Overview
ARUCC led two data exchange research projects which complement the national ARUCC Groningen & Student Mobility Project.
- Advancing Student Transfer through Data Mobility - an Ontario focus: this project received funding from ONCAT and was supported by the Ontario Colleges' Committee of Registrars, Admissions, and Liaison Officers (CRALO) and the Ontario University Registrars' Association (OURA).
- Advancing Student Mobility through Data Mobility - a British Columbia focus: the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) provided the funding for this project. It was conducted in partnership with the University of Victoria.
Current Status:
The final research reports are finalized. The findings are being used to support creation of the national network.
Advancing Student Mobility through Data Mobility - a British Columbia Focus - Author and Primary Investigator: Joanne Duklas, Duklas Cornerstone Consulting
The ONCAT study will be published soon.
Research Goals
The research goals for both projects included the following:
(i) identifying the current state and readiness for exchanging student data; and
(ii) capturing expert advice on required policies and infrastructure changes needed at the local and system levels to facilitate change.
Research Questions
The research projects explored the following questions:
- What is the current state of student information system capacity at post-secondary institutions with respect to student data exchange and sharing of student data at the individual record level? What gaps exist?
- What expert advice might post-secondary registrarial leadership and allied organizations, including BCCAT, EducationPlannerBC, ONCAT, OUAC, OCAS and others, have for advancing institutional capacities and change readiness for data exchange to advance transfer?
- What best-in-class examples exist to inform change readiness and capacities in this area?
- How might students and the post-secondary institutions benefit from participation in a national data exchange network? What opportunities will this create for advancing seamless transfer between post-secondary institutions and allied organizations?
- What is required institutionally and provincially to advance individual student data exchange at the national level?
Research Approach
The research approach for both the ONCAT and BCCAT projects included literature reviews and a national survey. Both projects included regional consultation meetings and interviews with institutional associations and allied organizations within each provincial jurisdiction. In total, more than 250 people were interviewed for these projects. More information on each project is provided below. (Note: the documents referenced below represent historical information regarding the projects.)
BCCAT project - more information... (historical document)
ONCAT project - more information... (historical document)
National Survey - The national survey closed in December 2018.
The national survey provided the ARUCC, BCCAT, and ONCAT projects a current understanding of practices and perspectives regarding institutional and organizational capacity for data exchange. Participation in the survey was voluntary.
The leadership for the three projects agreed to use one survey to ensure the findings served all studies equally. This approach was deemed appropriate given that it would maximize input and minimize effort on the part of institutions and allied organizations.
Survey Background Information (historial document)
Broader Context
ARUCC's national project conducted in partnership with PCCAT, CUCCIO, and CanPESC, is focused on creating an innovative, trusted, national student data exchange network to facilitate transfer and mobility. It directly aligns with the need to remove systemic barriers that impede seamless transfer across Canada and internationally. Endorsements for this project have arrived from post-secondary institutions and provincial and national organizations from across Canada. These two provincial projects extended the consultation and research and heightened an understanding of the provincial contexts in two very complex and large regions. The opportunity to engage in province-specific analyses resulted from the funding support provided by BCCAT and ONCAT.
The three projects serve broader goals given the focus on digitization and data exchange including creating a 'Made for Canada' data exchange ecosystem that seeks to resolve document fraud, enhance credential recognition practices, and facilitate the transition of students into institutions and future employment. These initiatives also advance other goals such as those embedded in the study by the University of Ottawa Centre for International Policy Studies and the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. Internationally, this Proposal aligns with the Lisbon Recognition Convention and the Groningen Declaration Network Organization, each of which seek to improve student transfer through data exchange and enhanced recognition of prior post-secondary studies.
Project Leadership
Project funders: ONCAT (for the Ontario project), BCCAT (for the BC project)Ontario Partners: CRALO and OURA
British Columbia Partner: University of Victoria
Primary Investigatory: Joanne Duklas, Duklas Cornerstone Consulting
Questions:
Questions regarding the survey or any of the projects should be directed to Charmaine Hack (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Joanne Duklas (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).