bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Universities and Government in Post-War Japan
Authors: Yamamoto Shinichi
Published: December 2020

Japan's higher education system, in which private universities and colleges play an important part, has embarked on far-reaching reform in the 1990s. Its main objective was to free the national (public) universities from tight control by the central government and to give them more autonomy. In light of dramatic demographic changes, especially a much smaller proportion of people of traditional university age, and considering that higher education research was not useful to Japanese industry, the status and management of public universities have been transformed to allow more autonomy, competition, and private sector-style management. Meanwhile, mechanisms have been introduced to hold the newly independent universities more accountable.
National Innovation and the Role of the College Sector
Authors: Belanger Charles H. , Mount Joan , Madgett Paul , Filion Ivan
Published: December 2020

This paper discusses the role of the colleges in applied research in the context of Canada's capability for innovation in a globally competitive arena. The analysis focuses upon issues around an expanded mandate related to applied research. To explore the state of readiness of the college sector, it draws upon the results of a survey distributed to 150 college and institute presidents in Canada, as well as upon other recent studies. The discussion ends with suggested policy avenues to maximize the effectiveness of this sector's contribution to the nation's innovation agenda.
High School to University in Ontario: Did an Extra Year Make a Difference?
Authors: Brady Patrick , Allingham Philip
Published: December 2020

This study examined perceptions of preparedness for post-secondary education in the province of Ontario. Participants were 272 university students enrolled in the first year of a four-or five-year concurrent teacher education program and represented two distinctive groups: (a) entrants who had completed the old five-year Ontario Academic Credit system, and (b) those who were admitted to university via the new four-year program. They responded to a questionnaire which inquired into the degree to which they believed that their final year of secondary school had adequately prepared them for the transition to university level studies. Although data analysis did not reveal any significant difference between the two groups in terms of academic achievement, Grade 12s reported feeling less prepared overall for the challenges of university, especially in terms of the acquisition of specific academic skills, as well as adjustment to the university social milieu.
A Comparative Review of Canadian Health Professional Education Accreditation Systems
Authors: Curran Vernon R. , Fleet Lisa , Deacon Diana
Published: December 2020

Canadian governments and various stakeholder groups are advocating greater interprofessional collaboration amongst health care providers as a fundamental strategy for enhancing coordination and quality of care in the health care system. Interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centred practice (IECPCP) is an educational process by which students/learners (or workers) from different health professions learn together to improve collaboration. The educational system is believed to be a main determinant of interprofessional collaborative practice, yet academic institutions are largely influenced by accreditation, certification and licensure bodies. Accreditation processes have been linked to the continuous improvement of curricula in the health professions, and have also been identified as potential avenues for encouraging educational change and innovation. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the characteristics of the national accreditation systems of select Canadian health professional education programs at both the pre- and post-licensure educational levels and to show how these systems support and/or foster IECPCP. A review of the educational accreditation systems of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, occupational therapy and physiotherapy was undertaken through key informant interviews and an analysis of accreditation process documentation. The results of this comparative review suggest that accreditation systems are more prevalent across the health professions at a pre-licensure level. Accreditation at the post- licensure level, particularly at the continuing professional education level, appears to be less well established across the majority of health professions. Overall, the findings of the review also suggest that current accreditation systems do not appear to promote nor foster interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centred practice in a systematic manner through either accreditation processes or standards. Through a critical adult learning perspective we argue that in order for traditional uni-professional structures within the health professional education system to be challenged, the accreditation system needs to place greater value on interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centred practice.
The Labour Market Value of Liberal Arts and Applied Education Programs: Evidence from British Columbia
Authors: Adamuti-Trache Maria , Hawkey Colleen , Schuetze Hans G. , Glickman Victor
Published: December 2020

In this article, labour market outcomes of British Columbia graduates from liberal arts and applied education programs are investigated by examining the 1996 cohort of baccalaureate graduates one year and five years after graduation. We argue that the individual return to education has to be analyzed from a multi-dimensional perspective, in relation to initial educational and career goals of graduates who have anticipated both intellectual challenges and economic rewards from their investment in education. The study reveals differences in outcomes (i.e., employment, earnings) by program type, gender and age. Our main conclusion is that graduates from applied education programs experience a more rapid integration into the labour market as compared to graduates from liberal arts education programs. Although earning differences by program type and age either decrease or even disappear over time, earning differences by gender are enhanced five years after graduation. Also, we conclude that graduates from applied education programs establish and accomplish more focused educational and career goals, while graduates from liberal education programs establish broader educational and career goals.
Predicting Individual Research Productivity: More than a Question of Time
Authors: Ito Jack K. , Brotheridge Céleste M.
Published: December 2020

