Toronto, November 4, 2008 – The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) is pleased to announce a research program to help Ontario’s leading university and college teachers share teaching practices. This Research Program in Knowledge Mobilization for Exemplary Teaching & Learning is led by Dr. Thomas Carey, a noted expert in teaching quality.
“Ontario’s postsecondary system is the home of many fine instructors” said Dr. Carey. “This project will explore how to mobilize their knowledge to ensure every university and college faculty member can maximize their teaching effectiveness.”
The new research program includes a series of pilot projects to enhance the learning experience and student success in particular courses and programs; identify, adapt, and share exemplary teaching practices; document the pedagogical content to support knowledge exchange between colleagues; and develop more effective ways for educators to mobilize knowledge for the enhancement of teaching and learning.
As a first step in this program, HEQCO today released Dr. Carey’s paper, Research Study on a Knowledge Exchange Network for Exemplary Teaching in Ontario Higher Education. This paper explores the idea of knowledge exchange networks for exemplary teaching as a means to identify and promote exemplary teaching practices in Ontario. It also examines how networks that employ powerful telecommunications tools can act as catalysts for identifying, promoting, and applying exemplary teaching practices.
“Identifying and sharing exemplary teaching practices are essential steps in ensuring our postsecondary education system delivers the highest possible level of teaching and learning,” said Dr. James Downey, president and CEO of HEQCO. “Dr. Carey brings extensive experience in knowledge exchange networks from his work with the University of Waterloo and the California State University system, and we are excited to have him lead this project.”
In the coming months, HEQCO will continue its research into aspects of educational quality, with projects in student engagement, strategies for promoting student success, and developing an Ontario-wide postsecondary quality framework.
About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is an arm’s-length agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to ensuring the continued improvement of the postsecondary education system in Ontario. The Council was created through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act, 2005. It is mandated to conduct research, evaluate the postsecondary education system and provide policy recommendations to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities with a view to enhancing the quality, access, and accountability of postsecondary education in Ontario.
For further information, please contact:
Ainsley Matthews
Events and Communications Coordinator
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
(416) 212 5248
amatthews@heqco.ca
www.heqco.ca