In response to COVID-19, almost every university has scrambled to move its teaching online. To do this, academics have been choosing between two approaches: live videoconferencing using tools such as Zoom, or pre-recording videos and posting to platforms such as YouTube. Previous reviews have shown videoconferences are an okay substitute for classes, but what about videos? […] … learn more→

According to the recently released Research Australia report, more than three-quarters of Australia’s early career researchers (ECRs) in medical science are employed on temporary contracts or as casuals. Those young postdoctoral researchers in their 20s and 30s are essentially serving apprenticeships, expected to produce publishable research while relying on short-duration contracts of usually one to […] … learn more→

It not unusual to think about the PhD as a seamless pathway from undergraduate to Grad School with maybe a Masters in between. But not all PhDers do go straight through. Many work, often for quite a long time, before they begin a doctorate. Some of these ’later-on’ doctorates are also undertaken part-time. People who do doctorates after […] … learn more→

Nearly 400,000 Chinese students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in 2019 – more than one-third of the country’s international students. A sharp decline in the number of these students would spell financial trouble for U.S. colleges and universities, given that Chinese students spend US$15 billion in tuition payments. Their departure could also result in higher tuition for U.S.   […] … learn more→

The Australian federal government’s proposed increase in the cost of studying humanities and communications degrees at Australian universities has stirred much debate. One aspect that should not be overlooked is that these changes will disproportionately affect women. Under the proposed changes, student contributions for social science, communications and humanities (not including English and psychology) will increase […] … learn more→

People have searched for sex differences in human brains since at least the 19th century, when scientist Samuel George Morton poured seeds and lead shot into human skulls to measure their volumes. Gustave Le Bon found men’s brains are usually larger than women’s, which prompted Alexander Bains and George Romanes to argue this size difference makes men smarter. But John Stuart Mill pointed out, […] … learn more→

Often the digital life of boys and girls begins before they start using the internet, even before they are born, with the dissemination of ultrasound images, an increasingly common family practice during pregnancy. Mother. The practice of fathers and mothers posting texts, images or videos of their sons and daughters on social networks is called sharenting . An anglicism […] … learn more→

Is Peter Pan one of the last examples of the childhood cult that dominated the Victorian era? JM Barrie’s fable devalues ​​adult experience, but it does not idealize childhood. Both in his play ( Peter Pan, or the boy who would not grow up ( Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up ) as in his novel, Peter and Wendy (1911), […] … learn more→

“Talent is spread evenly, opportunity is not.” This is a phrase we often hear nowadays. It was first used in my foreword to the Department for Education’s social mobility strategy in 2017. It was a statement of strategy, not just of fact, and a successful plan on social mobility needs to address both issues, not […] … learn more→

University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead. 1. Use all available sources of information Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make […] … learn more→