Despite professors’ education and socialization and the significant re- wards they receive for research activities and output, the 80/20 rule seems to apply; that is, there exists a system of stars who produce a disproportionate volume of research such that most research tends to be undertaken by a small percentage of the academy (Erkut, 2002). Although a growing body of research seeks to address this imbalance, studies of research productivity have tended to reveal its institutional and non-behavioural antecedents. As a result, there exists very little re- search that considers the strategies that individuals employ to improve their personal research productivity. This exploratory, questionnaire- based study of a sample of Canadian professors attempts to address this gap by examining the relationship among a number of strategies, what professors report as being their average annual number of publications over the past five years, and their perceptions of their level of research productivity. Not surprisingly, in this study, we found that the amount of time that individuals invested in research activities predicted their level of research productivity. Additionally, strategically focusing one’s research positively influenced journal publication levels, both directly and through its interaction with seeking resources (such as research grants). A strategic focus also positively predicted self-perceived re- search productivity through its interaction with managing ideas. Finally, although the perceived need to free up time from teaching and committee work was negatively related to journal publication levels, it was positively related to perceptions of productivity.

Malgré l’importance accordée à la recherche par les universités, la règle des 80/20 s’applique toujours : la majorité de la recherche est menée par une minorité de professeurs (Erkut, 2002). Les études antérieures sur la productivité des chercheurs se sont surtout concentrées sur les antécédents institutionnels, accordant peu d’attention aux stratégies individuelles visant à améliorer la productivité personnelle. Cette étude exploratoire vise à répondre à cette lacune. L’enquête révèle que le nombre d’heures qu’un individu investit dans les activités de recherche est un prédicteur du niveau de productivité. De même, l’adoption d’une stratégie de focalisation des recherches est associée à un plus haut niveau de publication dans les revues scientifiques, en particulier pour les chercheurs qui ont également fait des recherches de financement (par exemple pour des subventions de recherche). En outre, l’interaction entre la focalisation stratégique des recherches et la gestion des idées favorise la perception de soi-même comme un chercheur productif. Enfin, le sentiment de devoir réduire le temps d’enseignement et de service à la collectivité s’est avéré négativement corrélé au niveau de publication dans les revues scientifiques, mais positivement corrélé à la perception de soi comme chercheur productif.
University Supports for Open Access: A Canadian National Survey
Authors: Greyson Devon , Vézina Kumiko , Morrison Heather , Taylor Donald , Black Charlyn
Published: December 2020

The advent of policies at research-funding organizations requiring grantees to make their funded research openly accessible alters the life cycle of scholarly research. This survey-based study explores the approaches that libraries and research administration offices at the major Canadian universities are employing to support the research-production cycle in an open access era and, in particular, to support researcher adherence to funder open-access requirements. Responses from 21 universities indicated that librarians feel a strong sense of mandate to carry out open access-related activities and provide research supports, while research administrators have a lower sense of mandate and awareness and instead focus largely on assisting researchers with securing grant funding. Canadian research universities already contain infrastructure that could be leveraged to support open access, but maximizing these opportunities requires that research administration offices and university libraries work together more synergistically than they have done traditionally.
Learning (About) Outcomes: How the Focus on Assessment Can Help Overall Course Design
Authors: Ascough Richard S.
Published: December 2020

The demand for quantitative assessment by external agencies and internal administrators can leave post-secondary instructors confused about the nature and purpose of “learning outcomes” and fearful that the demand is simply part of the increasing corporatization of the university system. This need not be the case. Writing learning outcomes has a number of benefits for course design that go beyond program assessment. This article clarifies some key aspects of the push towards using “learning outcomes,” and introduces a tripartite nomenclature for distinguishing between course “outcomes,” “outputs,” and “objectives.” It then outlines a process for instructors to use these three categories to develop and design courses that meet institutional assessment demands while also improving overall teaching effectiveness.
Academic Dishonesty in the Canadian Classroom: Behaviours of a Sample of University Students
Authors: Jurdi Rozzet , Hage H. Sam , Chow Henry P. H.
Published: December 2020

