BCcampus conducts research to develop a web-based Professional Development solution for the Early Years sector

We are very excited to announce the completion of two B.C Early Years Professional Development reports, and the first iteration of a prototype for the early years professional development web solution. The development of the solution was based on research and stakeholder feedback regarding priorities, design, and functionality. This project was led by BCcampus and sponsored by the Ministry of Advanced Education and the Provincial Office for the Early Years in the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Working directly with the stakeholders to assess the needs of the sector, in order to define the challenges and work on the solutions together – Our role is to create a space for the experts to come together and provide their expertise to inform the project as a whole. In the coming months, The Ministry of Children and Family Development will be looking to support a longer term strategy to sustain and further develop the professional development web solution for the early years sector.

Back in 2013, the Government of British Columbia released the B.C. Early Years Strategy: a long-term plan to ensure that British Columbians have the best possible start in life. With the goal of improving early years programs and services, the provincial government has sought to support training and increase access to professional development opportunities for those who work in the early years sector. Part of this initiative is a plan from the Ministry of Advanced Education and the Provincial Office for the Early Years in the Ministry of Children and Family Development to create a web solution that consolidates all professional development and training resources related to the early years sector in a centralized online environment.

Since then, a scan has been conducted in an effort to better understand the early years professional learning context in B.C. in order to inform the design of a professional development web solution. The findings from this scan are outlined within the B.C Early Years Professional Development reports which describe emerging trends and potential opportunities for professional learning among people who work with children aged 0-12, with specific emphasis on training opportunities for those working with children in the 0-6 age range. The two reports seek to provide insight into the distinct circumstances faced by coordinators, directors, researchers, and trainers who organize, promote, and deliver learning opportunities to early years professionals and practitioners working in diverse communities throughout the province.

In these reports, we set out to answer the following questions through the lens of five main focus areas:

Context – How does the context influence professional development opportunities in the community? Contexts to consider may be physical, historical, social, technical, regulatory, and/or cultural.
Components – What are the trends in professional development offerings? What are the offerings for care providers for school-aged children?
Connections – What professional development opportunities aim to create and/or sustain effective networks to maintain or improve intended results for system beneficiaries?
Infrastructure – What professional development opportunities aim to develop or improve support systems for beneficiaries?
Scale – What professional development opportunities benefit as many people as possible to produce broad and inclusive results for system beneficiaries?