It seems every month or so there’s another “breathtaking breakthrough” in cancer research, with a miracle cure just around the corner. As a cancer survivor, I pay attention to such things, because nothing predisposes someone to cancer than having already had cancer…one of those breakthrough treatments might be used on me, after all. Thing is, […] … learn more→

After nearly 20 years teaching in higher education, I’m walking away. I have taken voluntary redundancy from my post as associate professor at Plymouth Institute of Education. Recently I was informed that the computing and ICT specialism that I have helped to develop and deliver for the past 10 years has been cut from the B.Ed […] … learn more→

Whether it is art, science or a little bit of magic, choosing the ‘right’ PhD supervisor is one of the most important decisions you will make. There is no doubt that a little bit of luck (or magic) is involved, and both students and supervisors sometimes wish they had a crystal ball that would enable […] … learn more→

Education gets a bad rap for being slow to innovate. Because it’s a system with a firm foundation, change doesn’t happen at light speed, but it does happen. The world of education is definitely experiencing impressive evolution, thanks to the adoption of modern technology. Why is it important that education get on the fast track […] … learn more→

From Oxford to MIT, many of the world’s leading universities are now offering online courses and distance learning is an opportunity being seized upon by more and more people. Online courses have gone from something of a joke, with a reputation for being of a lower quality than a traditional degree, to becoming a viable […] … learn more→

In March this year, University of Technology Sydney associate professor Chongyi Feng was detained by Chinese officials, unable to board his flight home to Sydney. He was held and interrogated for ten days before being allowed to return to Australia. Here, the expert in intellectual and political development in China recounts his personal experience and […] … learn more→

On Friday June 2, the Evanston Public Library held a hearing that may lead to the firing of librarian Lesley Williams this week. Her alleged crime? Posting a message on her personal Facebook page criticizing the library’s efforts at racial equity. This makes it an important case in the wake of Garcetti v. Ceballos, about […] … learn more→

Choosing your co-authors is not dissimilar to choosing a life partner (except you can always change your partner, but once your names are together on a paper, there’s no taking it back). Generally, academics team up with close colleagues or others from their field, but the literature also evidences some unexpected collaborations. David Manuwal, an […] … learn more→

It’s so funny to hear the leaders of higher ed bleat about how hard they’re working to keep tuition down. It’s even funnier to watch them get a 6 digit signing bonus, and, for the Poo Bahs, a 7 digit parachute when they leave, and constant raises and luxurious benefits while they work. Then the […] … learn more→

In 1939, the fictional professor J. Abner Pediwell published a curious book called “The Saber-Tooth Curriculum.” Through a series of satirical lectures, Pediwell (or the actual author, education professor Harold R. W. Benjamin) describes a Paleolithic curriculum that includes lessons in grabbing fish with your bare hands and scaring saber-toothed tigers with fire. Even after […] … learn more→