Academic dishonesty is a persistent problem in institutions of higher education, with numerous short- and long-term implications. This study examines undergraduate students’ self-reported engagement in acts of academic dishonesty using data from a sample of 321 participants attending a public university in a western Canadian city during the fall of 2007. Various factors were assessed for their influence on students’ extent of academic dishonesty. More than one-half of respondents engaged in at least one of three types of dishonest behaviours surveyed during their tenure in university. Faculty of enrolment, strategies for learning, perceptions of peers’ cheating and their requests for help, and perceptions and evaluations of academic dishonesty made unique contributions to the prediction of academic dishonesty. High self-efficacy acted as a protective factor that interacted with instrumental motives to study to reduce students’ propensity to engage in dishonest academic behaviours. Implications of these findings for institutional interventions are briefly discussed.
Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners at University
Authors: Roessingh Hetty , Douglas Scott
Published: December 2020

This study compares the undergraduate academic achievement of domestic English language learners (ELLs) of different age on arrival (AOA) cohorts to native English speakers (NS), all of whom graduated from local high schools. The broad research question that frames the study is how the literacy levels of ELLs of different AOA cohorts influence retention, progress, and grade point average (GPA) as indicators of academic success. Findings suggest that ELLs are resilient and determined as they make progress toward degree status. However, their progress and achievement, regardless of AOA, is fraught with challenges. This outcome represents a loss of educational capital for Canada in an economy that needs the participation of these students, who are among our brightest and best. Suggestions are made for policy reform, pedagogy, and service provision for ELLs at university.
Putting research into practice: Pedagogy development workshops change the teaching philosophy of graduate students.
Authors: White Peter , Syncox David , Heppleston Audrey , Isaac Siara , Alters Brian
Published: December 2020

Teaching competence is an important skill for graduate students to acquire and is often considered a precursor to an academic career. In this study, we evaluated the effects of a multi-day teaching workshop on graduate teaching philosophies by surveying 200 graduate students, 79 of whom had taken the workshops and 121 who had not. We found no difference between groups (workshop attendees versus non-attendees) in their beliefs that (a) it is important to focus on in-depth learning of core concepts when teaching and (b) “memorization” is a poor learning strategy for students. On average, however, respondents who had taken the workshop allocated more in-class time for student-to-student discussions (interactive engagement) and placed less emphasis on lecturing. These results suggest that graduate students are generally aware of the importance of conceptual learning, but workshop attendees have clearer ideas on how to teach for effective learning.
Sense of belonging and first-year academic literacy
Authors: Marshall Steve , Zhou Mingming , Gervan Ted , Wiebe Sunita
Published: December 2020

In this article, we analyze a broad range of factors that affect the sense of belonging of undergraduate students taking a first-year academic literacy course (ALC) at a multicultural, multilingual university in Vancouver, Canada. Students who fail to meet the university’s language and literacy requirements are required to pass ALC before they can enrol in writing courses across the disciplines. Consequently, many of those students feel that they have yet to be accepted as fully legitimate members of the university community. We present data from a two-year, mixed-method study, which involved asking students in surveys and interviews about their sense of belonging, as well as analyzing their reflective writing samples for issues related to their sense of belonging. We found that the participants’ perceptions of sense of belonging are multilayered and context-dependent, relating to changes in time and space, classroom pedagogy, and other social, cultural, and linguistic factors. Implications for higher education are discussed.
Graduate student teaching development: Evaluating the effectiveness of training in relation to graduate student characteristics
Authors: Boman Jennifer S.
Published: December 2020

In recent years, much attention has been given to the need for more empirical research to evaluate training programs that help prepare graduate students for their current and future teaching responsibilities. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a training workshop for graduate students who had varying levels of experience and diverse cultural backgrounds. Results indicated that over the course of training participants significantly increased their self-efficacy and effective teaching behaviours and decreased their public speaking apprehension. Although participants with varying levels of experience as well as participants with Canadian and international backgrounds benefited from the program, the results highlighted the need for additional teaching development opportunities for international graduate students.
Pedagogical or punitive?: The academic integrity websites of Ontario universities
Authors: Griffith Jane
Published: December 2020

