TESS 2024

Dr. Jennifer
Wemigwans, PhD

Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and President at Invert Media

Transforming Indigenous Education Online

Reflecting Indigenous Knowledge online has the potential to transform education across Canada. In this talk, Dr Wemigwans explores how to ethically present Indigenous Knowledge online through the creation of Digital Bundles. FourDirectionsTeachings.com is an example of a Digital Bundle, an online site where Elders’ Teachings from five distinct First Nations are presented. Digital Bundles represent a way to transform education by using new technologies to articulate Indigenous Teachings and introduce Canadians to Indigenous epistemologies.

Dr. Rob Power, PhD

Assistant Professor, Education,
Cape Breton University

Collaboration and Co-Creation to Transform Access to Learning

In this presentation, Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) President, Dr. Rob Power, will discuss his recent experiences with the transformation of how educators and learners collaborate on the co-creation of digital learning spaces and resources. These experiences include his research and collaboration with higher education faculty and support teams to prepare educators to transform how they teach and the tools they use. Dr. Power will also discuss how he has collaborated with learners to transform how he leverages Open Educational Resources (OER) in the form of “OER as Pedagogy.” He will highlight his latest initiative to leverage OER to reduce barriers to Accessibility, and to co-create an open resource focused on raising awareness of Digital Accessibility barriers and solutions across the Canadian education landscape.

Dr. Marilyn Herie,
PhD RSW

(Former) Vice President
Academic and Chief
Learning Officer,
Centennial College

With over two decades as a leading educator and professional trainer, Marilyn brings a passionate focus to inspiring transformational, experiential, and inclusive leadership and learning. She is a member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and has published widely on evidence-based practice approaches, including leadership, motivation and positive behaviour change, and is an in-demand mentor, TEDx speaker and keynote presenter. Through her 20+ years of academic teaching and administration, she has mobilized positive leadership and outstanding results and accomplishments and identified keen insights into the essential strategies that lead to institutional success. Marilyn leads with her values: inclusion, compassion, integrity and joy.

Deputy Minister
David Wai,

Ministry of Colleges
and Universities

David Wai became Deputy Minister of Colleges and Universities in June 2023.

He was previously the Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, a role he began in October 2021.

David has held a number of executive positions in the OPS, including the Assistant Deputy Minister of Health, Social, Education and Children’s Policy at Cabinet Office where he supported the Health and Social Policy Cabinet Committee as well as the Central Coordination Table. As the Assistant Deputy Minister of Financial Services Policy at the Ministry of Finance (MOF), he led the creation and launch of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario and led regulatory policy in financial services sectors such as capital markets and insurance.

He has also held senior positions in economic development, trade and pensions. He is passionate about building a more diverse and inclusive workplace and led the MOF Inclusion Committee during his time at MOF.

Prior to joining the OPS, David worked in the capital markets industry with Fiera Capital and RBC and in management consulting with Deloitte. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and holds degrees in Engineering Physics and Economics