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Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT have exploded into our cultural awareness this year. Across post-secondary institutions, it was immediately apparent that faculty were eager to explore and discuss what this potentially disruptive technology might mean for them, their courses and their students. We wanted to create an opportunity for that discussion and to get a truer sense of initial faculty reactions than what sensational media headlines were offering. This working paper outlines the results of a facilitated online forum, open to faculty and staff from two institutions in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia in January 2023. Our session invited participants to test ChatGPT, reflecting on its strengths and limitations, and then talk through the potential impacts on instructors, our students, and post-secondary education in general of different approaches: ignore it, fight it, and embrace it. Analysis of participant contributions to polls, group discussions and a highly active chat space provide a snapshot of how faculty and staff were feeling and what they were doing in response to ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms. While the data seems to indicate a relatively optimistic take at this early point in the AI revolution, excerpts from discussions and debates do indicate a range of emotions and reactions--a range that will likely only continue to widen with the continuing release of ever more capable AI.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Alberta's Principal Quality Practice Standard as a framework for the roles and responsibilities of school principals. Methodology: Three principals participated in the study, and each principal had more than 25 years of teaching and school administration experience. Each principal was interviewed about preparation for their role as school administrator, and asked about job-embedded supports for each of the dimensions included in the Principal Quality Practice Standard. Participants in the study self-reported in two questionnaires framed on a five-point Likert scale, and each was personally interviewed to preserve their "voice" intact toward reporting. Results: Results indicate that principals regard site-based leadership as practical for engaging leadership candidates toward administrative roles. Site-based leadership programs that offer university credit are also highly regarded to satisfy qualifications for principals to continue their professional educational growth in academics. Master's-level university courses provide a necessary understanding of leadership change, growth and development for principals to be effective instructional leaders. Conclusions: Results show that principals with classroom teaching experience present a "grassroots" approach to school leadership, that transforms their administrative role into a more active role as Instructional/Learning Leader(s). Recommendations: Educators who assume school administrator roles are responsible for developing leadership capacity in their staff members. The Alberta Principal Quality Practice Standard is a benchmark that highlights several dimensions of principalship that elucidate areas of professional responsibility in which leadership candidates must be engaged.

Noting that there has been no national policy on child care, Canada has relied on non-profit organizations and privately owned businesses to provide most of its child care services. Historically, federal funding policies and provincial choices have produced wide differences across the country in the distribution of non-profit, for-profit and government-operated services. After many years of relative political inattention in Canada, the federal and provincial governments committed to developing a national early learning and child care program by agreeing to bilateral agreements. As Canadian child care was poised for growth in 2005, important policy decisions about how best to deliver child care services needed to be made. This paper presents new evidence as well as reviews existing evidence that supports reasons to look to the non-profit and public sectors as the optimum sites for the expected growth of Canadian child care services. It makes the case that if Canada is to avoid "big-box" child care (and more for-profit child care generally--both international and home--grown), then careful attention must be paid to the research and policy evidence about what happens when public funds and public policy support for-profit child care. (Contains 11 footnotes, 4 tables, and 2 figures.)

The purpose of this study was to identify the initial terms and means of creating and assessing the quality of what the author calls "fear education" (analogous to sex education or health education). Using a review of a random sample of discourses from the educational literature, the author analyzes how "fear" and "education" have usually been discussed and operationalized. This report offers the first known critical summary on the status of fear education in Western society, and probably in the world. The results of studying fear education for the past 13 years casually, and the last four years intensely, have shown that fear education is not yet an entity (or field) self-reflective, never mind critical of itself. According to the author, "fear education" is now as inadequate as sex education was 100 years ago. With such an important topic as fear (and fearlessness), the author also suggests that the lack of systematic study of fear education itself, may be equally as much of a problem to healthy human/global functioning, as fear is. Some recommendations are offered to improve the state of "fear education" in a post-9/11 era. [Published by In Search of Fearlessness Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.]

The paper takes a critical look at the different metrics that could be used to measure First Nations student success. The paper concludes that more than one metric is needed given the holistic worldview of First Nations Aboriginal people. A framework undergirding First Nations student success is presented and discussed.

