What’s the purpose of Religious Education (RE) in a country where a majority of people have “no religion”? The new report of the independent Commission on Religious Education in England and Wales provides a clear answer: the rise of “no religion” doesn’t mean that religion isn’t important. Rather, the report makes a strong case that it is more important […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Teaching worldviews could enhance Religious Education in schools
Can you tell fact from fiction in the news? Most students can’t
Have you clicked through to this article from your news feed? Are you checking it on your phone? More of us are consuming news online, and increasingly we’re turning to social media for news. Social media platforms are now the main source of news for Australians aged 18 to 24. The Digital News Report: Australia 2018 shows […] … learn more→
College course: Heterosexuality is not “natural”
My kind readers often give me “hints” on what to write about, and I had several point me in the direction of a strange-looking course, via ZeroHedge. First let’s address the course by dissecting the course description: QUEER ECOLOGIES FALL 2018 TAUGHT BY: HEATHER DAVIS SECTION: A CRN: 7681 Credits: 4 The professor is Heather […] … learn more→
The science of multitasking, and why you should doodle in class
When somebody can juggle lots of things at the same time, we often say that they are good “multitaskers.” All of us multitask once in a while. But psychologists have been warning us about it for decades. Some say it’s harmful to productivity and others say you can’t do it at all. For example, talking on the phone while […] … learn more→
Lad culture and sexual harassment in universities: it’s about more than a ‘few bad apples’
Sexual harassment is widespread and affects the lives of women and girls, in particular, every day. In the face of calls to tackle sexual harassment and violence, the UK government committed to carry out a review to see if misogyny should be treated as a hate crime. This review is a welcome and important step, but studies we conducted […] … learn more→
College moves from loans to income sharing (plus loans)
The student loan scam has destroyed many lives in this country, and people are finally starting to balk at letting their kids take out ridiculously huge loans, particularly for degrees which offer little hope of paying back the loan…these days, that’s most degrees. Eager to snatch up more students, and knowing that loans just aren’t […] … learn more→
Should we modify the rules of agreement of the past participle?
As you begin reading this article, you may be wondering how a mere mortal dares to ask a question like the title. Because you think that the evolution of the rules governing the use of French is the sole responsibility of immortals sheltered under the dome of the French Academy. But, as the Academy rightly […] … learn more→
To fix higher education funding, we also need to fix vocational education
Yesterday the shadow education minister, Tanya Plibersek, announcedLabor plans to invest an additional A$174 million in the higher education sector if there’s a change of government at the next election. This extra funding would be to give first in family students, students from outer suburbs and the country, Indigenous students, and students with a disability a […] … learn more→
If academics don’t acknowledge nuance, who will?
Gender equality – and the unconscious biases that challenge it – is now a mainstream concern in academic life. Codes of conduct are drawn up in efforts to support dignity at work and at study. Efforts are made to free senior academic appointments from gender bias. Many believe there is a long way yet to […] … learn more→
Research-intensive universities in Africa? A model of how to build them
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 13·5% of the global population but less than 1% of global research output. In 2008, Africa produced 27 000 published papers – the same number as the Netherlands. There are some areas of improvement. A 2014 World Bank study showed that the quantity and quality of sub-Saharan Africa’s research had increased substantially in the previous 20 years. It more […] … learn more→
