Title of course: “Road to Hell: The Apocalypse in Classical and Contemporary Forms” What prompted the idea for the course? When Meghan R. Henning, a scholar of early Christianity, completed her 2014 book on how the concept of hell evolved in the early Christian church, she wanted to develop a course that examined how these visions of hell […] … learn more→

In recent years, it has become increasingly common to send teenagers to spend a school year in an English-speaking country, such as the United States or the United Kingdom. In Spain, around 15,000 ESO and Bachillerato students go abroad to study every year . Parents see this option as an opportunity for their children to improve their […] … learn more→

When the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at American colleges and universities just over a year ago, many predicted U.S. campuses would become much less diverse. But in part due to students who decide not to disclose their race or ethnicity, coupled with universities’ selective use of statistics, it is not clear how much the decision has […] … learn more→

Many people may think of dyslexia as a reading difficulty, or the occasional embarrassing mix-up of letters. For years, I thought that too. But as a dyslexic academic who has spent much of my life wrangling with academic norms, I’ve realised that dyslexia isn’t just a barrier. It’s also a unique and undervalued cognitive strength. Yes, you read […] … learn more→

Peer review, like many things, sounds great in theory. When you submit a paper for publication, qualified experts objectively review your paper, comment on its suitability for publication and give you feedback that you can use to improve it. However, in reality, the problems with peer review go far beyond getting a reviewer who just doesn’t get your […] … learn more→

Title of course: Whodunit?: Detective Stories What prompted the idea for the course? I had just finished reading one of Dorothy Sayers’ novels – “Gaudy Night,” which in my opinion is one of the best of her detective novels featuring Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey. A colleague and I were discussing Harriet’s ability to […] … learn more→

UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced that university tuition fees in England are set to rise next academic year, with the maximum fee increasing by £285 to £9,535. This will be the first increase in university education for domestic undergraduate students since 2017, when fees were raised to £9,250. The additional income is sorely needed. Data from […] … learn more→

Online education has seen rapid growth, with the global e-learning market expected to reach $457.8 billion by 2026. This growth has fueled a parallel increase in online exams, often raising concerns about the integrity of these assessments.  Institutions increasingly turn to computer screen monitoring software to prevent cheating and ensure fair testing environments. Such software […] … learn more→

Universities are supposed to be places where all students can learn, free from discrimination. A key part of this ideal is academics welcoming all students to study and research, regardless of their racial background. But as our new research shows, Australian academics responded differently to potential PhD students, depending on whether they were called “Melissa” or “Rahul”. Racism on campus […] … learn more→

First of all, there is the business model of the university. In Australia (where I’m based) almost all universities are teaching and research ‘liberal arts’ universities, and they are almost all pubic institutions. We have a couple of private universities, but I haven’t really considered them for the purpose of this post. The business model […] … learn more→