When I first envisioned a phone app to replace the physical college campus tour, it was a way to enable rural students and those who aren’t wealthy to visit campuses without having to travel to get there. As state director of a federally funded initiative that helps young people prepare for college, I realized virtual reality was […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Virtual reality campus visits let students connect with colleges during COVID-19
University partnerships could redress the international student decline
We in the education sector are, for once, in the same boat as everyone else during the coronavirus pandemic. We are trying to understand the immediate impacts of the virus on how we do business, while also trying to predict and pre-empt what universities will look when the lockdowns end. How will our campuses feel? […] … learn more→
So, all the conferences are cancelled. Now what?
Conferences are a major part of an academic life, of researcher lives, for networking and many other reasons. Often, conferences are where we connect with others in our discipline or methodological community, where we meet people, make contacts, expand our thinking, or where we share our research and our developing ideas. But with the advent […] … learn more→
Universities have gone from being a place of privilege to a competitive market. What will they be after coronavirus?
Younger Australians will bear the economic, social and environmental costs that come from the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re making sacrifices in the name of public health and to protect the old and vulnerable. The heavy lifting of rebuilding will also fall disproportionately to them. Prime Minister Scott Morrison referred to these sacrifices as “a social contract”. […] … learn more→
Coronavirus finally allows universities to prove their worth
With university campuses empty and research laboratories closed, the coronavirus has delivered an unprecedented jolt to UK higher education. Sadly, the disruption caused by this horrible deadly virus will continue to afflict institutions for months, even years, to come. Most institutions have already transformed their teaching models, becoming distance learning providers practically overnight. Many are […] … learn more→
We can’t go back to ‘wild academism’ after this crisis
Speculation about what the future after Covid-19 may look like is echoing across the world. Possibly, for the first time, we are witnessing the beginning of a worldwide conversation. And it is my impression that the sentiment has shifted from an initial “try to adapt and stay safe” to “let’s grab this as an opportunity […] … learn more→
Top football recruits bring in big money for colleges – COVID-19 could threaten revenue
Colleges and universities are spending more than ever to land the nation’s top football recruits, with some schools having boosted their recruiting budgets by more than 300% in the last five years. These budgets can surpass US$2 million for schools like the University of Tennessee. Is it worth it? I study economics. Research I recently did shows just how big the […] … learn more→
How will the class of COVID-19 get into university? Using year 11 results is only part of the answer
Several Australian universities (Australian National University, Swinburne and the University of Western Australia) have announced they will accept students based on their year 11 results. The rationale is that the disrupted 2020 year will affect year 12 results. So, it’s fairer to use their results from last year. It’s clear finishing school in the midst of a global pandemic […] … learn more→
In Africa, university proliferation is not an unqualified good
It may be odd to criticise the creation of Africa’s first transportation university. After all, who could object to an institution that will train thousands of railway and infrastructure engineers once it opens next year, particularly as it is funded by $50 million (£38 million) of Chinese money? However, once you know that the University […] … learn more→
Universities should be spaces for democratic innovation
Amid the failures of traditional politics, the world has seen the emergence of a“deliberative wave”.Ordinary people are being selected by lottery to take part in citizens’ assemblies, citizens’ juries and other “mini-publics”. The Irish Citizens’ Assembly in 2018, which led to liberalisation in the constitutional status of abortion, is one prominent example, although a variety […] … learn more→
