SOUL Learning

With the conception and launch of SOUL, Shawnigan has taken a huge leap from on-campus to online learning, involving educators and students living locally, provincially and internationally. The result is a unique system of online learning that not only serves the community currently, but that will remain a valuable tool for learning and connectivity long after Shawnigan students return to their campus classrooms.

 

“The way the Shawnigan community has responded to this digital learning undertaking has been humbling,” says Director of Teaching and Learning Tom Lupton. “This is a unique period in history that demands that we rise to the challenge. The response from our teachers, staff and students has been first-class and is a living, breathing testament to the dedication of all the members of this community.”

 

As soon as it became clear that the School’s campus would not re-open after March Break, a dedicated team of Shawnigan professionals, from the spheres of academia and information technology, started to meet everyday to discuss and plan for a brand new style of curriculum delivery. The group identified action plans, conducted research, and then constructed what they thought was a reasonable approach to online learning that kept at its heart the ethos of Shawnigan.

 

“We kept coming back time and time again to what makes Shawnigan so special: connection,” explains Mr. Lupton. “Our ‘four Cs’ of conversation, compassion, community, and courage all have ‘connection' in common, and that is what we were trying to protect in our design of SOUL.”

 

The SOUL team were mindful of the individual circumstances each family and each student could be experiencing at home and tried to design a schedule that was both predictable and flexible.

 

“Because of our methodical approach to designing SOUL and our structured roll-out, many of our teachers have had the opportunity to plan some really cool things,” shares Mr. Lupton. “Our students, who have been incredible in their response to SOUL, are the reason for our existence as a community, so the impetus to do whatever we can for them has been a powerful motivator.”

 

Science teacher Peggy Ransom has had students measuring their heart-rate change while running on the spot in a Zoom session, and social studies teachers Remi Anctil and Ralph Fraser have their grade 9s creating primary source documents in an immersive diary project. Many other teachers have brought in experts from around the world to engage with their classes online.

 

“These are early days still, but if the first couple of weeks are any indication, the rest of the SOUL experience will be remarkable indeed,” says Mr. Lupton.

 

Curriculum delivery and lesson planning is only one part of the equation though, and assessment has provided a different hurdle for the SOUL team to navigate. The International Baccalaureate and B.C.’s Ministry of Education have cancelled their written tests this year, while Advancement Placement exams will go ahead, but in a dramatically different format.

 

“We are exploring new and innovative ways to assess our students in a way that is fair and equitable, but also is in line with best assessment practices from around the province,” explains Mr. Lupton. “We have a committee of dedicated teachers from across departments meeting and discussing this very issue. What is clear is that assessment practices that evolve during SOUL will impact how we assess in the future.”

 

Indeed, the ongoing transformation of a Shawnigan education into a rich and holistic virtual experience is raising some interesting questions about how SOUL will continue to be integrated into the School’s curriculum when campus re-opens.

 

“The impact of SOUL on Shawnigan today and into the future is enormous,” says Mr. Lupton. “It represents a seismic shift in education that has dramatically altered our approach to distance learning, assessment, and resource provision for our students and has equipped our teachers with even more skills in terms of lesson delivery and construction.”

 

Mr. Lupton sees SOUL having tremendous future implications for Shawnigan’s support of heavily committed students who often find themselves away at sporting or other school-related events. He also believes it will shape Shawnigan’s progressive assessment practices moving forward.

 

“We were already thinking critically about assessment best practices, but SOUL is asking us to speed up this process and it is very exciting,” he says. “Of course it’s a huge undertaking, but nothing worth doing is ever easy—I am really proud of what we have been able to produce so far.”