Looking Back, Moving Forward

As the year comes to a close, I have been reflecting about the people, the ideas and the conversations that stayed with me throughout 2025.

Competencies and Recognition of Learning 

This year, much of my focus was anchored in recognition of prior learning, developing and assessing competencies, and valuing lived experience whether through training needs, environmental scans or RPL and competency-based assessment pathways. Some highlights include:

• RPL-Based National Certification Program (Canada): Designed, developed and launched a Recognition of Prior Learning-based certification for Career Development professionals. Awarded Professional Certification Programme of the Year by the e-Assessment Association.

• Training Needs Analysis: Reviewed and analyzed structures, curriculum, and training model to define the current state; led consultations to define the desired state; conducted gap analysis with best practices and EDI considerations; and delivered actionable curriculum enhancement recommendations.

• Competency-Based Faculty Development Program: Designed a structured yet flexible Faculty Development Program to build foundational skills in teaching, curriculum design, facilitation, and educational technology while advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous ways of knowing. The goal: support faculty growth from basic to advanced levels to enhance the quality of teaching and learning across the institution and cultivate a culture of teaching excellence and innovation. 

• Environmental Scan on Recognizing RPL Practitioners: Conducted a comprehensive environmental scan to assess the training needs within the field of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR/RPL) across Canada. The project included practitioner and employer surveys, focus groups, interviews, and research to gather insights aimed at shaping the future of RPL/PLAR in Canada, including potential development of a national RPL certificate or voluntary certification program.

Takeaway: Partnerships and collaboration with clients and interest holders make recognition and learning systems stronger, sustainable, and capable of amplifying human potential.

Learning, Teaching, and Community Engagement

This year, I had the privilege of teaching my Instructional Design course at UVic CACE guiding adult learners to design meaningful, evidence-informed learning experiences while learning alongside to shape the practice of instructional design.

I wrote many blog posts and LinkedIn Articles and contributed to BCcampus's Digital Pedagogy Toolbox with my article: Who Are We Leaving Behind? where I reflected on the hidden costs of digital pedagogy and explored how we can address these challenges and promote more inclusive learning environments.

I attended CredX: B.C.'s Inaugural Symposium on Micro-credentials, Badges, and Recognition and BCPLAN Symposium and The Accessible & Inclusive Design Conference 2025 by The Training, Learning, and Development Community and met friends and colleagues, who like me, are passionate about promoting innovative solutions, sharing insights, and supporting recognition practices and accessibility across learning and work. 

I also presented at:

• CAPLA Conference (May)

• CAPLA Community of Learning (June) - "Reclaiming the L in RPL/PLAR"
  Experience alone doesn't guarantee learning

• CAPLA Fall Webinars (Nov)

• BCcampus Digital Learning Strategy (DLS) Forum (Nov)
  
  

Takeaway: Ideas grow stronger when tested in dialogue with a curious, engaged, and challenging community. Collaboration is where learning multiplies.

Podcasts and Panels

Being invited for podcasts and panels offered a slower, more reflective space to explore. These conversations were less about answers and more about sense-making, which felt timely.

• Getting Comfortable with AI

• Fingerprints of Work: Humanizing Learning & Recognition in the Age of AI 
  Work Fingerprints

• Competencies in a Changing World of Work
  Competencies make the invisible, visible

Takeaway: Thoughtful dialogue and reflection together with peers and practitioners help navigate complexity and encourage innovation.

Questions That Kept Resurfacing

Across projects, presentations, and dialogue, two questions kept resurfacing: 

• How do we design learning, assessment, and work systems with a human-first mindset?

• How do we move beyond tools and trends to address authenticity, trust, and belonging in learning systems?

Looking Ahead to 2026

I am deeply grateful for the practitioners, educators, sector leaders, and peers who engaged thoughtfully and generously and for my colleagues, clients, partners and collaborators who trusted me with work that matters.

As we move into 2026, my commitment remains the same: to design and support learning and recognition practices that are collaborative, equitable, and deeply human.