Humber College: Digital Fluency for the Workforce

Date & Time: Feb. 22, 2022, 12 PM – 1 PM (Pacific Time Zone)
Location: Online
Cost: Free to BCPLAN and CAPLA Members; $25 to Non-Members

Description

In the past decade, Canadian businesses and industries have been severely disrupted by rapid technological changes which have been exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. With funding from the Future Skills Centre (FSC), Humber has developed a set of industry recognized and stackable digital fluency micro-credentials that meets the needs of learners and bridges the digital skills gap in the Canadian economy.

The purpose of this applied research project is to explore three key objectives:

1. To develop foundational digital fluency stackable micro-credentials that are relevant across sectors and garner cross-industry support;
2. To investigate the effectiveness, feasibility and scalability of implementing Humber’s PLAR-informed micro-credential model as a training and accreditation solution; and
3. To determine which delivery model (asynchronous vs synchronous) best meets the needs of learners with respect to access, support and completion.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Learn about the Digital Fluency for the Workforce (DFW) project and its alignment with Humber’s strategic plan (2018-2023);
2. Explore the use of PLAR in micro-credentials using a model of micro-learning, assessment and credentialing; and
3. Identify key learnings and understand the implications of the DFW project in the micro-credential landscape.

About the Presenters

Sarah Peake

Sarah Peaker is the Associate Dean of Flexible Learning at Humber. This new role at Humber supports the development and implementation of flexible programming initiatives and the ongoing review of existing programs to explore opportunities for flexibility, to meet the rapidly-changing learning needs of diverse students. Sarah is a member of Humber's Centre of Innovative Learning which supports teaching and learning across the institution. In this role Sarah builds on years of experience as Associate Registrar Enrolment Services at Humber, her systems thinking approach and capabilities, and broad knowledge of postsecondary education. Sarah also worked at Sheridan and Georgian Colleges, and began her postsecondary career in Vanderhoof, BC at the College of New Caledonia. She holds an MA in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Royal Roads University and is a curious lifelong learner.

Frank Ong

Frank Ong holds an MSc in Medical Sciences and is passionate in working with and for youth. He has previously worked as a project coordinator for the Digital Fluency for the Workforce (DFW) Stackable Micro-Credentials project at Humber. In this role, he led the implementation of the project with an interdisciplinary team of educators, workforce developers and community / industry partners. Frank brought his years of experience in the fields of healthcare, research and nonprofit to the DFW program in his approach to managing projects, supporting learners and developing stakeholder relationships. He has worked for many organizations including McMaster University, SickKids, Humber College and most recently the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Frank is also the executive director of INKspire, a youth-led nonprofit that empowers the next generation of young leaders by providing a platform for youth to share their ideas, thoughts and perspectives.

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