Department of Public Safety and Justice Studies
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Item Teaching in an unfamiliar place: a mixed methods-grounded theory study on the experiences of new correctional educators(2023) Patrie, NicoleNew correctional educators must learn to teach in an unfamiliar correctional environment. In this convergent mixed-methods study, experienced correctional educators in Alberta, Canada reflected on their first 6 months teaching in adult correctional institutions. Teachers initially struggled to do something familiar (teach) in an unfamiliar place, perceiving prisons as non-conducive to education. Seeing the absence of a purpose-built community, they built one or attached to existing non-educational communities. New educators invoked strategies such as engaging in mutual support, connecting with non-education professionals, asking others to demystify institutional culture, and practicing reflexivity. When reflecting on useful training and orientation activities, participants favoured community and relationship building. The teachers’ actions are framed using the concept of communities of practice, and a substantive theory of learning to teach in correctional environments is proposed. Finally, recommendations are provided to help ensure that new teachers are supported and prepared as they enter correctional education.Item Special populations project (unessay)(2024) Patrie, Nicole; Elkhoury, Eliana; Hoye, Amber; Maregere, Blessing; Connolly, Dan; Holmes, Andrew G. D.; Ismail, Maryam Jaffar; Patrie, Nicole; Rani, Kavita; Dasgupta, Tannistha; Rani, KavitaStudents do a deep dive into a “special population” in the correctional system. These are groups of people who share a particular identity or label that sets them apart from the general population, which means they might be treated differently.Item Pushing back/pushing forward: embracing the margins to build non-punitive learning environments in Canadian correctional facilities(2024) Patrie, Nicole; Buckley, AnnieEducators who work in carceral settings must conform to institutional restrictions, while simultaneously responding to students' learning needs and imprisoned realities. As a teacher, this meant aiming to create a non-punitive environment in a physical space built for retaliation. It also meant confronting the various disciplinary and gatekeeping practices in higher education. Because prison educators exist on the margins of carceral and education systems, I was able to utilize my unique position of “not quite” belonging to either to push back on both. Drawing on my experiences as a teacher and administrator in a government-funded, college-operated program inside Canadian correctional facilities, I will first reflect on the purpose of education in prison. Next, I use adult education theories to explain the inadequacies of existing educational practices within the prison environment, and explore resistance we encountered as we challenged both educational and carceral institutions. Throughout, I will reflect on how I navigated these systems to improve student success access to education.Item Gamification pedagogy: a motivational approach to student-centric course design in higher education(2023) Gironella, FionaThis article explores the praxis of gamification pedagogy and post-secondary course design. The literature on gamified design theory and current research on its application as a pedagogy are explored. A student-centric, motivationally based gamification design model is proposed, operationalized, implemented, evaluated, and reiterated. The design process, application strategies and challenges, and resulting qualitative outcomes over a two-year implementation period of the re-designed gamified course are detailed. Student evaluations rated both the overlaid gamified structural design and the integrated course mechanics as highly motivating and contributing significantly to their success and positive learning experience. The gamified course design was able to resolve historical challenges for the identified course and increased student engagement. Gamification pedagogy proved uniquely effective for two sub-groups of students, those struggling with anxiety and second language learners. This innovative pedagogy effectively leveraged students’ unique intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to create an empowering, supportive, and highly effective learning framework.