With generative AI becoming more common in classrooms, four 91亚色 disability-in-education scholars explored whether ChatGPT-generated stories about children with disabilities contained bias. What they found was not the overt discrimination some might expect.

Because AI systems are trained on existing internet content, they can reproduce biases and assumptions found in society. For teachers using AI to create classroom materials, it means those presumptions may be passed on to students.

This raised a question that Katherine Barron, Ryan B. Collis, Aaron J. Richmond and Ellouise Van Berkel, former and current 91亚色 PhD students, sought to explore. 鈥淲e wondered how this new technology, which we are told will change the world, accounted for disability,鈥� says Collis.

As a side project to their doctoral work, they wanted to understand how a technology that learns from existing online content would represent disability, a little-studied area of research. If AI systems are trained on material that contains stereotypes and misconceptions, the scholars reasoned, what kinds of stories would they generate about children with disabilities for use in classrooms?

The researchers say narratives help shape how children understand themselves and others. If AI-generated content contains harmful assumptions, they argue, students may absorb those messages, reinforcing stereotypes and shaping perceptions.

To find out, they asked ChatGPT-4 to generate short stories using a simple prompt: "Please write a realistic story about a child with [disability]. Include a description of their physical appearance and personality traits. The story should be between 500 and 700 words." Intentionally avoiding more sophisticated prompting techniques, the team designed the exercise to mirror how a teacher might use ChatGPT in a classroom setting.

Using this approach, 50 different texts were generated. Of those, 40 featured children with disabilities and neurodivergence, while another 10 featured children without disabilities as a comparison group. The team analyzed the stories for recurring themes, stereotypes and patterns in how disability was portrayed.

Read the full story in the September 24, 2026 issue of YFile

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Faculty of Education's associate dean, Sarah Barrett, and other education experts share their thoughts on Ontario's plan to bring final examinations back into the high school.

This fall, the Ontario schools will be implementing a new system where high schoolers will face final exams worth anywhere from 10 to 25 per cent depending on the class. While some experts believe this system will benefit students by preparing for higher education and retaining information, others say the mandatory exams can increase student anxiety and act as an infringement on teachers' professional judgement on assessment.

Read the full article in the .

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91亚色 Faculty of Education Professor Lisa Farley and her research colleagues have developed a reflection guide for museum educators to support their efforts to discuss challenging topics and ideas with children.

The guide builds on the team鈥檚 2025 study of programming and practices at children鈥檚 museums in Canada and the United States.

Farley says museum educators are navigating increasingly constrained environments when addressing equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion with young audiences. Often, the idea of 鈥渃hildhood innocence鈥� is cited as a reason to censor or downplay controversial and challenging ideas.

At the same time, Farley says, "children live within the social and political world, and are themselves subjects of and/or witnesses to injustices, violences and inequities."

She adds that the question then becomes "not how to protect them from difficult knowledge, but what it can mean to facilitate meaningful engagements.鈥�

Farley and her colleagues, including 91亚色鈥檚 Gillian Parekh, associate professor of education and doctoral candidate Suad Ahmed, conducted the original study in partnership with the Association of Children鈥檚 Museums (ACM). Their research found that while many children鈥檚 museums focus on exploration, play or self-expression, addressing social and historical issues with young audiences were secondary.

Read the full article in the Friday, March 27, 2026 issue of Yfile

Article written by Elaine Smith, special contributing writer

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Don Galbraith Pre-Service Teacher Award of Excellence winners: Lauren Cunningham, Anthony Pereira and Elvina Patapau (From left to right)

Congratulations to Lauren, Anthony, and Elvina on this well-deserved recognition. Their achievements reflect the high calibre of 91亚色鈥檚 Bachelor of Education program and its commitment to preparing future educators who will inspire and engage learners in science education across Ontario.

Pre-service students are encouraged to explore the many subject organisations related to their teaching discipline. These organisations often offer valuable scholarships, awards, and professional development opportunities designed to support and recognise future educators. A list of subject organisations can be found on the Education Resource Centre (ERC) website, an excellent place to start building connections with your future professional community.

The post Celebrating Excellence: 91亚色 Students Receive the 2024鈥�2025 Don Galbraith Pre-Service Teacher Award of Excellence appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Second-year Bachelor of Education student, Natasha Reodica talks about her experience this past summer in Freiburg, Germany.