This study is a snapshot of how Ontario universities are currently promoting academic integrity (AI) online. Rather than concentrating on policies, this paper uses a semiotic methodology to consider how the websites of Ontario’s publicly funded universities present AI through language and image. The paper begins by surveying each website and documenting emerging language-based trends like interpellating different audiences, inducting students into a larger scholarly community, and appealing to peer disapproval. The paper also records how these websites visually communicate AI through images and video, arguing that image and text inform one another in a two-way relationship: for example, a punitive image may undermine an otherwise textually pedagogical website. Overall, the majority of Ontario websites have a decidedly educative mandate in their online AI resources, aligning with current AI scholarship that lauds education rather than after-the-fact punishment.
L’expérience sociale des institutions scolaires : construire son identité linguistique au fil de la transition à l’enseignement supérieur
Authors: Magnan Marie-Odile
Published: December 2020

Rather than using the classical view generally embraced by the field of sociology of education – that is equity in educational chances and mechanisms of social reproduction, this article analyses the construction of linguistic identity among young adults during their school and mobility pathways. The results obtained from this qualitative research (N=33) demonstrate that the transition to higher education influences the construction of linguistic identity of young adults who previously attended a minority linguistic school in Canada – and this is mainly due to the new relationships to otherness that the transition to higher education involves. Using a micro sociological and constructivist approach, the article draws a parallel between the objective pathways (school and mobility transitions) and the subjective pathways (construction of linguistic identity) of young adults by analysing their life story with a diachronic approach. Although some researchers have evoked the decline of the school institution (Dubet, 2002), this article reveals that the social experience of school leaves a mark on life pathways.
Qu’est-ce qui influence la participation en classe d’étudiants en enseignement de l’éducation physique et à la santé et en kinésiologie ?
Authors: Desbiens Jean-François , Kozanitis Anastassis , Lanoue Sèverine
Published: December 2020

Engaging university students in classroom activities represents a growing challenge for university teachers. This questionnaire survey was conducted with 1,021 physical education and kinesiology undergraduate students. It aimed to improve our understanding of the links between verbal participation, and sociodemographic, context, interaction, and motivation variables. The multivariate analysis show that verbal participation is better understood if the factorial solution combines in a specific manner some motivation, interaction, environment and personal variables. The results presented remind us that teachers can only exert a partial control on students’ engagement if they influence their perceptions on the learning situation and on their own interaction behaviors. This original study also shows how teachers’ behaviors influence in greater ways students’ classroom verbal participation.
Power play: The dynamics of power and interpersonal communication in higher education as reflected in David Mamet’s Oleanna
Authors: Chiaramonte Peter
Published: December 2020

David Mamet’s play Oleanna may be infamous for reasons that do not do justice to the play’s real accomplishments. One reason for the controversy is the author’s apparent focus on sexual harassment. The play is not about sexual harassment. It is about power. And in particular the power of language to shape relationships within social environments such as universities. First published and performed in 1992 - at a time when many were outraged by the Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill debate - the playwright himself was compelled to deny his play was about sexual aggravation. Mamet’s Oleanna serves to instruct us about the power dynamics within one of our most vital institutions. The aim of this article is to take a dedicated look at this dramatic spectacle to see if we cannot uncover something about leadership and the mechanics of power and communication in higher education that is intellectually riveting, as well as socially constructive.
Lecture capture: An effective tool for universal instructional design?
Authors: Vajoczki Susan , Watt Susan , Fenton Nancy , Tarkowski Jacob , Voros Geraldine , Vine Michelle M.
Published: December 2020

Student enrolment and instructional accommodation requests are rising in higher education. Universities lack the capacity to meet increasing accommodation needs, thus research in this area is required. In Ontario, new provincial legislation requires that all public institutions, including universities, make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The objective of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is to provide universal access for students with disabilities. The purpose of this case study is to understand the experiences of students regarding the ability of a lecture capture technology to align with the principles of Universal Instructional Design (UID). Data were collected using a mixed-method research design: (a) an online questionnaire, and (b) individual face-to-face interviews. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) literature provides a useful background to explore AODA legislation and universal accessibility vis-à-vis lecture capture technologies. Results indicate that lecture capture can align both with the principles of UID and AODA.
When intentions meet reality: Consonance and dissonance in teacher approaches to peer assessment
Authors: Sandvoll Ragnhild Sofie
Published: December 2020

