Monthly Archives: September 2024

Simple technologies that allow robots to be built and programmed in class

Simple technologies that allow robots to be built and programmed in class

In the summer, most teachers take advantage of the opportunity to rest from the hustle and bustle of the academic year. However, many others spend part of their holidays refreshing their knowledge and adapting to new ways of teaching. But when it comes to innovation, not everything goes. Educational innovation is not just about using […] … learn more→

With “design fiction”, training students to imagine futures

With “design fiction”, training students to imagine futures

More and more companies are recruiting scriptwriters and designers in “design fiction,” an immersive method that uses science fiction to project potential futures. How are schools and universities adapting to this trend? “Design of fictions”, “creation of prototypes”, “ability to mobilize imaginations to glimpse desirable futures”: these are the new skills sought by Hermès, Matmut […] … learn more→

The United Nations has a plan to govern AI – but has it bought the industry’s hype?

The United Nations has a plan to govern AI – but has it bought the industry’s hype?

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has released its final report on governing AI for humanity. The report presents a blueprint for addressing AI-related risks while still enabling the potential of this technology. It also includes a call to action for all governments and stakeholders to work together in governing AI to foster […] … learn more→

College can be confusing for first-generation students – but it doesn’t have to be

College can be confusing for first-generation students – but it doesn’t have to be

In his new book, “Degrees of Risk: Navigating Insecurity and Inequality in Public Higher Education,” sociology professor Blake R. Silver examines some of many ways that college students can slip through the cracks at public colleges and universities. In the following Q&A with The Conversation U.S., Silver expounds on what he discovered while doing research […] … learn more→

‘I don’t believe I would have gotten into university’: how early entry schemes help Year 12 students experiencing disadvantage

‘I don’t believe I would have gotten into university’: how early entry schemes help Year 12 students experiencing disadvantage

During September, many Australian universities start making early offers to Year 12 students for a place next year. This is ahead of the main rounds of offers, due in January. These early entry schemes have been around for many years. But offers soared during COVID, with more than 40,000 school-leavers estimated to have received an early offer […] … learn more→

Clones in the classroom: why universities must be wary of embracing AI-driven teaching tools

Clones in the classroom: why universities must be wary of embracing AI-driven teaching tools

The university sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is at a tipping point due to chronic underfunding, shifting enrolments and increasing costs from inflation. In response, the government has established two working groups to assess the health of the sector and provide recommendations for the future. Meanwhile, universities find themselves increasingly beholden to the education technology (EdTech) industry, which claims […] … learn more→

The use of open access data questions the practice of journalists

The use of open access data questions the practice of journalists

Open source surveys – based on the collection of information available on the Internet – are increasingly used by the news media as well as by propaganda communication. They raise many ethical and methodological questions. On April 5, 2024, Le Monde published a very detailed investigation , showing, through multiple sources accessible online, the destruction of Palestinian hospitals, schools […] … learn more→

Gen Z’s language might seem incomprehensible but slang has always sounded that way – just look at these five Victorian sayings

Gen Z’s language might seem incomprehensible but slang has always sounded that way – just look at these five Victorian sayings

All Gen Z slang might sound like “skibidi” to older generations, but every era has had its own confusing slang. For every “gyatt” today (originally a variation of “god damn”, now referring to a curvy woman) there was a “dog my cats” or “od’s fish” in the Victorian era (both also meant something like “god […] … learn more→

AI in court: how do magistrates appropriate “predictive justice” tools?

AI in court: how do magistrates appropriate “predictive justice” tools?

Among the fantasies raised by AI and new technologies, predictive justice tools promise to eventually replace the judicial system, by deducing from legal texts the judgment to be rendered on a new case. Ongoing experiments to introduce these legal techs into the courtroom show that it is not so simple, and that magistrates welcome them by confronting […] … learn more→