The phenomenon of marketing in educational institutions has been critically examined by Vining, Topor (2001) and Sevier (1986, 1996). However, no studies have yet been undertaken to examine the marketing of language programs in public education. A timely study is needed to examine the promotion of a recent educational program: the Alberta Languages Initiative which strongly recommends second language education by 2006. The goals of my research are to examine critically: 1) Why marketing techniques were used with this initiative and not other program renewals, 2) How business models are being adopted by educational systems and government agencies, and in particular, 3) How marketing and branding have become part of educational jargon and practice. The new Languages Initiative slated for grades 4-9, scheduled to launch in 2006, represents a significant shift in the curriculum for these grades. By studying this initiative from the perspective of marketing, I will be introducing a new research dimension which focuses, not on curriculum, instruction, program outcomes or content, but on program promotion. The findings will increase understanding of marketing techniques to promote certain educational programs, their impact on student enrollment, and their acceptability to the educational public in local and global contexts. This study is important as it explores how and why promotional means have been chosen and what implications this may have for educational programs in the future. The new critical theory is of particular interest to my study as it would allow me to focus on the internal and external politics of schooling, the social conditions and historical relations in which language education is positioned. The constitutive role of language in the social construction of knowledge is particularly relevant to knowledge as discourses. Habermas' use of critical theory is relevant given his concern with discourse and power, which led to his development of a theory of communicative action, as well as Bourdieu's re-conceptualization of a critical sociology, and Foucault's focus on the relationship between knowledge and power.

Purpose: The goal of this session is to provide an in-depth account of the history and development of contract cheating in Canada over the past 50+ years. You will also learn about the one and only (failed) attempt at legislation to make ghostwritten essays and exams illegal in Canada. Method: The content of this session is drawn from Eaton's book chapter on contract cheating in the forthcoming edited volume, "Academic Integrity in Canada: An Enduring and Essential Challenge" (Eaton & Christensen Hughes) that involved over a thousand hours of historical research and digging into archival material to uncover that the contract cheating industry in Canada has been operating successfully for longer than most of us ever realized. Results: Get the details on a criminal case in the 1980s, noted as being the first of its kind in Canada, and possibly the Commonwealth, that made history when an essay mill owner and his wife were charged with fraud and conspiracy. The case was dismissed by the judge, leaving the contract cheating industry to flourish in Canada, which it has done with a vengeance. Then learn about an exposé in a major US magazine in the 1990s that presented in-details about the experiences of writers who supplied services to the contact cheating industry. Now that we are in the 21st century, find out what's being done across the country today to take action against contract cheating. Implications: I share previously undiscovered evidence and insights that shows how the contract cheating industry has been proliferating in Canada for at least half a century. Even if you thought you knew about contract cheating in Canada, you'll almost certainly learn something new in this session. I conclude with strong calls to action for educators, advocates, and policy makers.

Purpose: The goals of this project are: (1) Identify existing components of academic integrity policies and procedures related to contract cheating; (2) identify gaps in existing academic integrity policies and procedures related to contract cheating; (3) evaluate the policies and procedures against existing standards for post-secondary education policy; (4) compare supports available for undergraduate students and graduate students; and (5) develop and communicate recommendations for policy reform. The research question that informs this study is: How do post-secondary institutions in Canada address contract cheating in their academic integrity policies and related documents? Methods: We used a qualitative policy analysis, using Bretag et al.'s (2011) five core elements (access, approach, responsibility, detail, and support) of exemplary academic integrity policy as a framework for analysis. Policy documents were collected through public websites of publicly funded colleges and universities in Canada (n=67). Results: Policies from post-secondary institutions in five Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario) have been analyzed thus far. These include publicly-funded colleges (n=22) (Ontario) and universities (n=45). Results showed that policies lacked consistency and fewer than 5% (n=3) used the term "contract cheating" explicitly. None of the policies could be considered exemplary according to the Bretag et al. (2011) framework. Implications: There is a need for Canadian higher education institutions to improve their academic integrity policies to address contract cheating more explicitly and also to focus on providing more educational supports to students to learn how to uphold academic integrity at their respective institutions.

