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; […]
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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 […]
“Value” as in dollars and cents? Or “value” as related to merit and importance? Evaluating the value of a postsecondary degree is creating a lot of buzz in higher education circles. There is much debate about postsecondary graduation rates, workplace skills and employment as key performance measures of student success in postsecondary education. From the […]
Today, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) released a major evaluation of the outcomes of the investment Canadian federal and provincial governments have made in graduate education. This report, Intentions For and Outcomes Following a Decade of Government Investment in Graduate Education, continues a series of papers we have published on graduate education. […]
Imagine you were given 54 hours to transform a basic idea into a startup company. You’re one of a sea of 100 individuals, most of whom you have never met before. They include software developers, educators, graphic designers, business developers, and even a handful of high school students. You have access to a few basic […]
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Fiona Deller – The buzz is building
The buzz is building for HEQCO’s November 7-8 conference, Rethinking Higher Ed: Beyond the Buzzwords. If you follow us closely, you will know we host a conference every year around this time. And each time we try to focus on the issues that are making the sector hum with debate, anticipation and sometimes angst. Turns […]