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→
Blog Archives
I redesigned a school playground for my PhD – and the children got better marks learning outside
Brain research shows the arts promote mental health
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→
Online education can strand the disadvantaged on a Pacific island
In the Republic of the Marshall Islands, people still go to stores and touch everything. Hugs and handshakes are common. We have unprotected intimate interactions with door handles. Yet, even here, on this series of 29 small atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Covid-19 has raised issues for higher education that reverberate on […] … learn more→
Management: teaching collective action for ecological transition
In higher education, many voices have called for an ecological revival before the Covid-19 crisis. It is a question of students being able to understand in their training the challenges of the ecological transition imposed by climate change, the depletion of resources and biodiversity. More than 30,000 students signed the first call launched in 2018. A second collected more than […] … learn more→
Student teachers must pass a literacy and numeracy test before graduating – it’s unfair and costly
A recent media report noted student teachers are facing delays in sitting a literacy and numeracy test they need to pass to graduate, due to the pandemic. The report noted a group of student teachers have petitioned education minister Dan Tehan to scrap the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) this year, and […] … learn more→
Kids need physical education – even when they can’t get it at school
When I noticed my 12-year-old son was spending about seven hours a day doing his school work online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I immediately became concerned. As a researcher who focuses on how to get kids to be more physically active, I knew my son and his classmates were spending too much time sedentary. Being […] … learn more→
Can students be assessed today as they were before the pandemic?
The global pandemic caused by the rapid spread of COVID-19 has brought about a change in the way of proceeding in every area imaginable; and the world of education has perhaps been one of the environments in which this social, professional and academic reorganization has had the most impact. One of the most surprising consequences that […] … learn more→
Online learning for all
Now that the Covid-19 pandemic has radically altered the organisation of university life for the foreseeable future, ‘everyday ableism’ can be (unwittingly) perpetuated by virtual teaching methods. But we also have a potentially generative moment to change this narrative. Given that in that academic year 2018/19, a sixth of all home university students declared that they had […] … learn more→
When is the right time to teach a child to read?
The very serious crisis that we are suffering due to COVID-19 has caused a radical change in the teaching model, forcing us to work electronically. Logically, we still lack sufficient information, but this confinement will have its consequences at different educational levels. Undoubtedly, this stress may be exacerbated by the extra pressure that many families will […] … learn more→
Reviews: the end of the cheat is not for tomorrow!
How to ensure students a fair and reliable assessment, guaranteeing the value of their diploma on the job market? In the current conditions of distance education, the issue manifests itself with increased acuity in higher education establishments, bringing the problem of cheating back into the spotlight. “The establishment of partials remotely poses great difficulties for establishments […] … learn more→
