The fate of hundred of millions of dollars in scholarship money is up in the air in Ohio after seven state universities put race-conscious programs on hold to check their legality. The review comes after Dave Yost, the state’s attorney general, advised administrators in a call that using race as a factor to award funds may be unconstitutional. […] … learn more→
Are race-conscious scholarships on their way out?
Writing at university in the age of artificial intelligence
The arrival of artificial intelligence has put all educational models in check. The current paradigm of the teaching-learning process has been questioned and there are many voices that have supported the need to integrate everything that AI offers in the training of students, from basic education to higher education. This is because AI has multiple functions that […] … learn more→
Middle East student dialogue: As an expert in deep conflict, what I’ve learned about making conversation possible
On a dreary winter evening in a university building basement in March 2015, I stood before some 100 students for a dialogue on the conflict in the Middle East. University of British Columbia (UBC) undergraduates were voting in a referendum to decide whether their student union should boycott products and divest from companies that support Israel’s occupation […] … learn more→
Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?
During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child? […] … learn more→
Learning as a political exercise
Learning and training have become an important niche in a market in which universities compete on a global scale . A competition for students that increases with non-face-to-face training possibilities . In this context, learning is at the center of the debate. The added value of universities will be in their ability to advance a model that makes teaching […] … learn more→
Don’t blame Dubai’s freak rain on cloud seeding – the storm was far too big to be human-made
Some years ago, I found myself making my way up the narrow stairs of a Learjet on a sultry runway in a deserted airport near the South Africa-Mozambique border. The humidity was there to taste – the air thick with it. The weather radar was showing a fast-developing thundercloud. Our mission was to fly through […] … learn more→
Understanding AI outputs: study shows pro-western cultural bias in the way AI decisions are explained
Humans are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to inform decisions about our lives. AI is, for instance, helping to make hiring choices and offer medical diagnoses. If you were affected, you might want an explanation of why an AI system produced the decision it did. Yet AI systems are often so computationally complex that not even their designers fully […] … learn more→
Graduation rates for low-income students lag while their student loan debt soars
A recent federal study on graduation rates for American colleges and universities shows that 40% of all students did not earn a degree or credential within eight years of leaving high school. The graduation rate is even lower for low-income students. Among students from families with income levels of US$115,000 or more, 66% who enrolled in higher […] … learn more→
‘Listening is the most important part’: 10 things students with disability and their families want teachers to know
About 90% of Australian students with disability attend mainstream schools. Equitable access and participation in education is a fundamental human right. But as last year’s disability royal commission found, this does not mean students with disability are fully included in their classrooms, school activities and playgrounds. Over the past seven years, we have have surveyed and interviewed more than 100 students with […] … learn more→
Why doesn’t my digital music feel like ‘mine’? Three ways digital possessions reduce our sense of ownership
Our possessions – the things we view as “mine” – play an important role in our lives. Beyond their functionality, they can serve as poignant reminders of cherished memories. They can symbolise not only who we are, but also who we used to be, and who we aspire to become. From faded photo albums to […] … learn more→