For centuries, universities have taken an active approach in tackling major challenges of the day – from addressing the changing role of women in society to researching the future health of our planet. They have often been at the centre of progress, driving deep, meaningful change and helping build a better, more just future. But […] … learn more→

Back in the heady days of MOOC mania, as readers of Academe will surely recall, it was almost impossible to avoid the omnipresent media coverage of massive open online courses.  The claims on their behalf hit the scene with all the force and ferocity of a revolution, a tsunami, or a silver bullet.  Here, at […] … learn more→

One of the things that really annoys me about being a PhD student is all the unwarranted, generic advice that gets doled out to me: “Go overseas for a postdoc” “Publish as much as you can during your PhD” “Don’t waste your time on teaching or tutoring. It’s all about research output” “Don’t do your […] … learn more→

The second-graders in Sarah Bowling’s class at Dunn Elementary were on a scavenger hunt to find “arrays.” The bookshelf had a picture of three rows of five fish. The door had an image of four rows with three beach pails in each. Several other pictures were strategically placed in different corners of the brightly decorated […] … learn more→

Can a few text messages, a timely email or a letter increase college enrollment and student achievement? Such “nudges,” designed carefully using behavioral economics, can be effective. But when do they work – and when not? Barriers to success Consider students who have just graduated high school intending to enroll in college. Even among those […] … learn more→

Stress is part of life. Too much stress, over a sustained period, is clearly damaging, but normally we can deal effectively with short bouts. In fact, while stress may be uncomfortable, it can actually be a key motivator and the right amount of it can help to boost our performance. But there is a limit. […] … learn more→

Mobile phones have become ubiquitous in Africa. Among younger users, basic phones are most common. But more pupils are accessing smartphones that can connect to the internet – and taking them along to school. Phones are often used in school whether they’re allowed or not. Although they can enable valuable access to information, they also […] … learn more→

“The misplaced commoditization of education is perhaps most powerfully seen at the community college—inflated administrative salaries, meaningless surveys of satisfaction, exploitation of adjuncts, spiraling text book costs, millions of education leadership degree programs which do not prepare graduate students for leading anyone, thousands of programs, pilots, grants, and services that perpetuate a kind of public […] … learn more→

Private Orthodox Jewish faith schools have faced scrutiny in recent months after reports that up to 1,000 boys are being educated illegally in unregistered schools. In a climate of increasing regulation of faith schools, including Muslim madrassas, inspectors have warned that children in some private faith schools are not being taught a broad-based curriculum. These […] … learn more→

Philosophy has been a favorite whipping boy in the culture wars since 399 B.C., when an Athenian jury sentenced Socrates to death. Nowadays, philosophers are no longer accused of “corrupting the youth.” Instead, a surprisingly wide range of pundits, from celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson to former GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio, assert that philosophy […] … learn more→