This article is to explore whether the achievement of moral character is the ultimate goal of higher education from a cross cultural approach. To discuss this study logically, three major research questions are addressed. First, what are the concepts of moral, ethics, and character? Second, what is the achievement of moral character from the Eastern and the Western perspectives? Third, what is the role of higher education for the achievement of moral character? To defend these research questions, the author uses a descriptive content analysis method, with a cross cultural approach. In order to explore the questions, the researcher in this study sets several limitations. Moral character is generally limited to the ancient Greek philosophy and Judeo-Christianity as well as to the classical Chinese thought and religion. Specifically, the study is mainly focused on not only Plato's "Republic" and Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics," but Confucius' "Analects" and Mencius' "Scripture (The Works of Mengzi)." Additionally, this paper also adjusts the lenses on moral theories, especially moral character, cardinal virtues, social harmony, and the common good. Lastly, higher education is focused on the lenses of Canada and South Korea. The significance of this study is to provide basic theories and valuable resources about moral and character education for educational theorists and practitioners, finding the theories of moral and ethics in the Eastern and the Western thoughts and religions.

Transitioning to and from post-compulsory education often poses problems on students, especially students with disabilities. The fourth Ed-ICT symposium at the FernUniversität in Hagen aimed at discussing new practices, identifying problems and challenges during transition processes, and developing innovative solutions for both individuals and institutions. A variety of experts has been invited to ensure representation among the key stakeholders such as transition specialists, technology specialists, service providers, faculty, researchers and people with disabilities. Together these experts worked on questions like: How can technology help people with disabilities with transitions in the education system? What are typical problems that people with disabilities experience with technology and the accessibility of technology during transitions? Who are the different stakeholders involved, and do we need other or different stakeholders? What role does technology play in the different settings of the education system? This research report documents the contributions and results of the two-day symposium. [Internal research funding was provided by the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany. For the 2017 proceedings, see ED580147.]

The author is conducting survey research to identify possible effects of culture on online learning success. The research will consider the cultural dimension of uncertainty avoidance identified by Hofstede (2001). The research participants will be students at Canadian post-secondary institutions. The survey will ask learners about their perceptions of the online learning tools they had used, their own impressions of their learning success as influenced by the online learning tools, and information about their cultural values. This paper outlines the research underpinnings, approach, and expected results. [This paper was published in: F. Sudweeks, H. Hrachovec and C. Ess (eds). Proceedings Cultural Attitudes Towards Communication and Technology 2010, Murdoch University, Australia, 420-427.]

This literature review examines the existing research on how school boards influence the organizational culture of the school system. This paper specifically addresses the areas how the Ontario Leadership Framework influences both policy and practice to influence the educational culture of Ontario's school system. The cornerstone of seminal work was the development of the Ontario Leadership Framework by Kennith Leithwood which is widely accepted in the Ontario education system. The Ontario Leadership Framework (OLF) is a centralized way of governing educational leadership practices through the formalized process outlining organizational values, expectations and norms and for identifying leadership qualities, expectations and promotion of leaders within the context of the Ontario system. A great deal of research suggests that the OLF is an influential tool based on best organizational practices. Further consideration or future research should be focused on how diversity, equity and inclusion can be woven throughout the framework.

The purpose of these conference proceedings is to provide an in-depth understanding of what was presented and discussed at the Ed-ICT International Network Montreal Symposium: Stakeholder Perspectives. The focus of the Ed-ICT International Network is to explore the role that information and communication technologies (ICTs)--including computers, assistive technologies, online learning, social networking sites--play or could play as facilitators or barriers for students with disabilities in post-secondary education generally and specifically in relation to social, emotional and educational outcomes. Jane Seale summarized the goals of the network, the topics of the five Ed-ICT conferences and the goals of the specific theme of the Montréal conference. She also presented a model of stakeholder engagement. There are substantive notes to help readers understand what was presented by the two keynote speakers: "Creating a Culture of Sustainable Accessibility: Stakeholders, Models, and Methods of Change" (Alaina Beaver) and "Adaptech Research Network: What Can be Learned from Industry for Making Postsecondary Education More Digitally Accessible?" (Jennison Asuncion), as well as what was discussed during the three different panels which took place during the conference.

This paper makes a case that when teachers and school leaders (administrators) engage in site-based action research they become more efficacious leaders. This paper reviews eight years of research work of site-based research projects completed by school-based personnel as well as the experiences of teachers and school administrators who have completed a research-based Masters of Education program from the University of Alberta. The paper uses the theoretical work of Walker Percy to explore the ideas of engaged experience (in this case site-based action research) vs. "packaged" experiences (the study of other's research and the attempt to apply the findings of this research to one's own site). The authors make a case that working to solve personal and real on-site problems using action research has (and can) create powerful leadership opportunities that edify (build) the entire community. Experience working with teachers and school administrators at the grass roots as they research to solve their own site-based issues has led the authors to theorize that such research motivates teacher leadership through three pillars: the building of community, agency, and service.