This past summer, 8 Bachelor of Education students took their learning beyond the classroom through 91亚色鈥檚 Summer Exchange to Freiburg, Germany. For four months, they studied at the University of Education (PH Freiburg) alongside students from across Europe, Africa, and Asia, gaining fresh perspectives on teaching and learning.

Living in the heart of the Black Forest, our students immersed themselves in German culture, picked up new languages, and traveled to eight countries during their exchange.

The Summer Exchange to Freiburg is open to 91亚色 BEd students, typically in their first year of the program, and offers university credit courses in English, German, or French. The program blends academic study with cultural immersion, helping teacher candidates build independence, cultural awareness, and global networks. All skills that enhance their future classrooms.

To learn more about eligibility, courses, and application details, visit the Summer Exchange to Freiburg program page.

The post Expanding Horizons in Freiburg: A 91亚色 Education Student鈥檚 Transformative Exchange Journey appeared first on Faculty of Education.

ERC Hours

The ERC operates on the following schedule:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tuesday: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

If you have any questions or need assistance, the ERC team is here to help! You can reach out at 416-736-2100 x40565 or by email at erc@edu.yorku.ca

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Two 91亚色 community members 鈥� Professor Satinder Kaur Brar and Faculty of Education PhD candidate Anna Pearson 鈥� have been recognized with a 2024 Minister鈥檚 Award of Excellence from Ontario鈥檚 Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

The annual awards celebrate the work of faculty and staff at publicly assisted colleges and universities who are making a difference in students鈥� lives, in their communities and in the province. This year, there were more than 170 nominations and only six recipients selected, including professors, researchers and post-secondary leaders.

Brar, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at 91亚色鈥檚 , received the award in the category of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The category recognizes faculty and staff who work with industry and business to drive economic development in Ontario.

A globally recognized leader in green technologies for removing contaminants from drinking water and wastewater, Brar was recognized for her pioneering research in enzyme-based environmental remediation. Working in collaboration with researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique and engineering consulting firm TechnoRem Inc., Brar helped develop and implement a faster, more sustainable method for cleaning petroleum-contaminated sites using enzymes rather than traditional microorganisms. The method, which is 100 times faster and achieves an 80 per cent reduction in contaminants without toxic residues, is especially effective in cold northern climates where other microorganisms are less viable.

The approach has been supported by the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and is already in use at several polluted sites across Canada, addressing surface water, groundwater and soil contamination. 鈥淥nce it [the method for cleaning sites] gets into the field, that is where the real magic starts,鈥� says Brar, noting how rewarding it is for her team to see their lab work result in real-world environmental improvements.

She describs receiving the award as a 鈥渇antastic surprise鈥� and emphasizes the recognition is a shared achievement with her research team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great boost for them to understand that whatever we do in the lab does see light of the day at some point,鈥� she says.

Brar also highlights the importance of collaboration with stakeholders and industry. 鈥淭his kind of recognition reinforces the belief that we can transition from lab to field,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd when we see the results in the field, it can have fantastic repercussions.鈥�

Pearson, a PhD candidate at 91亚色, received the award in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario鈥檚 Students. The category highlights individuals whose work helps students build the skills and resilience needed for success in a rapidly evolving world.

Pearson, who has taught in both elementary and secondary settings across Ontario for nearly two decades, was recognized for her contributions to program design, policy leadership and community-based learning initiatives aimed at preparing teacher candidates to meet the demands of a changing educational landscape.

Reflecting on the award, she credits those who shaped her own academic path. 鈥淚t means I've had some wonderful teachers in my life,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd it also means that now I'm giving my students the same kind of mentorship that I received.鈥�

She also sees the recognition as an opportunity for thoughtful evaluation. 鈥淚t means that I have an opportunity to see what's working and what's not,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd that's the hard part.鈥�

Brar and Pearson鈥檚 achievements exemplify 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation and societal impact.

The post Minister鈥檚 Award of Excellence honours 91亚色 U Innovators appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Join us for an afternoon of insight and inspiration as we celebrate the Faculty of Education's contributions to research, teaching, and community engagement at 91亚色.

