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Teachers skilled in using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) have advantages in terms of increased productivity and augmented instructional capabilities. Alongside the rapid advancement of GAI, teachers require authentic learning opportunities to build the confidence and expertise necessary for engaging with these technologies creatively and responsibly. This article provides an illustrative case of preparing preservice and in-service teachers with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to teach and create with GAI. Using a self-study method to investigate professional practices, we analyzed the curriculum, instruction, and assessment in an upper-level undergraduate course in multimedia design and production. Thirty-five teachers engaged in experiential activities focussed on developing artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, alongside a collaborative assignment to co-author an open-access textbook, "Teaching and Creating With Generative Artificial Intelligence." To support equitable and inclusive access to the educational benefits offered by AI, the Student Artificial Intelligence Literacy (SAIL) framework was developed. SAIL facilitates student AI literacy through curriculum engagement and three distinct types of interactions: cognitive, socio-emotional, and instructor-guided. Building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the issues with technology training for teachers in Canada, five recommendations are offered to facilitate the meaningful integration of AI literacy in teacher education programs.

Canada is facing a nationwide shortage of teachers of French as a second language. The profession is experiencing significant retention issues, with many teachers leaving the field within the first five years. One of the solutions proposed to address the challenges of teacher retention is for post-secondary institutions to integrate the concept and practice of professional identity development into teacher education programs (TEP). With a focus on their inherent strengths, students in a TEP were asked to keep a journal throughout their 10-month program identifying preconceived notions about teaching, critical incidents that arose, and how they endeavoured to confront or resolve them, as well as the knowledge of their character strengths that served to guide them in these efforts. This qualitative case study examines the process of one pre-service teacher in the initial development of their professional identity through the active use of self-reflective practice.

Purpose: Along with other industries, healthcare is becoming increasingly digitized. Our study explores how the field of academic medicine is preparing for this digital future. Method: Active strategic plans available in English were collected from faculties of medicine in Canada (n = 14), departments in medical schools (n = 17), academic health science centres (n = 23) and associated research institutes (n = 5). In total, 59 strategic plans were subjected to a practice-oriented form of document analysis, informed by the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries. Results: On the one hand, digital health is discursively treated as a continuation of the academic medicine vision, with expansions of physician competencies and of research institutes contributions. These imaginaries do not necessarily disrupt the field of academic medicine as currently configured. On the other hand, there is a vision of digital health pursuing a robust sociotechnical future with transformative implications for how care is conducted, what forms of knowledge are prioritized, how patients and patienthood will be understood, and how data work will be distributed. This imaginary may destabilize existing distributions of knowledge and power. Conclusions: Looking through the lens of sociotechnical imaginaries, this study illuminates strategic plans as framing desirable futures, directing attention towards specific ways of understanding problems of healthcare, and mobilizing the resources to knit together social and technical systems in ways that bring these visions to fruition. There are bound to be tensions as these sociotechnical imaginaries are translated into material realities. Many of those tensions and their attempted resolutions will have direct implications for the expectations of health professional graduates, the nature of clinical learning environments, and future relationships with patients. Sociology of digital health and science and technology studies can provide useful insights to guide leaders in academic medicine shaping these digital futures.

As education systems increasingly emphasize teaching for the development of competency, teachers need support in how to design classroom assessments of competencies associated with their areas of learning. Teachers who engage students in learning democracy through deliberative dialogue and participation in real-world processes will find limited support in the literature on how to operationalize the development of associated competencies. In this first design cycle of an ongoing multi-stage design-based research study, a researcher and two classroom teachers in British Columbia collaborated to apply principles of authentic assessment (Koh, 2017) to the design of an assessment of the citizenship competencies Grades 6 and 7 students may have developed when deliberating as citizens in a real-world public engagement process. Findings suggest promising value in using a situated lens and an associated heuristic to operationalize these competencies, and the ability to prioritize to be a potentially transferable feature of citizenship competency.

In response to concerns about the use of online focus groups, particularly around sensitive topics research, we provide two case examples of sensitive topics research that pivoted to online focus groups amid university ethics restrictions due to COVID-19 concerns. We begin by contextualizing the studies, one of which used the more traditional focus group method while the other employed a mix of focus groups and a variation on the World Café method, termed Community Cafés. We discuss issues like online platform choice (Microsoft Teams versus Zoom), security, and considerations for effective participant communication and connection. We demonstrate the effectiveness of online focus group data collection for sensitive research in two disciplines as well as the benefits to participants. We conclude by providing considerations and recommendations based on our own learnings for researchers wanting to conduct online focus group research on sensitive topics.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition characterized by restrictive, repetitive patterns of behaviour, and impairments in social communication. Various forms of physical activity, including dance, have shown to improve ASD symptoms among children. The study's purpose was twofold: to examine the lived experiences of a family with a child with ASD, in order to examine family functioning and the effects of the child's participation in a dance programme. The family unit and dance instructor participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews, which included a myriad of questions about the family, and the child's participation in a recreational dance programme. One salient main theme that emerged was Dance, Dance, Dance, with three subthemes: (1) 'Home Away from Home' (studio as a representation of home), (2) Growing as a Person (physically, emotionally, socially), and (3) Lessons Learned (bidirectional learning between student and teacher). Dance provided many benefits to the child, including improvements in social and listening skills, as well as confidence. Further, dance allowed the child to grow socially and personally. This study may act as a support for other families faced with an ASD diagnosis, as well as highlight the benefits of recreational dance programmes for children with ASD.

