Concussions can be life-changing.
An injury impacting the head and mind, concussions effect people in different ways and everyone's recovery varies.
For Okanagan College (OC) professor Colin Wallace, he knows from experience and is now doing something about it, as he wants to get students get back to the classroom in the best and healthiest way they can after recovering from the dreaded head injury.
Wallace, while pursuing his research degree, suffered a concussion and faced challenges in his recovery to get back in the classroom. Those challenges included intense fatigue and difficulty concentrating, and the experience changed his perspective a concussions and recovery.
Now an educator in OC's Department of Kinesiology, Wallace has been helping students through their journeys in recovery from concussions and mid-traumatic brain injuries. Because of this and his own experience, the Wallace has created and launched "a groundbreaking research project" aimed at student's learning after suffering a head injury.
乌鸦传媒淎s a professor, I乌鸦传媒檝e seen how concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries impact a student乌鸦传媒檚 ability to engage with their academics,乌鸦传媒� Wallace says. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 frustrating for students because they want to participate, but the nagging symptoms can often hold them back.乌鸦传媒�
The initiative is focused on developing return-to-learn plans with personal accommodations for students as they recovery from a head injury. Wallace has received support for the project from OC, Braintrust Canada (a Kelowna-based non-profit specializing in brain injury prevention), a Mobilize Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
乌鸦传媒淐oncussions and mild traumatic brain injuries can severely disrupt a student乌鸦传媒檚 ability to engage in their studies,乌鸦传媒� added Wallace. 乌鸦传媒淥ur goal is to create a program that adapts to the unique needs of each student, ensuring they have equitable opportunities to succeed in their academic journey.乌鸦传媒�
Right now, research on returning to the classroom following a concussion is sparse and often based on the return-to-sport strategies. During his research, Wallace will be working with students who are working through concussions.
"Feedback from students is absolutely essential,乌鸦传媒� said Wallace. 乌鸦传媒淭hey are the ones who have lived through the experience of recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury while managing coursework. Their input will help ensure that the program we develop will be both practical and effective."
Crystal Krickemeyer, a third-year OC kinesiology student is a research assistant on the project, as she lives with a permanent disability and has spent years trying to navigate between her health and academic life.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been there,乌鸦传媒� said Krickemeyer. 乌鸦传媒淛uggling studies while your health is compromised is tough, and students with concussions deserve the right resources to help them recover without falling behind.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 learning so much by being part of this research,乌鸦传媒� she added. 乌鸦传媒淚 get to apply my knowledge in a real-world setting, which makes my education at OC so much more valuable.乌鸦传媒�
For BrainTrust Canada, the partnership was an easy match to make.
乌鸦传媒淏rain injury can affect every aspect of someone乌鸦传媒檚 life乌鸦传媒攁cademics, social life, employment. That乌鸦传媒檚 why we offer such a wide range of services,乌鸦传媒� said BrainTrust's executive director Amanda McFarlane. 乌鸦传媒淥ur work with Okanagan College is a natural extension of our commitment to helping people reclaim their lives after a brain injury.乌鸦传媒�
The project is one of many applied research initiatives taking place at OC.
