How Online Learning Affects Productivity, Cost and Quality in Higher Education: An Environmental Scan and Review of the Literature

Research Summary: Online education should bring effective learning and cost savings Online education has the potential to provide high-quality learning – for some students, in some fields of study – at significantly lower unit costs than traditional forms of instruction and those savings should help fund the cost of improving face-to-face learning, according to a […]

The Impact of Multiple Electronic Learning Resources on Student Academic Performance

Research Summary: Online Learning Tools are Most Effective When Focused on Interaction First-year chemistry students at Carleton University have access to a wide range of online and electronic resources, including a website with lecture slides and useful links and videos, a video on demand (VOD) service to watch lectures remotely and a collaborative homework management […]

Measuring Student Success and Satisfaction in Technology-Enhanced Learning Studio Environments

Research Summary: Learning studios improve student and faculty satisfaction at Lambton College Learning studios, which offer enhanced teaching and learning technologies, flexible furnishings and an open layout, are gaining popularity in many educational institutions. But what impact do they have on student achievement and success, as well as student and faculty satisfaction? A study of […]

Provincial government must adopt more active role in system planning

Ontario College and University Strategic Mandate Agreements Government must play a more active, assertive and purposeful role to drive system-level planning and change, according to an Expert Panel convened by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) that reviewed Strategic Mandate Agreement submissions from Ontario’s 44 public colleges and universities.  The Panel’s report, Quality: Shifting […]

The Impact on Writing Skills of Tablets in College Developmental English Classes

Tablet Devices a Useful Tool for Teaching Writing Skills Using tablet devices as a classroom tool allows for immediate instructor feedback and easier student collaboration, according to a new study published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). And when used in a college developmental writing course, they improved attendance, participation and performance. […]

Bridging the Gap: The Impact of the ‘Teaching in the Canadian Classroom’ Program on the Teaching Effectiveness of International Teaching Assistants

Research Summary: Program helps international graduate teaching assistants manage pedagogical culture clash Graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) are a staple of university education in Canada.  Plentiful among them – particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines – are international students from other countries and cultures where higher education is primarily teacher-centered and where […]

The Role of New Faculty Orientations in Improving the Effectiveness of Postsecondary Teaching Part 2: College Sector

College/University Collaboration Could Improve Quality of Teaching and Learning While postsecondary teaching development programs continue to receive considerable investments of time and money, their impact has only rarely been studied or evaluated. The second of a two-part study commissioned by the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQCO) on new faculty orientations and teaching development in Ontario’s […]

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Students: A Measure of the Effectiveness of Information Literacy Initiatives in Higher Education

Research Summary: No Simple Solution for Improving Students’ Research and Critical Evaluation Skills The ability to locate, evaluate and accurately utilize complex information, often referred to as information literacy, is a critical skill for success in school, work and life. A new study by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) recommends colleges and […]

Researching Teaching and Student Outcomes in Postsecondary Education A Guide

Research Summary: Improving student success: Guide helps practitioners assess teaching and learning As the quality of higher education moves up on the public agenda, the scholarship of teaching and learning is moving front and centre in Ontario’s colleges and universities. Among the signposts: teaching and learning centres at most Ontario postsecondary institutions; the emergence of […]