Monthly Archives: March 2021

Why early second language learning doesn't guarantee success

Why early second language learning doesn’t guarantee success

  Marta, a 9-year-old student, fourth grade in a Madrid bilingual school, is doing very well in her studies. In the last Science exam the lesson was known “from top to bottom”: Granite is made up of quartz, felspar and mica. Obsidian and pumice are igneous rocks … The teachers at his school took care of helping all the students to review […] … learn more→

School bullying: towards a better awareness?

School bullying: towards a better awareness?

Painfully brought back to the forefront with the death of Alisha, 14, a victim of persecution by high school friends and found drowned in Argenteuil, in the Paris suburbs, in March 2021, bullying is a major concern for school. Beyond the most serious cases, it is estimated that one in ten pupils has already been confronted with bullying […] … learn more→

Project-based learning deepens science knowledge for 3rd graders in Michigan

Project-based learning deepens science knowledge for 3rd graders in Michigan

Project-based learning – a teaching approach whereby students explore and solve real-world challenges – can improve third graders’ scientific knowledge as well as their social and emotional skills. Our study evaluated 2,371 third graders in 46 Michigan schools. Approximately half of the sample received an intervention called Multiple Literacies in Project-Based Learning. The others received traditional science […] … learn more→

Academic resilience in times of COVID

Academic resilience in times of COVID

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation announced the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic of worldwide consequence. Globally, the economic, health and social disruption caused by the pandemic has been, and continues to be, devastating. Higher education and academia have not been spared from the impact of COVID-19. In Australia alone, it is anticipated that […] … learn more→

Ten playful viva preparation activities

Ten playful viva preparation activities

Finished the thesis? Loud cheers. Now to get ready for the viva, or defence as it is called in some places. There’s a lot of great advice about how to prepare for the viva – check out Nathan Ryder’s Viva Survivors blog podcast and workshops, VITAE’s resource pages and Eva Lantsoght’s PhD talk series on PhD vivas around the […] … learn more→

Transforming math learning, a challenge for school

Transforming math learning, a challenge for school

France, last of the class in maths? Published in December 2020, the latest results of the TIMSS survey are cause for concern for parents and teachers. Indeed, in mathematics, France is in last place at European level and among the very last at OECD level. How to explain such a poor performance? TIMSS is an international program to assess the performance of […] … learn more→

Casualisation is not a formula for success in Indian universities

Casualisation is not a formula for success in Indian universities

India’s education minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, told parliament in January how more than 6,000 faculty positions remain unfilled at the country’s 50 or so central universities. At one of the country’s largest institutions, Savitribai Phule Pune University, at least 200 faculty roles are vacant, while empty academic positions can be found everywhere from cash-strapped colleges […] … learn more→

Snapchat is set to haunt exam integrity efforts

Snapchat is set to haunt exam integrity efforts

Much ink has been spilt of late on the evils of essay mills. Several countries have already outlawed them, and former universities minister Chris Skidmore recently introduced a bill in the UK Parliament to do the same. Essays mills are undeniably a blight on university assessments, but with teaching and assessment still largely taking place […] … learn more→