This article looks at ways schools can address the problem of increased mental health concerns among students in the school setting. Insufficient training of school staff, lack of mental health professionals in schools, inconsistent programming, and teacher mental health concerns make supporting students mental health difficult. Addressing these concerns is possible through teacher training, mental health professionals in all schools, school programming, and support for teacher mental health. These changes would have a positive influence on student academic success and children's future emotional well-being.

The purpose of the current study was to explore graduate students' mental health and educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduate students (N = 28) in Canada completed an online survey consisting of both closed- and open-ended questions related to their mental health, degree progress, and access to campus workspace. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches before being synthesized through a pillar integration joint display to merge study findings. Based on self-report data, approximately 60% of participants were experiencing poor-to-moderate mental health at the time of the survey. Participants also expressed dissatisfaction with online learning and felt uncertain about their degree trajectory due to changes and restrictions associated with the pandemic. Based on the participants' responses, recommendations for assisting graduate students during the pandemic were presented. Highlighted by these recommendations was the importance of accessing workspace on campus and the challenges associated with university mental health resources. Overall, nearly 16 months into the pandemic, participants' mental health was negatively impacted by the restrictions. Although the study findings may not be generalizable to all post-secondary institutions, they could be used to inform university administrators regarding the continued challenges faced by graduate students during the pandemic.

Autistic children and adolescents are more likely than non-autistic youth to experience mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, but less likely to receive psychotherapy to address these concerns. Recent research indicates that clinician factors, such as knowledge, attitudes, confidence and beliefs, can impact their decisions to provide care, though this work has primarily focused on adults or within the context of one kind of treatment (cognitive behaviour therapy). The current study examined psychological predictors (e.g. attitudes and confidence) of clinicians' intention to deliver psychotherapy to autistic youth and those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Participants included 611 clinicians across publicly funded agencies in Ontario, Canada. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that clinician knowledge on mental health-related topics (e.g. core symptoms, developing treatment plans and identifying progress towards treatment goals) was associated with intention to treat autistic clients or clients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and normative pressures and attitudes partially mediated this association. Clinicians felt less likely to treat autistic clients than clients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, partly because of differences in attitudes, normative pressures and knowledge. This research suggests that targeted training around autism and mental health care may be a useful initiative for agency staff.

I argue that local adult literacy programming involves consciousness and praxis that obscures and renders invisible the social relations of race and ethnicity, and a key mechanism that enacts these processes in Canada are the Essential Skills Framework. Race and ethnicity, as social relations, have both a muted and active presence in the experiences of learners and adult literacy workers engaged in transitions to further education and work. However, the ideology within local program activities like registration, assessment, and goal development show the treatment of race and ethnicity as separate from issues of work and economy, giving it an invisible presence that can reproduce racialised divisions of labour. The Essential Skills are an important tool in these local processes that impact racialised, ethnic, and migrant communities. Ultimately, adult learners build a praxis of self-identifying with the same racialised division of labour that organises their arrival and participation in Essential Skills-based training and vocational learning.

More than 10% of children in Ontario have an additional need that may influence long-term lifestyle patterns, including physical activity (PA). This study sought to assess the status of PA as well as the barriers to and facilitators of PA for families in southwestern Ontario raising children with and without disabilities. Complete survey data were collected for 128 families for this study. Data were analysed using a series of statistical tests such as Mann-Whitney U tests, chi square tests for homogeneity, and descriptive analysis. Compared to families raising typically-developing children, families raising disabled children reported reduced enjoyment from PA, were more likely to report programs as too expensive, were more likely to report their PA needs were not met in the region, and placed more importance on inclusive PA. Further, families raising disabled children were less likely to report benefits of PA, including physical fitness, sense of identity, and self-esteem, and were more likely to report negatives associated with PA, including lack of self-esteem, social anxiety, feeling inadequate, and concerns with body image. These results point to the importance of developing inclusive and affordable programming in the region to enhance PA enjoyment for all participants, particularly those with disabilities.

Institutions strive to offer programs that address both the needs of the educational system and incorporate current pedagogical research. Creating a program that is relevant, inspiring, and accessible to aspiring French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers, while also equipping them with the skills and knowledge deemed necessary by the education system, is a delicate balancing act. This study reviewed 44 FSL teacher education programs that lead to professional certification across Canada. Environmental scans drew information from the program websites related to admission requirements, program structure and content, practicum, and graduation criteria. Follow-up interviews with program stakeholders were conducted to verify or clarify the data. The results highlight the inconsistencies that exist among programs for developing FSL educators. We position the ways in which Canadian faculties of education might provide a more holistic "pathway" approach to recruiting, preparing, and retaining emerging FSL teachers.

This paper explores the development of a flexible, free, online certificate program built on open educational resources to support instructors transitioning to online and non-traditional teaching modes. The program offers multiple pathways to completion, including recognition of prior learning and immersing participants in the online learning environment. We describe the challenges learners had to overcome to engage in the program and how, in doing so, they were able to embrace constructivist and connectivist approaches. These, in turn, afforded them ongoing connections, broke the mold of preconceptions and myths when preparing to engage future online learners, and shaped their practice through exposure to learning theories and evidence-based practices. In this paper, we explore the initial design of the program through the lens of the program facilitators and learners from the first cohort, and share our collective learning and reflections from this process.