This article focuses on teachers’ experiences in implementing peer assessment with first semester students. It explores the relationship between teachers’ conceptions of teaching and their approach to peer assessment, where both conceptions and approaches are described as being either learning focused or content focused. Drawing upon analysis of interviews with eight teachers, the study found that one had a consonant view of the interrelationship between conceptions of teaching and approaches to peer assessment, while the remaining seven described their conceptions of teaching and their approaches to peer assessment with a combination of learning-focused and content-focused statements. These statements are labelled as dissonant. Discussion focuses on implications of consonant and dissonant relationships between conceptions of teaching and approaches to peer assessment for implementation of peer assessment; it also addresses academic development issues. The study reveals that when implementing new methods (here, peer assessment), underlying assumptions will impact on the nature of teacher engagement.
Preparing Graduate Students for a Changing World of Work: Editor’s Introduction
Authors: Osborne Bethany J. , Carpenter Sara , Brunett Megan , Rolheiser Carol , Korpan Cynthia
Published: December 2020

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Higher Education represents the growing recognition of changes in the career paths and trajectories of graduate students as well as the deepening interest in the support and development of professional knowledge and skills in advanced degree holders. Geographer Andrew Ross described today’s ‘geographies of livelihood’ in terms of the changing demands of work and employment in a globalized knowledge economy.
Exploring the Context of Canadian Graduate Student Teaching Certificates in University Teaching
Authors: Kenny Natasha , Watson Gavan P.L. , Watton Claire
Published: December 2020

A growing number of Canadian universities offer graduate student certificate programs in university teaching. This paper examines such programs at 13 Canadian universities and presents a discussion of program structures and practices. The findings suggest that most programs were offered over one to two years, and upon successful completion, participants were issued a centre-approved certificate paired with a more formalized method of recognition, such as a transcript notation. The core focus of certificate programs appears to be divided between those that emphasize practical skill development (46%) and those that offer practical skill development along with a focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning (54%). Most certificates included active and authentic assessment methods, such as dossiers (69%), and practice teaching sessions (62%). These findings help to inform the continued evolution of graduate student teaching certificate programs.
Listen Up! Be Responsible! What Graduate Students Hear About University Teaching, Graduate Education and Employment
Authors: Aspenlieder Erin , Vander Kloet Marie
Published: December 2020

What we hear at universities and in public conversations is that there is a crisis in graduate student education and employment. We are interested here in the (re)circulation of the discourses of crisis and responsibility. What do graduate students hear about their education, their career prospects, and their responsibilities? How does work in educational development contribute to these conversations? We explore these questions through an analysis of two data sets: the course outlines for multidiscipline graduate courses on university teaching, and popular and academic press articles on graduate education and employment. Through this discursive analysis, we first examine what graduate students hear through these two archives of writing. We then unpack two key discourses that emerge across the archives: the privileging of practice over theory, and the desire to assign responsibility for how the crisis of graduate education and employment should be resolved and by whom.
Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Professional Skills Development Program: The Case of Concordia University’s GradProSkills
Authors: Venkatesh Vivek , Rabah Jihan , Lamoureux-Scholes Laurie , Pelczer Ildiko , Urbaniak Kathryn , Martin Frédérica
Published: December 2020

The Graduate and Professional Skills (GradProSkills) program is an initiative developed and run by Concordia University’s School of Graduate Studies and the university’s Office of the Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies. This paper presents a case study in which we describe the development, implementation, and evaluative components of the GradProSkills program. Drawing on data from a rigorously validated workshop evaluation tool and from attendance figures spanning a period of a little over two and a half years, we provide a picture of how Concordia’s graduate students are benefiting from the GradProSkills program. We present the results of both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses run on a pilot group of registrants who provided evaluation data (n = 3,292). Our case study contributes an empirically derived model of extracurricular programming, with contextualizing details of administrative structures, curriculum-development initiatives, and partnership efforts that have been used in operating the GradProSkills program.
Beyond Skills: An Integrative Approach to Doctoral Student Preparation for Diverse Careers
Authors: Porter Susan D. , Phelps Jennifer M.
Published: December 2020

An early consensus in the ongoing discourse about graduate student preparation for diverse careers was that graduates lacked competencies relevant to non-academic professional settings. Lists of missing “skills” were developed that universities and agencies sought to address, most commonly by the offering of generic (transferable) skills workshops or courses. In this paper, we critique this framing of the issue and discuss the limitations of the common approaches taken to address it. We propose a more integrated approach, where students’ thesis research itself is oriented to their possible futures (a practice already occurring in many areas), and where assessment of the competencies so developed is integral to the awarding of the degree. We illustrate the concepts through the stories of two students, and discuss policy ramifications and the substantial challenges to its realization presented by a highly competitive research environment and established ways of assessing success in faculty and students.
Retirement in the Post-Revocation Context at One Canadian University: Experiences of Phasing and Delaying
Authors: Quint-Rapoport Mia Joy
Published: December 2020

