During last year, I found myself drawn to attend several workshops run by the research education and development team at my university. They had topics such as blogging and developing a digital profile. My interests sprang from a desire to get my research and writing on girl internees in Changi during World War II – […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Being a PhD researcher in a digital world
Coronavirus: Social distancing is cutting asylum seekers off from education and support
The UK’s social distancing measures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused unprecedented changes to individual and social lives. The necessity of the measures to control the disease is not in question. However, it is becoming clear that the effects of social distancing will hit refugees and asylum seekers harder and in more […] … learn more→
Getting by and getting on
I’ve spent a lot of time online shopping these last two weeks. Shopping for food. Before we went to Australia we’d let the store cupboard run down as we didn’t want to come home to rats, mice or moths. When we arrived home it was to a literally empty freezer and cupboard. So getting ourselves […] … learn more→
Degree apprenticeships can improve access for disadvantaged students
According to government figures, students from deprived backgrounds are 41 per cent less likely to attend the UK’s top universities, while apprentices are twice as likely to come from the most deprived backgrounds as university students. There are different ways of looking at these statistics. On the one hand, since the proliferation of apprenticeship schemes […] … learn more→
7 things public schools do besides teach kids academic basics
1. Food The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program provide school meals to at least 30 million kids each year – more than half of all public school students. This food is free or deeply discounted for students who qualify based on their family’s income. These meals are essential for many reasons, including the fact that hunger and food insecurity make it […] … learn more→
This is how distance education lives a group of university students
Probably the phrase “Stay at home” is one of the ones that we will have heard, repeated and read the most in recent days, referring to the quarantine period imposed by the Spanish authorities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure has beneficial preventive effects on health. However, due to precedents in other countries , adverse psychological outcomes […] … learn more→
5 Ways to increase productivity working remotely during COVID-19
There’s no escaping it – we are in a global pandemic. Businesses like restaurants have shut down, and those daily commuters now commute from their bed to their desk instead of to the office. Even law firms have transitioned from in-office work to now at-home work. It’s an abrupt and necessary transition, and we aren’t […] … learn more→
5 ways that the coronavirus will change college admissions this fal
1. More time Due to the uncertainties surrounding the health and financial implications of the pandemic, many colleges will not have filled their classes by the traditional May 1 deadline. Colleges that are concerned about not meeting their numerical enrollment goals will likely be flexible in allowing students to apply, even at this late date. To […] … learn more→
Are universities encouraging students to believe hard study is bad for their mental health?
In September 2019, The Guardian headlined an article “‘The way universities are run is making us ill’: inside the student mental health crisis”. We hear similar talk on all sides. Couched in the alarming vocabulary of “crisis” and “epidemic”, data presented at conferences, at staff training sessions and in the media create a sense of panic. Politicians have also […] … learn more→
University study is designed for the privileged – students from disadvantaged backgrounds suffer
When you picture a university student, you probably think of someone who recently finished school, who studies full-time, who stays in student accommodation and who is able to prioritise their studies over any other demands on their time – and you’re not alone in doing so. These are the “imagined students” that UK universities still […] … learn more→