Introduction: This aim of this online study was to determine what teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists learned and experienced in their professional preparation programs regarding physical education, physical activity, and sport for students with visual impairments. Methods: In 2019, an initial questionnaire was sent to specialists in the field for validation. In 2020, 68 TVIs and O&M specialists participated in an online research study consisting of validated multiple choice, Likert scales, and short responses. This study was created through and accessed by participants on the website of Qualtrics, a survey tool. Results: Sixty percent of the participants did not feel that their professional preparation program provided an adequate amount of time discussing accommodations for students with visual impairments in physical education and physical activity. Eighty percent of participants learned very little or nothing at all in their courses related to physical activity, physical education, and sport; and 79% learned very little or nothing at all in their practicum experiences. Seventy-two percent of participants indicated that they wished that they had learned more about physical activity, physical education, and sport. Discussion: The findings demonstrate that TVIs and O&M specialists are not prepared to assist physical education teachers in making physical activity, physical education, and sport accessible to students with visual impairments. Implications for Practitioners: The professional preparation programs of TVIs and O&M specialists can include more information on making physical activity, physical education, and sport accessible to students with visual impairments.

Legal, privacy and ethical concerns impacted data sharing among post-secondary institutions in academic collaboration in Ontario. The legal/ethical environment was embodied by FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy) legislation, Research Ethics Board protocols and Institutional Acts enacted by the provincial parliament. Collectively, they placed limitations on how and what data was shared; as well as the volume, types, frequency and use of the data exchanged. The 'Data Sharing in Academic Collaborations and Pathways' study categorized the data exchanged into two broad categories, namely: a) data sharing for administration; and b) data sharing for research and planning. The legal/ ethical environment also impacted the attitudes of staff within the six academic institutions who participated in the 'study.' And Communication Privacy Management theory offered some explanation for the behaviours and attitudes that were observed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and dismantled conventional models of teaching and learning within teacher education programmes across British Columbia, Canada. Along with the challenges encountered by teacher education programmes, these circumstances have also catalysed long-overdue changes to traditional and colonial educational structures, policies, pedagogies, and practices. Through the analysis of conversations with eight diverse teacher educators and leaders from five universities, this study investigated change and continuity within the landscapes of teacher education during the first 2 years of the pandemic, including substantive systemic changes made to institutional policies, pedagogical approaches, and professional learning models as an intentional response to the challenges brought forward by COVID-19. Informed by the scholarship on serendipity and zemblanity, we explored surprising discoveries, as well as unfortunate outcomes that resulted by design during the pandemic response. Reframing the current crisis as an opportunity to re-vision teacher education, we examine the fundamental importance of becoming adaptive experts; educators who have the capacity to respond effectively to unpredictable, complex, and ever-evolving educational environments.

This investigatory study sought to explore the range and variation of well-being initiatives on a select cross-section of college campuses across the United States and in Canada. This whitepaper seeks to highlight innovative practices that may inspire institutions to consider new ways of promoting well-being for both students and employees. In this whitepaper, we report findings from 10 participating higher education institutions across three major categories: student-serving programs, employee-serving programs, and hybrid programs. The qualitative data collected from key stakeholder interviews and focus groups were analyzed for trends between and across institutions. Importantly, the results of this study are intended to be hypothesis-generating as opposed to hypothesis-testing. In an effort to describe the state of the field with respect to both common and innovative practices the findings have generated additional questions for further research. Several themes emerged from this study: (1) Campuses have not adopted a universally-accepted definition of well-being; (2) While many institutions are using iterations of the wellness wheel and its various dimensions (e.g. physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, financial) to guide their efforts, there is not a dominant model for structuring or measuring well-being initiatives on campus; (3) There appears to be a systematic shift from use of the term "wellness" to "well-being"; (4) While many institutions are still utilizing traditional health education practices, there appears to be a movement toward more systemic, environmental approaches to well- being, including structural, organizational, and financial strategies, in addition to a range of policy initiatives; (5) There is a range of engagement in well-being initiatives, with significant variance based on institutional philosophy; and (6) Many institutions are designing well-being initiatives that address health disparities--particularly among underrepresented or marginalized populations.

Background: Research demonstrating the positive outcomes of service learning among university students is robust and some describe the impact as transformative. Purpose: To help me better understand how I can support transformative learning in my classroom, this study explored how an intergenerational critical service learning project fostered change among student participants. Methodology/Approach: Data consisted of reflection journals collected over 6 years from 228 students who participated in a course-based intergenerational service learning project and researcher field notes. Using a qualitative design and narrative methodology analysis took place over a 2-year period and consisted of a 3-stage process: deep reading, identifying stories, and re-storying to generate findings. Findings/Conclusions: Three mechanisms were found to foster transformation among students--writing as inquiry, embodied learning, and mindfulness. The two-pronged contemplative approach used in this course informs the way in which students experience the critical service learning project. Together, they provide a deep and transformative learning opportunity. Implications: Insights into course design and pedagogical approaches that support transformative learning.

