UFV’s Information Technology Services hired Nicole Bourget as project manager for the Pedagogy Investment Fund. The project, a $1.5 million investment announced by the office of the provost in May, will bring innovative technologies and techniques to UFV classrooms.
Bourget comes most recently from Telus, managing IT and infrastructure projects as well as organizational transformation projects, change management, product and business cases, and program and portfolio management.
The UFV project she now manages focuses on improving students’ ability to learn and develop. By upgrading technology in classrooms, the project will take an innovative approach to education delivery for both students and instructors.
The project has undergone constant consultation between different working groups and committees since its inception. While it doesn’t have a set completion date, pilot classrooms have been set up to introduce and test new technologies.
“We still have a number of funds and various things that we want to do, so we don’t want to have a deadline but we do have a list of things we want to accomplish,” said Bourget. “We want to make sure it’s done right as opposed to just done.”
Bourget’s role is to help settle the logistics side of implementation that comes with classroom upgrades, and ensure the general process functions properly.
“It can mean upgrading the classrooms, it can mean professional development, opening up opportunities for research, a number of different things,” said Bourget.
Dr. Maureen Wideman, who is the director of UFV’s teaching and learning, said the project “enables faculty in being flexible with teaching their students, and gives them more flexible options.”
Various “eRooms” have also been set up, some of which feature smart boards — interactive whiteboards that allow users to control a computer via a projector’s projection onto the board with a stylus.
“We haven’t got a full list of what we’ll do yet but what we’re currently looking at is taking some of the more static, lecture-style classrooms and adding in items to help with collaboration,” said Bourget.
Other developments so far have been the addition of a touch-screen computer, wheeled chairs and tables, and an increased amount of whiteboards in classrooms. Mobile furniture and multiple whiteboards in classrooms can allow for students to get up and collaborate in groups.
UFV has a portfolio of multiple intersecting projects relating to the fund. Part of Bourget’s job will be to track the developments and keep a master list of what is happening within each classroom to ensure that upgrades are going where they need to to facilitate their purposes. This includes furniture, various technology upgrades, and any other classroom changes.
She will also keep track of the pilots and feedback to ensure that each upgrade is a useful addition.“When you put up a technology, you sometimes have to change the way people teach and the way students expect the teaching to happen, so you have to work through that as well,” said Bourget.
Along with the changes, Wideman believes that the project will help make UFV a better place of learning. “It’s important that UFV is doing this, it shows that [UFV] cares about students.”
Wideman also said that with this funding, UFV is becoming “the envy of B.C. schools,” referring to UFV’s innovation and developments.
“I’m happy to be a part of it and to see where it will take us,” said Bourget.
