We have heard a lot of talk about MOOCs, or massive online open courses, over the last couple of years. On the plus side, MOOCs often draw enormous enrollments and are easy to sign up for and use; all you need, it seems, is an Internet connection and an interest to learn. On the down […] … learn more→

Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of a famous editorial in the New York Times denouncing academic freedom, one that I quote in my article about the media and academic freedom in the new issue of Academe. Reacting to an AAUP report about the firing of Scott Nearing by the University of Pennsylvania, the New York […] … learn more→

Four million. That’s the number of borrowers enrolled in income-based repayment plans, where a borrower pays a share of her income for a set number of years after which any remaining balance is forgiven, and enrollment has more than doubled since 2013. These plans, which President Obama mentioned as a major success of his presidency […] … learn more→

It’s official: 2015 was the warmest year on record. But those global temperature records only date back to 1850 and become increasingly uncertain the further back you go. Beyond then, we’re reliant on signs left behind in tree rings, ice cores or rocks. So when was the Earth last warmer than the present? The Medieval […] … learn more→

Protests by and on behalf of students of color on campuses such as Yale University and the University of Missouri have highlighted the need for greater diversity among faculty. While some colleges and universities, including Yale, have committed millions of dollars to diversity initiatives, the obstacles to recruiting and retaining faculty from historically underrepresented groups […] … learn more→

I want to talk about specific questions on the Harvard entrance examination, which reveals what an 18-year-old could do, in the 19th century. Yes, the successful applicant probably came from the best prep schools, but no, this is not sufficient to explain the failure of our modern education system…we’ve had over a century to match […] … learn more→

Can you break the law to stop climate change … and get away with it? That’s exactly what five climate change activists wanted to argue at a recent criminal trial in Seattle, Washington. In September 2014 the group tied themselves to a 25ft (8 metre) high “tripod” over a railway line in Washington State, US, […] … learn more→

Happy new year everyone! How was your 2015? I’ve been busy, both personally and professionally. Family Thesis Whisperer renovated a house and moved into it, putting down proper Canberra roots. I lost my ‘baby weight’ (Thesis Whisperer Jnr is now taller than me so it was way past time) and started running. The blog went […] … learn more→

If there is any case that highlights the importance of faculty dealing wisely with the media, it’s the case of University of Missouri Professor Melissa Click. During student protests in fall 2015, she was recorded on camera asking for some “muscle” to keep reporters from covering a student protest. She received death and rape threats, […] … learn more→

Contains mild spoilers for those who haven’t seen The Force Awakens Star Wars is many things to many people: nostalgia-tinted staple of childhood memory, space opera extraordinaire, modern day merchandising behemoth. For every starry-eyed fan there is probably a giddy scholar feasting on the many historical ingredients that make up Star Wars’ intergalactic soup. At […] … learn more→