Justice after sexual assault is often understood and enacted through the criminal legal system such that the outcomes are binary (i.e., justice is achieved or not achieved). Previous research indicates that survivors have specific wants and needs following an assault in order to experience justice, which may or may not align with current practices. We conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of 5 databases to create a sampling frame of 4,203 records; the final analysis included 81 articles, book chapters, and policy documents. Results indicate that justice is an individualized and dynamic process which may include the experience of voice, connectedness, participating in a process, accountability, and prevention. The experiences of safety and control are central to each of these domains. Survivors may seek and enact these justice domains through several avenues, including the criminal justice and legal systems, restorative justice, medical/mental health spaces, activism, art, and social media. Existing actors within currently available justice systems, including legal, medical, and mental health personnel should encourage survivors to identify and define their own experience of justice, including locating helpful behaviors rooted in safety and control, and resist a binary model of justice. Extant systems should therefore be flexible and accessible to help survivors realize their preferred modes of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite growing awareness of sex differences in inappropriate prescribing among older adults, including the initiation of problematic prescribing cascades, the impact of gender bias remains largely unexplored. Objectives: We explored how a patient's sex and gender-related sociocultural factors influence physicians' prescribing decisions, potentially leading to prescribing cascades in older adults. A secondary objective was to explore whether and how physician sex affected prescribing decisions for female and male patients. Methods: Physicians in Canada and Italy were presented with a clinical vignette describing an older male or female patient on amlodipine presenting with peripheral edema. Physicians were interviewed using the 'think-aloud' method to describe their treatment considerations. Thematic multi-site analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Of 30 physicians, only two considered prescribing a diuretic for an older female patient. Most physicians identified amlodipine as the cause of the edema and adjusted or substituted the medication, often making these treatment decisions without considering sex- and gender-related sociocultural factors. When prompted, physicians acknowledged the relevance of these factors, but their responses varied. Some adapted their treatment plans, noting the challenges of managing edema, particularly for female patients, whereas others did not incorporate these considerations. Interestingly, some physicians adjusted their plans based on gender-related factors yet still stated that gender did not influence their treatment decisions. No variations in treatment decisions based on physician sex were observed. Conclusion: The study reveals a gap between physicians' recognition of gender-related sociocultural factors and their consistent integration into clinical decision-making, highlighting the need for more nuanced approaches in prescribing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invisible nature of economic abuse contributes to its pervasiveness. Through interviews with 14 women survivors in Canada, this study identifies the ways in which economic abuse is (in)visible to survivors. There were three major themes: "Constructing and maintaining the fairy-tale" describes how gender roles and ideas of love concealed abuse. "The normalization of financial problems in heterosexual relationships" examines how disagreements about money were normalized in ways that masked abuse. "Recognizing economic abuse" describes how breaking away from expectations was critical to recognition. These findings can aid in improving support to help survivors identify, avoid, and escape economic abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Authors of few studies have used randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to quantify clinical intervention safety of rehabilitation after sport-related concussion across sport levels. Describe symptom exacerbation and adverse events (AEs) associated with two concussion rehabilitation interventions. Cluster RCT (NCT02988596) Sports medicine clinic and field settings. The RCT enrolled 251 concussed athletes (median age = 20 years; female, n = 48) across 28 sites from New Zealand professional rugby (n = 31), Canadian professional football (n = 52), US/Canadian colleges (n = 128) and US high schools (n = 40). Two medically supervised interventions: (1) enhanced graded exertion (EGE): international return-to-sport strategy and sport-specific activities only (EGE only, n = 119); and (2) multidimensional rehabilitation (MDR) followed by EGE: early symptom-directed exercises once symptoms were stable, followed by EGE after symptoms resolved (MDR + EGE, n = 132). Primary outcomes were intrasession total symptom severity score exacerbation and significant intersession (increase 10+ severity points) sustained total symptom severity exacerbation, each measured with the Postconcussion Symptom Scale (132 total severity points on scale). Reported AEs were also described. Activity-based rehabilitation sessions (n = 1437) were the primary analysis unit. Frequencies, proportions, medians, and interquartile ranges were calculated for outcomes by treatment group. The 251 postinjury participants completed 1437 (MDR + EGE = 819, EGE only = 618) activity-based intervention sessions. A total of 110 and 105 participants contributed data (those missing had no documented session data) to at least 1 activity-based session in the MDR + EGE and EGE-only arms, respectively. Intrasession symptom exacerbations were equivalently low in MDR + EGE and EGE-only arms (MDR + EGE: 16.7%, 95% CI = 14.1%, 19.1%; EGE only: 15.7%, 95% CI = 12.8%, 18.6%). In total, 9/819 MDR + EGE sessions (0.9%) and 1/618 EGE-only sessions (0.2%) resulted in a presession to postsession symptom exacerbation beyond a 10+ severity point increase; 8/9 resolved to <10 points by the next session. Two study-related AEs (1 in each arm) were reported. Participants in MDR + EGE and EGE-only activities reported equivalently low rates of symptom exacerbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we (a faculty member and an educational developer) discuss our attempts to be more mindful in the academy with attention to mindfulness practices in the classroom and the development of a community of practice at our institution as ways to foster community and deepen learning. Included within the paper is an introduction to mindfulness and the benefits of mindfulness and mediation practices--generally and within education. In addition to providing current resources we include details of our own experiences as examples through which others may be able to incorporate these practices into their own classrooms and institutions.

Our unique pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes at Simon Fraser University, in which experiential learning and professional mentorship are combined with academic course work, have undergone emergency modifications in order to enable our students to continue with their programmes while adhering to government restrictions due to COVID 19. As we respond to the emergent needs within university and school communities, social-emotional wellness, connection, 'being apart together,' engagement, and support for vulnerable students and those with exceptionalities, are currently the most important considerations. The pandemic has highlighted the need to dismantle racism and systemic inequities within our educational systems; to prioritise mental health and wellness in schools; to broaden and decolonise mainstream conceptions of teaching and learning as well as access to education; to build caring reciprocal relationships with the natural world; and to recognise teachers as researchers and community leaders. It is these issues that frame our vision of teacher education in the post-pandemic era. Inspired by the scholarship of Michelle Tanaka and Gregory Cajete, we ask ourselves and our students, what kind of educator does the world need today, and what kind of world are we going to leave for the children?

