Recently, I was listening to a BBC radio feature exploring how new artists are identified for the Radio 1 playlist. Now, in my naivety I thought that this was a straightforward enough process, at the heart of which was the simple act of listening to the artist in question (ideally both recorded and live) followed […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: May 2016

Great teaching cannot be captured by ‘dangerously soulless’ algorithms

How to close your blog gracefully.
There are lots of great reasons to blog, but are also sometimes reasons to stop. You might not be getting benefits from your blog any more, or your interests might change. Maybe you’ve ‘inherited’ a blog along with a new job, but blogging isn’t your style. Blogging is potentially an endless commitment, so choosing how […] … learn more→

TB could kill 75 million people by 2050; Improved treatment methods and vaccines need of the hour
Alongside HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death in the planet. Nearly, 9 million people and 1 million children suffer from TB according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the last decade, the advancement in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of TB has brought the mortality rate down, by 47%. Every […] … learn more→

Why schools shouldn’t approach technology like businesses once did
Computers began reaching the business world during the 1980s. Companies used them to automate many routine manual tasks. This led to what economist Robert Solow dubbed the Productivity Paradox. In 1987, he famously quipped: “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” The problem Solow had identified was that while computers […] … learn more→

Starting college? Here’s why you should think about a gap year
Malia Obama recently announced that she will take a gap year before attending Harvard University. Historically, American high school graduates have been less likely to take a gap year as compared to their European and Australian counterparts. A study of “The American Freshman,” for example, indicates that only up to three percent of U.S. students […] … learn more→

University teacher training has gender unicorns
It’s been a long time, but I still remember the training I received to teach at the university level, despite the clear fact that my memory isn’t what it used to be. The reason I recall this training is because it was fairly simple: “Here’s the syllabus. You can pick up a copy of the […] … learn more→

Breaking the silence around lecturers who are sexually harassed – by students
Sexual harassment is ubiquitous in higher education institutions around the world, and a large body of research suggests that women are its main victims. This is true for students and academics, who are experiencing sexual harassment from their superiors, their peers – and their students. It is this last category – what’s known as contrapower […] … learn more→

Ten years on: how Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth made its mark
Ten years ago, An Inconvenient Truth opened in cinemas in the United States. Starring former US vice president Al Gore, the documentary about the threat of climate change has undoubtedly made a mark. It won two Academy Awards, and Gore won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to communicate human-induced climate change. An […] … learn more→

Why early career researchers should care about public engagement
Many researchers don’t want to do public engagement. Few consider it part of their core mission, many consider it a waste of their time. As for higher education institutions, they send out a mixed message: yes, please do it, but do it in your own time. The problem is that public engagement is perceived as […] … learn more→

Rerun: The farce of education
A rerun, yes, but worth reconsidering in light of some recent posts: The Farce of Education as a field of study “My Ph.D. thesis, which was the only thesis that was shown to be true, showed that students who study tend to learn more.” Quote from an Education expert who came to tell us how […] … learn more→