Innovations in Fintech, Learning Experience Design

I authored and instructed elements of the “Innovations in Fintech” course while collaborating with multiple institutions, instructional designers, and SMEs. This course is designed for new Canadians with expertise in Finance and IT, and has helped students achieve an 80% job placement success rate in Canada.

Introduction

I collaborated with Instructional Designers, SMEs, and Education Managers to author, audit, and deliver custom course content for a Government-funded program to multiple cohorts.

Innovations in Fintech is a unique program from Achev in collaboration with Toronto Metropolitan University’s Raymond Chang School of Business and Lighthouse Labs. The program is designed for new Canadians with experience in either Finance or information technology to assist their market intry into the Canadian Fintech ecosystem.

Funded by the Government of Canada, Innovations in FinTech is a new collaborative program between Achēv, Toronto Metropolitan University’s Raymond Chang School of Business, and Lighthouse Labs. The program is open to Canadian newcomers with previous education and work experience in Finance or Information Technology. This free program features seven weeks of in-class/virtual training and the possibility of a 12-week paid placement with a participating FinTech organization. Contact us to receive program and registration details.

Through conversations with program managers, I have learned that the course has an 80% success rate in helping students transition to the Fintech workforce. This has been an amazing opportunity.

Course Cohorts

Course Author

I began by creating the content for Module 1, which covers an introduction to Finance and an introduction to Fintech. I have also designed a course intro and wrap-up lectures summarizing all four modules.

• Development period: January - April 2022
• Target audience: New Canadians with IT expertise
• Learning needs: Understanding Fintech fundamentals, industry-specific knowledge, and practical skills for job placement
• Learning objectives: Gain comprehensive understanding, develop industry-specific knowledge, and prepare for job placement
• Course structure: 5 modules, various instructional methods, and assessment techniques
• Collaboration with stakeholders: Learning Experience Designer, fellow instructors, and subject matter experts
• Challenges: Balancing technical and non-technical content and ensuring the course met program standards
• Achievements: An 80% job placement success rate, continuous improvement, and positive impact on students and the Fintech industry.

Instructor

Fundamentals in Fintech is a four module course and I curently teach module 1, module 3, and module 4. I instruct Module 1: Introduction to Finance and Module 4: Introduction the Machine Learning. I did not write the original content for Module 4, but I have created some alternative learning resources for the students based on my teaching experience and student feedback.

I have also been invited to teach a course introduction and wrap-up lecture. The course wrap-up lecture aims to help students integrate content from across all four modules.

Conclusion

I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to collaborate with multiple institutions to create this unique learning experience alongside other talented instructors. As a result, we have successfully delivered this course to ~100 students across seven cohorts. I am proud to be part of this program and look forward to the next cohorts!

Updates

• Cohort 7 Spring 2023
  • updated presentation slide content (welcome and wrap-up)
  • updated presentation slide template (welcome and wrap-up)
  • formalized student resources have been shared over previous modules by popular demand
• Previous cohorts (multiple updates)
  • provided alternative paths for Python setup than the description within Module 4 online content
  • created student resource documents for communities in Fintech
  • created student resource documents for learning Python
  • created student resource documents for setting up the Python environment