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Delve into the challenges and opportunities facing Ontario’s higher education policy research community. Explore issues like fragmentation, knowledge dissemination, and the need for a stronger research-policy interface. Discover ways to support researchers and foster collaboration for evidence-based policy development.
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Reflections on the Current Landscape Glen A. Jones April 24, 2014
The Key Question for the Day: How can we strengthen Ontario’s higher education policy research community?
Why is This Important? • Support the development of evidence-based policy • Contribute to informed public debate of policy issues • Strengthen our capacity for HE policy research in Ontario • Support and develop the next generation (researchers, policy advisors, advocates)
What are the problems? • Fragmentation and dispersion of higher education researchers • Limited interface between researchers and those who influence or make policy • Challenges of knowledge dissemination
Researchers: Academic • HE is an interdisciplinary field of study • Small core of researchers who view HE research as their academic field • Other academics move in and out of the field • HE research is increasingly international in scope
Researchers: Federal/National AUCC ACCC CASA CAUT CBIE CFI CFS CIHR CMEC Consultants ESDC FATDC Foundations Media NSERC Poly Can SSHRC StatsCan
Researchers: Ontario System MTCU MOF HEQCO PEQAB ONCAT COU CO CSA OCUFA OPSEU OFS-O OUSA Media Consultants Foundations
Researchers: Institution • Institutional Researchers/Planners • Centers for Teaching and Learning • Centers for Educational Technology • Student Development/Affairs/Services
Fragmentation of Researchers • Very small academic core (problem of critical mass) • Fluid participation of some academics, consultants, foundations • Different professional and disciplinary identities
Limited Research-Policy Interface • What are the issues that are of interest to government? • What are the issues that are of interest to researchers? • How to facilitate communication? Support promising projects? Identify expertise? Stimulate and support more research?
Knowledge Dissemination • Most HE policy research is not published • For academic researchers, how to move beyond peer-reviewed journals? • How to share the findings of institutional reports, policy briefs, conference presentations?
So … How can we strengthen Ontario’s policy research community? How can we work together to move forward?