Transcending Boundaries: An Aboriginal Woman’s Perspective on the Development of Meaningful Educational Opportunities and Online Learning

Abstract

This paper serves as a personal reflection documenting my own perspectives on meaningful educational experiences for Aboriginal learners, by drawing on my educational journey as a graduate student. It begins by sharing a reflection of my first experience within an online graduate course that included a substantial amount of content exploring Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations in Canada. This reflection documents how the online course has shaped my own development as an Aboriginal scholar, and positions the online learning environment as a culturally safe space for engaging in controversial topics. This discussion involves looking at education within a historical context, reflecting on the present struggles involved in securing culturally safe spaces for Aboriginal students, and looking towards a vision for the future that promotes cross-cultural dialogue for the benefit of all learners. By drawing on my online course, this paper opens some conversation on meaningful educational experiences for Aboriginal learners.