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​​.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Online Program to Help Co-op Students Enhance their Employability Skills

Employability skills enhanced in University of Waterloo professional development courses Co-op students at the University of Waterloo who take online professional development courses to enhance their employability skills are generally positive about the value and relevance of the courses, according to a new study from the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQCO). And based on employer […]

Teaching Loads and Research Outputs of Ontario University Faculty: Implications for Productivity and Differentiation

Research Summary: Productivity 101: Increase teaching load of university professors who aren’t active researchers If professors who are not active researchers taught more, the teaching capacity of full-time professors in Ontario’s universities could increase by 10%, equivalent to adding 1,500 additional faculty members across the province, according to a new report from the Higher Education […]

Taking Learning Outcomes to the Gym An Assignment-Based Approach to Developing and Assessing Learning Outcomes

Research Summary: Lessons from the gym: Linking assignments to learning outcomes strengthens core skills Can learning technology “workouts” both develop and assess cognitive skills?  Using a muscle-building analogy, the authors of a new study from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) find evidence that students can strengthen their self-reflective and critical thinking skills […]

The Impact of the Instructional Skills Workshop on Faculty Approaches to Teaching

Research Summary: New study largest to date on impact of Instructional Skills Workshop More than 100 institutions worldwide have offered the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) over the last 30 years to develop more student-centred, reflective instructors, but relatively little research has been conducted on its impact. According to a new study from the Higher Education […]

Teaching Scientific Inquiry: Inquiry-based training for biology graduate teaching assistants improves undergraduate learning outcomes

Research Summary: Inquiry-based training improves teaching assistant effectiveness, student outcomes Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play a growing role in university education, particularly in lab components of STEM courses. A new study from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) finds that training GTAs in inquiry-based learning techniques in lab settings can improve both teaching […]

An Assessment of a Blended Learning Model for Information and Geospatial Literacy

Research Summary: Students Find Online Learning Tools Helpful and Convenient Combining online teaching tools with in-class instruction, known as blended learning, gives students the flexibility to adapt learning to their schedule and offers a potential cost savings for institutions. A new study by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) examined the impact of […]