Media releases

• Brock’s new Law Plus program an introduction to wide range of careers

  Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 10 April 2019 – R00065

  Starting in September, undergrad students studying in any Brock University program will be able to concurrently lay the foundation for a law-related career.

  The University has launched Law Plus, a new four-year, non-credit program that will help students gain pre-law knowledge and hands-on experience. It’s modelled on Brock’s highly successful Med Plus program, which has been running for 20 years and a 92 per cent success rate for students landing careers in health-care.

  “Similar to Med Plus, being in the Law Plus program will open students’ eyes to a variety of career paths that will use the skills and experiences they’ve gained,” said Cara Krezek, Director, Co-op, Career and Experiential Education. “It’s also about preparing them to write the LSATs, enter law school, and so much more.”

  With the Law Plus program set to begin this September, the enrolment deadline for the inaugural year is coming up Monday, April 15. To ensure students get a personalized and enriched experience, the first cohort will be limited to 30 people.

  “During their first year, students will begin to network with a variety of career professionals and gain exposure to volunteering with different populations,” said Law Plus Consultant Stacia Heaton. “In future years, they will build on their skills and experiences with continued exposure to law-related professions, job shadowing, ethics forums and more.”

  In addition to their undergrad studies, the Law Plus students will spend between five and seven hours each week attending skill-based workshops, learning from guest speakers and participating in volunteer placements with community organizations.

  “We’re preparing them for careers they’re passionate about and helping them develop the skills and knowledge they require,” said Krezek.

  Like Med Plus, Law Plus is open to all Brock students, regardless of which undergraduate degree they’re working toward.

  “The program aims to have students from all Faculties who will bring a variety of interests to the table, which will enrich the experience for everyone,” Heaton said.

  Advising Brock on the new program has been an industry panel that includes lawyers, community organization representatives and faculty members.

  “Having the industry so invested and enthused about Law Plus is fantastic. They’re helping to shape the program and move it forward,” Heaton said. “They will also have the partnerships and relationships that will help us develop placements that students will be able to engage in.”

  For more information on the new Law Plus program, visit Brock’s Co-op, Career and Experiential Education website.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Student-made app aims to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

  Tuesday, April 09, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 9 April 2019 – R00064

  Tackling any task can often be made easier by focusing on one step at a time.

  Brock student researchers have used this logic to develop an app meant to improve quality of living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).

  StepByStep Tasks was launched by Computer Science students Javon Luke and Tianyuan Zhang, under the guidance of Senior Lab Demonstrator and Co-ordinator Poling Bork. The app, through which Luke and Zhang have been working with staff and clients of Community Living Haldimand, is part of a study aimed at increasing the community participation and independence of people living with IDDs.

  The project is a collaborative effort that began with Bork consulting with Associate Professor Kimberly Maich in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Bork then connected Luke and Zhang with PhD student Courtney Bishop and Associate Professor Tricia Vause, both in Brock’s Department of Child and Youth Studies, Assistant Professor Priscilla Burnham-Riosa, in the Department of Applied Disability Studies, and stakeholders from Community Living Haldimand.

  An under-represented community, individuals with IDDs account for one to two per cent of the population. Many people with IDDs not only struggle with a wide range of limitations, including difficulties with perceptual reasoning and verbal comprehension, but are also at a higher risk for social exclusion than their non-disabled peers.

  These individuals often rely on assistance from support workers to complete everyday tasks and errands. By introducing the app, the team hopes to make significant contributions to improving the quality of life for many.

  Just as its name suggests, the StepByStep Tasks app instructs users on how to complete a task, one step at a time.

  Instructions can be presented through a variety of audio and visual prompts, with options ranging from instructional videos (most prompting) all the way to simple text instructions (least prompting). The amount of prompting, however, is completely up to the user and their specific needs.

  Customizability allows for users to modify the format in which they receive each instruction. For example, if someone was interested in learning how to do laundry, they could start off with a video accompanied by audio or text that explains how to complete each step from start to finish. As the user gains confidence in their abilities, they can begin fading out the amount of assistance they receive at each step. They can go from requiring a video or picture to completing that step independently.

  The hope is that users can eventually learn to complete the entire task with little to no prompting.

  Before introducing the app to users, the research team had to first teach Community Living support staff how it works. Through a behavioural skills training program, staff are taught how to properly use the app, set up tasks and fade their support using principles of applied behaviour analysis.

  They then work with the individual to identify skills to focus on and compile a list of tasks. Once the tasks and steps have been uploaded, staff provide a demonstration and explanation of the app to the individual. Staff participants then use most-to-least prompting to fade their own supports.

  “It’s working really well,” Bishop said when asked about the results the team has received. “When we first started, people were needing anywhere from 60 to 100 per cent support from their staff and we’re now seeing many of those drop down to zero.”

  Over the course of the year, the research team will grow the app’s user base by introducing more participants into the study. Currently, 12 people are actively using the technology. That number will nearly triple to a total of 35 by the end of the project’s second phase in April 2020.

  Unparalleled in its ability to fade levels of prompting, members of the developmental services field are growing increasingly interested in the app and how it can be implemented into their work.

  With such an opportunity to grow, StepByStep Tasks is now available for free in the Apple App Store.

  “None of this would be possible without the help we received from the Department of Computer Science and Poling Bork,” Luke said. “She came up with the idea for the app and played a vital role in this project by connecting Tianyuan and I with Courtney and Community Living Haldimand.”

  Bork also met regularly with the students and representatives from Community Living to ensure the initiative was on track.

  “It brings me great pride to see students from our Faculty making a difference in the community,” said Ejaz Ahmed, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. “I applaud their efforts and would like to thank Poling Bork for guiding them through this endeavour.”

  Later this month, Luke and Zhang will further promote their work as they attend Connect 2019, Canada’s largest educational technology conference. The pair will provide demonstrations and discuss the process they took to develop the app with fellow conference delegates.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases