ChatGPT is one year old today. Depending on who you ask, this technology either spells great doom or great opportunity for education. With ChatGPT capable of passing graduate-level exams, there have been calls for universities to drastically change assessments, amid concerns it will lead to cheating and students disengaging with their studies. Some academics and students have also expressed enthusiasm at the potential […] … learn more→

It’s frightening to imagine where the world would be right now without mRNA vaccines. The COVID-busting technology revolutionised vaccine development at an internationally critical moment – with massive implications for people’s health, wellbeing and the global economy. Yet imagine we must – because some of the research most crucial to the development of mRNA vaccines almost didn’t […] … learn more→

One of the hardest aspects of academic writing is working out how to take a suitably authoritative stance. To be read as an expert. To sound like an authority on your topic. It’s all very well for people like me to say Well don’t be too assertive but don’t be too shrinking violet. What does this […] … learn more→

Better job prospects. Higher wages. A greater chance of staying out of jail. Those are the key outcomes that we discovered for incarcerated people who get an education while serving their time. Our findings were published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice. They are based on an analysis of research studies on the effects of prison […] … learn more→

Dear Reviewer 2, I guess your ears often burn. You know how it is when people read your reviews. That must be hard for you – I know you spend time reading and working out what to say. I also guess you must be used to getting letters which answer back and/or show how trying […] … learn more→

When ChatGPT was released in November 2022, it sparked many conversations and moral panics. These centre on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the information environment. People worry that AI chatbots can negatively affect the integrity of creative and academic work, especially since they can produce human-like texts and images. ChatGPT is a generative AI model […] … learn more→

Success or failure in higher education are often measured quantitatively, in percentages by sectors and types of baccalaureate obtained, or even according to the socio-professional origin of the parents without sufficiently taking into account other more qualitative factors. Thus success is measured according to the success rate from L1 to L2 or even according to obtaining the license […] … learn more→

There is, rightly, a lot of emphasis on getting your PhD text written and submitted. That end-of-doctorate writing can be tough and it’s important that people do get as much help as they want and need to complete. But of course handing in isn’t the end. There’s still the examination to go. The defence. The […] … learn more→

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the academic trajectories of many students. Whether they were new to higher education or already engaged in their university career, they were faced with an unprecedented situation: the closure of universities and the transition to online learning have transformed the relationship with ‘education. Virtual classrooms have become the new normal, and […] … learn more→

In January 2021, the Morrison government changed the way university fees are set with the Job-ready Graduates scheme. The idea was to steer students into courses that would lead to “the jobs of the future”. So the scheme made some fields (such as history and journalism) more expensive and some (such as nursing, teaching, computer programming and engineering) […] … learn more→