The heart begins to accelerate, the tremors are recurrent, the clock passes slowly and we can only think about the remaining turns to make that jump, that 100 meter dash or that somersault that everyone is going to judge… Can anyone remember? A similar situation in physical education class? Fear of failure, understood as the […] … learn more→
The fear of failing, an obstacle to overcome in Physical Education classes
Why we’re so bad at spotting lies – most of us only perform slightly better than chance
You don’t have to be in the middle of an election campaign to be concerned about your ability to spot a lie. Psychology research suggests people lie at least once a day. A 2006 review of 206 papers found that we are little better then chance at guessing whether something is a lie or not, 54% to be exact. […] … learn more→
Deepfake AI pornography is becoming more common – what can parents and schools do to prevent it?
A Victorian school community is reeling after fake, sexually explicit images of female students were generated using artificial intelligence and then shared on social media. About 50 high school students at Bacchus Marsh Grammar had their images altered. A teenage boy has been arrested and released pending further inquiries. Parents have described the images as “incredibly graphic” and “sickening”. […] … learn more→
Shakespeare, Beowulf and Chaucer could be back in the NZ English curriculum – should they be?
For the second time in as many years, New Zealand’s secondary school English curriculum will be rewritten, a move which has generated disquiet from teachers and academics alike. The revised year 7-13 English curriculum, to be released in July, is expected to include compulsory Shakespeare and grammar lessons, as well as a recommended reading list ranging […] … learn more→
How game worlds are helping health-care workers practise compassionate clinical responses
A game world is a fantasy universe based on a story and a theme. In learning contexts, such as in schools or professional continuing education, game worlds permit us to teach complex subjects in an engaging way by rehearsing competencies and roles in a fictional narrative. But games also invite game users into contemplation. In the […] … learn more→
Transforming teacher training through educational ‘hackathon’
In an ever-evolving educational landscape, characterized by technological advancement and changing social and educational needs, traditional teaching approaches are facing increasing scrutiny. In the case of science education, the need for scientific literacy and the growing demand for professionals in STEM areas make it necessary to search for new teaching strategies so that future teachers can involve and inspire […] … learn more→
International student caps are creating a huge headache for universities. But they could have an impact beyond elite campuses
Just before the May budget, the federal government made a surprise announcement: it will introduce caps on the number of international students in the country. It is fair to say this plan is really worrying some Australian universities. The sector argues cutting student numbers will see job losses and less money to do research. They also warn cuts will hurt their […] … learn more→
How DEI rollbacks at colleges and universities set back learning
Just four years ago, following the murder of George Floyd, almost every college and university in the U.S. had at least one diversity, equity and inclusion – or DEI – program. Many had existed long before. These programs ranged from DEI-related degrees and professional training to resources for culturally, linguistically and neurologically diverse students. But […] … learn more→
On bad writing advice, again
Regular readers of my posts may have noticed that my postings have become less frequent of late. This is in part because I am now only working part time and, as part time people usually say, the workload doesn’t seem to have diminished one little bit. But it’s also because I’m temporarily dumbfounded. Patter posts […] … learn more→
Compete or collaborate: what is better for learning?
The Queen song We are the champions captures the options that competition offers: either you are the winner who achieves everything desirable or you are the loser who does not enjoy anyone’s sympathy. The question we must ask ourselves is whether the concept of competitiveness should be adapted or complemented in learning models to achieve better results […] … learn more→