Forty-eight college students participated in an ABAB analysis; the A condition was online study groups and the B condition was individual online quizzes. The effect of A and B on student satisfaction and achievement was determined. The Index of Learning Styles categorized students on four dimensions of learning style (active-reflective, visual-verbal, sequential-global, sensing-intuitive). Active learners expressed preference for face-to-face study groups rather than online study groups and for online quizzes rather than pencil-and-paper quizzes. Visual learners expressed preference for online quizzes rather than online study groups. Such preferences were validated by decreased achievement under the online study group condition. At the college level, students are aware of their learning style and the conditions that facilitate their learning. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.) [This paper was published in: ED-MEDIA 2006 Proceedings. p1861-1868]

This paper focuses on making explicit the embodied knowledge of educators using a living theory methodology and inciting the social imagination to create educational research for the public good. Using evidence from international contexts, the meanings of the energy-flowing values that educators use to explain their educational influences in their own learning and in the learning of others, are becoming more explicit. The evidence includes the living educational theories of professional educators, educational leaders and students as they study their practice in improving practice and creating cultures of inquiry. The authors study their practice in their own contexts building on learning from each other and from critiques of AERA presentations in improving the interpretation of multimedia data to represent and generate knowledge. Visual narratives are used to bring practitioner knowledges into the Academy with living standards of judgment. (Contains 4 images.)

This paper details how a 7-month reading-focused professional development initiative, centered on the assessment-to-instruction cycle, supported teachers' growth by combining small group sessions with related individualized literacy coaching. Analysis of participants' experiences revealed the significance of differentiated professional learning in supporting teachers' abilities to first modify their reading assessment practices, and then modify their reading instructional practices in response to their students' identified needs. Importantly, requisite to supporting teachers' diverse needs and interests was differentiating the content, process, and expected outcomes of this professional learning initiative. Notably, this study documented how "walking the talk" with respect to differentiated learning, enhanced teachers' abilities to provide responsive differentiated instruction for their students. Implications include the use of students' reading assessment results as a catalyst for teacher change and use of proximal goal setting following collaborative small group sessions to delineate the differentiated foci of concurrent classroom-based coaching.

This paper examines literacy and language learning across the lifespan within the context of immigrants in the Canadian context. It explores the process of improving literacy skills and acquiring second or third language skills through the systems of formal, non-formal and informal learning, as defined by the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development]. Volunteer literacy tutoring programs and heritage language programs in Canada are among the examples highlighted. (Contains a bibliography.)

This paper is a self-study in which a university teacher educator studies her practice. She creates a space for alternate ways of representing forms of knowledge from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous, and for their accreditation in the Academy. As she develops a way of thinking that is appropriate for getting closer to understanding indigenous ways of knowing, there is a transformation in her own understandings. Moving from reliance on print to the use of multi-media and artifacts to represent forms of knowledge in complex ecologies supports the development of cultures of inquiry. In this work, the meanings of the embodied energy-flowing values that educational researchers use to explain their educational influences in their own learning and in the learning of others, are made explicit. These meanings are shown to have epistemological significance for educational knowledge.

Background: The need for improvement in writing instruction in schools is dependent on teachers being aware of evidence-based procedures in writing and implementing them on a regular basis in their classrooms. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency with which teachers in Western Canada employed evidence-based procedures in writing instruction in the classes. The data were gathered on the eleven elements identified by Graham and Perin (2007) in their meta-analysis of the most effective procedures for teaching writing. Setting: Writing classrooms in Western Canada. Study Sample: Seventy-five teachers randomly selected participated in the study. Intervention: none. Research Design: Statistical Survey. Control or Comparison Condition: none. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected on the frequency with which teachers employed the eleven effective elements identified by Graham & Perin (2007). They were: Direct Strategy Instruction, Summarization Instruction, Collaborative Writing, Setting Specific Product Goals, Word Processing, Sentence Combining, Engaging in Pre-Writing Activities, Engaging in Inquiry Activities, Process Writing, the Study of Models, and Writing for Content Area Learning. Two other elements, Formal Grammar Instruction, and the Use of Writing Rubrics were also investigated. Findings: We found that approximately a quarter of the teachers surveyed employed the most powerful elements for teaching writing on a regular basis. The notable exceptions were in collaborative writing, teaching summarizing, and sentence combining which a small number of teachers utilized. Between and third and a half of the responses for the eleven elements were in the "seldom" or "never" categories. Conclusion: This study makes no claims to why some teachers employ evidence-based techniques in teaching writing and why others do not. It is clear, however, that the percentage of classroom teachers who need to employ, regularly, evidence-based techniques need to be increased, at least in Western Canada. A concerted effort on the part of provincial ministries of education and teacher education institutions may be needed to keep teachers better informed on what strategies are most effective in teaching writing and how to implement those in their classes. Citation: Soiferman, L.K., Boyd, K., & Straw, S. B. (2010, Janaury 7). With What Frequency Are Teachers Employing Evidenced-Based Procedures in their Writing Classrooms? A paper presented at the 8th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Contains 3 notes.)

