Research

A SSHRC funded project.

The primary objective of this proposed study is to investigate and enhance the capacity of Ontario post-secondary institutions, including from all public colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes, to support open education practices (OEP) through a system-wide assessment.

OEP encompasses a range of pedagogical strategies, including student-centered teaching approaches, open dissemination of educational methodologies, and the creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources. The existing literature has demonstrated that the adoption of OEP can benefit students, faculty, and institutions in numerous ways, such as student cost savings, increased course enrollment and persistence, and improved academic performance. However, in order to establish supportive policies, infrastructure, and training for OEP, an evidence-based methodology is crucial for evaluating and developing institutional capacity in this domain.

In collaboration with eCampusOntario, the study will conduct a comprehensive assessment of OEP capacity across Ontario by implementing the Institutional Self-Assessment for Transformation (ISAT2) through an online survey targeting public colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes in both anglophone and francophone contexts. Following data collection and analysis, each participating institution will receive an individualized report that encapsulates the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses while offering feedback on the institution’s level of maturity relative to the broader educational sector in Ontario. Furthermore, these reports will be accompanied by a set of recommended strategies designed to foster the institution’s capacity to support OEP. A sector-wide report and associated infographics will also be generated in both official languages to elucidate trends and themes based on institution type.

This project aims to optimize the allocation of public funding for OEP support nationwide while advancing the objectives delineated in the 2019 UNESCO recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER). By synthesizing approaches from ISAT and Quality Open Educational Practices (QOEP), the project will furnish multidimensional feedback regarding an institution’s current maturity level in the realm of OEP and provide tailored guidance through practical strategies that facilitate ongoing capacity development.

The proposed project will contribute to the open education literature by refining and validating the institutional self-assessment tool across multiple institutions in a different provincial post-secondary educational context and across two languages. Additionally, it will enable sector-wide insights, including by the type of institution (colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes; anglophone and francophone; etc.). 

Link to the report: https://www.ecampusontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/On-a-Path-to-Open-EN-tagged.pdf

External Collaborators:

• Catharine Lachaîne (U Ottawa)
• Dr. Robert Luke (CEO eCampus Ontario)

>>>Link to the ISAT 2

This applied research project, conducted in collaboration with BCcampus, evaluates and enhances the capacity of public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia (BC), Canada, to support Open Education Practices (OEP) through a province-wide application of the revised Institutional Self-Assessment Tool (ISAT2). During the session, we will provide a brief overview of the ISAT2 before sharing system-level insights based on the participating institutions, including areas of relative strength and weakness, as well as how these vary by type of institution (universities, colleges, and institutes).

Link to the report: https://bccampus.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/BC-OER-Report_v3.pdf

External Collaborator:

• Clint Lalonde & Josie Gray (BC Campus)

>>>Link to the ISAT 2

This study explored how justice-oriented syllabus design can shape students’ experiences in higher education. Drawing on Lambert’s 3R framework—redistributive, recognitive, and representational justice—the research examined how incremental inclusion of these justice frames in a course syllabus influenced undergraduate students’ sense of belonging, intent to register or remain in a hypothetical course, and their evaluation of the instructor.

Using a within-subjects design, 191 undergraduate students reviewed four versions of a hypothetical introductory psychology syllabus. Each version introduced additional justice elements, ranging from open educational resources and inclusive policies to materials reflecting marginalized perspectives and student co-created content. After engaging with each version, students rated their sense of belonging, likelihood of taking or staying in the course, and their impressions of the instructor.

Findings revealed that as justice elements were added, students consistently reported stronger feelings of belonging, greater interest in the course, and more positive evaluations of the instructor. These effects were observed across students with varying numbers of marginalized identities, suggesting that justice-oriented design benefits all learners.

This work is now published in Open Praxis:
Pakkal, O., Twele, A., Gwozdz, L., & Jhangiani, R. S. (2025). An investigation into student perceptions of social justice frames in a course syllabus. Open Praxis, 17(3), 429–444. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.17.3.831

External Collaborator:

