure. Less is known about how these changes in the environment affect mental health and well-being. In this paper, we build upon existing research, combined with our community-based research and professional mental health practices, to outline some pathways and mechanisms through which climate change may adversely impact mental health and well-being in the Circumpolar North. Our analysis indicates that mental health may be affected by climate change due to changes to land, ice, snow, weather, and sense of place; impacts to physical health; damage to infrastructure; indirect impacts via media, research, and policy; and through the compounding of existing stress and distress. We argue that climate change is likely an emerging mental health challenge for Circumpolar Indigenous populations and efforts to respond through research, policy, and mental health programming should be a priority. We conclude by identifying next steps in research, outlining points for policy, and calling for additional mental health resources that are locally responsive and culturally relevant