Share the highlights of your program design. What did you develop and how do you plan to use it?

Good morning everyone,

            Although the concept for my program has been in my head for quite some time, this course has made it clear how challenging and how much work is required. However, I would like to teach at Okanagan College as my final career choice upon completing my MEd, so I must continue to keep my eye on the prize.

            The Criminal and Social Justice Diploma program at Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC, provides learners with an arts-based criminal and social justice education. Learners graduate into degree opportunities at other learning institutions in British Columbia and elsewhere, or they can move directly into the workforce.

            The course I am designing is an 8-week elective called Practical Application to Criminal and Social Justice. The course will consist of eight units that correspond to a standard twelve-week semester at Okanagan College. This assignment will focus on Unit 2 (Field Notebooks and Notetaking Skills), one of the eight one-week duration units in the 8-week Course.

            The course/elective was created while in close liaison with police and other justice agencies. This “hands-on” elective will prepare learners for the practical and real-life challenges of a career in policing, sheriffs, corrections, parole, customs, and other government services at the federal, provincial or municipal levels. The elective will ensure learners have the breadth of skills and knowledge necessary to safely, effectively, and professionally perform their duties and responsibilities for a justice-related career.

                        The fully online open learning course will consist of eight units that correspond to the eight-week semester at Okanagan College. The elective content is learner-centred, and all subjects are topical to law enforcement. I will be the primary educator and will include guest facilitators who have expertise in specific areas of law enforcement with complementary investigation abilities. Learners will be motivated by a real substance where they work on real-world problems and challenges.

            There will be two categories of learners in the Course, as defined by the Okanagan College, regular and mature applicants. A typical applicant will 1) have attained a B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent, and 2) graduated with a minimum of 60% in English 12. A mature applicant will be at least 19 years of age and will not have attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year. Secondary graduation is waived for mature applicants, although the English entrance requirements, as stated above, must be satisfied before admission.

            Learners will collaborate via discussions, group work, and chat using Collaborate. My communication strategy will be using virtual office hours, Moodle messaging, online lecture using Screencast-O-Matic, and guest speakers attending the live online class using Collaborate.

            What I can say about this course is that it has been a challenge but well worth it. The highlight of my program design is like testing an experimental aircraft – let’s get it off the ground and watch what it can do.