The purpose of this Consultation Paper is to seek your comments, feedback, and advice on a HEQCO-led project to develop a set of performance indicators to monitor, evaluate, and improve Ontario’s public postsecondary system. For clarity, this project is designed to allow HEQCO to better fulfill its legislated mandate to provide an evaluation of the […]
Archives: Publication
Research Summary: Efforts to Improve Student Engagement Should Be Aimed at the Program, Student Service Level Measuring student engagement is a valuable tool for postsecondary education institutions attempting to improve the student experience and evaluate educational quality. While student engagement surveys like the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) can be misleading when used for […]
Research Summary: Provincial program improves academic success for students with learning disabilities Many postsecondary students with learning disabilities are apprehensive about disclosing their disability because they want independence and parity with their peers. But new research finds that those who utilize support services designed to level the playing field are likely to benefit through increased […]
Research Summary: Postsecondary Institutions Not Meeting the Unique Needs of Recent Immigrant Adult Students Postsecondary education (PSE) institutions play a vital role in helping recent immigrant adult students integrate into Canadian society. However, most colleges and universities are not identifying, or responding to, the specific needs of this unique group of learners. A new study […]
Research Summary: Drop-outs More Likely in First Year but Numbers Lower than Previously Thought The first year of postsecondary education (PSE) is a critical time for students, with most “drop-outs” taking place during this period. However, simply looking at an institution’s “drop-out” figures only tells a part of the story, missing students who switch programs […]
Research Summary: Faculty who are involved in WIL more likely to support its growth Work-integrated learning (WIL) – or co-operative education, internships, work placements and apprenticeships – is becoming more widespread in today’s colleges and universities as a way to better integrate learning and work. Faculty with WIL experience say that even more of it […]
Research Summary: Additional course support at Queen’s has mixed results in improving grades, engagement and retention As class sizes grow and budgets are squeezed, instructors at Queen’s University are finding new ways to improve learning. One approach, known as Supported Learning Groups, pairs upper year undergraduate students who have completed the course with students who […]
Research Summary: Global trends in bachelor’s degree: What can Ontario learn? The time-honoured bachelor’s degree has undergone some serious tinkering if not transformation over the last decade, driven by enrolment growth, constrained funding, demands for increased student mobility and greater alignment with the labour market. Some countries have shifted from three-year to four-year degrees while […]
Research Summary: Special needs students: Improving pathways to higher education Special education in Ontario and elsewhere is under intense scrutiny as calls for greater equity push schools toward more inclusive policies and practices, including those that improve the likelihood of special needs students pursuing postsecondary education (PSE). While there have been a number of promising […]