MOOCs and other online courses have appeared for almost 15 years as almost “miraculous” technical responses to the proliferation of education in Africa, the number of registrants no longer being a limiting factor when it suffices to ‘a good connection for training. University infrastructures, such as the student / teacher ratio, can thus be – at least partially – decoupled from the dynamics […] … learn more→

Few families have not suffered the problems experienced by students and teachers to carry out the course, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent period of confinement. And now we look out with uncertainty and concern at the start of the new academic year that is coming. Reading the book The utility of the useless. Manifesto , […] … learn more→

When I toured the South Carolina Governor’s Mansion in 2019, I noticed the multi-volume papers of John C. Calhoun on display. It struck me as remarkable that Calhoun’s ideas would be featured so prominently given his vigorous defense of slavery and his role in laying the groundwork for the Civil War. But the reality is Calhoun’s legacy until now has been […] … learn more→

When we think of French grammar, we often imagine an austere discipline with a large number of rules and exceptions to learn by heart to avoid making “mistakes”. A list of expressions that must be used, opposed to others that must be avoided at all costs . However, this conception is not that of linguists . For these language specialists , grammar is simply […] … learn more→

The pandemic generated after the arrival of COVID-19 has created an extraordinary situation that offers us an opportunity to change the rules of the game in education and the ways of doing things at school. Some situations that represented an unfavorable reality in the educational system for a part of the students can now be […] … learn more→

Despite massive efforts by teachers and schools during the remote learning period, many students are likely to have learnt less than they would have in the classroom. Most of these students will recover without too much trouble, but disadvantaged students will need extra help. Our new report, COVID-19 catch-up: helping disadvantaged students close the equity gap, […] … learn more→

Advice on literature reviews pretty well always say something like – the literature review should say what’s already been said about your topic – or – you need to bring together the particular literatures that your study is going to use. I say this kind of thing myself. But the trouble with this advice is that it ignores/overlooks/downplays […] … learn more→

Sustained self-improvement is a hallmark characteristic of successful people. Whatever career they may choose, a persistent effort to further their expertise serves them well. This idea of lifelong learning is ancient.  Virgil (70–19 BC) commented that, “One grows weary of everything except science”. A modern resurgence of this concept was articulated by Basil Yeaxlee (1929) […] … learn more→

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the education of at least 1.5 billion school students. That’s more than 90% of the world’s children. Although many schools in the west, along with private schools in the developing world, have continued some school activities online, more than 50% of learners worldwide do not have a household computer. The absence of face-to-face learning […] … learn more→

During self-isolation due to coronavirus, many are turning to the arts. Perhaps they seek a creative outlet or opportunity for expression; but it’s also possible that their attraction may be driven by an innate desire to use their brains in ways that make them feel good. As a professor and arts educator for over 20 years, I […] … learn more→