Despite computing education in UK schools going through a massive revolution over the past few years to try and make it more relevant to our increasingly technology driven lives, the new GCSE in computer science has failed to attract much interest from students. Figures from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) show only […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Coding the curriculum: new computer science GCSE fails to make the grade
Professor to be fired for being white?
It’s no secret identity politics is a big factor in success these days; I mean, we’ve people “self-identifying” as black or American Indian, and scoring pretty good jobs just on the basis of that identification. Granted, this only holds until the “true” identity, whatever that means, is found out, but not every such faker is […] … learn more→
Why and how to teach very differently
For several years now, by many successive notes, I have considered the question of what I have decided to name now only “higher education”. This little oratorical precaution is really meaningful, since it forms the basis of the whole of my reasoning set out below. I am not saying “education”, I am not saying “education”, […] … learn more→
Who is the client for your PhD work?
Who is the client in your relationship with your PhD supervisor? No, really; who sets the scope of work, and who provides a professional service? I know it’s heretical to bring consulting language into the hallowed halls of academia, but trust me on this one. Seeing yourself as a client seeking the specialist advice of […] … learn more→
If your university brand disappeared overnight, would anyone miss it?
Universities have come a long way towards recognising the value of a brand. However, while some do an excellent job explaining what they are good at, there are still so many that fall at the first hurdle when highlighting what they are good for. It seems that everyone is trying to win students over by […] … learn more→
When peer review is scent marking
So we all know what scent marking is. It’s when animals set out the boundaries of their territory by leaving their scent in strategic places. Scentmarked territories are often used for sleeping and/or mating and rearing young. The marked area may also contain a food supply. Scent marking animals will fight others of their kind […] … learn more→
Academics fear the value of knowledge for its own sake is diminishing
A climate of “anti-intellectualism”, faltering levels of trust in “experts” and an era of “post-truth” provides a rather dreary depiction of the state of academia today. Compound this with the reorganisation of higher education – where universities are run more like businesses – along with the politics of austerity, and it may be little surprise […] … learn more→
Australia: Free textbooks for first-year university students could help improve retention rates
Despite 20 years of focus on improving university retention rates, we are still losing one in five of our first-year students. And the release of a new report by TEQSA again reminds us of the challenges of retention. The report highlights that, on average, universities have a 20% attrition rate. This builds on an article […] … learn more→
Study at home, not abroad: the universities building local relationships
At hundreds of universities in dozens of countries around the world, some of the best learning is happening not in the classroom but in nearby towns and villages where students and faculty have found eager partners to engage in real-world problem-solving. An international movement of civically engaged universities is redefining how students learn, and where. […] … learn more→
Your guide to solving the next online viral maths problem
How many times have you seen a post online or part of your social media feed that says something like “This Math Problem Is Stumping the Whole Internet. Can You Solve It?” or “Apparently 9 out of 10 people get this wrong. Do you know the answer?” At the heart of the post is usually […] … learn more→
