I almost scrolled past it. A new newsletter from a company CEO isn’t usually the thing that stops me mid-feed. I write about higher ed for a living, and I’ve read enough “thought leadership” to be a little allergic to the genre. So when Kees Bol, who runs the education company 2U, popped up announcing […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
2U’s CEO Newsletter Made Me Rethink How Students Pick Programs
Despite the growth of some AI schools like Alpha, research doesn’t show that AI tutors are better than human teachers
Over the past decade, the AI-focused, for-profit Alpha School has grown from one campus in Austin, Texas, to a growing list of more than 15 schools across the country, including in major cities like New York and San Francisco. Alpha School joins other AI-centric K-12 private schools, like Unbound Academy and the Khan Lab School, that parents can now choose for their children, […] … learn more→
How to use quotations – ask who is carrying the luggage…
“If you’re going to quote other scholars, not as primary sources whose work you mean to analyse, but because they’ve got insights you want to support yours, make sure they’re carrying your luggage and not the other way around.” Cassuto, 2024, p. 40 Here’s what that luggage metaphor is saying. A quotation you use as evidence is meant to be working […] … learn more→
Teachers are worried about students cheating with AI, but my survey suggests the deeper issue is learning
The risk of students using AI to cheat tends to get a lot of attention – with good reason. A student can simply copy and paste a prompt into a chatbot and receive a polished paragraph, a five-paragraph essay, a lab summary or a reading response almost instantly. Teachers may then be left wondering whether the work reflects the […] … learn more→
Experiential and ‘work‑integrated’ learning aren’t the same — and it matters for higher education
Experiential learning programs are ubiquitous in post-secondary education. Formalized in the mid-20th century, experiential learning is defined by the Association for Experiential Education as a teaching philosophy that engages learners in direct experience and focused reflection. My research has looked at the changing ways that universities and others have spoken about the purposes of experiential learning in Canada. […] … learn more→
AI can’t replace mental health therapists. But here’s where it might make a difference
A person wakes in the middle of the night, overwhelmed and needing someone to talk to. But instead of calling a loved one or booking a counselling session, they open ChatGPT. Around the world, artificial intelligence chatbots are becoming companions, coaches, sounding boards, and, for a rising number of people, unofficial therapists. Studies have found that many […] … learn more→
What are peptides? And why am I hearing so much about them?
Peptide may not yet be the 2026 Oxford Word of the Year, but it must surely be in the running. From your friendly neighbourhood influencer, to the gym bros, injectable peptides have been all over social media and are now making mainstream news when things go horribly wrong. People are taking them, and promoting them, for […] … learn more→
People do read your thesis
That tweet is back. You know the one. A PhD thesis, it says, is the only book in the world read cover to cover by exactly three people: the author, the proofreader, and the examiner. The screenshot of the tweet gets thousands of likes every time it resurfaces. I always wonder how many of those […] … learn more→
If you flirt with an AI companion, does that count as cheating?
AI romantic companions — digital agents that can text, speak, flirt and are always available — are a rapidly growing social phenomenon. The number of AI companion apps rose by 700 per cent between 2022 and 2025. One of the more popular ones, Character.AI, reported about 20 million monthly active users in 2025. Their appeal is easy to […] … learn more→
Virtual influencers: when information mediation escapes human control
Content creators are ubiquitous in the audiovisual landscape and on social media, becoming essential intermediaries in accessing information and making purchases. Their ability to capture attention, shape opinions, and influence desires raises questions. This phenomenon becomes even more concerning with the emergence of virtual influencers, who lack a human presence and do not reveal who […] … learn more→
