OUSA

Here we are on Day 2 of the annual STLHE conference, looking forward to a packed day of discussion on issues in teaching and learning. My first session of the day, presented by Tyler Evans-Tokaryk and Cleo Boyd of the University of Toronto Mississauga, focused on issues of plagiarism in today’s universities, both from a faculty and student perspective.

After introducing the topic and covering some of the important literature, the facilitators presented an intriguing survey of faculty opinions on plagiarism. In general, faculty agree that plagiarism is a big problem; however, there are fundamental differences across disciplines about how faculty understand plagiarism, its causes, and its effects. Humanities and social sciences faculty were significantly more concerned about the causal relationship between globalization and technology than were faculty in science and engineering.

The facilitators also presented the results of their student focus groups, which indicated that students have great trouble understanding the multitude of different definitions or approaches to plagiarism in different disciplines. There’s also a strong sense among students that professors are not acting as role models in this area.

To illustrate some of the misunderstandings, a story was told about a student who believed that by buying the textbook they owned the ideas in it and should be allowed to use them.

With the move from academic dishonesty to academic integrity, more and more institutions are removing consideration of intent from academic codes of conduct. Under this model, whether a student committed plagiarism by accident or on purpose, they are considered equally guilty. Intent is considered only in the punishment stage.

Based on their research, the breakout facilitators argued that this is unfair to students who do not have the necessary understanding of plagiarism to be judged in this way.

Discussion also touched on the perceived double standard in the way plagiarism is dealt with at the student level and at the faculty level. While intent is not considered in cases of student plagiarism, most faculty collective agreements require clear and cogent proof of dishonest intent in order to find a professor (who arguably should have a better understanding of plagiarism than a student) guilty of the offense.

Alexi White
Executive Director

When choosing my last breakout session of the day, I was attracted by this one’s focus not only on teaching and learning pedagogies but also on the barriers faced by students from underrepresented groups. Run by Meredith Lordan, a high school teacher and professor at UofT, the session was about the challenge of designing and implementing the HSBC Steps to University Program, a joint initiative between UofT, Pathways to Education, and the Toronto District School Board to give a taste of university to high school students in Regent Park.

After completing an interview process, students are selected to take a real, intensive first-year sociology course on weeknights, after a full day of school. The students are often tired and are juggling family responsibilities and jobs, yet with a retention rate of about 75%, they seem to be very committed.

Course instructors use a variety of interesting tools to engage the students and keep them motivated. For example, one class created a successful magazine aimed at other residence in Regent Park. Another tool is bringing back successful graduates to speak to the students about their experiences and the barriers they had to overcome.

When I asked her, Dr. Lordan said she thinks this model could easily be exported to other high-risk areas. She suggested the best way to gain widespread support for such a program is to create joint-partnerships with the school boards.

It’s long been OUSA’s position that the government should create an arm’s-length foundation to fund community early outreach initiatives across Ontario. Such a foundation could be the catalyst that brings institutions, school boards and communities together to implement similar programs and start closing those persistent participation gaps.

Alexi White
Executive Director

Just before lunch I had a fantastic conversation with an educational developer from Open Universities Australia (OUA). With the provincial government preparing to create implement an Ontario Online Institute, learning from the experiences of others is critical if we are to avoid duplicating their mistakes.

The OUA, like the Open University in the UK, takes online courses from “brick and mortar” universities and brings them together to create degree programs. Students interact directly with the OUA on everything from admissions to student support, but another institution grants the final degree. In pulling all these online courses together, credit transfer and cost-sharing become significant hurdles, but the OUA has worked through these issues over the last 15 years or so.

This is exactly the kind of model students want to see from the Ontario Online Institute, and OUSA will continue to work with the OUA and other partners in online education as we prepare a detailed blueprint for the Institute.

Alexi White
Executive Director

According to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), active and collaborative learning pedagogies are closely related to deep learning, rather than the passive lecture style. While active learning opportunities are increasing slowly on individual campuses, no one can say with any certainty where we are from a system-wide view. With so much progress still to be made, I chose to attend the breakout sessions listed above, hosted by four educational developers from McGill.

The session focused on fostering active learning environments and how we can build better classrooms. After an overview of the advances taking place at McGill, the presenters posed an interesting question: is it really worth the investing in the tables, chairs, screens, projectors and interactive technology required to create an active learning classroom?

Of course, the room gave a resounding yes. Not only does the literature clearly demonstrate the value of active learning, the importance of this sort of high-impact experience clearly warrants prioritizing funding in this area. The results of student surveys also support this view. Of the students and faculty who participated in the active learning programs at McGill, over 90% believed learning outcomes and engagement had improved.