Background: Substantial variability in response to lifestyle interventions has been recognized for many years, and researchers have begun to disentangle sources of error from inherent differences in individual responsiveness. The objective of this secondary analysis of an intensive lifestyle intervention (diet and exercise) for metabolic syndrome (MetS) was to identify potentially important differences among study completers grouped by treatment response as measured by change in a continuous metabolic syndrome score (Gurka/MetS). Methods: All study completers from a 12-month primary care study were categorized into one of five groups according to change in the Gurka/MetS score. A change of 0.4 in z-score defined clinically relevant change in line with results of previous studies. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine cardiovascular disease risk and individual clinical indicators of MetS over 12 months, looking for differences in response over time by the five groups. Results: Of 176 participants, 50% (n = 88) had stable scores, 10% (n = 18) had relevant change scores in the first 3 months only and reverted toward baseline, 20% (n = 35) achieved meaningful change over the whole study, 11% (n = 20) had a delayed response at 3–12 months, and 9% (n = 15) demonstrated worsening scores. Significant differential patterns were noted for groups over the duration of the intervention (p <.001). Improvement in diet quality and fitness scores were similar across all groups. Other available variables were tested and did not account for the differences. Conclusion: Work is needed to identify key factors that account for differences in responses to lifestyle interventions that can be used to guide treatment decisions for intensive lifestyle interventions for this common condition. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01616563; first registered June 12, 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on an action research project set in the context of one professional learning community's (PLC's) exploration of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the European Language Portfolio (ELP). Teachers of second and foreign languages in a large urban high school examined the potential of principles and tools related to the CEFR and ELP and shared their experiences during PLC meetings. This study examines data collected as part of the PLC discussions and deliberations and presents two particular pedagogical results emerging from this work: the development of a philosophical stance and an action plan. The paper concludes with a discussion of the process in which teachers engaged as they co-constructed understanding and explored pedagogical implications of their professional dialogue. (Contains 3 footnotes and 2 figures.)

In the "Through their Eyes Project" health sciences students are partnered with older adults to explore and assess the age-friendliness of their neighborhood. Using an innovative data collection tool -- 'moving interviews' -- these intergenerational research teams learn about the community and each other by traveling, observing, and discussing these landscapes together. The research project culminates in a community forum where findings are presented to government officials, the housing association and aging organizations. In addition to completing the research project, students are required to keep a journal to reflect on their experience. The purpose of this study was to explore students experience participating in a critical intergenerational service learning project. Two research questions guided this inquiry: "What was the experience for students" and, "what elements of the project are important to that experience?" Student journals collected over 5 years from 191 students comprised the data for this study. Data were analyzed using a 6-phase thematic analysis process. Two key findings related to student experience emerged from the study: "increased awareness" and "prompted to action." Elements of the course found significant to this experience included an aging simulation activity and the specific design of the project. The paper concludes with suggestions for developing and integrating critical service-learning pedagogy into gerontological education.

Dance -- created by a moving body over space and time -- creates space for non-verbal communication and self-expression. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may particularly benefit from the use of their bodies to convey their needs and desires. This research presents the experiences of individuals involved in two recreational dance programs for young people with additional needs, specifically children with ASD as well as their mothers, dance instructors, and volunteers. This article presents the first of two themes that emerged from interviews with nine individuals (one child, three mothers, three instructors, three volunteers), which was Creating Dance Programs for all Abilities. The subthemes were Changing the Class to Fit the Student, Juggling Everyone's Needs, and Volunteers Make It Possible. Practical applications based on this research are presented at the end in hopes that there are more opportunities for individuals with ASD and other special needs to experience the joy of dance.

Traditional educational and training settings have dictated that the act of learning is an activity that is motivated by learners, directed by a teacher expert and based on information transfer and data manipulation. In this scenario, it has been assumed that learners more or less acquire knowledge or develop sets of skills as a result of such activity. With this model in place, learning ends when the training activities cease--and implies that repeated doses of similar training are required over time. Various computer technologies, as they have been generally integrated into educational settings, have taken on the role as tools to support such a model. In some cases they are used to replace the teacher in these contexts although not without serious implications for learners and their learning it has been argued. During the last three decades, a growing movement in educational research, based on the theoretical support of Leon Vygtosky and Mikhail Bakhtin, is advocating that the traditional conceptualization of the learning process is misconceived. From the perspective of this movement, learning is understood as a life-long, social act of constructing knowledge in a dialogic activity with others. Within this model, social interaction is the precursor to higher order thinking rather than the reverse. The challenging question emerging for many educators is how new technologies can support knowledge and skill building in social constructivist-based learning settings. A corollary to this question arises: depending on the particular technology chosen, what are the implications for learning and identity construction? In this paper, we describe the Language Learning Through Conferencing project (LLTC) in which an affordable video-based web conferencing technology and desktop computers were used to conduct language learning sessions via the Internet. The project description, project content, and the experiences that took place over a sustained period, as well as the potential future for this approach to distance learning in a variety of fields are presented. The aim of the Language Learning Through Conferencing project (LLTC) has been to exploit a particular Web 2.0 technology to connect language learners internationally between Canada and new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe and more recently in the public sector in Canada. More specifically, the project was a means to respond to learners who faced challenges in finding opportunities for language learning both in Europe and in Canada. Outcomes from ongoing qualitative and quantitative findings gathered by the respective authors are indicating that these dialogic opportunities are also having a powerful influence on learners' professional, linguistic and personal identities as well as their views of technology and learning. (Contains 9 figures.)

