Several Australian universities (Australian National University, Swinburne and the University of Western Australia) have announced they will accept students based on their year 11 results. The rationale is that the disrupted 2020 year will affect year 12 results. So, it’s fairer to use their results from last year. It’s clear finishing school in the midst of a global pandemic […] … learn more→

I recently heard about a rejection letter from a Chinese economics journal that was a bit too generous with the sugar vis-à-vis the pill. “If we were to publish your paper, it would be impossible for us to publish any work of lower standard,” the editor wrote, several decades ago. “And as it is unthinkable […] … learn more→

The Australian government has allocated tens of millions of dollars to commemorate the anniversary of Cook’s voyage to the South Pacific and Australia in 1770. Though several events have now been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, others will take place online. This could also be an opportunity for teachers to disrupt the same white-washed versions of […] … learn more→

Homeostasis is a rare word, used in biology, but it could be useful in the context of the epidemic we are suffering from. Homeostasis has to do with balance and at the same time with imbalance. In short, it speaks of a balanced imbalance, or a stable imbalance. Life is a pure paradox. Human beings have always had […] … learn more→

The rise of the Internet and mobile applications has given birth to a new economic sector , around technologies dedicated to knowledge and transmission, known as “EdTechs”. Used in the United States from 2010, under the pen of American researchers , this name covers a whole variety of actors offering virtual classes, interactive exam preparations, language learning solutions or tutoring, orientation aids. […] … learn more→

As a new spring semester begins in Canada, all-online teaching continues. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, universities and colleges replaced classroom instruction with online teaching. UNESCO estimates that more than 1.5 billion students in 165 countries are affected by a move to online learning. With campus libraries still closed, instructors have had to place more course materials online. […] … learn more→

The recent resignation of Mauro Ferrari as president of the European Research Council has thrown into sharp relief the distinction between “basic” and “applied” research, as understood today. In the UK, this is particularly topical given that it coincides with the start of parliamentary scrutiny over the role that the government’s proposed “high risk, high […] … learn more→

Among the angles of analysis that these times of pandemic offer us, it is necessary to stop at one that, for those of us dedicated to the world of education, offers its own nuances. Suddenly, in the middle of the academic year, we have had to change the way we relate to our students, with our […] … learn more→

I was on Day 42 of living the #isolife when I commented that I was starting to note the difference in Zoom experiences: Day 42: Understanding better the pacing between types of vid-conf experiences – facilitating vs participating vs webinar-ing vs dropping in. Quite differently textured instances. Hmmm… Sally Purcell (@ResourcefulHDR on Twitter) asked for […] … learn more→

There’s a peculiar kind of exhaustion which comes from spending an afternoon staring at Zoom. I’m mentally drained but I would be if I’d spent a few hours in face to face meetings. My back hurts but it probably would have after a long meeting in an uncomfortable chair. I’ve got a vague headache but […] … learn more→