2026 IDGI-BC
Beyond Content:
Empowering Achievement Through Experiential Practice for a Changing World
Empowering Achievement Through Experiential Practice for a Changing World
The Spring 2026 IDGI BC Conference will be hosted by Western Community College in Surrey, British Columbia, on April 30–May 1, 2026. This gathering will bring together academics, students, education administrators, professionals, and industry partners who share an interest in advancing innovative approaches to experiential and applied learning. Bachelor’s- and graduate-level students are particularly encouraged to showcase their work.
Building on the momentum of previous conferences, this year’s event will explore how experiential learning can serve as a transformative force in higher education. In an era of shifting demographics, rapid technological change, and evolving labour market demands, the 2026 conference highlights practices and research that connect theory to practice, engage diverse learners, and prepare students for meaningful future.
Lasting-lifelong learning creation ---- We invite submissions for conference papers or presentations on a wide variety of topics related to the theme of turning challenges into opportunities, including:
Track 1: Integrating Work-Integrated Learning into Core Curriculum: Using Real-World Problems, Co-Created with Industry and Case Writing to Ladder Critical Thinking Across Courses
Topics:
1.
Case writing and cases as model assessments
2.
Community projects (co-created) & live
problems for enhanced critical thinking
3. Integrating critical thinking throughout/across core courses
Track 2: Designing Meaningful Assessment and Reflective Practice as Learning Tools in Experiential Courses & Classrooms
Topics:
4.
Authentic assessments & performance tasks
(rubrics, capstones)
5.
Reflective journals, portfolios, and
feedback/feedforward loops
6. Assessing learning that lasts: transfer measures, self/peer assessment, evidence requisite skill growth across core courses
Track 3: Accessibility in Experiential Learning: Designing experiential opportunities that support diverse learners, including students with disabilities, international learners, and non-traditional students.
7.
Design for Learning in Experiential Contexts
8.
Accessible placements: site readiness,
accommodations & safety, transport/scheduling, remote/virtual alternatives
9. Inclusive assessment & supports: language scaffolds, assistive/AI tools, prior-learning recognition (PLA), visa/work-policy awareness
Track 4: Land-Based and Indigenous Approaches to Experiential Learning
10.
Designing land-based learning with community
partnership & protocol (Elder guidance, reciprocity, safety)
11. Indigenous assessment & reflection methods (storytelling, oral presentations, learning bundles, self-location)
Track 5: Place Matters: Local Contexts and Intercultural Perspectives in Experiential Education
12.
Community-engaged projects rooted in place
(urban/rural/global): scoping with local partners, ethical protocols,
reciprocity
13.
Intercultural collaboration in teams,
communication norms, conflict navigation, power dynamics, and reflective
dialogue
14. Assessing intercultural & place-based learning: pre/post self-location, comparative local–global reflection
Track 6: From Foundations to Fluency: Strengthening Pathways Through Laddering of Core Curriculum
15.
Curriculum mapping & laddering: align
PLO/CLO across courses; progressive skill targets and signature assignments
16.
Scaffolded assessments & feedforward:
sequenced performance tasks, shared rubrics, portfolios that carry across
courses, interdisciplinary teaching
17. Pathways & supports: bridge/intro courses, co-requisite labs, micro-credentials, and advising data to keep students on track
Track 7: Strategic Upskilling: Preparing students for the AI and automation era
18.
AI literacy & ethics across the curriculum
(prompting, verification, bias, privacy, IP)
19.
Human+AI workflows in experiential learning
(data analysis, industry co-ops)
20. Assessment & employability: AI-enabled authentic tasks, micro-credentials, e-portfolios, competency badges
Track 8: Closing the Skills Gap: Aligning talent with emerging industry expectations
21.
Job-task & competency mapping (DACUM,
employer advisory input, labour-market based curriculum design & signature
assignments)
22.
Co-created pathways with industry
(micro-internships, live projects/cases, apprenticeships, stackable
micro-credentials)
23. Assessing employability & readiness (rubrics for professional skills, e-portfolios, badges, supervisor feedback loops)
Track 9: Wellbeing in Experiential Education: Supporting faculty and student mental health and resilience through mindful, reflective practices in high-contact, experience-based courses.
24.
Designing for wellbeing: humane workload,
pacing, micro-recovery breaks, boundaries, and structured debriefs
25.
Trauma-informed & psychologically safe
classrooms: safety environment, reflective prompts, critical-incident debriefs,
referral pathways
26.
Faculty resilience & supports: peer circles,
mentorship (formal/informal), reflective supervision, compassionate assessment
policies, and early-alert resource navigation
Submissions of papers/presentations and participation in
this conference are open to all stakeholders, including faculty, staff,
students, and administrators, as well as representatives from industry and
government. Perspectives from all academic disciplines, educational services,
and relevant agencies are warmly invited to enrich this event.
Proposals should be in the form of a 300-word maximum abstract. Strong submissions will have a clear topic identified, a central question and/or thesis, a distinct methodology, and evidence of relevant, substantive research. Send your proposal, along with a brief biography of the author(s), by filling the submission form below no later than end of day on January 30, 2026.
What Are Reviewers Looking For?
During the peer review process, reviewers look for:
- Scope: Is the paper appropriate for the scope of this conference?
- Novelty: Is this original material distinct from previous publications?
- Validity: Is the study method well designed and executed?
- Advancement: Is this a significant contribution to the field?
- Data: Are the data collected, analyzed, and interpreted correctly and clearly?
- Clarity: Are the references used appropriately, cited accurately, and formatted correctly?
- Compliance: Are all ethical and publication requirements met?
If your submission meets the requirements, please submit your abstract above in the Submissions tab.
·
Accept: Your
extended abstract is accepted without edits.
·
Accept with revision: Your extended abstract is accepted after you implement edits suggested
by the reviewers. You will be asked to provide a revised version in given time.
·
Reject: Your
paper will not be presented at the conference or published in the electronic
conference proceedings to be made available shortly after the conference
concludes.
Note that students at the bachelor’s- and graduate-levels are invited to submit their work in any of the categories above. Student presenters will receive a Certificate of Participation and are exempt from conference registration fees.
This fifth annual IDGIA conference will be hosted at the Surrey Central campus of the Western Community College City Center 4, 9686 137 St, Surrey, BC V3T 4G8 on April 30—May 1, 2026.
Become a Presenter - call for Proposals
We call for submissions that fit within the context of the general theme: Beyond Content: Empowering Achievement Through Experiential Practice for a Changing World.
The purpose of the conference is to explore key themes and multiple perspectives on various aspects of higher education. Please see the detailed information in the Submissions tab above.