The polarization of the discussions but also the scale of the public health issues in the debate on the scientific reliability of preprints have not always allowed the general public to grasp the importance of the peer review process – also called “evaluation” – for the functioning of the scientific community. The publishing model in today’s academic […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
How does open assessment renew the scientific conversation?
Do you have to suffer to earn your doctorate?
Doctoral students represent the future of research, innovation and teaching within universities and other institutions. But it would seem that this future is threatened: research has revealed the fragility of their mental health . The study that I conducted with my colleagues among doctoral students in the United Kingdom shows that the latter meet the clinical criteria for depression and anxiety more than the working […] … learn more→
Why community college students quit despite being almost finished
Community colleges are designed to make college more accessible, yet 6 out of every 10 community college students cannot reap the full rewards of higher education because they do not earn their degree. For graduates, rewards often include making more money. For society, the reward is citizens who are more likely to vote, volunteer and pay more in taxes. Among community college […] … learn more→
The PhD supply chain problem
It’s been a funny old start to the year hey? As I write this, in mid January, the Omicron variant is raging here in Australia. Supply chain problems are resulting as key workers either get sick, or have to isolate. Every visit to the supermarket is an adventure – you don’t know what you are […] … learn more→
COVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens
The saying “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” reminds us not to take things for granted. It is often when we no longer have something or someone that we recognise the value of what we’ve lost. This is true of international students in Australia whose numbers halved during the pandemic. Can hindsight help us […] … learn more→
Universities need to focus on students – not teach to targets – to help them succeed
The Office for Students, England’s higher education regulator, has outlined new proposals to ensure university students reach “acceptable outcomes” from their studies. The proposals, released as consultation documents, include numerical targets. For full-time students, 80% of those studying for their first degree should continue in their study after the first year, 75% should complete their course, and […] … learn more→
On being lazy
I’ve been meaning to write this post all week. But I’ve not done so. And here I am on Sunday morning with the prospect of not having anything to publish, for the first time ever. I’ve sat at my desk on several occasions fully intending to write. But other things called to me – the […] … learn more→
What is the true impact of the Erasmus program on university students?
In 1987, 3,200 students from different European countries participated in a pioneering programme, which, based on the idea of promoting mobility, intercultural competence and the European dimension, is still considered the flagship of cooperation in education in The EU. Three decades later, approximately 300,000 students benefited from the Erasmus 2017 programme . It has had nine million participants in […] … learn more→
Five infallible analog techniques to connect with our digital students
Faced with the growth of online training, voices arise that cry out against it, arguing that the student disconnects, that “he does not arrive” the same. And it is that the digital medium is not the same as face to face. And it never will be. But digital education, whether through synchronous sessions or content, can and […] … learn more→
How unis can save millions by tackling the biggest causes of online students’ high dropout rates
The COVID-19 pandemic has simply added to the ever more rapid growth in online learning since 2005. Online education generates massive income, with the global e-learning market estimated at US$144 billion in 2019 and predicted to reach US$374 billion by 2026. However, universities have struggled to reduce high online student dropout rates – online students are 2.5 times more likely than […] … learn more→