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
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?
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.






















