Every year about 190 000 South African students make the leap from high school to university. They land in the deep end of a learning and teaching environment that’s markedly different from school. And they’re expected to swim. Fortunately, around 15% of these first-year students land in the safety net of extended courses offered by universities and other tertiary […] … learn more→

Two and a half months after the broadcast of the hashtag #pasdevagues , launched in October by teachers to denounce the lack of support from their hierarchy in the face of school violence, the movement of red pens is gaining momentum. Its supporters claim among other things a thaw of the index point and the end of job cuts . These events, […] … learn more→

Australian schools constantly strive to improve the literacy outcomes of their students. Supporting literacy achievement for struggling readers is particularly important because these readers have their disadvantage compounded: capable students develop “richer” skills through continued exposure to reading, and the gap between them and struggling readers widens. The number of Australian students deemed “low performers” in […] … learn more→

If you’ve ever wondered if your phone is spying on you, you’re not alone. One of the most hotly debated topics in technology today is the amount of data that firms surreptitiously gather about us online. You may well have shared the increasingly common experience of feeling creeped out by ads for something you recently discussed in […] … learn more→

As a PhD student in human genetics, I live in a real science bubble full of stimulating exchanges. Over the days, I experiment, I present my results to my supervisor, I share my observations with my colleagues, I exchange with members of neighboring laboratories, I submit my work to the peer review of other laboratories etc. This […] … learn more→

The U.S. Department of Education is about to pilot test a new debit card for students who get federal student loans. For the federal government, it means less hassle and a way to get a glimpse at whether students are spending their student aid wisely. For the bank that gets to issue the card, it […] … learn more→

The first mass teacher labor action of 2019 is unfolding in California as the United Teachers Los Angeles walked out for the first time in 30 years. This strike, which began on Jan. 14, isn’t just important to people in Los Angeles. Here are three reasons the nation should pay attention. 1. The Los Angeles case […] … learn more→

At least once a month a headhunting firm calls me seeking advice on a search for a university vice-chancellor. They want to pick my brains because of what I’ve learnt, sometimes the hard way, over seven years as a vice-chancellor, 12 years as an academic dean and two years as an administrator of struggling universities. […] … learn more→

Does your mind wander while you’re reading? All the books to read for that pesky literature review and you just can’t focus … Sometimes the havering mind is “the worries”. Worries about how much reading there is and how hard some of it is. This is a moment when you need to soothe and reassure […] … learn more→

I know this is something of old news…but today’s topic just strikes me as a more important phenomenon for higher ed than anything in the “top 10” of last post. We now have nearly an entire class of students at a good school asking for refunds. When it comes to student loans, the most painful […] … learn more→