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In 2010, the Ontario Universities Quality Assurance Council was established and became responsible for monitoring the quality of university programs, and each university was tasked with establishing institutional quality assurance purposes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the quality assurance process at facilitating change at one Canadian institution.

To better understand the impacts of quality assurance, the authors analyzed 39 self-study documents, which were completed for all academic programs at Queen’s University. Focus groups were also conducted with key stakeholders to gain more insights into the institutional change that resulted from completing these self-studies.

After the analysis of the self-studies and focus groups, three themes emerged as impacts of completing self-studies: teaching and learning, identity and collaboration and resource allocation and strategic planning. This study demonstrates that self-studies completed by departments have value beyond simply meeting the provincial mandate, as they are effective in catalyzing positive institutional change.

The self-study documents were created for the purpose of institutional quality assurance process, not this research study, therefore limiting the data that could be collected.

Four considerations are provided at the end of this study to spark conversations at other institutions when reviewing and assessing the impact of their quality assurance processes.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time self-studies have been analyzed to evaluate the quality assurance process.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how doctoral students experienced mentorship in their supervision context and how the mentorship they received impacted their well-being.

An interpretive phenomenological methodology was selected to frame the research design. This research approach seeks to study the individual lived experience by exploring, describing and analyzing its meaning.

The findings revealed three different quality levels of mentorship in this context authentic mentorship, average mentorship and below average/toxic mentorship. Doctoral students who enjoyed authentic mentorship experiences were more motivated and satisfied, students who reported average mentorships needed more attention and time from their supervisors, and students who had below average/toxic mentorships were stressed out and depleted.

A limitation of this study is the lack of generalizability owing to the small sample size typical in qualitative studies. Another limitation is that this research did not include students who quit their programs because of dysfunctional supervision experiences.

Students and supervisors can use the findings to reflect on their beliefs and practices to evaluate and improve their performances. Also, authentic mentors can benefit from the findings to create a positive culture for all students to receive support. Finally, current supervisory policies can be reviewed in light of this paper’s findings.

The findings show the nature of mentorship in an authoritative context, and how it can be toxic when power is misused.

This study provides new knowledge in relation to the different types of mentorship experiences that exist in doctoral supervision, and how each type can influence students’ well-being differently. Additionally, it reveals that doctoral students can graduate, even in the face of toxic mentorship, but at the expense of their well-being.

This chapter provides an overview of the challenges, opportunities, and successes facing contemporary doctoral programs. The authors outline the changing dynamics of doctoral studies, including the various degrees that are associated with doctoral programs and the changing demographics of doctoral students. Drawing from aspects of situated learning theory, the authors position the chapters in this volume in relation to learning communities and communities of practice in the ways that reimagine and re-invigorate traditional models of doctoral education.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and assess a faculty development program targeted at pedagogically sound integration of technology by faculty into their courses.

The paper developed a program that combines a summer training institute and a yearlong faculty learning community. This program is supported by instructional technology and faculty development experts, and rewards the participants both with a stipend and with acknowledgement. To assess the effectiveness of this program, the paper used electronic anonymous surveys during the middle and end of the program.

Self-reported evaluations suggests that the alumni of the 2011-2012 cohort will continue to develop and adapt technologies in their course, and would encourage their colleagues to do the same. In addition, the majority report that the program has changed the way they see and use technology in the classroom. Additional observations about the program alumni's involvement in continuing efforts to improve teaching with technology indicate that this program may be having an effect beyond the individual participants.

Assessment of the program was limited to only one year, and needs to continue to evaluate the program and the faculty after they leave the program.

This program provides a possible model to implement change at a university, on teaching with technology, or other teaching- and learning-related topics.

In a world where there are increasing expectations of technology in teaching, a successful model of faculty development which produces an increase in pedagogically sound faculty adoption of teaching technology is a valuable one to higher education.

To provide a cohesive framework for understanding how supports co-occur and interact to impact graduate students’ teaching experiences, this paper systematizes the multi-layered context in which institutions, departments, faculty, peers, and individuals provide support. Previous studies on graduate students’ teaching focussed on specific programs, initially to describe them, and more recently to assess their outcomes. However, this piecemeal approach misses the complexity of graduate students’ contexts.

Through a literature review of existing supports for graduate students’ teaching, the need for a contextual framework was clearly identified leading to its development and application to provide a cohesive categorization of supports.

