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In this anniversary issue, it seemed a good occasion to acquaint readers with the publication's deep roots and to shed light on a few facets of its future. Under the title Assurances: its past and future, the attempt is made to analyse the evolution of the journal Assurances through four pivotal periods:• The monthly Journal published by Gérard Parizeau (1932 to 1935)• The Review under the direction of Gérard Parizeau (1935 to 1988)• The Review under the direction of Rémi Moreau (1988 to 1996)• The Review under the auspices of HEC and the direction of Georges Dionne (1996 to date).The history of Assurances merges with the major developments in the insurance industry in Canada. It coincides with the reforms (legislative, technical, legal, economic, and professional) shaping the evolution of insurance and the spread of its use both in Canada and Quebec.Founded in 1932, the journal Assurances is now an integral part of HEC's large international projects, especially with regard to research and teaching in the field of risk management and insurance. HEC Montreal major challenge is to take this review to new heights. To do so, it should rely on research while seizing every opportunity to make theoretical and practical links with business decision-makers.

This study aimed to systematically compile the activities and applications to be used by instructors to conduct synchronous virtual classrooms effectively. Using specific keywords in various databases we examined the literature to discover the activities and applications associated with effective synchronous virtual classrooms. A total of 70 studies were included in the study, based upon pre-determined criteria. A total of 53 activities and applications for conducting synchronous virtual classrooms effectively were obtained and classified according to Gagné’s nine events of instruction (GNEI). These activities and applications were sorted within 11 themes dimensions: technical control, environment control, clarity, introductory activities, technological tools, course materials, interaction, feedback, summarizing, time management, and self-assessment. Synchronous virtual classrooms conducted according to this classification will serve as a guide for instructors to conduct synchronous virtual classrooms effectively.

Keywords: distance education, virtual classroom, synchronous virtual classroom, synchronous course, quality course design, videoconferencing

Across industrialized countries, organizations from all sectors have been looking for strategies to improve their productivity and the quality of their work environment. This challenge has been magnified by the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19 (Fontinha, 2021). In the face of this new reality, organizations have had to reinvent themselves to remain competitive. Among proposed solutions, the four-day work week has received considerable attention from organizations and the scientific community (Sng et al., 2021). However, despite the promising aspect of this model and a handful of studies on the subject, it remains difficult to obtain a clear understanding of its implications on workers because of the scattered and fragmented state of the literature. Therefore, the present study aims to provide a clear picture of the variety of individual consequences studied so far regarding this type of work arrangement. The present paper is based on Arskey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-step methodology for conducting scoping studies: (a) defining of the research question; (b) identifying the applicable documentary data; (c) selecting documentary data; (d) classifying data; and (e) analyzing and presenting the results. Out of a potential of 2183 records, 22 empirical, theoretical, and practical articles were compiled and analyzed. From this analysis, five broad categories encompassing both positive and negative implications were identified: productivity, mental health, work-life balance, interpersonal relationships, and overall satisfaction. In addition to making organizations aware of the effects of this new working alternative, this study sheds light on new avenues for research and action for researchers and practitioners wishing to maximize the positive effects of this promising working arrangement.

Keywords: Semaine de travail de quatre jours, Four-day work week, Retombées individuelles, Individual consequences, Modalité alternative du travail, Work arrangements, Flexibilité, Flexibility, Scoping study, Scoping study

Introduction: Rural communities have poorer health compared to urban populations due partly to having lesser healthcare access. Rural placements during medical education can equip students with the knowledge and skills to work in rural communities, and, it is hoped, increase the supply of rural physicians. It is unclear how students gain knowledge of rural generalism during placements, and how this can be understood in terms of place-based and/or sociocultural educational theories. To gain insight into these questions we considered the experiences of pre-clerkship medical students who completed two mandatory four-week rural placements during their second year of medical school.Methods: Data was collected using semi-structured interviews or focus groups, followed by thematic analysis of the interview transcripts.Results: Rural placements allowed students to learn about rural generalism such as breadth of practice, and boundary issues. This occurred mainly by students interacting with rural physician faculty, with the effectiveness of precepting being key to students acquiring knowledge and skills and reporting a positive regard for the placement experience.Discussion: Our data show the central role of generalist physician preceptors in how and what students learn while participating in rural placements. Sociocultural learning theory best explains student learning, while place-based education theory helps inform the curriculum. Effective training and preparation of preceptors is likely key to positive student placement experiences.

In October 2022, New Brunswick Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Dominic Cardy publicly resigned and widely disclosed his disappointment with Premier Blaine Higgs’ leadership. Using Cardy’s unprecedented public resignation letter as a primary source, this paper explores the inner workings of neoliberal governance and privatization in public education and critically analyzes data manipulation, governance shifts, and problematic conservative “hands-offism.” Applying a rhizomatic methodological framing and theoretically drawing from Bourdieu and Passeron’s (1977) conceptualization of symbolic violence and Gilmore’s (2008) notion of “organized abandonment,” we argue that neoliberal governance and privatization disproportionately affect vulnerable communities and weaken democratic processes. To understand these complexities, we utilize a rhizomatic analysis, simultaneously considering historical and geographical contexts, governance structures, and political narratives. We conclude that neoliberal governance and privatization are inherently symbolically violent, as they are used in tandem to perpetually defund and dismantle public institutions.

Keywords: neoliberalism, privatization, governance, public education, symbolic violence, rhizomatic analysis

Objective – The purpose of this research project was to examine the state of library research guides supporting systematic reviews in the United States as well as services offered by the libraries of these academic institutions. This paper highlights the informational background, internal and external educational resources, informational and educational tools, and support services offered throughout the stages of a systematic review.Methods – The methodology centered on a content analysis review of systematic review library research guides currently available in 2023. An incognito search in Google as well as hand searching were used to identify the relevant research guides. Keywords searched included: academic library systematic review research guide.Results – The analysis of 87 systematic review library research guides published in the United States showed that they vary in terms of resources and tools shared, depth of each stage, and support services provided. Results showed higher levels of information and informational tools shared compared to internal and external education and educational tools. Findings included high coverage of the introductory, planning, guidelines and reporting standards, conducting searches, and reference management stages. Support services offered fell into three potential categories: consultation and training; acknowledgement; and collaboration and co-authorship. The most referenced systematic review software tools and resources varied from subscription-based tools (e.g., Covidence and DistillerSR) to open access tools (e.g., Rayyan and abstrackr).Conclusion – A systematic review library research guide is not the type of research guide that you can create and forget about. Librarians should consider the resources, whether educational or informational, and the depth of coverage when developing or updating systematic review research guides or support services. Maintaining a systematic review research guide and support service requires continual training and maintaining familiarity with all resources and tools linked in the research guide.