Publications

HEQCO conducts and commissions studies and evaluations, often in partnership with Ontario’s colleges and universities, on key issues in accessibility, quality and accountability. Various organizations and individuals have considerable and valuable expertise in postsecondary education research. The research publications below reflect this collaboration with some of the best thinkers on issues related to higher education. Join our mailing list and keep current with the latest HEQCO research.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At HEQCO, we are committed to meeting the needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and will do so by preventing and removing barriers to accessibility and meeting requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. To request HEQCO material in alternate formats, please contact info@heqco.ca​​.

Skills, Competencies and Credentials

Current credential and accreditation system does not serve students well The current university system of credentials, accreditation and transcripts does not serve most undergraduate students well, according to a new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). While the current system does an excellent job documenting students’ knowledge of content, it provides […]

Academic Advising: Measuring the Effects of “Proactive” Interventions on Student Outcomes

More Robust Student Outreach Could Reduce Drop-out Rates First-year students who received repeated emails encouraging them to participate in advising services — particularly in group advising sessions — were less likely to drop out, finds a new report published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). The study was conducted by researchers at […]

Assessing Learning Outcomes: Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking and Written Communication Skills

Humber College examines the effectiveness of a new skills-assessment tool Students’ critical thinking and written communications skills show the most improvement when they are explicitly taught, according to a new study by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) that examines the effectiveness of a new skills-assessment tool developed at Humber College. While the […]

Student Success ePortfolio: Student, Faculty and Employer Perspectives on the Value of ePortfolios in Assessing the Development of Essential Employability Skills

Students, faculty and employers see potential value in ePortfolios By assembling a digital record of a student’s skills and academic accomplishments, ePortfolios have the potential to improve educators’ assessments of students and the ability of students to clearly communicate and connect with employers. But are they effective? A new study from the Higher Education Quality […]

Using Predictive Modelling to Inform Early Alert and Intrusive Advising Interventions and Improve Retention

Researchers develop a model to forecast dropout rates, better support students Can a mathematical equation predict which students are most likely to drop out? Yes, according to the findings of a new report published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). Researchers at Mohawk College and the Education Policy Research Initiative (EPRI) developed […]

Development of Analytic Rubrics for Competency Assessment

U of T rubrics assess student learning in communication , teamwork and design Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a set of rubrics to assess student learning in communication , teamwork and design , which can be applied to a wide range of courses and assessment types , according to a new report […]