NEWS RELEASE
May 15, 2023
OUSA releases policy paper titled “Teaching and Assessment”
TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the first policy paper approved by OUSA’s Spring 2023 General Assembly, Teaching and Assessment. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding teaching and assessment modalities within Ontario’s post-secondary landscape.
“As the world rapidly evolves, our post-secondary institutions must remain at the forefront of innovation and adaptability,” said Jessica Look, OUSA's president. “We owe it to our students to ensure that essential learning opportunities are equitable, accessible and tailored to the needs of all students. Sector stakeholders must work collaboratively to address barriers preventing students from accessing a high-quality post-secondary learning experience.”
The pedagogical methods employed in teaching and assessment significantly impact students' growth and development. However, there are several issues that impede their learning experiences. Specifically, students are concerned about the quality of teaching and learning, limited high-impact learning opportunities and inadequate inclusive learning experiences. To address these concerns, students have put forth recommendations that would improve the quality of teaching, expand high-impact learning opportunities and create inclusive learning environments and experiences.
"Given the transition from online learning post-pandemic, teaching and learning in the post-secondary sector will never be the same," said Sahiba Gulati, Commissioner of External Affairs of Queen's University Alma Mater Society (AMS). " Pedagogy, undergraduate teaching assistants, co-curricular learning, teaching evaluations, and professional development were all greatly impacted by the pandemic, and institutions must be held responsible in keeping up with this new shift in learning."
This policy paper and its recommendations were developed by students at OUSA’s member schools. It was passed on March 5th, 2023, at OUSA's Spring General Assembly, held at Queen’s University.
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OUSA represents the interests of 160,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at nine student associations across Ontario. Our vision is for an accessible, affordable, accountable, and high quality post-secondary education in Ontario.
Tiffany Li Wu
Operations & Communications Coordinator
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance