Higher Education Quality Council of OntarioOne of the benefits of working at HEQCO (and let’s face it, there are many) is that staying abreast of postsecondary education literature is part of the job. Although the volume can be overwhelming, much of this writing is provocative and helpful. Occasionally I run across something that simply provokes. In a recent opinion piece […]
Until a child turns 5 or 6, much of his or her learning happens through nursery rhymes and songs. One reason is that the human brain is effectively a sponge for music, meter and rhyme. Some studies even suggest that music was the foundation for language itself. Why then does music all but disappear from […]
In last Thursday’s budget, the Ontario government announced significant changes to the way student financial aid will be packaged to encourage greater participation of students from low income families. These changes come after years of research from HEQCO, and other organizations, about the inhibitory effects of a high tuition sticker price and loan aversion on […]
There is a door in my house – maybe you have one of these too – that cannot be painted. In recent renovations, I had to explain to the workmen that the data on the door is too valuable and must be preserved. You may have guessed that the door in question is where we’ve […]
To say that the modern world moves at a rapid pace is reductive, if not a bit clichéd. Technology evolves almost by the day, leaving even the savviest techno connoisseur wondering if they really need another version of the same telephone. We race to keep up and then wait breathlessly for the next goal line […]
Who would have ever predicted that a career as an elementary French teacher would eventually lead me to working for an educational publisher as a researcher and change agent? However, as someone who was nearing the completion of her doctoral studies, conducting research as opposed to teaching in the classroom did seem like the next […]
In any policy initiative, it is important to distinguish between goals and strategies. Goals are things you are trying to achieve – the outcomes you are seeking. Strategies are processes and actions that can be employed to achieve these desired outcomes. Strategies are not ends in themselves. Rather, they are tools. Strategies have no inherent […]
Higher education in the United States is at a tipping point. The cost of a college education has spiraled out of control, leaving deserving students priced out of a bright future and putting the nation at risk of losing much-needed talent. Many states are reducing funding for publicly supported colleges, driving the price of securing […]
Learning outcomes have been a key part of my professional life in higher education for the past 25 years. I completed a degree in social work at McGill University way back in the 80’s and haven’t been a social worker for a very long time. While I still can remember some content I learned (remembering […]