I was tasked with developinga 12-week online life skills course designed to support adults aged 19-64 in Indigenous communities, focusing on essential and professional development skills. The curriculum covered financial literacy, communication and conflict resolution, goal setting, emotional well-being, time management, and employment readiness. The program was delivered online to ensure accessibility, and to address common barriers such as transportation and childcare.
As the curriculum developer, my primary responsibilities included:
- Consulting with community members, Elders, and educators to determine key life skills topics relevant to adult learners in Indigenous communities.
- Including criteria that covered financial literacy, communication skills, employment readiness, mental wellness, cultural knowledge, and digital literacy.
- Integrating Indigenous perspectives, storytelling, and traditional knowledge makes the course meaningful.
- Choosing an accessible online learning platform that worked well for learners with varying levels of digital literacy and internet access.
- Ensuring that the content was engaging, interactive, and supported by live sessions, discussion forums, and one-on-one mentorship opportunities.
Challenges
Despite the program’s success, several challenges developed:
- Internet Connectivity Issues:
- Some remote communities had limited or unreliable internet access.
- Improvement: Partnering with local bands or community centers to offer Wi-Fi hotspots.
- Improvement: Offering downloadable resources and pre-recorded sessions would have allowed participants with connectivity issues to continue learning at their own pace.
- Some remote communities had limited or unreliable internet access.
- Digital Literacy Barriers:
- Some participants had limited experience using online platforms.
- Improvement: A pre-course tech orientation could have better-prepared learners.
- Some participants had limited experience using online platforms.
- Engagement and Motivation:
- Some learners found staying engaged in an online environment challenging without in-person interaction.
- Improvement: Create small breakout groups to enhance engagement.
- Some learners found staying engaged in an online environment challenging without in-person interaction.
- Emotional Barriers:
- Topics, like financial literacy or employment challenges, were complex for learners to discuss.
- Improvement: Incorporate trauma-informed facilitation and elder support to provide additional emotional safety.
- Topics, like financial literacy or employment challenges, were complex for learners to discuss.
- Cultural Sensitivity in Online Learning:
- While efforts were made to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, some participants preferred more culturally immersive, land-based learning elements.
- Improvement: Incorporate community-driven activities, such as local storytelling sessions, virtual sharing circles, and Elder-led discussions, to strengthened cultural connections.
- While efforts were made to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, some participants preferred more culturally immersive, land-based learning elements.
Why It Worked
One of the key successes of the online format was the increased participation rate. Many potential learners could not attend the traditional in-person classes and delivering the course online removed barriers such as:
- Transportation: Learners did not need to travel long distances, which was especially beneficial for those in remote areas.
- Childcare: Learners with small children could participate from home and did not require childcare.
- Flexible Learning: Recorded sessions allowed learners to revisit materials independently, accommodating different schedules.
Feedback
- “I never thought I could take a course like this because I have kids at home, but being able to learn online made it possible.”
- “The cultural teachings in this program made a big difference—it felt like learning from family.”
- “I was nervous at first about using Zoom, but the instructor was patient, and I got more comfortable over time.”
- “Having recordings helped me keep up when I had other responsibilities.”
The 12-week online life skills course was a meaningful step toward providing accessible, culturally relevant education for Indigenous adults. It demonstrated that remote learning can effectively reach learners who face barriers to traditional education. By addressing initial challenges early on, particularly those related to digital access and engagement, future versions of the course could have an even more significant impact.
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