This paper compares how two universities, Iowa State University and the University of Saskatchewan, exploit a service-learning and authentic learning approach to instructional design. Both programs emphasize student engagement and responsibility, as well as projects that have social significance. At the same time, the courses offered by the two programs differ in significant ways. One program puts students in the role of project manager, while in the other the instructor plays the role of project manager. This proposal explores the intentions, the pedagogical and design decisions, and the implications of the two approaches for preparing instructional designers, and for informing the use of authentic learning approaches in ID programs elsewhere.

Psychologists are amongst the professionals who assess children to identify and prescribe for those with learning differences. They currently carry out these assessments in the context of the practice of inclusive education that involves providing for all children's educational needs in regular classroom settings. Recently, some psychologists have advocated for a "psychology of inclusive education" (Kershner & Hick, 2005) and enquired about how psychologists can assist teachers regarding inclusion (Anderson & Klassen, 2005). This paper describes how psychology can support the implementation of selected recommendations found in New Brunswick's recent review of inclusion. Examples of these recommendations include: (1) explication of a comprehensive approach to early intervention and preschool education supporting inclusion; (2) the development of a provincial-level approach to serve children with learning disabilities and autism; (3) the need to develop appropriate educational strategies with Aboriginal and First Nations communities to address the processes of cultural inclusion, discipline and instruction; and (4) evaluating all students in relation to the goals of academic achievement, social skills and citizenship. Finally, selected findings from recent psychological research providing data in support of these recommendations are presented.

This paper examines the theory and practice of the commercialization of education in Canada, using comparative examples from the United States and Australia. Critical theory provides the framework for the study. From the broad focus of business practice, the examination is narrowed down to marketing, and even further to branding, at all levels, from kindergarten through to post-secondary.

This paper presents an analysis of the past decade (1997-2007) of research conducted in the areas of bullying and harassment in secondary schools. The author presents trends in the research as well as addresses the significant gaps left in a field that is heavily influenced by one school thought. By applying a critical feminist lens to this body of research, the author suggests that important social dynamics of ability, race, gender, and sexual orientation have been virtually ignored in most projects designed to better understand bullying, harassment, and aggressive behavior in schools. (Contains 1 table.)

Due to the shift of civilization from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, mathematical literacy has become a necessity in the twenty-first century. However, in order to learn and contribute to the mathematical community, one has to be in a state of good mental health. Where "good mental health," is defined as one who has developed a set of healthy coping strategies, while being in a positive learning environment, and having a social support system. Traditionally, universities have been the venue of such higher learning. If these institutions want to remain as thriving grounds for higher education and engines of research, post-secondary institutions need to be aware of these factors and actively contribute to the well-being of its students and faculty. Unfortunately, students do not always receive the support necessary to be mentally healthy. The purpose of this paper is to examine how social awareness and sensitivity of mental health in a university setting is a key component for individuals to flourish academically and grow personally. Several voluntary surveys completed by first and second year math students at the University of Waterloo will be presented. The surveys investigated the students' experiences at the university, particularly in the Mathematics Department. In addition, this paper explores an alternative way to structure math classes, specifically assignment scheduling, in order to help students develop healthy study habits. Instead of giving students weekly-assignments which is typically done at the University of Waterloo for the core math classes, mini-assignments were assigned after each lecture. This experiment was conducted for the second year linear algebra class, and the two methods are compared and statistically analyzed. The group who completed mini-assignments after each class consisted of 459 students, whereas the group that completed weekly-assignments consisted of 387 students. The results indicate that the more frequent assignment schedule helped students increase confidence and overall grades while reducing anxiety and stress. Finally, this paper briefly discusses the importance of socialization, specifically for young mathematicians and scientists, and potential consequences of reduced social exposure in the Digital Age. The following are appended: (1) An Exhaustive Statistical Analysis of the Weekly and EoL Assignment Group Data; and (2) Additional Comments from Students. [This paper was edited and written with the help of Eric Ocelewski.]

