Online Learning Modules

Online Resource User Guide: 4 Seasons of Reconciliation and The Path

Western Libraries and the Office of Indigenous Initiatives have collaborated to procure licensing for the use of two online learning courses, created by external organizations, to give staff, faculty, students and leadership foundational context on Reconciliation and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Both resources live on OWL, and the files can be imported into OWL course sites. Below you will find a description and learning outcomes for each resource; a chart for determining which resource is best suited to your needs, and instructions on how to access the modules.

About the Online Resources

Audiences for both The Path and 4 Seasons of Reconciliation:

Professional Development

Staff, Faculty, Leadership & Student Organizations and Training

  • Individual: personal professional development
  • Leadership: engaging your faculty, unit, team, committee or community of practice

Educational Tool

Students (Faculty can use these modules in their OWL course sites)

  • Instructors: Embed one, or all five modules, into your course 
  • Students: groups, sports teams, committees

Module Summaries:  Four Seasons of Reconciliation

Four Seasons of Reconciliation

Description:

Created by the First Nations University of Manitoba, this nine-part module takes participants approximately 3.5 hours to complete and provides a basic, foundational knowledge on Truth and Reconciliation. Intended for Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners, the course and its bonus video library shine a bright light on the contributions of Indigenous Peoples, debunk myths, stereotypes and racism while meeting the Calls to Action in the workplace from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
4 Seasons of Reconciliation follows Indigenous principles and is guided and overseen by the First Nations University of Canada to offer bilingual courses for secondary, post-secondary, and the workplace.

Topics: Colonialism, Indigenous-settler history, Treaties, UNDRIP, Reconciliation

Learning Outcomes:

  • Gain an introductory overview of truth and reconciliation and Call to Action #92
  • Understand the importance of Treaties and what is meant by: 'we are all Treaty people'
  • Historical and contemporary contributions of Indigenous Peoples
  • Truth and reconciliation in the workplace
  • The ongoing impact of colonialism, the Residential School System, the Indian Act
  • Positive stories of partnerships, hope, and Indigenous cultural revitalization
  • Terminology

Trailer:

Trailer to the Course: 4 Seasons of Reconciliation from ReconciliationEducation.ca on Vimeo.

To access 4 Seasons of Reconciliation, click here

Module Summaries:  The Path

The Path

Description:

Created by NVision, The Path is designed to offer Indigenous cultural awareness, the five-part online module gives general background and context about First Nations, Metis and Inuit in Canada.

Topics:

First Nations, Inuit and Metis History and distinctions; Indigenous worldviews; Treaties; Indigenous Rights; Terminology

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify the cultural and historical differences between First Nations, Inuit, and Métis;
  • Describe the evolution of the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples from pre-contact to yesterday’s headlines
  • Understand intercultural communication in the workplace/classroom

Trailer:

To access The Path, click here

Which resource should I choose?

While both resources act as a “primer” on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, each have their strengths and challenges. They complement each other at times, but there are some redundancies.

Please review the comparison chart below to help determine which resource you might need:

4 Seasons The Path
Date published 2021 2018; updated 2020 but we have the 2018 version
Length 3.5 hrs 5 hrs
(each module takes approximately 1hr)
Module Topics
  1. Economic Reconciliation
  2. Colonial Lens
  3. Pre-Contact
  4. Treaties
  5. Residential Schools
  6. UNDRIP
  7. Indigenous Relations
  8. Reconciliation
  9. Restitution
  1. What’s In a Name
  2. Defining Moments in History
  3. More Defining Moments in History
  4. It's the Law
  5. Building Relationships with Indigenous Peoples
Assessments Quiz after every module & Final Quiz – cannot advance to next section without completing Quiz after every module - can advance to next module without completing
Flexibility for Embedding in Course Curricula Modules cannot be separated in Rise/OWL* Quiz after every module - can advance to next module without completing
Certificate Auto-Generates a Certificate that can be downloaded upon completion Certificate must be set up in OWL on your site
Feedback from users at Western Need to complete module before going to the next one (less flexible); More directed towards ‘Economic Reconciliation’ at times Less comprehensive than 4 Seasons; Reference to the Bering Strait Theory is problematic; player doesn’t hold your place when you pause/log out/step away
Supports/Additional Resources Educator Guide
Bonus Videos: short documentaries (must complete module to access Bonus Library)		 Reflection questions by Frankie Young, available within OWL site

Using the modules:

  • You can access the Path and 4 Seasons of Reconciliation for personal review or professional development through OWL pilots. Access through these pilots is not monitored, but we do track who uses them and for what purposes through the surveys for access below.
  • 4 Seasons generates a certificate automatically in its current home, however the Path does not
  • If Leaders of units or faculties wish to embed the Path into staff and faculty training, please set up an OWL site that you can generate the certificate and track completion and import the module files. If your team already uses OWL for sharing resources, either resource can be uploaded into your course site. If you have questions about how to do that, contact the Instructional Technology Resource Centre.
  • Contact OII’s Curriculum and Pedagogy Advisor for support in enhancing the modules with reflection questions, activities, resources, and additional evaluation suggestions
  • For faculty wishing to embed the modules into their course OWLs, there is an option to download the file to upload into your OWL site, within the pilot
  • Note: it is possible to set up certificate generation for the Path on individual OWL sites, it is just not set up this way in the pilot OWL. You cannot add your students into the existing OWL site. You must import the modules into your OWL course site. If you have questions about how to do that, contact the Instructional Technology Resource Centre.
  • Contact OII’s Curriculum and Pedagogy Advisor for support in enhancing the modules with reflection questions, activities, resources, and alternative evaluation

 

To access 4 Seasons of Reconciliation, click here

To access The Path, click here