I remember the exact moment when I realized that I really am a professor. It wasn’t when I got hired, that’s for sure. I assumed that was a clerical error, so I spent six months waiting for an “Oops, we’re …
Blog Posts
Lightning Over Bloor
We had taken our places at the table
For some words after the break, following
On various comings and goings.
And when—twice—the professor said, “hope,”
The celestial fireworks following the verb
Had us rocketing skywards too. I had always suspected…
Take Your Online Teaching to the Next Level
Whether you are teaching a blended course (where a significant portion of the course takes place online) or have been using your institution’s course management system to supplement your face to face course, there are a couple tools that can …
Luisa D’Amato on Michelle Miller’s ‘Hot for Teacher’
In the latest issue of Academic Matters, Michelle Miller wrote a provocative piece on the politics of student/professor sexual relationships. The article was featured on Inside Higher Ed, and has generated a lot of discussion. Luisa D’Amato wrote a …
New video on the Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education
Last June, Academic Matters and its parent organization OCUFA sponsored the first Worldviews Conference on Media and Higher Education. It was a great event, well attended by the media, scholars, administrators and communications professionals.
The fine folks at RDV …
Mobile Learning in the 21st Century
Cheap and ubiquitous technological resources have reshaped our geopolitical and economic realities, by providing individuals with almost instant access to the collective knowledge of humankind
Strike Vote
Things I never thought I would do: today I went to my union meeting and voted in a strike vote. On a sunny afternoon in July, four hundred of my colleagues crowded into a lecture theatre (the kind of place …
Ten Things About Your Course Syllabus
Yes, obviously, you need to put your office hours, due dates, and course readings & assignments. Here are ten other things to consider.
Technology Enhanced Meetings
As we move closer to the end of the academic year, many professors are also transitioning into the season of meetings. Instead of putting the tech tools that have become an essential part of university learning away, professors should consider using these resources outside of class. Just as many instructional technologies have been used to engage students, they can also be used before, during, and after faculty meetings to engage colleagues and make meetings more efficient and effective.
Canadian-Chinese Educational Relationship : Looking Back, Around, and Beyond
The year 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the Canadian-Chinese diplomatic relations. I couldn’t help reflect on the Canadian-Chinese educational relationship, and found it evolving along an interesting and unique trajectory.
The ‘digital native’ rhetoric: A Trojan Horse of neo-liberalism?
The evidence simply is not there for the claims that a new generation of tech-savvy students require pedagogies based on new technologies like clickers, podcasts, and online courses.
The Tweeting Library
Twitter and other social media tools are a part of everyday life, especially for the current generation of students. In response to this, many libraries have established social media presences through Facebook pages, blogs and Twitter feeds.
Skipping the Postdoc
Dr. Francis Collins, noted geneticist and Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States, recently announced a new program aimed at helping young scientists transition into faculty positions much more quickly than typically possible.
The Many Shades of Misconduct: Falsifying Academic Credentials
In today’s increasingly competitive job market, applicants for faculty and administrative positions in Canadian post-secondary institutions may be tempted to put more than their best foot forward by falsifying academic credentials.
No University Buildings
On November 17, 2008 the Senate of the University of Waterloo met to discuss a proposal to establish a satellite campus in the United Arab Emirates. In the days leading up to the meeting, members of the university community had …
Featured Articles
Zen and the Art of Metacognition: Quality-Based Discrimination, Peer Assessment & Technology
In 1974, Robert M. Pirsig wrote a book entitled “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, within which he provided a philosophical argument for the primacy of quality. Quality is described as a metaphysical underpinning of , well, just about …
Comment
Expanding graduate programs and renewing the professoriate: What’s the connection?
Does Ontario need to expand its master’s and doctoral programs in order to supply the professors who will teach these additional students? Ian Clark, David Trick and Richard Van Loon argue that in all fields of graduate study, the government should take into account the best available evidence to ensure that the number of graduate spaces is sufficient to meet the needs of the workforce, but not higher.
Lost in Translation after Graduation?
What students do after leaving the academy can be impressive, surprising, and, as one department found out, useful for universities interested in improving the student experience.
Drummond Will Likely Have Little Impact on Universities
How would post-secondary education be affected by the recommendations of the Drummond report, and is Drummond’s approach advisable? Professor Paul Axelrod suggests that in an environment of instituional autonomy, the effects will be minimal. As has been the case for many years, Drummond continues the trend of expecting universities to teach too many students with too few resources.
Canada’s most expensive U-Pass: Students deserve what they pay for
Ottawa City Council has voted to increase the cost of the universal student transit pass (the ‘U-Pass’) by almost 25 percent. In return, one would think students deserve better—not worse—service.
Copyright Discourse in the Academy: Values, Policies, and Technology
The university needs to appreciate better the intertwined relationship between values, policies, and technologies with respect to copyright issues.
Access Copyright: University Libraries Give Up On The Copyright Go-between
Access Copyright is much like the Blockbuster Video of Canadian university libraries. At one time, it seemed indispensable. Today, it’s almost obsolete.
Ivory Tower Blues, the Sequel
The authors of 2007’s Ivory Tower Blues continue their exploration of a university system besieged and adrift.
Chronicles of Faculty Idealism, Disenchantment, and Resistance
A collection of the recollections and analyses of long-service academics, who have faced the disenchantment many academics feel, could be a valuable resource for dialogue on our campuses.
Salary Spin Cycle – Does It Hold Water?
Mark your calendars! On Friday, April 1, it will be time for the annual disclosure of the Ontario public sector $100,000 club.
Danny Williams’ Post-Secondary Education Legacy
Last December, Danny Williams stepped down as premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. When he did, he was the most popular premier in Canada.
Going Global? A Guide to the Twists and Turns of Global Mobility in Higher Education
A review essay of Higher Education on the Move: New Developments in Global Mobility (IIE Books, 2009)
My Year as a Grade 12 Student
With baby boomers now planning retirement, education in the “third age” will continue to expand. Teachers will need better preparation to meet the learning needs of older adults, but university departments that specialize in adult education have been under threat since the 1990s.
Book Publishing Today: Not for the Faint of Heart
A writer who took a close and critical look at academic publishing in 2005 turns his attention to trade publishing. And what he sees is even less pretty.