What’s striking is how small things can have a large impact on learning. Students commented that something as simple as substituting round tables for the traditional side-by-side lecture format created significant increases in group discussion and collaborative learning. Add to that multiple screens, writable walls and full computer access and you have a completely transformed learning environment.

To their credit, the presenters also showed us student criticisms, including, “the space does not make us learn better but rather the teaching methods of the teacher is what really makes a difference.” Additionally, it was noted that these classrooms are resource and space intensive, and its broad implementation remains a challenge that will require institutional leadership.

Session conclusions:
1. Instructors and students had positive perceptions of the impact of active classroom environments on student engagement.

2. It’s important to integrate appropriate features of classroom with course design.

3. There is a great need for comprehensive instructor support within this environment.

Sam Andrey
Director of Research and Policy Analysis

At this year’s STLHE conference at Ryerson and OCAD, staff from OUSA are joining over 700 other students, faculty, administrators and educational developers for three days of intensive discussion on how we can improve teaching and learning in Canada. Delegates, some from as far away as Egypt, Australia, The Bahamas, and Iran, will navigate their way through over 100 plenary, breakout and poster sessions, and that’s just today.

The conference began bright and early this morning with a welcome from Joy Mighty, STLHE President and OUSA Partners Dinner keynote speaker. Following her, Ryerson VP Academic Alan Shepard and OCAD VP Academic Sarah McKinnon thanked delegates on behalf of the hosting institutions and spoke of the importance of collaboration in improving teaching and learning.

The highlight of the plenary sessions was by far the address by Dr. Michael Wesch, an anthropologist from Kansas State University, who spoke passionately of the need to change from a focus on knowledge to one of knowledge-ability. More than simply critical thinking, this approach to knowledge requires students to develop communication skills, empathy and thoughtfulness, all three of which work in tandem to allow the student to tackle the challenges the world throws at them.

Dr. Wesch also spoke of students’ deep desire to have a place in the world and suggested that faculty mentor students to proactively make a meaning for their lives as “meaning-makers” rather than “meaning-seekers”. Using a number of engaging examples, he described the need for universities to create “digital citizens” who harness new media to improve the world.

One of his most interesting points was about how instructors continuously squander the opportunity presented by having a projector and internet access in every room. Why do profs turn away from the incredible knowledge contained in the internet and instead choose to use the often mind-numbing PowerPoint approach?

As the first steps to change, Dr. Wesch suggested two things: engage students in real problems and harness the relevant tools to add to the learning experience. Though this advice is far from new, it has yet to be accepted widely, and this stubbornness is undeniably letting our students down.

Stay tuned for more as the conference progresses.

Alexi White
Executive Director

Hello,

I want to use my first blog as an opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Daud Grewal and I`m currently in my 4th year of Political Science at Brock University. This year I am honoured to be serving as the Vice President of University Affairs for the Brock University Students Union (BUSU).

I am very excited to be a part of OUSA this year and am looking forward to helping improve the way education is delivered in the PSE sector. Education is not a luxury but a need. Every Canadian citizen should be able to access post secondary education despite their socio-economic status. As John Dewey said, “Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”

This year I am looking forward to working with our partners to improve the accessibility, affordability, accountability, and quality of post secondary education.

Daud Grewal
VP University Affairs
Brock University Students’ Union

On the morning of June 22, OUSA hosted it first Student Roundtable Series discussion at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. The focus was on alternative cost-recovery models and how Ontario can ensure sustainable funding for post-secondary education while improving accessibility, affordability and quality.

The roundtable began with a presentation by OUSA’s Director of Research & Policy Analysis on highlights from OUSA’s two-year research project into various cost-recovery models from around the world. The discussion was moderated by Academic Transformations co-author Ian D. Clark, who praised OUSA for its eagerness to discuss such a difficult and broad issue, and for a thorough and high-quality research project.

Joining the discussion with OUSA’s Steering Committee were representatives from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, the Council of Ontario Universities, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, and many other partners from throughout the higher education sector.

The roundtable series was created as an opportunity for OUSA to facilitate discussion amongst its partners on topics that are interesting and important to students and the sector. This roundtable hopes to be the first of many student-led discussions about how we can work together towards improving the accessibility, affordability, accountability, and quality of post-secondary education in Ontario.

Alvin Tedjo
Director of Communications & Public Relations

June 22 Roundtable

Hi Everyone,

My name is Saad Aslam and I’m this year’s Vice President: University Affairs for the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union. I am currently entering my 5th year of study in a double bachelors of arts in Psychology and Political Science. For my first blog post I thought I’d just touch on some of the stuff currently happening at Laurier and with myself!

