There is a myth that goldfish have a three-second memory, and I sometimes wonder if the same is true about the part of the human mind that deals with science in the news. This week, the international media has trumpeted the discovery by Australian scientists of the oldest star in the universe, with the catchy […] … learn more→

By the time this post appears, the first peer-graded assignment in Cathy Davidson’s Coursera MOOC, “History and Future of (Mostly) Higher Education,” will have come and gone, and students will be well into the second. Unlike programming projects, algebra exercises, and multiple-choice questions that can all be reliably graded by a computer, Coursera offloads the […] … learn more→

Should discussion of religious beliefs be banned from the science classroom? Specifically, should evolution be taught without reference to religious beliefs? There are concerns that some faith-based academies and free schools – released from the strictures of the national curriculum – will replace Darwin with creationism. In response, the government has clarified that all state-funded […] … learn more→

The founder and CEO of American Title Services in Centennial was found dead in his home this week, the result of self-inflicted wounds from a nail gun, according to the Arapahoe County coroner….They said Talley died from seven or eight self-inflicted wounds from a nail gun fired into his torso and head. –from The Denver […] … learn more→

Three years ago I sat in my supervisor’s office for the first time; a tad nervous, a touch excited and certainly overwhelmed. We discussed my PhD project. The research topic, the methods, the potential outcomes… I don’t really remember much about this meeting, apart from the question he posed me at the end. “So, when […] … learn more→

A standard feature of conservative and libertarian attacks on higher education is a polemic against tenure. My own view is that tenure is a fundamentally conservative institution—one that deserves to be defended. Although tenure is not in immediate danger at some of our best colleges, it’s naïve to believe that it has much of a […] … learn more→

A recent opinion piece in Slate magazine explores the thrust of the DWYL (do what you love) movement. According to author Miya Tokumitsu, this well-intended mantra undervalues real work. Only those who are financially or socially privileged can chase down the intellectually stimulating and creative careers that are often put into the DWYL category. Privileged […] … learn more→

Many individuals see a number of advertisements every day—TV commercials, billboards, internet ads, and others—for personal injury attorneys, promising their services to help injured individuals to receive compensation. In spite of the frequency of the commercials, it’s possible to have no real idea of what constitutes personal injury law, and why it is an important […] … learn more→

The arrests of people travelling to or returning from the Syrian conflict have been widely reported over recent weeks in the British media. Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, who leads the Association of Chief Police Officer’s Prevent strategy on counter-terrorism, told the BBC that there was “huge concern” that Britons arriving […] … learn more→

I always learn from and enjoy the comments made by readers of this blog, print media and through social media like Twitter. One comment struck me this week, in particular, that cast light on a growing and persistent problem within higher education. How do we create a pipeline between higher education sectors to benefit our […] … learn more→