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Harvey P. Weingarten – Learning outcomes: Lessons learned and the next big thing

After two years of work on a series of projects to investigate the feasibility and value of a learning outcomes perspective in higher education, we have learned some important lessons about this game-changing approach. First, the most promising aspect is the identification and measurement of general learning and cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem […]

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On Our Radar – The Dog Ate My Homework

On Our Radar features HEQCO staff and guest bloggers offering their unique perspectives on trends, new ideas, and hot-button issues in higher education. The opinions are those of the authors. I would describe myself as a good student, one who always completes assignments on time and  asks far too many questions (much to the dismay […]

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On Our Radar – Open data movement: Canada know thyself

On Our Radar features HEQCO staff and guest bloggers offering their unique perspectives on trends, new ideas, and hot-button issues in higher education. The opinions are those of the authors. Anyone remotely involved in higher education is well aware of Massive Open Online Courses, otherwise known as MOOCs, which offer free education in the public […]

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On Our Radar – Glass ceiling more visible, but it’s still glass

On Our Radar features HEQCO staff and guest bloggers offering their unique perspectives on trends, new ideas, and hot-button issues in higher education. The opinions are those of the authors. With March bringing us both International Women’s Day and National Engineering month, the temptation to reflect on the state of women in engineering is practically […]

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David Trick – Robarts’ Plan for Higher Education Goes Golden

Fifty years ago tomorrow, on March 21, 1963, Premier John Robarts announced the plan that shaped Ontario’s higher education system as we now know it. His statement was delivered as part of routine proceedings in the Legislature, book-ended by statements about LCBO outlets and the Ontario Food Council.  He spoke for about an hour.  One […]

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Daniel Edwards – Learning to Earning: perspectives from Downunder

I have been working on a large international project with a colleague from HEQCO for the past year or so and have been fascinated hearing about the work that goes on in the higher education space in Canada, and particularly Ontario. So when an opportunity to visit Toronto and participate in the Learning to Earning […]

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Evidence of declining literacy among Canadian university graduates lends urgency to academic reform – Ian D. Clark

At HEQCO’s November Learning to Earning Conference, UBC labour economist Craig Riddell presented the results of his research with David Green on literacy skills, recently published as “Ageing and Literacy Skills: Evidence from Canada, US and Norway.” The findings are alarming and support the concern that David Trick, Richard Van Loon and I expressed in […]

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Sonya Tomas – Conference replay: Lessons from the popcorn machine

A few weeks after our Learning to Earning conference, we here at HEQCO are still replaying the lively discussions that took place during and after sessions (especially next to that break-time popcorn machine). For those who couldn’t make it to the event, here are a few takeaways from a research analyst/rookie conference planner/perpetual student at […]

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On Our Radar – An algorithm for student success

On Our Radar features HEQCO staff and guest bloggers offering their unique perspectives on trends, new ideas and hot-button issues in higher education. The opinions are those of the authors.   For years, postsecondary institutions have collected massive amounts of data but have not used them to their full capacity. Postsecondary institutions have a vested […]