This research study is a phenomenological exploration of academics from one Canadian university who either are participating in a phased retirement program or have delayed their retirement beyond the normal retirement age of 65. It is based on face-to-face interviews with 24 professors, male and female, between the ages of 55 and 69, from an array of disciplines. The results indicate that teaching may be a primary reason why academics choose to retire, that female academics seem to align their retirement plans with those of their partners, and that academics who postpone their retirement feel as though they possess a significant amount of respect within their fields. Since this research is based upon a small sample, it provides a starting point for future research studies, particularly concerning how gender affects the issue of academic retirement.
The Visioning of Policy and the Hope of Implementation: Support for Graduate Students’ Teaching at a Canadian Institution
Authors: Hoessler Carolyn , Godden Lorraine
Published: December 2020

Graduate students teach within the complex higher education environment of financial constraint, greater student diversity, and growing graduate enrolment (e.g., Austin, 2003). Teaching roles offer financial support and skill development while multiplying responsibilities (Price, 2008). Across the national working papers and institutional reports, policies, and websites that we analyzed, support for graduate students was linked to their roles (e.g., teaching assistants). Formal messages about responsibility varied; national documents pointed to institutions, while institutional documents pointed to departments, courses, and individual graduate students. Most supports for graduate students reported were already existing piecemeal supports with limited implementation, despite policy recommendations for broad, flexible, open-ended, and recognized programming. Future research is needed to further clarify the pathways from vision to action.
When Online Exchanges Byte: An Examination of the Policy Environment Governing Cyberbullying at the University Level
Authors: Faucher Chantal , Jackson Margaret , Cassidy Wanda
Published: December 2020

This article reports on findings from a scan of 465 policies relevant to the handling of cyberbullying in 74 Canadian universities. It first assesses the commonalities and differences in the policies. Second, it considers how their various lenses—a human rights perspective versus a student conduct perspective, for instance—can affect the directions and outcomes of university responses. The majority of the policies reviewed were codes of student conduct and discipline, policies on electronic communication, and policies on harassment and discrimination. Most of the policies outlined complaint procedures and possible sanctions, but relatively few addressed prevention of unacceptable behaviours. Only about a third made reference to “cyber” behaviours, suggesting that the university policy environment is not current with the information and communication technologies that permeate the daily lives of university students and faculty.
Furthering the “Theory Debate” in the Scholarship of Teaching: A Proposal Based on MacIntyre’s Account of Practices
Authors: Kreber Carolin
Published: December 2020

Initiatives intended to support and advance the scholarship of teaching have become common in Canada as well as internationally. Nonetheless, the notion of a scholarship of teaching remains contested and has been described as under-theorized. In this conceptual study, I contribute to the ongoing “theory debate” in the scholarship of teaching, applying a philosophical lens. I propose that Alasdair MacIntyre’s account of “practices,” including concepts of virtue, standards of excellence, internal goods, and transformation, offers a useful theoretical framework by which to identify the nature and defend the purposes and desired outcomes of this domain of scholarship. I argue that the moral virtues of justice, courage, and truthfulness, identified by MacIntyre as fundamental to all social practices, are essential also for meaningful engagement in the practice of the scholarship of teaching, but that two additional and overarching virtues are needed: authenticity and phronesis.
A Comparison of Factors Related to University Students’ Learning: College-Transfer and Direct-Entry from High School Students
Authors: Acai Anita , Newton Genevieve
Published: December 2020

Articulation agreements between colleges and universities, whereby students with two-year college diplomas can receive advancement toward a four-year university degree, are provincially mandated in some Canadian provinces and highly encouraged in others. In this study, we compared learning in college-transfer and direct-entry from high school (DEHS) students at the University of Guelph–Humber in Ontario, using eight factors related to learning: age, gender, years of prior postsecondary experience, learning approach, academic performance, use of available learning resources, subjective course experience, and career goals. Our results show that while college-transfer students tend to be older than DEHS students, they do not significantly differ in either learning approach or academic performance. This is an important finding, suggesting that college-transfer programs are a viable option for non-traditional university students. We conclude that the academic success of college-transfer students is attainable with careful consideration of policies, such as admissions criteria, and the drafting of formal articulation agreements between institutions.
Who Is the Successful University Student? An Analysis of Personal Resources
Authors: Stelnicki Andrea M. , Nordstokke David W. , Saklofske Donald H.
Published: December 2020

