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Informing the Future of Higher Education

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Access Reboot: New Directions for Higher Education

We are very pleased to announce the return of the HEQCO conference. This one-day, in-person event will be taking place on November 3, 2023 at the Delta Hotel Toronto. HEQCO’s 9th conference, Access Reboot: New Directions for Higher Education will be an opportunity to share best practices, develop ideas and challenge traditional approaches to equity, […]

Women in Academia

Welcome to the Women in Academia Project HEQCO is pleased to announce the release of a multi-part research project designed to explore current and historical gender disparities among faculty in Ontario universities. Despite advocacy efforts, collective bargaining, targeted funding and legislation, gaps in representation, promotion and earnings for women academics persist. These inequalities are especially […]

Quick Stats

How many Ontario students applied to the province’s colleges and universities during the last decade? How many enrolled? How many graduated? Find the answers to these and other good questions in Quick Stats, a compendium of data on Ontario’s postsecondary system. Note: All visualizations begin in 2013 and go up to the most recent year […]

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The Language of Learning Outcomes: Definitions and Assessments

Report examines the language of learning outcomes Learning outcomes – what students should know or be able to do at the completion of a course or program – are rapidly replacing credit hours as the preferred unit of measurement for postsecondary learning. But assessment has yet to keep pace with growth, according to a new […]

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Alexandra MacFarlane – The wild west of learning outcomes assessment

Cue the tumble weeds, cowboys and whiskey-slinging saloons, and imagine a land that is both wild and full of potential. It’s the wild west of learning outcomes and like gold they are a hot commodity in an increasingly data-driven postsecondary sector. But there is still a great deal of unexplored territory – particularly in assessment. […]

Evaluating the Effects of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Mentor Program

Study examines Windsor mentorship program’s impact on student retention A peer mentorship program at the University of Windsor has a positive impact on first-year students as well as senior student mentors, according to a new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). Established in 2005 to improve enrolment and retention by enhancing […]

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EduData – How are learning outcomes being assessed?

From essays to learning portfolios, there’s a growing number of ways to assess learning outcomes. In the third HEQCO webinar on learning outcomes assessment in higher education, Lori Goff  (manager of program enhancement at McMaster University) asked the audience, “Which types of assessments do you primarily use in your course?” and listed a variety of […]

The Effectiveness of Tutorials in Large Classes: Do they matter?

Tutorials in large classes – for best results go early and often Tutorials are designed to offer students in large classes the opportunity for a more focused discussion and direct engagement with other students and teaching assistants (TAs), but do they have an impact on academic performance? A new study from the Higher Education Quality […]

Discovering the Benefits of a First-Year Experience Program for At-Risk Students: Quantitative Follow-upAnalysis

Lakehead University examines impact of its Gateway program on student success A new study from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) examines Lakehead University’s Gateway program, which was developed to help non-traditional students – those who do not meet the entrance requirements but who exhibit academic potential – enrol and succeed in university. […]