LEARN. INNOVATE. ADVANCE.

At Vancouver Community College, our research is focused on ideas that have practical and lasting value in education, industry, and the community.

Research Ethics Board

The Research Ethics Board is responsible for ensuring that any research at the college involving humans meets the highest ethical standards. If you have questions about applying for Research Ethics approval, please contact REBsupport@vcc.ca for more information.

Studies that involve no more risk to participants than they would encounter in their everyday lives are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Please submit your application and all attachments to the REB, 3-4 weeks before you need to start collecting data.

For applicants submitting a study that involves more risk than participants would encounter in their everyday lives, please contact the REB Chair and provide all materials 2-3 weeks in advance of the meeting dates below to ensure sufficient time for a full-board review.

2024 Meeting Dates:

  • January 18, 2024
  • February 15, 2024
  • April 18, 2024
  • May 16, 2024
  • June 20, 2024
  • September 19, 2024
  • October 17, 2024
  • November 21, 2024

VCC Research Projects

nurse

Access in Clinical Education: Co-creating greater Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion through connections and understanding.

Led by VCC Disability Services department head Brianna Higgins, UBC accessibility advisor Dr. Laura Yvonne Bulk, and VCC Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) instructor Dr. Maki Iwase. Read more

andrea korens

Courageous Dialogues: Building Capacity to Transcend Polarization in Civil Society.

Andrea Korens, Program Coordinator of VCC Continuing Studies, is a co-investigator in the project, which also includes staff and faculty from partners Capilano University and the Mir Centre for Peace at Selkirk College. VCC Associate Director of Continuing Studies Claire Sauvé is also connected to project in her role as president of the Continuing Education and Training Association of BC (CETABC), another community research partner. Read more

student using his computer

The pivot to online, on the front lines: measuring the real impact of alternative assessment in remote learning.

This project led by Elle Ting with co-investigators Andy Sellwood and Andrew Dunn, was supported by BC Campus, 2020-2021. The project outcomes include this Alternate Assessment Toolkit. Read More

research_student-on-tablet

VCC Open Education Resources Virtual Hub - SPARC

Elena Kuzmina, OER Coordinator, has been granted a fellowship with SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). Her projects focus on supporting open education initiatives, such as the Open Education Map for Exploring OER Territory and building an institutional open education virtual hub. Read More

 

Research Fund

The VCC Research Fund enhances the college's research capacity and scholarly culture by supporting innovative, collaborative projects. It is available to permanent employees at VCC and offers up to $2,500 for individual research projects, and up to $5,000 for interdepartmental research projects. 

The deadline for submitting applications forms for 2023-24, is Thursday, September 21, 2023. VCC employees can find more information on funding opportunities on myVCC Research.

 
  • What are the HUC students’ knowledge of Indigenous peoples and their historical experiences
    - Radhika Kumar, School of Health Science
  • Fashion marketing for a life sustaining environment
    - Sarah Muray, Fashion
  • Student perspectives on academic integrity protection 
    - Elle Ting, Humanities
  • The role of the post-secondary in the integration of skilled immigrant women in B.C.
    - Katarina Jovanovic, Early Childhood Care and Education
  • Measuring the real impact of alternative assessment in remote learning
    - Elle Ting and Andy Sellwood, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research (CTLR)
  • Factors affecting department uptake of online student orientation resources
    - Sarah Yuen, English as an Additional Language (EAL)
  • Pathways writing: Knowledge gaps and instructional needs
    - Kristina Oldenburg and Jennifer Cummins, Library/English as an Additional Language (EAL) Pathways
  • The effect of self-talk on success, resilience and retention
    - KJ Hills, College and Career Access

Events

Teaching, Learning and Research (TLR) Symposium

This annual two-day event hosted by VCC is free and open to the public. The TLR Symposium focuses on evidence-based, best practices in instructional design, teaching, educational technology and educational research with varying themes each year. 

Theme: Designing for Today's Post-Secondary Landscape.

Presentations: Watch videos

The symposium explored instructional and research practices underpinning the delivery of programming that enriches the student experience. Dr. Sarah Eaton (University of Calgary) gave a keynote presentation entitled, "Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: What it Means for Teaching and Learning Potential." Dr. Kumari Beck and Dr. Michelle Pidgeon (Simon Fraser University) gave a second keynote presentation entitled: "Critical conversations on Indigenization and Internationalization in the Era of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion."

Theme: Untangling and weaving our history, knowledge, and ways of being: Co-creating and making space for indigenization and decolonization in teaching, learning, and research .

Presentations: Watch videos

We explored stories of Indigenization to discover how, in our various roles, we can change our practices in ways that are culturally safe and make space for Indigenous voices and perspectives in teaching, learning, and research. VCC welcomed Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee as the keynote speaker for this event. Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh works within the intersection of class, culture and creativity, focusing on social change through communications and design.

Theme: Change is the only constant: Sharing experiences of teaching, learning and research in times of disruption.

Presentations: Watch videos

The symposium featured two days of engaging presentations and welcomed keynote speaker Dr. Judit Hahn, Department of Languages, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The title of her presentation was: Re-imagining online learning communities with equity, creativity, and care. View transcript

VCC Student Showcase

Each year students from across the College are invited to showcase their learning through digital posters and lightning talks during the Teaching, Learning and Research Symposium.

In 2023, VCC awarded $500 in prizes to students for the best digital posters and presentations. To learn more about the annual Student Showcase and how to participate, view the event page. 

2023 Best lightning talk winners

Research Support

The internal myVCC Research site centralizes all the information that VCC employees need to engage in research, explore opportunities, and enhance their research related skills. The News & Events section highlight workshops related to research, new funding opportunities, and other resources and tools to build and enhance VCC’s research community.

If you have questions, contact Alicia Copp, MLIS, PhD, Coordinator of Research, Scholarly Publishing and Library Instruction: acopp@vcc.ca