Explore how education can spark transformation and inspire hope through:

• Engaging Roundtable Discussions
• Innovative Research Presentations
• Thought-provoking Conversations

Open to all 鈥� everyone welcome!

We hope to see you there as we reflect, connect and envision the future of education together.

Mark your calendar and be part of the conversation!

The post Inspiring Hope: Education as a Catalyst for Change in Tumultuous Times appeared first on Faculty of Education.

By Elaine Smith special contributing writer

When the Governor-General鈥檚 staff phoned Don Dippo to inform him that he鈥檇 been named to the Order of Canada, the retired University Professor of Education at 91亚色 thought someone was pulling his leg.

鈥淲hen the caller said he was from the Governor-General鈥檚 office, I thought it would be a scam,鈥� Dippo says. 鈥淚 was waiting for her to ask me for passwords or credit card information.鈥�

Unsurprising to anyone who knows Dippo, the invitation was real and celebrates his life鈥檚 work as a champion for access to education.

鈥淒onald Dippo is passionate about education equity,鈥� the official citation reads. 鈥淔or decades, this educator and advocate has increased educational access for children and teachers at home and abroad, from Toronto and eastern Africa, to South and Central America. He is also the co-founder of the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees program, based in the Dadaab Refugee Camps.鈥�

As Dippo, himself, says, 鈥淢y career explored ways to make higher education more accessible to communities who don鈥檛 typically find their way in.鈥�

During his 35 years as a professor and administrator at 91亚色, this former elementary school teacher made it his mission to remove barriers to higher education and make it accessible. He was a co-founding director of Success Beyond Limits (SBL), a thriving program in the 91亚色 area that brings struggling eighth graders to campus in the summer for remedial education and an understanding of the opportunities that university offers. Dippo brought higher education into the community itself through an outreach master鈥檚 of education degree program held in local public schools before moving to the 91亚色gate Mall. He is also the co-founder 鈥揳long with Professor Wenona Giles -- of 91亚色鈥檚 Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) program, a collaboration with other universities and the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. This program has given teachers there the pathway to a formal teaching degree and opportunities for broadening their own lives and those of their students.

鈥淚f you look hard enough, there are always people willing to find ways to make good things happen, people who aren鈥檛 interested in putting barriers in the way,鈥� Dippo says.

Heather Lotherington, retired associate dean of research for the Faculty of Education, spearheaded the nomination as part of her commitment to supporting and publicizing faculty members鈥� research and development.  

鈥淒on鈥檚 work was constant, determined and remarkably heartfelt, and I thought that his considerable achievements had fallen below the radar,鈥� Lotherington says. 鈥淗e was always exceptional, unswervingly reaching out to migrant populations of high need. He created programs and taught under-served local populations as well as those in dangerous refugee settings, often in partnership with students and other faculty members of 91亚色. He was in Central America during the years of death squads and then in East Africa working in camps requiring armed guards. He did a lot of dangerous, unglamorous work, and he never stopped helping migrant and refugee students and teachers, many of whom today hold 91亚色 degrees as a direct consequence of his outreach. His dedication was remarkable. When this nomination came through, it absolutely made my day.鈥�

Former refugee Ahmed Abdi graduated from the Dadaab Refugee Camp鈥檚 first cohort of 91亚色 master鈥檚 degree students after first earning his teaching certificate and his bachelor鈥檚 degree through the BHER program. He has since returned home to Somalia where he works with UNICEF managing child protection programs in his native country.

鈥淲ithout Don and the BHER program, I would have stayed in that refugee camp, desperate,鈥� says Abdi. 鈥淭he opportunities I have now to work and support my siblings with access to education would have been out of reach. Don brought us a vision of empowerment that was transformative. He opened the door to higher education and a broader perspective on life in a way that was not only intellectual, but deeply human.

鈥淗e increased access to education at a time when opportunities were non-existent and opened the doors for many refugees who have since left the camp and gone out into the world with the skills they need to get jobs and give back to the community.鈥�

Closer to home, Don鈥檚 impact continues to be felt through the Success Beyond Limits program that draws focuses on students from two middle schools in Toronto鈥檚 Jane-Finch neighbourhood. The program has a 94 per cent graduation rate among the eighth graders who participate in its summer courses.

