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→
Blog Archives
COVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens
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→
Should academics do unpaid work to share their research? if so, when and how?
My comments on Twitter seemed to resonate with a lot of people. Other tweeters revealed that the same had happened to them and shared their experiences of giving ‘free’ labour to non-academic organisations. Requests for expertise can take various forms, ranging from a chat on the phone, to giving presentations, to contributing to workshops to […] … learn more→
Circular economy in university education
The circular economy offers a new model of economic development, more sustainable for the planet, consisting of a production and consumption model that involves sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, renewing and recycling existing materials and products as many times as possible to create added value and lengthen its life cycle. To understand, accelerate and promote such […] … learn more→
Border opening spurs rebound in demand from international students
Australia’s position in the international higher education market weakened significantly while our border was closed over the past two years. But recent demand and application data suggest our position may be strengthening since the border re-opening was announced in November. More than 43,000 international students have arrived in Australia since December 1. The Australian share of demand from international […] … learn more→
Pandemic disruption to PhD research is bad for society and the economy – but there are solutions
Every year thousands of students enrol in PhD degrees at universities in New Zealand. The government funds their degrees because the advanced knowledge and innovations they develop benefit our economy and society. But there is growing concern about the impact of COVID-19 on doctoral students. It’s feared some will abandon their degrees, with real implications for the potential […] … learn more→
