Defining and Exploring Broadband Connections and Education Solutions in Canada’s North

The use of technology and need for connection across distance permeates all education environments; nowhere is this more important than in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Broadband and telecommunications issues within the Northwest Territories are complex due to its vast geographical area and community dispersion, making connectivity and accessibility inconsistent. Due to these conditions, the North relies on a variety of broadband solutions to improve Internet speeds and access to education at a distance. This paper analyzes the impacts that broadband capacity and Internet access have on remote education by examining geographic information system data, which offers a framework that connects spatial and temporal data to analyse accessibility of remote education. Characteristics such as spatial location of communities, infrastructure (road systems), and the overlay of various broadband options will illustrate constraints and (dis)connectivity in various regions and inform readers about the complexity of remote connections. Analysis of current upload and download speeds from various regions and their impact on access to education supports geospatial data and analysis that the digital divide in remote regions of Canada has increased and is widening. Improving equitable access to postsecondary education will require a greater reliance on technology-enabled practices to improve learning opportunities.

Responding to COVID-19: Contextual, Pedagogical, and Experiential Considerations from Canadian Northern Postsecondary Educators

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of face-to-face classes in a northern Canadian college in March 2020. Educators and staff went into rapid response mode to continue teaching and supporting students from a distance. Critical reflections were written by the authors to summarize their responses to teaching and learning during the early phases of the pandemic. These reflections were themed, considered individually and collectively, then analyzed and synthesized. In this paper, critical reflection is used as an educational process within the context of critical constructivism and transformative paradigms. We share how teaching during the pandemic solidified our commitment to students and cemented our critical pedagogy by thinking and acting critically to assist students with this disruption in their education. Equipped with these capabilities, educators are empowered to work with students to problem solve and transform our educative lives for a just society. An inter-professional opportunity across programs, spurred by the pandemic, meets organizational strategic directions and fosters a promising relationality. Increased territorial and local technological supports and internal professional development is needed to solidify the immense prospects for distance education as the College transitions to a polytechnic university.La pandémie de la COVID-19 a entraîné l’arrêt des cours en personne d’un collège du Nord canadien en mars 2020. Les éducateurs et le personnel sont passés en mode d’intervention rapide pour assurer la continuité de l’enseignement et soutenir les étudiants à distance. Les auteurs ont exprimé leurs réflexions critiques afin de résumer leurs interventions en matière d’enseignement et d’apprentissage pendant les premières phases de la pandémie. Ces réflexions ont été classées par thèmes, considérées individuellement et collectivement, puis analysées et synthétisées. Dans cet article, la réflexion critique est employée à titre de processus éducatif dans le contexte du constructivisme critique et des paradigmes de la transformation. Nous faisons ressortir le fait que la façon dont l’enseignement a été dispensé durant la pandémie a permis de solidifier notre engagement envers les étudiants et renforcé notre pédagogie critique par le biais de réflexions et d’actions critiques pour aider les étudiants à faire face à cette perturbation scolaire. Grâce à ces capacités, les éducateurs sont outillés pour travailler avec les étudiants afin de résoudre des problèmes et de transformer nos vies éducatives en vue d’une société juste. Une occasion interprofessionnelle entre les programmes, stimulée par la pandémie, satisfait les orientations stratégiques organisationnelles et favorise une relationnalité prometteuse. Il faut du soutien technologique accru à l’échelle locale et territoriale et du perfectionnement professionnel interne pour solidifier les immenses possibilités de l’enseignement à distance pendant que le collège fait la transition vers une université polytechnique