A number of factors have been identified in the research literature as being important for student success in university. However, the rather large body of literature contains few studies that have given students the opportunity to directly report what they believe contributes to their success as an undergraduate student. The primary purpose of this study is to explore students’ descriptions of the personal resources that they use to succeed while attempting to reach their goals as well as those personal characteristics or obstacles that keep them from reaching their goals. Prominent themes supportive of student success included having a future orientation, persistence, and executive functioning skills such as time management and organization. Results also demonstrate that stress, inadequate academic skills, and distractions are detrimental to student success in university. This study is unique in that it gathers the content data directly from the population of interest; it is one of the few qualitative studies of undergraduate students’ self-generated perceptions. Implications for university administrators and academic counsellors and directions for future research are discussed.
Exploring Future Teachers’ Awareness, Competence, Confidence, and Attitudes Regarding Teaching Online: Incorporating Blended/Online Experience into the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Course for Graduate Students
Authors: Sheffield Suzanne Le-May , McSweeney Jill Marie , Panych Aaron
Published: December 2020

Dalhousie University’s Centre for Learning and Teaching offers a Certificate in University Teaching and Learning, which includes a 12-week course entitled Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. This course provides the certificate’s theory component and has evolved to reflect the changing needs of future educators. One significant change is the development of a blended course model that incorporates graded online facilitation, prompted by the recognition that teaching assistants and faculty are increasingly required to teach online or blended (i.e., combining face-to-face and online) courses. This study invited graduate students enrolled in the course to participate in pre- and post-facilitation questionnaires that assessed their awareness, competence, confidence, and attitudes towards online and blended learning. Students recognized the value of the online component for future teaching expertise and experienced increased awareness, competence, and confidence regarding teaching online. However, preference for face-to-face teaching and student learning did not change.
Strategic Use of Role Playing in a Training Workshop for Chemistry Laboratory Teaching Assistants
Authors: Lekhi Priyanka , Nussbaum Sophia
Published: December 2020

Many Canadian universities have created professional development programs for their teaching assistants (TA) but may be uncertain about how to bridge the gap between TAs’ knowledge of effective teaching strategies and TAs’ confident applications of these strategies. We present a technique used in a two-day training workshop to enhance graduate students skills in using effective teaching strategies: role playing. This paper outlines a framework that includes five key elements (Icebreaking, Shared Experiences, Modelling, Acting and Debriefing) to strategically design role playing activities in a training program. We describe each of the 5 elements and explain how they support training through role play exercises. Participant written feedback collected in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 suggested that role playing was a useful and enjoyable technique. Pre and post workshop questionnaire data suggested that self-perceived competencies for specified tasks directly connected to a role play activity promoted greater positive differences between the pre and post groups compared to self-perceived competencies for specified tasks not directly connected to a role play activity. Based on these results, we assert that training programs which rely on strategic role playing activities will lead to a better overall TA experience of the training program and improvements in TAs’ self-perceptions of certain teaching competencies.
Evaluating the Differential Impact of Teaching Assistant Training Programs on International Graduate Student Teaching
Authors: Meadows Ken N. , Olsen Karyn C. , Dimitrov Nanda , Dawson Debra L.
Published: December 2020

In this study, we compared the effects of a traditional teaching assistant (TA) training program to those of a specialized program, with a substantial intercultural component, for international graduate students. We expected both programs to result in an increase in international graduate students’ teaching self-efficacy, observed teaching effectiveness, and adoption of student-centred approaches to teaching, and we anticipated a greater degree of change for the participants in the specialized program. We found the expected increases for graduate students in both programs, with a larger increase in observed teaching effectiveness for students in the specialized program. We discuss the implications of tailoring TA training programs for international graduate students and of providing time and learning activities for the development of student-centred teaching and reflective practice.
Framing Student Perspectives into the Higher Education Institutional Review Policy Process
Authors: Poth Cheryl
Published: December 2020