• Lindsey Gwozdz

Brock University’s Campus Store has been collecting data regarding textbook and required course material sales since 2017. This project seeks to investigate the patterns in course material adoption decisions by faculty as well as patterns in course material purchasing decisions by students through an analysis of Brock University’s Campus Store course-level sales report data from 2017 to 2022. In looking at faculty decision making, we will investigate patterns in the types of assigned course materials (e.g., print textbooks, digital access codes, etc.), the cost of these materials, whether these materials have been required or optional, and whether these decisions vary systematically by program/Faculty or course level. In looking at student decision making, we will investigate the proportion of students who purchased the various types of assigned course materials from the campus store, and whether these decisions varied systematically by the cost of materials, required/optional status, program/Faculty, or course level. We will additionally investigate the relationship between the cost of required course materials and course enrolment. Although we expect to see evidence of a gradual increase in the assignment and purchase of digital course materials and a higher proportion of enrolled students purchasing required (vs. optional) course materials, this research is largely exploratory to help identify unknown patterns in faculty and student behaviours. This research may inform policy and practice for educators and higher education professionals.

Evidence indicates that high textbook costs significantly strain students, influencing their academic decisions and outcomes. Despite the trend towards open educational resources, there is still a strong reliance on traditional textbooks.

Purpose of the Survey:
To understand the financial burden of course materials on undergraduate students and explore their preferences for textbook formats and other learning resources.

Key Focus Areas:

-The economic impact of textbook and course material costs on students’ academic choices and success.
-Students’ preferences for digital versus print materials and their experiences with various textbook formats.
-Strategies students employ to manage the costs of educational resources.

Collaborator: Laurie Morrison, Brock University

This project delves into the unique challenges faced by undergraduate students with intersecting stigmatized identities. Building on intersectionality theory, this study investigates how structural, relational, and pedagogical exclusion in academic settings can heighten social identity threats and adversely affect students’ well-being and academic success.

Research Goals:

-To examine the correlation between negative exclusionary experiences and students’ academic, social, and psychological functioning.
-To understand the influence of identity centrality on experiences of social identity threat.
-To explore the impact of exclusionary cues on students’ learning, sense of belonging, and motivation.
-To assess how inclusive pedagogies can enhance student experiences and mitigate threats to social identity.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) developed and launched Canada’s first Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) programs in January 2018. This project aimed to investigate the impact of this growing initiative on educational outcomes including course enrolment, persistence, and performance through an analysis of KPU’s institutional undergraduate course-level data (which integrates the ZTC course attribute) from January 2018 through to August 2022 (14 semesters). It is hypothesized that ZTC courses will have higher rates of enrolment and persistence and superior mean course performance than non-ZTC courses.

The data in question are aggregated at the course level (not individual student level) but represent the course enrolment, persistence, and performance of undergraduate students at KPU between January 2018-August 2022. From 2018-2022, approximately 18,000-20,000 students were enrolled at KPU each year.

Link to the published article: https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.T2025072100008700484749587

“Assessing institutional capacity to support open educational practices in BC” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD candidate Oya Pakkal, collaborator Clint Lalonde, and Josie Gray from BC Campus.

“Assessing institutional capacity to support open educational practices: Insights from British Columbia (BC OER)” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD candidate Oya Pakkal, collaborator Clint Lalonde, and Josie Gray from BC Campus.

“Undergraduate students’ perceptions of a course syllabus designed to foreground open educational practices” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, collaborator Lindsey Gwozdz, and PhD students Oya Pakkal and Anita Twele.

“Assessing the capacity of Ontario’s post-secondary institutions to support open educational practices: A system-wide application of the ISAT2” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD student Oya Pakkal, collaborator Catherine Lachaîne, and collaborator Dr. Robert Luke.

“Assessing the capacity of Ontario post-secondary institutions to support open educational practices” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD student Oya Pakkal, collaborator Catherine Lachaîne, and collaborator Dr. Robert Luke.

“Using the ISAT2 to Assess the Capacity to Support Open Educational Practices Across Ontario” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD student Oya Pakkal, collaborator Catherine Lachaîne, and collaborator Dr. Robert Luke.

“Students’ Perceptions of a Course Syllabus Designed to Foreground Open Educational Practices” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD students Oya Pakkal and Anita Twele, and collaborator Lindsey Gwozdz.

“Introducing the ISAT2: The Institutional Self-Assessment Tool for Open Educational Practices” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, PhD student Oya Pakkal, and collaborators Dr. Robert Luke & Catherine Lachaîne.

“The impact of Zero Textbook Cost Programs on Educational Outcomes” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani & PhD student Oya Pakkal.

“Designing for Justice: Evaluating Students’ Perceptions of Justice Frames and Open Educational Practices in a Course Syllabus” by Dr. Rajiv Jhangian, PhD student Oya Pakkal & collaborator Lindsey Gwozdz.