Children today are growing up surrounded by technology. So it’s easy to assume they will be able to write effectively using a keyboard. But our research suggests this is not necessarily true. We need to actively teach students to be able to type as well as write using paper and pen or pencil. Our research Our research team has […] … learn more→
Our research shows children produce better pieces of writing by hand. But they need keyboard skills too
A musing on email signatures
I haven’t often thought about the work that’s done in email signatures. But I do generally have a look at what people have sitting there underneath their name. And I’ve recently been struck by five things: a lot of colleagues put a prepared corporate logo from their university or research centre in their signature. I have […] … learn more→
Billions are spent on educational technology, but we don’t know if it works
During the COVID lockdowns, schools and universities worldwide relied on education technology – edtech – to keep students learning. They used online platforms to give lessons, mark work and send feedback, used apps to teach and introduced students to programs that let them work together on projects. In the aftermath of school closures, the market […] … learn more→
The metaverse could change our religious experiences, and create new ones
New technologies have always informed and changed our religious experiences. Listening to early radio broadcasts in the 1880s was experienced by many as religious because radio voices seemed to come from some other dimension. Séances became wildly popular at the time because it was thought by some that radio had opened a door to the spirit world. […] … learn more→
A new campaign wants to redefine the word ‘nature’ to include humans – here’s why this linguistic argument matters
What does the word nature mean to you? Does it conjure visions of wild places away from the hustle and bustle of people, or does it include humans too? The meaning of nature has changed since the word was first used back as early as the 15th century. Now a new campaign, We Are Nature, aims to […] … learn more→
AI-assisted writing is quietly booming in academic journals. Here’s why that’s OK
If you search Google Scholar for the phrase “as an AI language model”, you’ll find plenty of AI research literature and also some rather suspicious results. For example, one paper on agricultural technology says: As an AI language model, I don’t have direct access to current research articles or studies. However, I can provide you with an […] … learn more→
New faith schools in England could soon allocate all their places on religious grounds – here’s why that’s a bad idea
The government has proposed dropping the cap on faith admissions for new and existing free faith schools in England. This would mean that oversubscribed faith schools in this category – those established as new academies, rather than converted from existing council-maintained schools – would no longer have to offer 50% of their places to children from outside […] … learn more→
“Ban screens” or “digital education”: the unsustainable alternative
At the end of April 2024, the “Screens Commission” submitted its report to the President of the French Republic to regulate the digital practices of young people. Entitled “Children and screens: In search of lost time” , the text has since provoked numerous reactions, particularly focused on health issues. The application of some of its recommendations, […] … learn more→
AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘friend’
It’s been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite early warnings about the dangers of such AI friends, interest in friendships and even romantic relationships with AI is on the rise. The Google Play store shows more than 30 million total downloads of Replika and two of its […] … learn more→
AI may be to blame for our failure to make contact with alien civilisations
Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed at an astounding pace over the last few years. Some scientists are now looking towards the development of artificial superintelligence (ASI) — a form of AI that would not only surpass human intelligence but would not be bound by the learning speeds of humans. But what if this milestone isn’t just a remarkable […] … learn more→