The summer at Laurier is always quiet in the sense that there aren’t very many students around since most classes are not offered during the summer semester. However, it is always a very busy time for administration as well as the student executive in terms of planning and goal setting for the year to come. My role as VP:UA has been off to a furious pace over the last two months as I’ve been on the road a lot for transition and strategic planning conferences. This past weekend, I was away for a training retreat with the rest of the WLUSU student executive and the 40 or so student coordinators from our Brantford and Waterloo campuses. It was great to get to know a lot of the new faces and witness all of the excitement and positive energy from the weekend. I am really excited to see everyone’s ideas and hard work come to fruition over the next 10 months!

Another welcome part of the summer is the inevitable on-campus renovations that occur. In Waterloo, the big project this year is an expansion of the Terrace Food Court that encompasses the bottom floor of the Fred Nichols Campus Centre. Since the double cohort year, the undergraduate population has grown by sizeable amounts each year while most facilities have been stagnant in terms of capacity. This year the incoming first year class at Laurier is about 4500 students which is an increase of over 6%. Last year it seemed that the Terrace was bumping every time I went for a meal this size expansion should help accommodate the rush – especially at peak times.

Over the summer I am also taking a few courses online at the University of Guelph in order to gain additional credits so I can complete my degree (they are also not offered at Laurier over the summer). As a student who has always had to work during the school year to support paying for my education I really appreciate the flexibility that online courses allow. I am really interested to see what the Ontario government plans for the Ontario Online Institute which we should hear about more in the coming months. Hopefully, the Online Institute facilities an easier credit transfer system for students. Personally speaking, it was definitely a challenging process for me this year to ensure I did everything correctly to earn credit for taking the classes at Guelph on my Laurier record.

Well that’s all for me until my next blog entry. If there’s ever anything you want to talk about don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail!

-Saad Aslam
Vice President University Affairs
Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union

First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Robert Woodrich, and I am returning for a second year as the Vice President University Affairs of the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance. As such, I have also returned for a second year on the Steering Committee and am looking forward to working with another inspiring team of young student leaders.

Last year was a success for OUSA and I am confident that we will build upon our strengths under the leadership of President Meaghan Coker. I am particularly interested in involving more of my constituents in the process of developing OUSA policy, as well as expanding upon our campaigns. My previous term saw Windsor gaining a great deal of media coverage of OUSA’s activity on and off campus, and I think that this is something that we can continue to excel at.
This year is going to be a great one not only for OUSA, but for Canadian students. I can’t wait to see what such a phenomenal group of people can accomplish when they work together.

Cheers,

-Robert Woodrich
Vice President University Affairs
University of Windsor Students’ Alliance

In the 2010 Provincial Budget, the Government announced a plan to increase international enrolment in post-secondary institutions by fifty percent. In 2009, Ontario universities enrolled a total of 16,274 international students. When the government’s international enrolment target is met, this number will increase to 24,411. With enough international students in Ontario to compose a medium-large size university, the need for greater attention to issues specific to them is pressing. Moreover, with international students paying deregulated tuition, the need to examine the fairness of international student contributions is more important than ever.

Average international student tuition for a first year arts/science student in 2009 was $16,907, a full 240% more than the average domestic tuition rate of $4,698. This difference is understandable, as institutions do not receive provincial operating funding for international students. However, there has been a growing concern on campuses that international students pay more than their fair share of tuition, subsidizing growing institutional deficits. There has been corresponding concern that efforts to internationalize campuses carry financial motivations.

Taking international student enrolment and tuition in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 from Common University Data Ontario, it is possible to determine average growth rates over the past four years. Based on data reported by the institutions, the average growth rate from 2009-2010 was 5.90%, followed by 6.64% and 6.10% in 2008-2009 and 2007-2008 respectively. This means that growth rates have exceeded the five per cent cap that domestic tuition is regulated to.

On top of this, when one compares average international student tuition in 2008 ($15,917) to average university revenue per domestic student in the same year ($13,061), it can be found that universities received an average of $2,856 more per international student than domestic student. However, the estimate of revenue per student does not take into account capital funding, which could partially explain the difference in revenue per domestic and international student. Additionally, it has been suggested that the costs associated with recruiting, transition and additional support are cost burdens associated with international students.

Additionally, when broken down by institution and year, international tuition growth rates are shockingly inconsistent. In 2006-2007, international tuition at York University rose by 17.77%, followed by a 1.41% increase in 2007-2008. At Lakehead, a 20% increase was followed by a 4.17% increase. It becomes problematic to expect international students to be able to plan adequately for upcoming years of education when they could face dramatic and unpredictable increases in tuition.

Based on the data available, it is impossible to completely answer the question as to whether international student tuition is currently fair. However, I would submit that Ontario institutions should be able to clearly demonstrate fairness. Certainly greater vigilance and attention must be paid to international student costs, and the growth rates in these costs.

Ontario will never be able to attract the best and the brightest if the price of admission isn’t fair.

-Chris Martin
OUSA Research Team