The Muslim children in my classroom withdrew from political debate when the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy cast me as an informant. Prevent infers a duty on all teachers and doctors in England, Scotland and Wales to report signs of so-called “extremism” and “radicalisation” in their pupils and patients. Applying this duty is particularly difficult as “extremism” has not […] … learn more→

I can’t emphasize strongly enough how our campuses are being mismanaged. Yes, many administrators have (bogus) Ph.D.’s in Leadership and Vision, but those degrees really don’t represent any actual knowledge of how to run a campus. One of the weird thing about the many hate crimes on campus is how often they are hoaxes. Nearly […] … learn more→

Nothing comes for free, especially online. Websites and apps that don’t charge you for their services are often collecting your data or bombarding you with advertising. Now some sites have found a new way to make money from you: using your computer to generate virtual currencies. Several video streaming sites and the popular file sharing network The Pirate Bay have […] … learn more→

At a time when the effects of climate change are accelerating and published science overwhelmingly supports the view that humans are responsible for the rate of change, powerful groups remain in denial across politics, the media, and industry. Now more than ever, we need scientists and policymakers to work together to create and implement effective policy which […] … learn more→

What do you expect to see from the cannabis industry in 2018? Do you have reason to believe that things will pretty much stay the same over the next 12 months? Or are you among the group of people who are expecting huge growth over this period of time? The cannabis industry is not standing […] … learn more→

Last week I reached thirty two. Thirty two doctoral researchers who successfully defended their research. Thirty two Doctors let loose on the world. And two things are now on my mind. Not thirty two. Just two. The first thing I’m thinking about is how heavily the viva weighs on me as a supervisor – not nearly as […] … learn more→

There is a great deal to be said about the rise of the Alt-Right over this past year, and while I understand the argument for identifying its platform with the ascent of white supremacism, I’d argue that “Alt-Right” encompasses something far more ambitious and dangerous, especially with respect to the country’s most vital institutions: free […] … learn more→

In the world of digital education, massive open online courses (Moocs) are here to stay. It may have been five years since The New York Times declared 2012 to be the Year of the MOOC, but Moocs are still multiplying and branching out into new forms of accredited learning experiences. All the major Mooc platforms – […] … learn more→

When it comes to math, I’ve already shown that most of what’s offered in college, especially at community college, is just repetition of the material students saw in the 9th grade or lower, for about 90% of the coursework. In times of yore, the way how a college course was created was faculty, in a […] … learn more→

When it comes to maths, many primary school children in the UK are struggling to achieve their potential, according to new research. The recent report from the Education Policy Institute and UCL’s Institute of Education shows that England has one of the biggest gaps between high and low performing students in the developed world. Only New Zealand and Turkey […] … learn more→