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Background: Life expectancy prediction is important for end-of-life planning. Established methods (Palliative Performance Scale [PPS], Palliative Prognostic Index [PPI]) have been validated for intermediate- to long-term prognoses, but last-weeks-of-life prognosis has not been well studied. Patients admitted to a palliative care facility often have a life expectancy of less than three weeks. Reliable last-weeks-of-life prognostic tools are needed. Objective: To improve short-term survival prediction in terminally ill patients. Method: This prospective study included all patients admitted to a palliative care facility in Montreal, Canada, over one year. PPS and PPI were assessed until patients' death. Seven prognostic clinical signs of impending death (Short-Term Prognosis Signs [SPS]) were documented daily. Results: The analyses included 273 patients (76% cancer). The median survival time for a PPS ≤20% was 2.5 days, while for a PPS ≥50% it was 44.5 days, for a PPI >8 the median survival was 3.5 days and for a PPI ≤4 it was 38.5 days. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed a high accuracy in predicting survival. Median survival after the first occurrence of any SPS was below one week. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the PPS and PPI perform well between one week and three months extending their usefulness to shorter term survival prediction. SPS items provided survival information during the last week of life. Using SPS along with PPS and PPI during the last weeks of life could enable a more precise short-term survival prediction across various end-of-life diagnoses. The translation of this research into clinical practice could lead to a better adapted treatment, the identification of a most appropriate care setting for patients, and improved communication of prognosis with patients and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregivers supporting adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) report concerns regarding living arrangements and services for their adult children with FASD. Best practices for living support for adults with FASD are under‐researched, and few studies have explored the experiences of caregivers whose children are adults. This study examined the perspectives of caregivers who support adults (18+) with FASD regarding: (1) current ways adults with FASD are supported with daily life activities; and (2) ideal future living arrangements and supports. Methods: This article presents findings from the perspective of caregivers who support adults with FASD, as part of a broader project involving both adults with FASD and caregivers. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 Canadian caregivers who live at home with an adult with FASD (aged 18+). Responses were examined using framework analysis, a structured approach to analyzing qualitative data. Results: Caregivers described their experiences and perspectives regarding: (1) current ways adults with FASD are supported in their daily activities; (2) strategies for successful support; (3) ideal future living arrangements and supports; and (4) concerns for the future. Notably, almost every participant raised pressing concerns regarding the future living arrangements for the person they support once they are no longer able to provide care. Conclusions: This study explores caregivers' perspectives regarding living support needed by adults with FASD, which can inform support programs and housing services. Findings demonstrate an urgent need for policy change directed toward developing available, affordable, and appropriate housing for adults with FASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) can thrive with lifelong support in daily living activities. Previous research examining living support for adults with FASD has heavily relied on caregiver reports rather than lived experiences, which can undermine opportunities for self‐determination. In this study, we examined the perspectives of adults with FASD to better understand: (1) the ways in which they are supported with daily life activities; and (2) their ideal future living arrangements and supports. Methods: This article presents findings from the perspective of adults with FASD as part of a broader project involving both adults with FASD and the caregivers who support them. Interviews were conducted with four Canadian adults with FASD who live in housing with supportive services and seven adults with FASD who live at home with the support of caregivers. Framework analyses, a structured approach to analyzing qualitative data, were used to examine participants' perspectives. Results: In addition to providing support for previous findings, participants provided novel information regarding: (1) their daily living supports; (2) positive and negative aspects of their arrangements; and (3) ideal living environments and supports. Conclusions: This study offers insight into participants' perspectives regarding their living support, which is critical to inform housing and aid in self‐determination. Areas of support outlined by participants can be used to begin conversations regarding the support required in housing arrangements for adults with FASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health services organisations are increasingly incorporating patient engagement strategies as a form of quality improvement. Such strategies take form in programmes where organisations partner with patients in order to learn from their experiences and thereby change how services are designed, delivered, and implemented. In this study, we examined the enactment of patient engagement programmes within an academic health science organisation in Canada. This was accomplished through an exploration of the various constructions of patient participants' legitimacy, credibility, and expertise as manifesting through participation in the various practices associated with the programmes. Analysis was based on a selection of international, national, and organisational texts, as well as interviews with patient participants (n = 20) and hospital staff members (n = 6). Through this analysis, we argue that organisations are not learning from patients per se, but are learning from particular constructions of patient subjectivities in the form of patient advisers. We argue that if patient engagement programmes are premised upon opportunities to learn from patients, these programmes require a coherent theory of workplace learning. We suggest attention to the politics of knowledge production as a fruitful way to conceptualise how clinicians and administrators might learn from patients at the organisational level.

These studies tested two questions about the developmental origins of children's sensitivity to iconicity with regard to number gestures: (1) whether children initially learn number gestures with sensitivity to the one-to-one correspondence between fingers and quantities or whether they learn them as unanalyzed symbols; and (2) whether sensitivity to iconicity increases with general cognitive development (as indexed by age) or with experience using fingers for counting. We carried out three experimental studies testing if children generalized the one-to-one correspondence in conventional number gestures to unconventional gestures. In Study 1, children between two and five years of age showed little sensitivity to iconicity, tending to be more accurate with conventional than unconventional gestures. In Study 2, we randomly assigned children to count on their fingers or to count only with words. Children with finger-counting experience did not improve in interpreting unconventional number gestures. In Study 3, we compared age-matched samples of children in school (in France) and children in daycare (in Canada). We found that schooling had little impact on children's interpretation of unconventional gestures. These results suggest that young children initially learn number gestures as unanalyzed Gestalts and only later develop sensitivity to the iconicity available in number gestures.

