Last week it was an earthquake. The week before it was an elderly relative’s ill health. The week before that it was concerns about a child. Normal workplace topics of conversation – but with a difference. For almost a year now, I’ve spent a part of most weekdays hanging out with academic colleagues in our […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Our Covid disadvantages were eased by a Zoom room of our own
Does the body still have its place in distance education?
Apart from a few face-to-face return attempts which remain in the minority, we have been teaching at a distance for a year now, in the French university context. The majority of higher education teachers, who had to be trained quickly and imperfectly, find that the bodies are affected. Students and teachers spend long hours sitting behind […] … learn more→
Sedentary lifestyle: educational initiatives to alleviate student suffering
Many studies warn about the effects of distance education and isolation on the mental health of young people. Between stress, anxiety attacks, undernourishment, and a sedentary lifestyle, the student world is very affected by the containment measures taken to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Faced with this state of affairs, the teams responsible for physical and […] … learn more→
Liberal arts education must embrace employability
In 1753, when the educator William Smith conceived the modern world’s first liberal arts college, he envisioned a place where students would express themselves by “writing, speaking, acting, and living well”, and where knowledge itself fuelled “the business of life”. Smith’s ideal, which inspired the founding of Washington College in 1782, was not unlike that […] … learn more→
How can all schools safely reopen?
The question of when and how to open schools for full in-person learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most consequential the U.S. currently faces. A wealth of evidence suggests that schools can provide in-person instruction with a very low level of risk when safety protocols are successfully implemented. So, what do school districts, teachers, families and […] … learn more→
In gun debate, both sides have evidence to back them up
Gun control is back in the U.S. political debate, in the wake of mass shootings in California, Boulder and Atlanta. Democrats see stricter gun control as a step toward addressing the problem. In March 2021, as the House of Representatives passed two gun control bills, Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that the “solutions will save lives.” […] … learn more→
Academics should decline grand and global challenges
The news last month that the UK government is cutting its international aid budget has caused consternation within the higher education sector. International aid money is currently being used to support UK Research and Innovation projects including the £1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). But while universities benefit from this funding stream, the redirection […] … learn more→
Plagiarism scandals are devaluing doctoral degrees in central Europe
In January, Austrian minister Christine Aschbacher became the latest in a long line of politicians in central and eastern Europe to be accused of plagiarising their academic theses – but one of the few to resign over it. She gave up her cabinet post for labour, family and youth in the wake of allegations that […] … learn more→
How game worlds are preparing humanitarian workers for high-stakes scenarios
The pandemic has bred a new dependence on online technologies for work and social engagement. Immersive technology such as that used in 3D video games, virtual reality and augmented reality can be designed now so that the person experiencing them is transported into a socially rich online world. This began with the design of massive online role playing games and […] … learn more→
Why early second language learning doesn’t guarantee success
Marta, a 9-year-old student, fourth grade in a Madrid bilingual school, is doing very well in her studies. In the last Science exam the lesson was known “from top to bottom”: Granite is made up of quartz, felspar and mica. Obsidian and pumice are igneous rocks … The teachers at his school took care of helping all the students to review […] … learn more→