It is necessary and desirable to enhance student learning in higher education by integrating multiple perspectives during institutional policy reviews, yet few examples of such a process exist. This article describes an institutional assessment policy review process that used a questionnaire to elicit 269 students’ perspectives on a draft policy document. Among the key findings were a lack of focus on using assessment to inform instruction, and a lack of clarity around the purposes for assessment. Within the final policy, there seemed to be an absence of focus on assessment as supporting learning and informing instruction, although there was a significant focus on the role of assessment in measuring achievement, despite students’ emphasis on the former two characteristics. The study’s implications point to the important theoretical contributions students offer to institutional policy reviews, and the practical challenges institutions face in providing mechanisms that facilitate engagement and reflect shifts in culture.
Efficacy and Impact of Key Performance Indicators as Perceived by Key Informants in Ontario Universities
Authors: Chan Vivian
Published: December 2020

The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training’s Task Force on University Accountability first proposed key performance indicators (KPIs) for colleges and universities in Ontario in the early 1990s. The three main KPIs for Ontario universities are the rates of (1) graduation, (2) employment, and (3) Ontario Student Assistance Program loan default. This exploratory and descriptive study examined the perceptions of 12 key informants from 11 participating universities about the efficacy and effectiveness of these KPIs. The results of this study demonstrate that a clear majority of participants believe these KPIs are not having the intended impact. This paper analyzes the evidence and makes recommendations designed to foster efficient collaboration between stakeholders; it also asks all parties to clarify their goals, agreed expectations, and requirements, in order to develop effective measures of institutional performance and accountability and address the political needs of the government, the universities, and the public.
Early Contributions to the Evolution of the Canadian Scientific Integrity System: Institutional and Governmental Interaction in the Policy Diffusion Process
Authors: Schoenherr Jordan Richard , Williams-Jones Bryn
Published: December 2020

Academic institutions and research funders have in the last decade devoted considerable effort to developing policies to support academic integrity and prevent misconduct. In this study, we consider the extent to which various initiatives of Canadian federal and provincial (Québec) funders have affected the development of institutional research integrity/misconduct (RIM) policies. Examining the creation and modification dates of 32 institutional RIM policies, we find that federal but not provincial initiatives appear to have the greatest impact on the development of RIM policies. Idiosyncrasies in the creation dates, as well as lack of evidence of a systematic pattern in modification dates, suggest a complex system that is often insulated from certain government initiatives. These results lead us to conclude that there should be greater consistency in the development or updating of RIM policies to ensure the appropriate treatment of misconduct and to encourage behaviour that meets the highest standards of research integrity.
Understanding Sexual Minority Male Students' Meaning-Making About Their Multiple Identities: An Exploratory Comparative Study
Authors: Tillapaugh Daniel
Published: December 2020

This exploratory comparative study examines the meaning-making experiences of six sexual minority males attending college or university in Canada or the United States. All of the participants identified as sexual minority males who were cisgender, out to family and/or friends, and between 20 and 24 years of age. In particular, the participants spoke about the intersections between their race, gender, and sexual orientation as salient aspects of their multiple identities. Using a blend of qualitative methods, including case study, phenomenology, and grounded theory, I identified four themes that emerged from the data: (1) engagement in a social justice curriculum; (2) involvement in LGBT student organizations or resource centres; (3) experiences of discrimination and dissonance; and (4) engagement in reflective dialogue. I discuss the implications of these themes for professional practice and future research.
Book Review of "Wikipedia U: Knowledge, Authority and Liberal Education in the Digital Age"
Authors: Wihak Christine
Published: December 2020

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Enhancing Care and Advocacy for Sexual Assault Survivors on Canadian Campuses
Authors: Quinlan Elizabeth , Clarke Alison , Miller Natasha
Published: December 2020

Recent media coverage of the rape chant at Saint Mary’s University, the misogynist Facebook posts at Dalhousie’s dental school, and the suspension of the University of Ottawa’s hockey team have brought the topic of campus sexual assault under intense public scrutiny and the media accounts point to a widespread systemic rape culture on Canadian campuses. The objective of this paper is to examine the existing structure of campus sexual assault services at Canadian universities and colleges in order to highlight best practices and barriers to their success. The study’s data collection entailed an environmental scan of existing programs and campus-community collaborations across Canada, and a half-day symposium in which stakeholders reviewed the scan’s results and developed recommendations. The study’s findings indicate that most campus sexual assault and women’s centres rely on volunteers and collaboration with off-campus organizations in order to maintain a breadth of services for sexual assault survivors. Funding challenges were found to impose significant limitations to the functionality of the centres. The paper closes with recommendations for improvements, including public education programming and dedicated services provided by professionals with specialized training and experience.