Recent announcements by the B.C. and Ontario governments emphasize that institutions of higher education should plan a familiar return to campuses over the next month. Their recommendations call for a return to normal with an eye on backup plans and transitions. But the research my colleagues and I have done suggests that faculty and students hope for better […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
A ‘return to normal’ on campus? 5 ways university students and faculty hope for better
Plagues and classical history – what the humanities will tell us about COVID in years to come
After almost two years – and an extraordinary global hiatus whose impact remains as yet unclear – it is inevitable that many will write about COVID-19 for decades to come. Indeed, one of the first books – Spike, by Jeremy Farrar, one of the UK’s leading scientists and a member of the Sage emergency committee – has just […] … learn more→
GCSE and A-level results have seen record grade inflation – here’s why that doesn’t matter
Exam results are upon us. After the 2020 debacle which saw exams cancelled due to COVID and the first set of algorithm-generated results quickly overturned following complaints of unfairness, what teachers and young people really needed in 2021 was confidence in the grading system. The process for awarding marks was duly announced in March. And this time, as Education […] … learn more→
When change is awful
I’ll tell you what I’m really sick of right now: my university telling me that they understand change is hard for their staff. I’m an academic in an Australian university and I’ve chosen to publish this anonymously for reasons that should be obvious. This post is a rant. It’s not a reasoned tracing of the […] … learn more→
Can you say something about the “theory chapter”?
I’ve been asked about writing a theory chapter. But should I say anything? I feel a bit iffy about the very idea. What to do? Take your own advice here. Write for ten minutes about a theory chapter. Write about why you find this topic difficult. Write about anything to do with theory and chapters […] … learn more→
Being able to skip classes improves some students’ performance. Others struggle with more autonomy
Remote learning online has been a common tool in the battle against COVID-19. School and university campus closures have affected over 1.5 billion learners in 165 countries. The reduced need for students to be in their physical classrooms gives them greater autonomy, with more choice about what they do with their time. Some might skip classes, but […] … learn more→
Change to college application represents a step forward in how colleges can better support trans students
Since its inception in 1975, the Common Application, the undergraduate admissions application used by more than 900 colleges, has required students to provide their “sex,” with only “male” and “female” as choices. But starting in August 2021, the Common App is also asking students their gender identities and the names and pronouns they go by. As a […] … learn more→
Think our unis are all much the same? Look more closely and you will find diversity
The COVID-19 pandemic plunged Australian universities into crisis. From early 2020, many voices declared increased specialisation and difference between institutions was the way for them to survive. Yet our soon-to-be-published study has shown if we dig a little deeper each university is a complex patchwork, especially in the area of research. Australian universities present an array of sometimes competing interests, […] … learn more→
The last stage (or lock down) loopy la-las
There’s a period of PhD study that I have come to call ‘the loopy la-las’: when you become highly capable of doing PhD work, but start to become incompetent at, well – almost everything else. I remember the day it started to happen to me. It was 2008 and I was deep in a Foucault […] … learn more→
Expansion of Second Chance Pell Grants will let more people in prison pursue degrees
When the Obama administration launched the Second Chance Pell program in 2016, the idea was to provide incarcerated people the chance to get a college education despite a longstanding congressional ban on Pell Grants for people serving time. Pell Grants are federal grants for college students of limited financial means. The awards will be worth up to US$6,495 for […] … learn more→
