Brock University Digital Repository
Brock University's Digital Repository is an online archive showcasing and preserving the Brock community's scholarly output as well as items from the Library's Archives & Special Collections. Researchers can disseminate their work by depositing it in this Open Access repository, which provides free, immediate access to users while also allowing Brock scholars to track downloads and views of their scholarship. The Digital Repository is also the home of the Brock University E-Thesis Portal.
For more information, see the repository's policies and procedures.
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Recent Submissions
Decolonization and Cultural Resurgence in Education: Indigenous Youth and Friendship Centres in Niagara
Catie Carter
This research explores Indigenous education opportunities for Indigenous youth in the Niagara Region through an examination of current initiatives offered by the public education system and the educational programming offered by Indigenous Friendship Centres in Niagara. In this paper I highlight Indigenous voices, both local to Niagara and in academic literature, whereby discussions around Indigenous education surround discourses of decolonization and the cultural resurgence of Indigenous pedagogies in learning. This paper aims to contribute to discussions of Indigenous education opportunities for youth in Niagara, highlighting the work of Friendship Centres as sites of decolonial education and a path towards a decolonized and culturally liberated education for Indigenous youth in the region.
Keynote Presentation for Library Publishing Forum 2025
(2025-05-08) Ribaric, Tim; Farnum, Cecile
Keynote Title: Harvesting Library Labour in an AI World: The Grim Reaping of Library Work(ers) and What We Can Do About It “You must give to get, You must sow the seed, before you can reap the harvest.” ~ Scott Reed
The growth of GenAI, LLMs, and chatbots threaten many established ways of performing academic work, and is already resulting in labour concerns for library workers. This keynote considers the impact of AI on scholarly publishing work in academic libraries.
All aspects of the scholarly publishing life cycle (Submit, Review, Decide, Edit and Preserve) have the potential for a deep impact from AI, and are therefore relevant for the library community to consider. Scholarly publishing work is also deeply intertwined with the open access movement, where processes and outputs are often done ‘out in the open’, and are therefore ripe for harvesting by A.I. for reuse. What are the potential consequences of this brand of cognitive offloading in the scholarly publishing process? And what are the labour implications for library workers, authors and publishers, when A.I. tools begin to do this work?
In this keynote, librarians Tim Ribaric and Cecile Farnum will consider the role libraries may play in both augmenting and striving against AI, using a critical lens that is skeptical of the difference between what the promise of AI is, compared to the reality of what it will bring.
Breaking Barriers, Building Biceps: Examining the Feasibility of a Culturally-Tailored Strength Training Program for South Asian Women and its Preliminary Effects on Positive Body Image
(Brock University) Zaman, Zaraa; Applied Health Sciences Program
South Asian women have been underrepresented in body image literature. Research has shown
that South Asian women in Western countries have poorer body image compared to women of
other ethnicities (e.g., White, Black, Hispanic). South Asian beauty appearance ideals (e.g., “fair”
or pale skin, slim figure), racial teasing during childhood, the enforcement of thin ideals by older
South Asian women, and the negative impact of White-centric media contribute to poor body
image in South Asian women. Physical activity can improve body image. However, South Asian
women have lower levels of physical activity compared to other ethnicities potentially due to
several sociocultural factors including stigma against women participating in physical activity.
Strength training specifically is associated with improved body image but is not a popular form
of exercise for women as it is also connected with masculinity in many cultures, including South
Asian culture.
The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a culturally-tailored strength
training program for young South Asian women. The secondary objective was to examine
preliminary changes in positive body image measures following the program. Of the 22 women
who contacted the researchers to express interest in the study, seven women attended a 6-week
strength training program and completed measures of positive body image pre- and postprogram. Given the low recruitment rates and poor adherence, it is not feasible to run the study
in its present form. However, the exercise program itself was perceived as acceptable by those
who did attend and adhere. Regarding preliminary efficacy, there were increases in body
appreciation and embodiment, with medium and small effect sizes post-program, respectively.
There is a need for further feasibility assessment of the program with an adequate sample size,
which may be achieved through a recruitment period that conforms with student schedules, more
targeted recruitment strategies (e.g., recruiting at South Asian events), and building relationships
with South Asian organizations. Researchers should continue exploring culturally-tailored
programs for promoting various forms of exercise, including strength training, and examining
how they affect positive body image in South Asian women.
Keywords: Feasibility, acceptability, South Asian, women, strength training, body appreciation,
cultural-tailoring, exercise.
STUDENTS' CAREER PROSPECT AFTER HIGHER EDUCATION IN GHANA: A LITERATURE REVIEW
OWUSU AGYEMANG LILY
This study evaluated how well Ghanaian higher education curriculum connects with the labor market. The study adopted the secondary data collection method to review the related literature. The study adopted scholastic tools like google scholar, scopus, and other global and African data sources to review empirical literature on Ghanaian high education curriculum and labor market. The findings indicate a significant discrepancy between what companies require and what students learn. Employers are increasingly seeking graduates with emotional intelligence, effective communication, and problem-solving abilities in addition to technical talents. The results also highlight the significant lack of hands-on training and exposure to real-world situations that prevent graduates from being truly prepared for the workforce. The study highlights the need for curriculum reform, which suggests that academic programs must incorporate both technical and soft skills. If this curriculum is to continue to be relevant to the demands of the modern labor market, there is a need for increased cooperation between academia and industry. In order to influence career preparedness programs, internships, and professional certifications, employers should be involved in curriculum design and offer their distinct perspectives. In order to better prepare our students for future success, these skill gaps should be filled through academic opportunities that incorporate experiential learning and strategic relationships in the academia. The study's limitations are described, including the challenges of obtaining up-to-date information and the irregularities in research methods of the literature reviewed, offering some indicators that require more investigation to address the problems. Longitudinal studies of graduate outcomes across time would be especially valuable for comprehending the long-term consequences of curricular change and interventions to increase employability.
A Within-Subject Comparison of Naturalistic Behaviour Intervention and Discrete Trial Teaching on the Acquisition of Verbal Operants
(Brock University) Kanitz, Taylor; Saini, Valdeep; Center for Applied Disability Studies
Autistic children often present with deficits in language and communication skills. To address such deficits, children are referred to early intensive behaviour intervention (EIBI) to support meeting developmental goals. The purpose of this study was to conduct a within-subject comparison of two commonly used approaches to teaching language skills in EIBI, known as naturalistic behaviour intervention (NBI) and discrete trial teaching (DTT). The two participants recruited for this study were a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a 3-year-old girl diagnosed with ASD. Outcome measures consisted of determining the efficacy of each procedure, the extent to which each procedure led to mastery, social validity of each intervention, and finally, the extent to which skills taught during intervention generalized and maintained across time. Results of the study demonstrated that both DTT and NBI were efficacious in teaching language, both were efficient to varying degrees and both had varying levels of skill generalization and maintenance. Results of caregiver social validity indicated mixed perceptions for DTT and good perceptions for NBI. Participant assent scores were also mixed across the two approaches. Implications for using NBI and DTT during EIBI to teach language acquisition skills are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.