By Karolina Karas, strategist, BCcampus

BCcampus is marking the fifth anniversary of our Research Fellows Program, which has supported 25 fellows in conducting small-scale research aimed at enhancing student learning in the B.C. post-secondary sector. To commemorate this milestone, we are pleased to unveil our online magazine (ezine) – available to download now.

The ezine showcases over 60 pages of innovative research and accomplishments by our fellows. A project led by Leva Lee and designed by Simon Fraser University (SFU) student, Paola Ortiz, the ezine is a tribute to our fellows’ achievements over the years.

Leva, explaining her motivation behind the ezine, emphasized knowledge mobilization. “I wanted to shine a light on the research that was done in our program and to make it interesting and attractive to a layperson, as well as more accessible,” Leva explains, “I thought a more visually engaging format would be a refreshing break from traditional and text-heavy documents. Let’s make it more creative, fun, and celebratory!”

The ezine is organized into five research areas: teaching and learning, open education, Indigenous research, assessment, and educational technology. Each research fellow is profiled, providing a summary of their research and QR codes providing further details on the work.  

Throughout the profiles, bold 90s-inspired images add a touch of playfulness, while visually connecting the research concepts. “It was important to pick a style that was colourful and engaging, while also helping visually communicate large and complex bits of research through a lot of imagery,” Paola explains. “I wanted to help readers become curious about the topics they may not be familiar with by capturing their attention through a playful, lively, and unique scene.”

Reflecting on the partnership with Paola, a recent graduate of SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Leva said: “I love opportunities to support students and working with Paola was a wonderful experience. She created a lovely design for the ezine that is beautiful, well suited to our purpose, and accessible for readers.”  

Paola added: “Accessibility was a key factor from the start of this project, and it was valuable to learn how to design work that could be accessed and used by all on various platforms. It was refreshing to work on a project that wanted to have some fun and play while also balancing a sense of professionalism. It was a privilege to help bring such interesting and worthy research to a broader audience.”

As we celebrate the five-year milestone of the BCcampus Research Fellows, Leva is excited for future projects and offerings for the research program. BCcampus is currently hosting its fourth offering of the BCcampus Research Speaker Series and has welcomed its newest cohort of the 2024-25 Research Fellows. In the coming year, BCcampus plans to host an event inspired by Three-Minute Thesis (3MT), showcasing research from BCcampus fellows past and present.