“We wish to provide opportunities for people who, for a variety of reasons—especially geographic—might not otherwise have access to graduate studies,” said Dr. Gregory Bryan, one of the group’s core faculty members. “It’s about reducing barriers and making education more inclusive.”

Rooted in access and equity

The decision to provide an online delivery option for the  Language and Literacy concentration was driven by a shared commitment among faculty to extend educational opportunities to rural, northern, and remote communities. Dr. Michelle Honeyford emphasized that this initiative aligns with broader university priorities: “We see this as part of our strategic work with rural and northern communities. It’s about extending the opportunity for educators across the province to be part of the program—and that benefits everyone.”

Dr. Jennifer Watt added, “We’re prioritizing those who might have access issues within the province first, but we’re also open to applicants from across Canada and internationally. The goal is to reach those who can’t regularly come to campus.” While students have the ability to take courses online, they also have the option to attend classes in-person.

A unique thesis-based online experience

Unlike many online graduate pathways that are course-based and often asynchronous, UM’s new offering stands out by providing a thesis route. This allows students to engage deeply in original research within their own communities, supported by a dedicated cohort model.

“This is a meaningful process in graduate-level education,” said Dr. Amir Michalovich. “It’s quite rare to find thesis-based online options in Canada. We’re offering something unique—students will be able to conduct research in their local contexts and be supported throughout the process,” while Dr. Du emphasizes that a thesis project can go beyond written words, “I hope to help students rethink what research in education means and to create opportunities for diverse forms of research to take place in various settings.”

Dr. Watt agrees, “We’ve learned through years of online teaching that we can support students doing thesis work. They’ll be assigned advisors and have opportunities to connect with their cohort, so they won’t feel isolated.”

The online delivery structure includes six courses over two years, followed by thesis proposal development and research. While the coursework is scheduled, the thesis timeline is flexible, allowing students to complete their M.Ed. in approximately three to five years, depending on their circumstances.

A cohort model that builds community

One of the defining features is the cohort model. Students will take each course together, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. “We’ve developed an arc for the courses,” said Dr. Honeyford. “Students will take a course with each of the five faculty members, which is rare and offers a rich, well-rounded experience.”

Dr. Bryan added, “Each of us brings our own passions and areas of expertise. Students will benefit from that diversity, both in coursework and in their thesis work.”

The faculty team includes Dr. Michelle Honeyford, Dr. Gregory Bryan,  Dr. Amir Michalovich, Dr. Xiaoxiao Du, and Dr. Jennifer Watt –  recipient of the 2025 Olive Beatrice Stanton Award for Teaching Excellence. Together, they span a wide range of research interests and teaching strengths, ensuring students receive comprehensive support.

Building research capacity across Manitoba

This option is not only about access—it’s about impact. By supporting educators in conducting research in their own communities it aims to amplify local voices and contribute to the broader field of language and literacy education.

“We need researchers throughout the province engaged in important language and literacy work,” said Dr. Honeyford. “This online delivery model develops capacity and supports students in becoming those researchers.”

Dr. Michalovich added, “There’s potential for real impact in the communities these students come from. Their research can be showcased in meaningful ways, both within our faculty and beyond.” 

A strong foundation and forward-looking vision

While the online option embraces innovation, it also encompasses historical perspectives and knowledge of the field. Dr. Bryan highlighted one of the courses he’ll be teaching, which explores the history of reading research over the past 120 years. “It’s important to recognize the past so we can build a better future,” he said.

To support students as researchers, two research courses: Engaging with Research in Education and Language Teacher as Researcher are being offered.

“We’re excited about that,” said Dr. Honeyford. “It allows students to think about research from a language and literacies perspective and prepares them for their thesis work.”

Born from collaboration and experience

The development of the online M.Ed. option was a collaborative effort among faculty, supported by the department head, the Graduate Program committee, the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research, Faculty of Graduate Studies, and university leadership. Dr. Honeyford noted, “This is the first online M.Ed. cohort in the Faculty of Education, so we were navigating new territory. But because the Language and Literacy concentration is well-established, and the cohort courses are being taught in the program already, we were able to build the cohort around them and move things through the process quite smoothly.”

Dr. Watt reflected on the team’s experience supporting online cohorts during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a partnership with Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. “We worked with a group of 22 First Nations students who were completing comprehensive projects. Despite the challenges, we supported them online and saw how meaningful that experience was. It showed us that thesis work is not only possible online—it can be incredibly impactful.”

Who should apply?

Educators who are passionate about language and literacy and who may face barriers to accessing in-person graduate education are encouraged to apply. Whether due to geography, family commitments, or professional obligations, this online format offers flexibility without compromising academic rigor.

“This is a part-time commitment,” explained Dr. Watt. “Students will take one evening course per term, making it manageable alongside their work and personal lives.”

Applications are currently open, with a cohort size of approximately 15 students. This option is expected to be in high demand for educators in Manitoba who have, in the past, applied to online courses elsewhere for their M.Ed. studies.  “The response has been phenomenal,” noted Dr. Honeyford.

