Once upon a time, when I worked in schools, early childhood teachers routinely issued young children with a ‘pen license’. A pen license was much sought after as it meant that a child could ‘advance’ to using a pen instead of a pencil. Using indelible ink meant that the child was able to write legibly […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Three things examiners look for in methods chapters
A head start with mindfulness
Mindfulness is a hot topic these days, but its potential importance to higher education has not yet been broadly recognised. It can be described as a form of meditation and a way of living. It is a mental discipline that involves not only sharpening present-moment attention but also cultivating the attitude with which we pay […] … learn more→
‘This life isn’t worth a damn’: the precarious existence of Czech intellectuals
Bad working conditions in the field of academia are gaining attention across the world. In the UK, researchers and university staff have launched campaigns to fight labour casualisation. In the US, graduate assistants are seeking to unionise for fair pay and benefits. In the Czech Republic, however, the subject is practically non-existent. The Czech government […] … learn more→
Coding the curriculum: new computer science GCSE fails to make the grade
Despite computing education in UK schools going through a massive revolution over the past few years to try and make it more relevant to our increasingly technology driven lives, the new GCSE in computer science has failed to attract much interest from students. Figures from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) show only […] … learn more→
Professor to be fired for being white?
It’s no secret identity politics is a big factor in success these days; I mean, we’ve people “self-identifying” as black or American Indian, and scoring pretty good jobs just on the basis of that identification. Granted, this only holds until the “true” identity, whatever that means, is found out, but not every such faker is […] … learn more→
Why and how to teach very differently
For several years now, by many successive notes, I have considered the question of what I have decided to name now only “higher education”. This little oratorical precaution is really meaningful, since it forms the basis of the whole of my reasoning set out below. I am not saying “education”, I am not saying “education”, […] … learn more→
Who is the client for your PhD work?
Who is the client in your relationship with your PhD supervisor? No, really; who sets the scope of work, and who provides a professional service? I know it’s heretical to bring consulting language into the hallowed halls of academia, but trust me on this one. Seeing yourself as a client seeking the specialist advice of […] … learn more→
If your university brand disappeared overnight, would anyone miss it?
Universities have come a long way towards recognising the value of a brand. However, while some do an excellent job explaining what they are good at, there are still so many that fall at the first hurdle when highlighting what they are good for. It seems that everyone is trying to win students over by […] … learn more→
When peer review is scent marking
So we all know what scent marking is. It’s when animals set out the boundaries of their territory by leaving their scent in strategic places. Scentmarked territories are often used for sleeping and/or mating and rearing young. The marked area may also contain a food supply. Scent marking animals will fight others of their kind […] … learn more→
Australia: Free textbooks for first-year university students could help improve retention rates
Despite 20 years of focus on improving university retention rates, we are still losing one in five of our first-year students. And the release of a new report by TEQSA again reminds us of the challenges of retention. The report highlights that, on average, universities have a 20% attrition rate. This builds on an article […] … learn more→
