Ludification and gamification are two concepts that are sometimes used as synonyms. Or even ludification is proposed as the appropriate translation of the English term gamification , as opposed to the Anglicism gamificación. However, if we work on the design of products, services or educational dynamics that want to use these concepts, we must know their meaning […] … learn more→

Ever since the NCAA permitted college athletes to get paid by companies that use their names, images and likenesses, athletes have tested the limits of their increasing power. One of the latest examples is Matthew Sluka, the starting quarterback for UNLV’s first three games of the 2024 season. After helping lead UNLV to three wins and potential […] … learn more→

In Eleanor Rigby, the Beatles asked: “All the lonely people – where do they all come from?” The answer to that question is complex, but loneliness is a widespread feeling among Australians. One in three people feel lonely, and one in six experience severe loneliness. The findings of our research suggest that shared reading groups, where people from […] … learn more→

Stories define people – they shape our relationships, cultures and societies. Unlike other skills replaced by technology, storytelling has remained uniquely human, setting people apart from machines. But now, even storytelling is being challenged. Artificial intelligence, powered by vast datasets, can generate stories that sometimes rival, or even surpass, those written by humans. Creative professionals […] … learn more→

There is a belief widely held across the Western world: Chinese students are schooled through rote, passive learning – and an educational system like this can only produce docile workers who lack innovation or creativity. We argue this is far from true. In fact, the Chinese education system is producing highly successful students and an […] … learn more→

If you live in the UK or are familiar with its wide range of accents and dialects, you can probably tell the difference between a posh or upper-class accent, (think the “King’s English”) and one more associated with the working class (such as Cockney). Besides accents, it is a popular view, reinforced in media and pop culture, that certain words […] … learn more→

Meta’s announcement nearly eight months ago that it would no longer do commercial deals under the News Media Bargaining Code has led to much speculation as to how the government would respond. The code became law in 2021. Facing the threat of designation under it – which would involve further legal obligations platforms may wish to avoid […] … learn more→

For the past two decades, investing in girls’ schooling has been hailed as a cornerstone of promoting gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018 the World Bank Group invested US$3.2 billion in education projects benefiting adolescent girls. The logic is straightforward. Girls face significant barriers to education, among them poverty, insufficient academic support, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and […] … learn more→

Universities are supposed to be places where all students can learn, free from discrimination. A key part of this ideal is academics welcoming all students to study and research, regardless of their racial background. But as our new research shows, Australian academics responded differently to potential PhD students, depending on whether they were called “Melissa” or “Rahul”. Racism on campus […] … learn more→

First of all, there is the business model of the university. In Australia (where I’m based) almost all universities are teaching and research ‘liberal arts’ universities, and they are almost all pubic institutions. We have a couple of private universities, but I haven’t really considered them for the purpose of this post. The business model […] … learn more→