Looking ahead

While the M.Ed. Language and Literacy concentration is the first to go online, it may pave the way for other M.Ed. concentrations in the future. “This is a bit of a test run,” said Dr. Watt. “We’re fortunate to have a large and committed faculty team right now, which makes it possible.”

Dr. Honeyford added, “We’re seeing interest from other area groups, and we’re hopeful this will inspire further online offerings.”

Most importantly, the Faculty of Education will continue to offer in-person M.Ed.  in both thesis- and course-based routes, ensuring that students have options that suit their needs

Why Choose UM?

Beyond the online delivery structure and accessibility, the faculty’s expertise and commitment to student success make this offering stand out. “We’re designing these courses with students in mind,” said Dr. Honeyford. “We’ll be with them from the beginning of the cohort through to the end, building relationships and supporting their research.”

Dr. Michalovich, who is currently leading a generative AI and digital literacies workshop series, emphasized the relevance of the online focus: “We live in interesting times. The ways we communicate and make meaning are changing rapidly. Literacy education is at the center of that transformation. This is a great time to engage deeply with these issues.”

As the University of Manitoba continues to evolve and respond to the needs of its diverse communities, the launch of the online thesis cohort in  Language and Literacy marks a significant step forward. It’s an offering built on access, collaboration, and a vision for a more inclusive and research-rich future in education.

Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are now open. The deadline to apply is November 1.

For more information, https://umanitoba.ca/education/master-education-concentrations

Dr. Cameron Hauseman, an associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology expertise in educational governance, called the rollout of new dashboards and their utility “very disappointing.”

Hauseman noted the NDP initiative sought to make divisions more accountable to the public, but some are releasing high-level information and there is little consistency among the datasets.

To read the entire story, please follow the link with The Winnipeg Free Press. 

“We all are living a trauma-lived experience, we have been for quite some time now, especially around COVID.”

Gagne was one of four panelists in a discussion panel January 26 who shared perspectives on incorporating trauma-informed principles into online and blended teaching. The discussion panel marks the first time the partner institutions of the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub have collaborated on a panel discussion to support students and increase student success.

The panelists shared their passion for helping students feel safe wherever teaching takes place. Discussion was wide-ranging and lively, covering the topics of curriculum development, course syllabi, course assessment, and how to improve the online spaces where courses are taught.

Participation by more than 60 attendees showed the growing interest in developing the teaching skills that create a safe space where learning can happen more easily.

“At Assiniboine Community College, when the pandemic hit, the first thing we did was create a quality assurance measure that talked about the minimal things we need to do online to make sure that our learners are okay,” said Sheryl Prouse, Senior Advisor, Student Affairs and Interim Director, Learning Commons. Most of the items were common sense. “I need to make sure I introduce myself. I need to make sure I have online office hours. I need to make sure I point people to where they can get help, I need to make my site easily navigable – thinking about the user experience on the other end.”

Prouse also described how instructors can sometimes re-traumatize students unintentionally through assignments. “When we’re asking students to do things like self-reflective exercises, please align those with your learning outcomes and stop being intrusive,” she said. Students should not have to reflect upon abusive childhoods, she explained. Instead, they could be asked to relay an experience with a child they worked with or could use a case study that is depersonalized from their own experience.

Panelists agreed that building predictability and routine into the course syllabus – and also some flexibility – are all ways to help students navigate their learning experience and balance competing demands of other courses, work, and family.

“We don’t know what they’re currently experiencing,” said Jocelyn Lavich, Faculty Instructor in the Department of Nursing at RRC Polytech and a marriage and family therapist.

“Something I do in the first or second class, is collaborate with them to develop a contract for a shared safe space. I want to hear from all students, what they feel is important for them, what they’d like others to know on how they feel safe in the room, so that learning continues to happen.”

All the panelists emphasized the importance of ensuring that students aren’t passive learners but instead active contributors in the learning process.

“I absolutely believe in a collaborative learning process, learning from each other in different ways, the small group work, and overall working on leveling out that power imbalance [between instructors and students],” Lavich said. She and others expressed the importance of instructors allowing students to fail, allowing multiple attempts for mastery, and creating choices where possible for ways students can present assignments.

“Whether it’s in person or online, we have to be very clear and consistent in our expectations,” said Lori Doan, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Developer at UM and Sessional Instructor at the International College of Manitoba. 

“I think what is really important is owning our mistakes. Admitting when we’ve made a mistake. Apologize for it and make it right. I used to tell my students I will always err on the side of what benefits them. I can say that, but they need to see me do that to be able to trust me.”

The panelists were clearly inspired by each others’ passion for improving the student experience and agreed that so much more can be done for students once one becomes familiar with trauma-informed principles. They agreed that building trust with students is critical, and that instructors need to be aware of the things in their own experiences that might get in the way of providing trauma-informed teaching, such as stress, and the degree to which one is feeling supported in one’s own life.

Learn more

The Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub (MB Hub) is a resource for post-secondary instructors in Manitoba. We provide service to partner instructors and departments through improvements in both the quality and quantity of higher education online and blended courses in Manitoba and the use of technology within teaching and learning.

