A recent statement from China’s education bureau warned Chinese students about studying in Australia due to “racist incidents” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such statements, and further moves from China’s education agents threatening to redirect students towards international competitors such as the United Kingdom, can negatively affect Australia as a study destination. Australia’s universities are already reeling from the loss […] … learn more→

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced a revamp of the vocational education and training (VET) sector to focus more on skills needed for work. Providing training for people “who need to upskill or reskill” was also a recommendation of an interim Productivity Commission report released last week. The same emphasis on skills is evident when it comes to […] … learn more→

My last post, where I called bullshit on the way we do the PhD seemed to hit a nerve. In fact, it got more hits in 24 hour period than I’ve ever seen before. Many people wrote in asking: how should I spend the remaining time in my PhD? Good question! I have a lot of thoughts. […] … learn more→

Since February 2020 I have conducted Zoom conversations with eight early career researchers about their experiences. They all completed Humanities and Social Sciences PhDs from Australian universities in the last five years, and are citizens and/or residents of four different countries (Australia, Canada, Indonesia and the USA). Some are working as academics in universities, but […] … learn more→

The idea of the university classroom as a private setting sounds incredible and yet, strangely, systemic racism and inequalities mean that a student can – sometimes out of desire, sometimes not – remain hidden, passing through the higher education system virtually unnoticed. So while some students aim to attract attention with the confidence that often […] … learn more→

During the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and universities around the world have been forced to convert in-person classes into online and digital courses. There is much to celebrate about how we, as educators, have pivoted quickly and effectively in this situation. Still, we need to consider how we can make educational experiences more resilient to future […] … learn more→

College was already a financial house of cards. Then coronavirus hit. In January 2020, while I was in New Hampshire canvassing for Elizabeth Warren, a campaign organizer urged me to tell voters why I supported her. For me, that was easy. “As a college teacher,” I said when someone answered the door, “I believe that […] … learn more→

The murder of George Floyd has caused outrage across the US and the world, forcing everyone to confront the fact that the goal of racial equity remains a distant one. This is as true in the academy as it is in Minneapolis’ police service. In the past few years, we have seen a huge movement […] … learn more→

With the U.S. and much of the world engulfed in the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and health risks have threatened to make study abroad difficult, if not impossible. But that doesn’t mean students won’t still want to learn about other cultures and see how people in other parts of the world approach different issues, such as climate […] … learn more→

Massive open online courses (Moocs) have become notorious for their failure rates. Of those who register, considerably more than 50 per cent do not access even half the available material and under 5 per cent actually complete a course. While some commentators suggest how learners can still extract value from a Mooc, others see this as a sign of their complete failure or have called for Spocs […] … learn more→