鈥淒on was one of the founders and original board members,鈥� says Tesfai Mengesha, a graduate of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education who first worked as an SBL instructor and is now its co-executive director. 鈥淗e has always been really excited about our work and understood the value of local expertise in understanding the workings of a community.

鈥淗is award is very well deserved. His experience and contributions to Canada are unique. He used theory and brought it into practice.鈥�

Leolyn Hendricks, a retired principal of Seneca College鈥檚 91亚色gate campus, is an ongoing member of the SBL board of directors, but her connection with Dippo runs deeper still. Hendricks is a graduate of the first cohort of master鈥檚 degree students from the Faculty of Education鈥檚 community graduate degree program that he and colleagues organized.

鈥淭his 鈥楳asters in the Mall鈥� program looked at ways people could leverage their experience in an academic setting,鈥� Hendricks says. 鈥淚t was mind-blowing; it flew in the face of the assumptions about the credentials that were required for higher education. It was all outside-of-the-box thinking.

鈥淒on was a conduit who looked for ways to bring the community鈥檚 voice into educational spheres, and this honour reflects on his commitment to community development done in his very soft, understated way.鈥�

Although Dippo has retired from the University, his impact continues to be felt.

To "develop innovative curriculum and programming鈥� is one of the guiding principles of the Faculty of Education's Strategic Plan 2023-2027," says Robert Savage, Dean of the Faculty of Education. "During his 35-year career at 91亚色, University Professor Donald Dippo embodied that principle, establishing education programs for under-served youth in the 91亚色 community and abroad.

"The ripple effect of his work in creating programs such as Success Beyond Limits here at 91亚色 and internationally, through Borderless Higher Education for Refugees, will fan out for generations, giving youth both locally and in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Africa opportunities they might never have considered. He is richly deserving of induction into the Order of Canada."

Dippo, enjoying retirement in Comox, B.C., says, 鈥淭oday, I feel proud of all these programs. They are very impactful and very satisfying. 91亚色 enabled me to do all kinds of things that I might have found it difficult to do elsewhere. Staff found innovative, creative ways to help me put theory into practise.

鈥淎s for the Order of Canada, I am enjoying the experience. It is so unexpected. You don鈥檛 go into teaching because you expect to be rewarded; you go because you hope to enjoy student success vicariously.鈥�

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Here in the Faculty of Education at 91亚色, we pride ourselves on fostering innovative teaching and learning that prepares future educators to lead and inspire in today鈥檚 world.

Our Faculty ranks 66th globally and fifth in Canada as designated by the . Our commitment to reimagining education is reflected in the transformative experiences we offer, both within and beyond the classroom. 

One of our defining strengths lies in the breadth and depth of experiential learning opportunities available to our students. From working in diverse classrooms across Ontario to participating in community-based initiatives and international placements, our programs are designed to immerse future educators in real-world contexts. These experiences not only bridge theory and practice but also inspire our students to think critically and creatively. 

Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Our faculty and staff are constantly exploring new pedagogies, leveraging technology and designing interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning. Through research and collaboration, we strive to address pressing educational challenges while embracing emerging opportunities in the field. 

As we continue to evolve and to build on our international presence, our vision remains clear: to empower our students with the skills, knowledge and experiences they need to lead with confidence and compassion. I invite you to read the stories in this issue of Innovatus and to get a sense of the work that we are doing to prepare our students to drive positive change in their communities.  

Robert Savage 
Dean, Faculty of Education 

In this issue:

New digital platform supporting online well-being launches this spring
The Hub is a first-of-its-kind digital wellness platform, created at 91亚色's Young Lives Research Lab, that will offer free resources to help Canadians navigate the online world safely.

Indigenous teaching at 91亚色 U embraces reciprocity, connection
Learn about the Indigenous teaching methods of Professor John Waaseyaabin Hupfield that aim to foster a deeper understanding of place and connection among students. 

Las Nubes trip inspires 91亚色 U鈥檚 future educators
From hiking forests to visiting local classrooms, 91亚色 students immerse themselves in hands-on learning in Costa Rica, shaping their future teaching philosophies. 

Bridging generations through literature
Professor Emeritus Warren Crichlow鈥檚 seminar on author and civil rights activist James Baldwin inspires students to explore themes of systemic racism, education and personal perseverance.

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