Learn more about the work we do at the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub by visiting our website or subscribing to our newsletter.

Our popular workshops provide tools and resources that are particularly helpful for faculty members, grad students, and researchers.

Attending one or even several of the free sessions offered can help you discover the best tools, techniques, and strategies to benefit your work and remain on track with current goals and projects.

Now is the time to register

Register early. We would hate for you to miss out. Our sessions have a limited number of spaces.

Here are just a few of the sessions coming up in February:

• February 2, 12 pm-1 pm – Open Science Series: Overview
  (There are 6 workshops in this series.)
• February 4, 10 am-11 am – Searching for Engineering Literature
• February 5, 10 am-11am – Searching for Indigenous Health Information
• February 5, 12:30 pm-2:30 pm – Perform Spatial Analysis Using WebGIS Tools
• February 10, 10 am-11 am – Library Essentials
• February 10, 12 pm-1pm – PowerBI 1: A Gentle Introduction to Data Visualization
• February 12, 12:30 pm-2:30 pm – Build a Story Map Using WebGIS
• February 16, 10 am-11:30 am – Zotero Café
• February 16, 12 pm-1 pm – Searching for Sources in the Sciences
• February 17, 1 pm-2 pm – Navigating the Research Literature: Web of Science & SCOPUS
• February 17, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm – EndNote Basics

See all the sessions being offered by the Libraries this term.

If you have any questions, just Ask Us.

Share your moment, with the hashtag #KeepLearning.  And please tag us @UMExtended on Instagram & Twitter, or @UMExtendedEd on Facebook.

Blue canvas
When you visit 185 Extended Education Complex, you can now take your photo before the perfect blue backdrop. This painting is one of a series called On Posing. It’s art designed as a photo backdrop, an acrylic on canvas by artist and former U of M art sessional Fine Arts instructor, Erica Mendritzki. The painting is 67 inches high and 51 inches wide.

Mendritzki says, “On Posing consists of a series of similar paintings that take as their model the image of a blue photographic backdrop, the kind once commonly used by studio photographers for family portraits or yearbook photos. Each painting poses the question of the validity of its ontological category, by posing a number of questions about itself.”

Painting, backdrop, photo
“Is it an abstract painting, posing as a picture of a photographer’s backdrop? Is it a picture of a backdrop, posing as the real thing? Or is it an actual backdrop, posing as an abstract painting? The physical properties of the object remain the same; it is only in our perception that the pose shifts its shape.”

Bruce Head art to come
Also, watch for the future addition of works by the late Western Canadian contemporary artist, Bruce Head, RCA (member of the Royal Canadian Academy). He was a graduate of the U of M’s School of Art, a graphic designer for CBC, and he painted and sculpted full-time in his St. Vital studio for many years. His work is represented in many personal, private, and public collections including the National Gallery of Canada. Soon it will also appear in Extended Education.

“Even an industry expert was able to learn from it,” says the instructor and content developer for the new PDAL certificate program offered online through Extended Education at the University of Manitoba.

“A good program can help to transform a person’s career. In our first one, students were fully engaged and learning. They made a strong connection with their classmates. A number of students emailed me to say it was so user-friendly and a better learning experience.”

In the summer of 2017, Antaya was asked to develop the PDAL program, and the first session started in January of 2018. PDAL was designed to replace the former Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) with a more current and relevant program to be conveniently offered online.

PDAL
“CACE was a lot of theory-based design. PDAL is more practical, so students can neatly take the ideas and apply them to the work they do. It is also built on the IPL competencies framework. These key principles for effective training look beyond what needs to happen in the classroom so students are trained for the classroom and beyond.”

A member of IPL for over seven years, Antaya has served as an IPL volunteer and as IPL’s Manitoba chapter chair.

“IPL is a great way to meet others in learning and development, and to learn and grow, and support each other as we improve the work we do.”

The Winnipeg resident and owner/operator of Eclectic Communications for the past 10 years has worked in learning and development for nearly 18 years. Eclectic has a team of consultants providing training programs to improve communication skills across Canada.

Create a safe place to learn
Her first teaching job was teaching adults how to skate. “I learned that adults can be petrified and need support. It is so important to provide emotional support first, and create a safe place for them to learn.”

“I kind of fell into learning and development,” she says, noting how she found herself in her first job after university in the corporate training division of a CEGEP in Quebec. “Through the years, I have done a lot of work with adults and children in learning environments. I have had a lot of mentors.”

Her work on the two PDAL required courses, Adult Learners and Program Design, was a rewarding challenge, she says. “The results exceeded my expectations. I was amazed at how students took the initiative and the instructor became secondary. They got involved and started learning from each other. That’s how it should be.”

Keep learning
In addition to her degree, Antaya holds a Certificate in Adult Education, and a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate from the University of Manitoba. She encourages adult educators to keep learning, with options like PDAL.

Learn more about the Certificate in Program Development for Adult Learners

This article also appeared in the Institute for Performance and Learning IPL Weekly.