The review of existing literature identified graduate students’ supports and needs for support across all layers of their higher education context.

This new framework offers a theoretical grounding for teasing apart the intertwined influences on graduate students’ teaching development. Higher education professionals seeking to demonstrate value for money may be disappointed by evaluations of formal programming revealing lower than expected changes in practice despite promising growth in graduate student’s conceptions of teaching. By considering additional influences and barriers to graduate students implementing newly learned teaching practices, potential conflicts may be revealed and addressed, and enabling influences identified and increased.

Missing from existing literature is consideration of the multiple co-occurring influences on graduate students’ development, and an examination of how the various sources of support interact. This framework reveals potential interactions and contradictions that are important to consider when creating and evaluating supports for graduate students’ teaching.

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of an iPad application called iPocket Coach that can be used with a mobile device in business education.

This paper discusses the educational benefits of this application for classroom use and develops a pedagogical exercise by which students can build interpersonal skills.

The iPocket Coach can not only be used to develop skills but learn about common management issues involving conflict resolutions, personal development, providing constructive feedback, interviewing, performance evaluations, promotions, rewards, and terminations.

The exercise developed can be used in a consumer behavior or sales management course that teaches students how to handle difficult customers.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the conceptualisation and implementation of learning communities (LCs) at two selected female residences. I argue that learning is mediated by collaborative, social interaction and that learning does not only happen in the classroom, but rather in the everyday living spaces. I therefore propose the implementation of LCs as another alternative to help students navigate the educational landscape.

The author employed a qualitative case study design located in the socio-constructivist paradigm. Such a perspective values participants’ perspectives as knowledge is viewed as being constructed collaboratively. Thus, to evaluate the first implementation cycle at Residence X (in 2010), the author conducted semi-structured interviews to hear participant voices on what worked, what did not and what should be improved.

The findings suggest that the engagement in LCs was valuable for learning since it could assist students to cope with university life. However, careful conceptualisation and implementation, and more specifically, a critical examination of the entire context is required. Students cannot operate in a system that is failing them. Enabling opportunities that will foster a safe space for collaborative engagement is desirable.

This study was conducted at two residences only and only a few students participated. A longitudinal study is required at residences as the formation of LCs is a process and does not happen over night.

Third generation cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) can be used to guide a revision of the five-pillar model framework and study time implementation at residences.

An openness to change and seeing the context as a fluid space will aid a transformation agenda.

This paper shows how complementary lenses – CHAT and communities of practice – allowed a critical examination of the entire context and further highlights the complexity of conceptualising and implementing LCs.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how American universities are engaging their audience via social media platforms in relation to seven significant themes: engagement, listening, relationships, trust, authenticity, visibility and branding. The study will answer the question: how are universities utilizing social media to engage with their target audience and what value does social media create for universities?

Content analysis was used to study 30 national universities’ and liberal arts colleges’ use of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Their use of these social media tools will be analyzed on criteria that speak to the seven consistent themes stressed in the literature of social media use by organizations.

The results showed that while a presence in the social media platforms were high, engagement was lacking.

In a time when social media are becoming prevalent forms of communication, it is important to understand how to properly use such tools. With limited literature in the field pertaining specifically to social media usage by universities, this study helps to understand what universities are doing with social media and lays the foundation for how universities can create value from social media.

As higher education becomes an increasingly global commodity, the rush is on to embrace best practice in the delivery of online courses. This author advocates that the delivery of such courses be treated as management of a Virtual team community of practice (VTCoP) and as such, delivering academics should embrace relevant theory and tools in this area.

Based on extensive work on European projects, the author advocates a timeline of relevant theory and tool application that can be applied to the lifecycle of an online course. Theory overviewed includes Use and Gratification theory, Social Exchange theory, Bond theory and Identity theory as well as IT-based models such as Information Systems Success Model (ISSM).

A theoretical model is presented.

The theoretical model has still to be tested.

The paper argues that by creating the conditions commensurate with a successful VTCoP throughout the engagement lifecycle, students are more likely to be engaged and committed to completing an online course.

The paper uses existing theory to potentially improve completion rates on online courses.

The paper is original in that it combines existing socio-technical theory from the informations systems domain with that of educational pedagogy to inform good practice.