MAPPING ADULT EDUCATION IN SASKATCHEWAN
By Shuana Niessen
Photo Credit : Shuana Niessen
Doctoral students from an Adult Education course ( EAHR 931 ) present an arts-based participatory performance project entitled , “ Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan : The Stories ”
Five doctoral students , Juliet Bushi , Romina Bedogni Drago , Heather Fox Griffith , Pam Klein , and Titilayo Olayele in the Faculty of Education ’ s Adult Education Program chose to explore the topic of learning pathways to higher education for their group project in their fall 2015 EAHR 931 course with Dr . Cindy Hanson . They entitled their artsbased , participatory performance , “ Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan : The Stories .”
Their task was to map sites of Adult Education in Saskatchewan , but after developing a comprehensive database and exploring how they might interpret the data , they realized that an important piece of the puzzle was missing : the nonformal learning pathways . To address this lack , they conducted case studies on the individual learning journeys that brought each presenter to the University of Regina . They shared this research as part of their artsbased performance , extending their inquiry to include the stories of the students who were invited to attend , and thus , participate in the performance .
The diversity within the group of presenters and participants enriched the performance with a broad collection of cultural and international learning experiences : For example , one participant was born in Sudan , had spent time in England , Switzerland , and the United Arab Emirates before finally coming to Canada , to the University of Regina ( U of R ). Another followed in the footsteps of his son , who had come to the U of R from
China , and whose experience at the University so piqued his interest , he decided to become a student here as well . Another had gathered the threads of her learning-pathway story as she travelled from Nigeria to Vancouver , BC , to Grande Prairie , AB , and finally to Regina , SK , to study at the U of R . Others who originated from Canada spoke of their international travels as significant informal learning , such as one student whose travel in the Czech Republic had transformed her thinking about her own abilities .
As the presenters shared their learning-pathway stories through poetry and narrative , each presented a hand-made , woven hoop , and explained why they had chosen the colours and design , and then added their
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