Academic sentences are often lengthy. They make a point and then add multiple caveats and embellishments. Some people think there is an ideal sentence length. I have read for instance that the ideal newspaper sentence is somewhere around twenty words. Perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. But around the twenty word mark. I’ve also read […] … learn more→
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Academic sentences -#wakeupreader
Seven things to keep in mind if you’re going to March for Science
On April 22 scientists around the world are downing microscopes, pipettes and lasers and declaring it’s time take a public stand and be counted. Standing shoulder to shoulder with their scientific kindred, they’ll raise fists to the sky, united with one voice and shouting “science is… [insert message here]!” The question is: what is the […] … learn more→
Lincoln U: Redefining words to kill tenure
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.” –I’m quoting Lewis […] … learn more→
We are losing sight of higher education’s true purpose
Approximately two years ago, I was appointed as the vice-chancellor’s fellow for the public benefit of higher education at the University of Sheffield. This means it’s my job to research the public purpose of universities and advise my vice-chancellor on matters relating to the public value of higher education. When I took up this position, […] … learn more→
Children prefer to read books on paper rather than screens
There is a common perception that children are more likely to read if it is on a device such as an iPad or Kindles. But new research shows that this is not necessarily the case. In a study of children in Year 4 and 6, those who had regular access to devices with eReading capability […] … learn more→
A ‘good academic day’
What is a good academic day? What happens to make you go home/leave the office and say to your partner or cat/dog/budgie – I had such a good day today. I’ve come to the rather obvious conclusion that my good academic day is one where I actually get to do “proper scholarship”. My good day […] … learn more→
Grammar schools: why academic selection only benefits the very affluent
With the recent news that more than £500m has been set aside by the UK government for new free schools – many of which could well become grammar schools – the selective schooling debate is firmly back on the table. This £500m includes a one-off payment of £320m which will be allocated to help set […] … learn more→
Rape on campus: Athletes, status, and the sexual assault crisis
The feminist legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon once argued that rape was not prohibited, but merely regulated. She was writing in 1989, four years before it became illegal to rape one’s spouse in all 50 states. At the time, rape was quite clearly regulated in some states: you could rape your spouse, just not anyone else. […] … learn more→
How to stop ‘flipping’ (and write a good to-do list)
At a dinner party some time ago, an academic’s husband pointed out that there are many similarities between being an academic and running a small, not very profitable business. I laughed, but since I briefly ran a small business the comment struck a chord with me. After much thought, I think small business owners and […] … learn more→
MOOC study highlights massive Higher Ed fraud
Study after study after study…every day another study, because they’re so easy to do now. The modern world runs on computers, and computers are just awesome at collecting and storing numbers. Statistics is good at simplifying those numbers into easier-to-understand numbers. Nowadays, all a “study” is, is someone taking a few minutes to use statistics […] … learn more→