This article addresses issues of teaching about refugees in initial teacher education and professional development for practicing teachers. We respond to the who, what, where, when, why and how of teaching about refugees and developing culturally responsive pedagogy in contexts of politicised transnationalism, where the wider politics around integrating Syrian refugees have significant implications for the ways Canadian education systems respond to refugee issues more broadly. Two of the authors are teacher educators working in different universities and the third author is a teacher leader in the largest school district in Canada. Using narratives generated within a self-study approach, we compare and contrast our experiences working with different teacher groups to promote resiliency and language learning among war affected and refugee children and youth.

Key Points: Question: Does aspirin at 300 mg/d improve invasive disease–free survival among survivors of nonmetastatic breast cancer? Findings: This randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 3020 patients with high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer. The trial was terminated early because of lack of benefit from aspirin (hazard ratio for invasive disease–free survival for aspirin vs placebo, 1.27 [not statistically significant]). Meaning: There was no benefit of aspirin at 300 mg/d on breast cancer recurrence and survival. Importance: Observational studies of survivors of breast cancer and prospective trials of aspirin for cardiovascular disease suggest improved breast cancer survival among aspirin users, but prospective studies of aspirin to prevent breast cancer recurrence are lacking. Objective: To determine whether aspirin decreases the risk of invasive cancer events among survivors of breast cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: A011502, a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial conducted in the United States and Canada with 3020 participants who had high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer, enrolled participants from 534 sites from January 6, 2017, through December 4, 2020, with follow-up to March 4, 2023. Interventions: Participants were randomized (stratified for hormone receptor status [positive vs negative], body mass index [≤30 vs >30], stage II vs III, and time since diagnosis [<18 vs ≥18 months]) to receive 300 mg of aspirin (n = 1510) or placebo once daily (n = 1510) for 5 years. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was invasive disease–free survival. Overall survival was a key secondary outcome. Results: A total of 3020 participants were randomized when the data and safety monitoring committee recommended suspending the study at the first interim analysis because the hazard ratio had crossed the prespecified futility bound. By median follow-up of 33.8 months (range, 0.1-72.6 months), 253 invasive disease–free survival events were observed (141 in the aspirin group and 112 in the placebo group), yielding a hazard ratio of 1.27 (95% CI, 0.99-1.63; P =.06). All invasive disease–free survival events, including death, invasive progression (both distant and locoregional), and new primary events, were numerically higher in the aspirin group, although the differences were not statistically significant. There was no difference in overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.82-1.72). Rates of grades 3 and 4 adverse events were similar in both groups. Conclusion and Relevance: Among participants with high-risk nonmetastatic breast cancer, daily aspirin therapy did not improve risk of breast cancer recurrence or survival in early follow-up. Despite its promise and wide availability, aspirin should not be recommended as an adjuvant breast cancer treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02927249 This study examines the potential benefits of aspirin as adjuvant therapy for survivors of early breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mosquito-borne orthobunyaviruses in Canada are a growing public health concern. Orthobunyaviral diseases are commonly underdiagnosed and in Canada, likely underreported as surveillance is passive. No vaccines or specific treatments exist for these disease agents. Further, climate change is facilitating habitat expansion for relevant reservoirs and vectors, and it is likely that the majority of the Canadian population is susceptible to these viruses. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to describe the current state of knowledge on orthobunyavirus epidemiology in Canada. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline was used. Literature searches were conducted in six databases and in gray literature. The epidemiology of orthobunyaviruses was characterized for studies focusing on host species, including spatiotemporal patterns, risk factors, and climate change impact. Results: A total of 172 relevant studies were identified from 1734 citations from which 95 addressed host species, including humans, wildlife, and domestic animals including livestock. The orthobunyaviruses—Cache Valley virus (CVV), Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), Snowshoe Hare virus (SHV), and La Crosse virus (LACV)—were identified, and prevalence was widespread across vertebrate species. CVV, JCV, and SHV were detected across Canada and the United States. LACV was reported only in the United States, predominantly the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions. Disease varied by orthobunyavirus and was associated with age, environment, preexisting compromised immune systems, or livestock breeding schedule. Conclusion: Knowledge gaps included seroprevalence data in Canada, risk factor analyses, particularly for livestock, and disease projections in the context of climate change. Additional surveillance and mitigation strategies, especially accounting for climate change, are needed to guide future public health efforts to prevent orthobunyavirus exposure and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of incident dementia after surgery in older adults is unclear. The study objective was to examine the rate of incident dementia among older adults after elective surgery compared with a matched nonsurgical control group. Methods: We conducted a population‐based, propensity‐matched retrospective cohort study using data from linked administrative databases in Ontario, Canada. All community‐dwelling individuals aged 66 years and older who underwent one of five major elective surgeries between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2011 were included. Each surgical patient was matched 1:1 on surgical specialty of the surgeon at consultation, age, sex, fiscal year of entry, and propensity score with a patient who attended an outpatient visit with a surgeon of the same surgical specialty but did not undergo surgery. Patients were followed for up to 5 years after cohort entry for the occurrence of a new dementia diagnosis, defined from administrative data. Cause‐specific hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between surgery and the hazard of incident dementia. