At 2.24pm on 6th June 2016, after a morning filled with panic, I plonked myself down at my kitchen table and wrote this: I’ve got PhD Fear. I’ve had it for three days now, and there’s no sign it’s toddling off to find someone else to haunt. It’s always there, like a software programme quietly running […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: July 2018
PhD fear (a personal account)
Global South scholars are missing from European and US journals. What can be done about it
Studies have shown that scholars in the global South are under represented in top international peer-reviewed social and medicalsciences journals. The global South refers to African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries who are also members of the Group of 77. The intergovernmental organisation of mainly developing countries is used to identify countries in the South. The global […] … learn more→
How educators can use Kik and other messaging apps
In this day and age, educators need to remain at the top of their game. One of the best ways to do that is by utilizing the latest technology to empower their students. Messaging apps might seem like fun and games. Nevertheless, they can prove to be immensely beneficial for teachers and students. By utilizing […] … learn more→
Why school kids need more exposure to the world of work
All students need to experience the world of work, particularly work of the future, long before they leave school, according to a new report out today. The latest Mitchell Institute report, Connecting the worlds of learning and work, says collaborating with industry and the community is vital to better prepare children and young people for future […] … learn more→
How to improve your writing skills?
Decent writing skills may say a lot about you as a person and an employee. From that point of view, your career might rest on how good you can write. Inconsistent texts of your reports, emails and just ordinary messages in social networks or communication apps distort your professional image. Whether you are writing a […] … learn more→
The lecture is an invitation to slow down and think differently
At the recent Times Higher Education Teaching Excellence Summit at the University of Glasgow, James Conroy, vice-principal (internationalisation) at Glasgow, found himself in a “robust” exchange with Carl Wieman, Nobel prize-winning physicist and unwavering advocate for the swift dispatch of the lecture as an educational practice. A couple of hours later, gazing at the magnificent Galloway Memorial […] … learn more→
Identity politics destroying science?
“Theese eeese pure eediocy!” –a German professor’s response at a faculty meeting regarding accreditation recommendations to put an outreach program to attract female STEM students inside of an outreach program to attract female STEM students. The previous sentence is typed as intended. While people “on the inside” of science can quickly answer the title of […] … learn more→
How playful design is transforming university education
A group of 25 interns sit at Baycrest Health Sciences, a research centre for aging in Canada, their eyes glued to their smart phones. They are playing SOS — an award-winning game that simulates real-world gerontology practice — where they compete with other students to earn virtual currency. Across town, a group of professors sit around a table at George Brown […] … learn more→
Social media support needs to go beyond self-branding
Times Higher Education’s timely and thought-provoking feature article on the ups and downs of social media in academia struck a loud, resonant chord with me. A few years back I deleted my Twitter account, subsequently blitzed my personal YouTube channel, and put my blog on an extended hiatus. This act of social media suicide – […] … learn more→
Why the Democrats’ new ‘debt-free’ college plan won’t really make college debt-free
Rising student loan debt and concerns about college affordability got considerable attention from Democrats in the 2016 presidential campaign. Those issues are bound to get renewed attention since House Democrats recently introduced the Aim Higher Act – an effort to update the Higher Education Act, the federal law that governs federal higher education programs. The bill promises […] … learn more→