Simon Fraser University Set to Continuously Develop Teaching and Learning with Explorance

Montreal, Canada – January 8, 2015 – Simon Fraser University (SFU) has selected Blue as their comprehensive assessment system to continuously develop the quality of education. Following a rigorous selection process, the university has also acquired Blue Text Analytics and Bluepulse from Explorance.

Adhering to the Best Value Model, SFU needs a solution that can meet stringent requirements, drive continuous development, and strengthen institutional accountability through measurement. Explorance added value at every stage of the procurement model through its products and services, which the university will leverage to meet its strategic priorities. “The team utilized the Best Value Model for the selection process. Best Value focuses on factors other than price such as quality of experience and flexibility,” says Corinne Pitre-Hayes, Project Director, Simon Fraser University. “In this regard, Explorance really shone. The Model also includes a relatively detailed joint planning phase during the pre-award period. This joint planning has given the implementation team a real kick-start.”

Simon Fraser University follows a dedicated approach to teaching and curriculum development which aligns with Blue. Through Blue, SFU can utilize a cascaded approach to incorporate multiple levels of evaluation to address changes at every level. The institution can also meet the needs of a variety of disciplines and course types, increase the validity and reliability of results, and provide actionable data to enhance the teaching and learning experience. The implementation of Blue Text Analytics will enable the school to get even more out of their data by analyzing thousands of open-ended student comments to unlock hidden insights.

One of the institution’s top priorities is to achieve high student engagement through innovative education, teaching excellence, and quality student life. Blue’s ability to integrate directly with the school’s Learning Management System, Canvas, will increase accessibility to assessments and in turn raise student participation. Leveraging Bluepulse will also play a key part in building student engagement. Through the adaptive learning platform, the university can solicit real-time student input to enhance the classroom learning experience. Along with engagement, Bluepulse will enable the university to discover teaching ‘blind spots’ and identify student learning gaps to promote teaching and learning excellence.

“We are looking forward to working with Explorance as we develop a more comprehensive approach to the incorporation of student feedback into professional development of SFU instructors,” says Dr. Jon Driver, Vice President, Academic and Provost, Simon Fraser University. “We are particularly interested in the opportunity to integrate some of Explorance’s tools with Canvas, our learning management system, and in testing and refining the text analysis tool.”

As Canada’s engaged university, Simon Fraser University is defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research, and far-reaching community engagement. SFU was founded almost 50 years ago with a mission to be a different kind of university—to bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning, embrace bold initiatives, and engage with communities near and far. Today, SFU is a leader amongst Canada’s comprehensive research universities and is ranked one of the top universities in the world under 50 years of age. With campuses in British Columbia’s three largest cities—Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby—SFU has eight faculties, delivers almost 150 programs to over 30,000 students, and boasts more than 130,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world.