GCSE and A-level exams in England have been cancelled, opening the door to a repeat of the confusion that marked the award of grades in 2020. The cancellation of exams in March 2020 in England was followed by the realisation that an algorithm created to moderate the data provided by schools had led to significant reduction […] … learn more→

After 20 years of teaching academic writing to both native speakers and English language learners, I can attest that at some point, just about everyone asks me why, or even whether, grammar matters. There is more than one way to define grammar. Linguists – the people who study language – define “grammar” as a description […] … learn more→

Today, women outnumber men in higher education. However, they remain strongly under-represented in the fields which use mathematics the most. This under-representation contributes to inequalities in the labor market since scientific fields lead on average to better paid jobs . It is also likely to represent a potential loss of talent in areas of high skill demand such as IT and AI. Finally, we know that algorithms […] … learn more→

We all know the word argument. By argument, we usually mean that people have some kind of quarrel. People take opposing positions about something and then each proceeds to try to convince the other(s) that they are right. When arguments are heated, participants aim to demolish all objections and perhaps even the people who make […] … learn more→

Academics are increasingly expected to share their research widely beyond academia. However, our recent study of academics in Australia and Japan suggests Australian universities are still very much focused on supporting the production of scholarly outputs. They offer relatively limited support for researchers’ efforts to engage with the many non-academics who can benefit from our research. One reason engagement is expected […] … learn more→

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the university sector under greater scrutiny. In some cases, this has prompted new conversations about the purpose of higher education. These have included the extent to which universities are upholding their commitment to public service, and whether the current institutional adjustments in universities will change the way higher education is delivered. But […] … learn more→

What is your experience being a woman of color with a doctoral degree? I am not only a woman who holds a Ph.D. in a male-dominated field, but a woman of mixed heritage (Irish and Native American). There was never a time during my Ph.D. studies that I was not made aware that I was […] … learn more→

The world has been living with coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, for the better part of a year now. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were originally told that shutting down and staying home for a couple of weeks would be all that was necessary to contain the virus. And yet, […] … learn more→

Léa, Nina and Jules have been in first grade for 2 months already. Today, their mistress tells them that they are going to discover a new sound. The teacher writes the letter “s” on the board, turns around and asks the children “What does this letter sound like?” “. Immediately, a small hand is raised. It’s Léa’s. It is quickly followed […] … learn more→

Whether it’s purchasing power parity or the Happiness Index, global comparisons require benchmarking. Sport does this well with World Cups and the Olympics, or better still the single ranking familiar to tennis and golf aficionados. The problem with universities is there are around a dozen rankings. Each is a variable mix of research, reputation and teaching metrics, leading […] … learn more→