Reflecting on “Citoyenneté 3.0 : L’aventure technopédagogique en milieu franco-ontarien”
On Friday, February 2nd, 2024, eCampusOntario organized the first French-language conference for the Franco-Ontarian community and academic faculty, titled “Citoyenneté 3.0 : L’aventure technopédagogique en milieu franco-ontarien .” Gathered at the Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto, over 250 participants, both in-person and online, attended this conference aimed at exploring the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating educational technologies in the Franco-Ontarian environment.
In his opening remarks, Robert Luke, CEO of eCampusOntario, highlighted the Franco-Ontarian community’s commitment to the digital transformation of post-secondary education through collaboration and cooperation. He stated, “Digital transformation is our lever to support institutions in their mission to meet learners where they are today, to translate courses and programs into skills, and to transform learners into productive and engaged citizens.”
He further noted that Francophone post-secondary education in Ontario is at a crossroads, facing essential questions such as how to ensure financially sustainable Francophone education for Francophone and French-as-a-second-language students, so they have access to quality training to prepare them for successful careers.
These questions and more find their relevance in the current context of education in Canada, and solutions can be explored during the “Citoyenneté 3.0 : L’aventure technopédagogique en milieu franco-ontarien” conference.
The Francophone conference, Citizenship 3.0, featured a full day’s agenda filled with lectures, demonstrations, interactive activities, and a collaborative lab for creating open educational resources.
In her keynote address, Megan Cotnam-Kappel, a professor at the University of Ottawa, discussed key challenges such as disparities between Franco-Ontarian institutions and their Anglophone and bilingual counterparts in terms of resources and professional development opportunities. She presented a three-tiered pyramid on digital access, outlining the digital inequalities faced by Franco-Ontarians, which include access inequalities, digital skills inequalities, and finally, the manifestation of digital empowerment. One of the significant solutions she proposes is the movement to create open educational resources by and for Franco-Ontarians.
The conference adventure continued with Donal Ipperciel’s presentation on the emergence of AI-powered chatbots in the university context. He traced the evolution of chatbots from their models to the emergence of AI-based chatbots today. Although their use in post-secondary education remains mixed, several educational institutions are already betting on chatbots to lighten the workload and enhance teachers’ pedagogy.
The final keynote was delivered by Hosni Zaouali, CEO of Voilà Learning, on generative artificial intelligence and the metaverse. It was one of the highlights of the Citizenship 3.0 conference. Participants were able to witness firsthand the potential of AI use in the educational field. Zaouali believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the efficiency of educational processes, facilitate access to information, and personalize the learning experience. For learners, AI can prepare them for future skills and strengthen their position in the job market.
“Citoyenneté 3.0 : L’aventure technopédagogique en milieu franco-ontarien” also featured two key networking moments, during lunch and at the end of the event. Participants took advantage of these opportunities to discuss and forge connections that will undoubtedly strengthen collaboration and cooperation among members of the Franco-Ontarian community to address the challenges and issues of post-secondary education in a Francophone minority context.
You can relive all the highlights as well as most of the presentations from the Citoyenneté 3.0 conference by following the links below:
Event hall : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5eRHY3MVTw
Salle Yoho : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUfUzK6Ktlw