Monthly Archives: June 2021

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Make your case stronger – argue against yourself

Argument is crucial to academic writing. It’s argue argue argue all the way. Once we have identified a problem or puzzle that we think is worth researching, we then make a case for research, creating the warrant for our work. We present evidence in a persuasive sequence. We argue that the research results have a […] … learn more→

Podcasting overcomes hurdles facing unis to immerse students in the world of workers’ experiences

Podcasting overcomes hurdles facing unis to immerse students in the world of workers’ experiences

Podcasting is helping to revolutionise tertiary education. Universities have found themselves caught between shrinking budgets and an official insistence that they make graduates job-ready. Academics have had to be creative and flexible about how they engage their students with crucial learning, and podcasting is one way to do this. In the past year, universities have […] … learn more→

Is Facebook advertising really worth it?

Is Facebook advertising really worth it?

Facebook advertising is a great way to promote your business, but many people are hesitant about spending their money on it. The truth is that Facebook advertising works wonders for many businesses and has proven to be worth the investment time and again. Agencies like Local Digital have even made advertising on Facebook easier. This […] … learn more→

It takes a village: why sending your kid to childcare isn’t ‘outsourcing parenting’

It takes a village: why sending your kid to childcare isn’t ‘outsourcing parenting’

A Coalition party room meeting this week debated the A$1.7 billion childcare package announced in the budget, which would increase subsidies for families with more than one child in care and remove a cap on subsidies for higher-income families. Some MPs reportedly argued childcare shouldn’t be the only type of care being subsidised and parents should also […] … learn more→

How race, sex and class combine to affect school results

How race, sex and class combine to affect school results

When it comes to education, we cannot think about race, sex and class in isolation. When I was commissioned by the UK government to investigate how these issues affect academic achievement, I discovered how they all matter – and in combination. I believe that an analysis that focuses on any one of these in isolation […] … learn more→

Here’s an approach to mentoring that can help close the leadership gender gap

Here’s an approach to mentoring that can help close the leadership gender gap

Mentoring is known to be a critical component of job satisfaction and career development. It is also widely recognised that career advancement in medicine, research and health more broadly remains in favour of men. Traditional academic mentoring programs rely on a unidirectional mentor-mentee relationship: a senior academic mentors a junior (female) academic. This model has been shown […] … learn more→

Campus free speech: Does it extend to what students say online?

Campus free speech: Does it extend to what students say online?

Professors fiercely champion free speech. Many believe that unfiltered, even offensive, expression is fundamental to post-secondary academic life. But what about their students? Should student social media posts be punishable, even if they are made off-campus? This emerging issue in the perpetual battle over free expression speaks to the perils of ever-present devices, ubiquitous wifi and instantaneous […] … learn more→