One of the many things we do at HEQCO is read the trades. We try to keep up on the latest research, as well as the media commentary, relevant books and the blogosphere. We read the good, the bad, the controversial and the bland. This year, we thought it might be nice to share with […]
My previous contributions on “managing for quality” have addressed the challenges of shifting away from our current policy of managing for access and why learning outcomes is a game changer in the higher education world. To use learning outcomes productively to improve higher education, and to clear up some of the confusion in the current […]
Guest blogger: Varun Vig Postsecondary access has long been a research priority for HEQCO. Our current focus is on the participation of students from underrepresented groups. Following is a blog on the experiences and pathways of Torontonian Varun Vig. Is accessing a higher education the same experience for all students, irrespective of socio-economic backgrounds? Considering […]
Categories
Fiona Deller – Need to Read No. 2
Pathways, ROIs and competencies If you are interested in student transitions and pathways and you are not following the work being done in BC, you should take a look at the latest report in the BC transitions project, which follows students who entered a bachelor’s degree program in 2005. For a new installment on postsecondary […]
This is the first in a blog series on HEQCO’s key research priorities, in which we share the what, the why and the where-to next. Focussing on quality, particularly through the lens of learning outcomes, is a game changer in higher education because it influences the way we design, deliver, evaluate and improve academic programs; […]
Categories
Fiona Deller – Need to Read No. 1
One of the many things we do at HEQCO is read the trades. We try to keep up on the latest research, as well as the media commentary, relevant books and the blogosphere. We read the good, the bad, the controversial and the bland. This year, we thought it might be nice to share with […]
Traditionally the bailiwick of our colleges, designing and measuring learning against a set of established competencies is gaining momentum in less familiar places. There is growing recognition that the fruits of a liberal arts education are unrecognized by graduates and unarticulated to potential employers and the broader society. Students completing a degree in history, as […]
Academics, policy-makers and pundits have long been using the term “soft skills” – a lot longer than they’ve been using that other labour market favourite: skills gap. But if various panels at HEQCO’s recent conference: Rethinking higher ed: Beyond {the buzzwords}, couldn’t agree on whether there is a skills gap, there was wide and vocal […]
I had the opportunity recently to participate in a conference panel for members of the Boards of Governors of Ontario universities. Our panel was charged to opine on the question of whether universities are meeting the needs of students and the public and, if there is room for improvement, what has to change. The conference […]