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: A total of 27,878 individuals (13,939 matched pairs) were included in the analysis. A total of 640 (4.6%) individuals in the surgical group and 965 (6.9%) individuals in the control group developed dementia over the 5‐year follow‐up period. Individuals who underwent surgery had a reduced rate of incident dementia compared with their matched nonsurgical controls (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.80–0.97; p = 0.01). This association was persistent in most subgroups and after sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Elective surgery did not increase the rate of incident dementia when compared with matched nonsurgical controls. This could be an important consideration for patients and surgeons when elective surgery is considered. See related editorial by Tammy Hshieh and article by Tang et al. in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The impact of breast cancer on individuals and in populations can be reduced if the cancer is detected in an early stage of disease as treatments are generally less harsh and more successful. Knowing which factors to modify and by what amount that could shift breast cancer diagnoses to early stages of disease were studied in this project. Factors related to stage at diagnosis in a previous analysis of women diagnosed with breast cancer were assessed using data that mimicked the real data. The proportions of modifiable lifestyle factors in a population were increased or decreased, such as those ever having a mammogram, to see the effect on detecting more cancers in the earliest stages. Similarly, the average amounts of protein eaten per day or calories consumed were also increased and decreased. Increasing the total amount of protein eaten per day by even just 5 grams was the most important factor found in this study to improve early breast cancer diagnoses. The findings from this study could be helpful in breast cancer prevention programs that could target key modifiable factors and by other researchers studying other types of cancer. Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women; nearly 25% of women diagnosed with cancer have breast cancer. The early detection of breast cancer is a major challenge because tumours often grow without causing symptom. The diagnosis of breast cancer at an early stage (stages I and II) improves survival outcomes because treatments are more effective and better tolerated. To better inform the prevention of and screening for breast cancer, simulations using modifiable rather than non-modifiable risk factors may be helpful in shifting the stage at diagnosis downward. Methods: Breast cancer stages were simulated using the data distributions from Alberta's Tomorrow Project participants who developed breast cancer. Using multivariable partial proportional odds regression models, modifiable lifestyle factors associated with the stage of cancer at diagnosis were evaluated. The proportions or mean levels of these lifestyle factors in the simulated population were systematically changed, then multiplied by their corresponding estimated odds ratios from the real data example. The effects of these changes were evaluated singly as well as cumulatively. Results: Increasing total dietary protein (g/day) intake was the single most important lifestyle factor in shifting the breast cancer stage downwards followed by decreasing total dietary energy intake (kcal/day). Increasing the proportion of women who spend time in the sun between 11 am and 4 pm in the summer months, who have had a mammogram, who have been pregnant or reducing the proportion who are in stressful situations had much smaller effects. The percentage of Stage I diagnoses could be increased by approximately 12% with small modifications of these lifestyle factors. Conclusion: Shifting the breast cancer stage at diagnosis of a population may be achieved through changes to lifestyle factors. This proof of principle study that evaluated multiple factors associated with the stage at diagnosis in a population can be expanded to other cancers as well, providing opportunities for cancer prevention programs to target specific factors and identify populations at higher risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Playful approaches are recommended to enhance wheelchair skills training with young people. Inclusive dance allows participants to discover motor skills and improve social participation. Integrating wheelchair skills training into dance has not been evaluated. This study aimed to explore participants' experiences in dance while integrating wheelchair skills, and the influence of dance on wheelchair skills and wheelchair use confidence in young people. A convergent mixed-methods design was used during a one-week dance camp. Data collection combined observations, two focus groups (with young dancers who used manual wheelchairs and with professional dancers without disabilities), and evaluation of wheelchair skills and confidence. Data analyses included deductive thematic analysis guided by the Quality Parasport Participation Framework, merged with pre–post comparisons in wheelchair skills and confidence. Three young female dancers were 11, 12 and 15 years of age and three professional female dancers were 22, 27 and 27 years of age. Emergent themes included skill mastery, belongingness, and supportive environments. There were improvements in wheelchair skills and confidence (16.7%, 19.4%, 16.7%; 0.8%, 11.4%, 4.5%, respectively). Participants described overall positive experiences with the dance camp and perceived enhanced skills and confidence. This study advances knowledge about innovative approaches to integrate wheelchair skills training for young people. Future larger-scale controlled studies are needed to determine efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Links among neuroticism, inconsistent discipline, and empathy were assessed in a longitudinal study of adolescents. Mothers', but not fathers', inconsistent discipline predicted decreases in empathy 2 years later, but only for adolescents who were low in neuroticism. For those who were high, there was no effect of inconsistent discipline. Authoritarian parenting was not related to empathy, nor was there any interaction between neuroticism and authoritarianism. Neuroticism also moderated the relation between empathy and adolescent prosocial behavior, with empathy and prosocial behavior positively related for adolescents who were high in neuroticism but not related for those who were low in neuroticism. These findings shed light on the specificity of parenting antecedents of empathic behavior in adolescence as well as the role of personality in this relation.

Analyses of elicited pantomime, primarily of English-speaking children, show that preschool-aged children are more likely to symbolically represent an object with gestures depicting an object's form rather than its function. In contrast, anecdotal reports of spontaneous gesture production in younger children suggest that children use multiple representational techniques. This study examined the spontaneous gestures of sixty-four 2-year-old Italian children and English-speaking Canadian children, primarily from middle-class Caucasian families. The Italian children produced twice as many gestures as Canadian children in a picture-naming task but produced a similar range of representational techniques. Two-year-olds were equally likely to produce gestures depicting function as form. These data suggest young children's communicative skills are supported by a symbolic capacity that reflects contextual communicative demands.