Culturally Responsive Instructional Design: An "Advancing Re(al)conciliation" Case Study

With First Nations University of Canada

Project Overview

Advancing Re(al)conciliation is designed to educate through truth-telling and inspire action.

In partnership with FNUniv, KnowledgeNow provided instructional design services for the "Advancing Re(al)conciliation" course. This meticulously crafted course sheds light on significant truths and encourages active engagement. It fosters a profound understanding of reconciliation, promoting individual and collective reflection on contributing to ongoing reconciliation efforts. 

Our key goals were to influence change in learners' perspectives on reconciliation, convey colonial and Indigenous Peoples' history, and equip learners with tools for personal reconciliation actions.

Beyond prompting thoughtful actions, the course features Indigenous terms narrated by an Indigenous speaker, offering learners an authentic auditory experience. Qualitative data reflects a positive reception, with learners expressing the course's lasting impact on their thinking and actions. Although exact completion numbers are unavailable, there is evidence that the course has reached thousands of learners.

Visual Design

A screenshot of a lesson in the course showing an image of a diverse group of people, an image description of their interaction, and a voice recording of that lesson
A screenshot of a lesson in the course showing a gathering of First Nations People, an image description, a voice recording of that section of the lesson, and lesson content.
A screenshot of a lesson in the course showing a voice recording of that section of the lesson, and lesson content emphasizing that reconciliation is a shared journey

What People Are Saying

“Working alongside KnowledgeNow is an absolute pleasure. In the spirit of knowledge sharing and cultural enrichment, it is evident that KnowledgeNow is committed to their role in reconciliation through co-creating and designing educational pathways that honour Indigenous knowledge, traditions and innovation.”

Reila Bird
Director of FNUniv Indigenous Continuing Education

“Prior to taking the course, I had next to zero knowledge about the Indigenous people, their history, and their placement in Canadian society. having completed this course, I see things differently and appreciate Indigenous people more to their resilience over the years and the need to honest conversations among all Canadians on a continuous basis. And more importantly, the need for the entire Canadian society to be intentional about healing the wounds of the past by ensuring constant truth-telling, and encouraging the active participation of Indigenous people and immigrants in the growth of the economy.”

Bade Daramola
Student

“KnowledgeNow is a team of highly skilled professionals who are committed to their clients. I am impressed with their level of dedication to get to know me as a client and impressed with their ability to fully customize my course content and its design. The Instructional Designers that I have had the privilege of working with were incredibly dedicated, knowledgeable, skilled, and highly collaborative. I am very thankful for their level of expertise in course design because I love the end products!”

Sandra Bellegarde
ICEC Content and Program Consultant

Interested in this course?

You can sign up for this course on First Nations University’s website.

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