This paper examines the "business" of language programs. In particular, it focuses on the economic impact of English as a Second language programs physically located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada which draw and serve foreign students. The impact such programs have on the wider community will also be explored. A bibliography is included. (Contains 3 tables.)

The world of educational quality in 2006 is infused with conflicting ecopolitical agendas that constitute evidence of social strain and what Cherry Banks (2006) calls the tension between unity and diversity. That tension is increasingly prevalent among growing multicultural communities where centuries of inadequate educational funding have created class and race based poverty (Cochrane-Smith, 2004; Cochrane-Smith & Zeichner, 2005). This poverty continues to reproduce annual patterns of under-achievement or achievement gaps. When these gaps are taken as a whole, we find ourselves faced with what Gloria Ladson-Billings (2006) so aptly refers to as a collective educational debt. This debt is not random or coincidental. It represents a systemic attempt to benefit from cheap or free labor provided by an underclass of largely non-White individuals in denial of their constitutional right to a quality education (Berliner, 2006). Stories of rats, broken plumbing, and frigid classrooms speak to the unacceptable physical conditions that many North American children and teachers are forced to endure in our nations' schools. Yet, these physical deficits are nothing in comparison to the moral disgrace of staffing these schools with unprepared teachers and failing to provision them with sufficient teaching and learning resources. Worst of all, and despite rich bodies of research on school climate, cognitive development, learning theory, and the debilitating effects of marginalization, very little is being done to recruit, train, and support teacher education candidates with life experiences and identities that mirror those of the children whom they are hired to teach. This paper introduces critical diversity theory (CDT) as a framework for understanding and operationalizing the diversification of our teaching work forces in Canada and the United States.

As tuition fees increase, universities need to be concerned whether costs have risen to a point where students from low-income families are being disproportionately excluded. Given the rates of increases in tuition fees in recent times, this outcome seems plausible and is often the opening point of discussions on this matter (see for example, the position of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2002, cited below). However, trends in university enrollments relative to trends in tuition fees would suggest otherwise. Consequently, we take as our starting point a review of what the existing studies have to say in this regard. We next review available data pertaining to the question of whether observed enrollment growth is attributable to increases in the proportion of high SES students. We found that the methodologies used and the time periods encompassed differ to an extent that the generalisability of the results necessarily need be constrained. The implication from our point of view is that we cannot be certain what the answer to the question would be for our University. Therefore, we devised a study using a novel methodology based on a national census data base and students' zip codes to develop indicators of socio-economic status for individual students. For reasons we elaborate on later in the paper, we restrict our attention to entering high school graduates (freshmen)--and to general arts and science bachelors programs. The study compares results from the University of Calgary freshmen cohorts of 1991 and 2002 to assess whether the socio-economic mix of the student body has changed and if this change might be due to increases in tuition fees. Our methodology has a number of advantages over the available alternatives. We do not need to rely on surveying students (with the attendant problems of cost, comprehensiveness and unreliability of student-reports of family circumstances). We are also able to use multiple indicators reflective of socio-economic status rather than relying on a single index. The results of our study indicate that the freshmen students in 2002 come from family circumstances that are (significantly) socio-economically better than those of the freshmen cohort entering in 1991 (which was prior to a period of substantial increases in tuition fees at the University of Calgary). (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to explore student preferences regarding reading print materials or online reading materials for academic purposes, as well as to examine how students adapt traditional reading strategies such as underlining, highlighting, and taking marginal notes when reading electronic texts. A total of 61 participants (32 undergraduate and 29 graduate) completed a survey between March 2011 and March 2013. The results indicate that for academic readings the majority of students prefer to read paper based texts because it is easier to take notes, it is easier on the eyes, they are in the habit of reading paper documents, they have a better spacial understanding of where they are in the text, and there are less distractions when reading paper documents. When students do read academic texts electronically, the most common reading strategy employed for retaining information is to take notes on a separate piece of paper. Students claimed that the online reading and note-taking process could be improved with better software that was easier to use. The Online Reading Strategies Survey and tables are appended.