As part of the recent Research Opportunity Fund’s inaugural projects, and in keeping with Niagara College’s trailblazing and student-focused culture, several NC researchers created a project to test a creative method to gather, consider and act upon feedback from students.

Entitled “From Images to Action: Exploring Photovoice as a Tool for Gathering and Implementing Student Feedback at Niagara College,” the project is now in its final stages, and the evidence could be seen most recently during the Disability Awareness Week at both campuses.

According to project creator, Carol Phillips, recently retired Dean, Community, Justice and Fitness Studies, photovoice is a method where people use photography to capture and share their experiences, thoughts, or perspectives on a particular topic or issue. Over the course of the project, Carol worked with Christine Wilkinson, current research lead with the Healthy Aging and Wellness Innovation Centre, who coordinated several sessions with different segments of the student population.

First, they worked with students in the Schools of Community, Justice and Fitness Studies to learn more about both contributors and barriers to academic success. For that segment, 15 students participated in four consecutive weeks of sessions, where they were invited to take photos around campus reflecting or representing their answers to questions such as: What has made academic success more difficult to achieve at NC? Or What contributes to your academic success at NC?

The results were shown in three mini-exhibitions.

Next up was a summer session working with English learners from the English for Academic Preparation (EAP) program. Eight students from several countries joined the team for four sessions, and they were also invited to snap images that would represent their take on specific questions about the EAP, such as: What is your best memory from the EAP program? What has been most difficult for you in the EAP program? Or What does your life in Canada feel like?

The results of those sessions were shown in a mini exhibition as well, for the Associate Dean, English Language Studies, as well as many EAP program faculty members.

Most recently, the Photovoice project turned its focus to students with visible and non-visible disabilities. Using announcements in the NC Engage app and on-campus promotional channels, they were invited to submit photos that would showcase their thoughts and feelings on accessibility, ableism, strengths, visible and invisible disabilities, what makes them feel empowered or supported, but also places that make them feel comfortable or uncomfortable.

The creative and engaging responses were printed out and made available during two sessions as part of Disability Awareness Week, on March 9 at the Welland campus, and March 11 at the Daniel J Patterson campus.

“Photovoice is a powerful tool, not only for those who take photos and write the captions that accompany their pictures, but also for those who view the images and words,” said Christine Wilkinson, one of the project researchers, and current researcher with the Healthy Aging and Wellness Innovation Centre (HAWIC).

“The college staff who took part in the exhibitions were all profoundly moved by what the NC students shared via their pictures and narratives, leading to new insights and suggestions for how to enhance the NC experience. The student participants were grateful for the opportunity to share their perspectives with the college,” Wilkinson added. “While only 4% of NC student participants had heard of Photovoice before, 96% of them said they would recommend taking part in a future Photovoice project to a friend.”

To finish off the project, and also in the vein of continuous improvement, the research project team is working on a ‘how-to’ manual, so that any college groups who are interested in this type of engagement can lead their own Photovoice project.

“As a graduate of the Recreation Therapy program at Niagara College, having the opportunity to work on multiple Photovoice projects as a Research Assistant has been extremely valuable, as the philosophy behind this tool directly compliments the knowledge I have gained through my program of study,” noted Matt Bornich, currently a HAWIC research assistant.

“By working on both the Photovoice projects for academic success and for EAP student experiences, I have learned that Photovoice is not just a wonderful medium for self-expression and exploration among individuals, but also an effective and versatile research tool for gathering qualitative data that can help promote change across a variety of real-world issues.”

To learn more about the current work of the Healthy Aging and Wellness Innovation Centre, visit the website, or contact David DiPietro, Business Development Manager.