Universities are under more pressure than ever to make student employability a top priority. The pressure is coming from multiple sources: parents, employers, governments and, most of all, students themselves. In the US, for example, about 85 per cent of entering college freshman report that career placement is one of their top motivations for pursuing […] … learn more→

“I completed high school 20 years ago and wanted a ‘little break’ before furthering my study. That ‘little break’ was extended as my family grew. Life happened, and I never quite found the right time to keep my promise to myself to go to uni – until now!” “This is my first teaching period in […] … learn more→

Never have American universities been so taken to task in French public debates. Rare were the speeches, during the controversy generated by the recent remarks of the Minister of Higher Education on the radical research currents in the French university, which did not refer to the United States by them. ”  Demonizing  “. Indeed, according to a good number […] … learn more→

Simon was a final-year undergraduate accused by his UK university of buying an essay from someone else. Despite maintaining his innocence, he was expelled. He approached a barrister, who instructed an expert in forensic linguistics. Armed with a detailed report, the student appealed and was reinstated. The university accepted that he had, in fact, written […] … learn more→

The transition was never planned this way. First the course material went from print room to Learning Management System, and we said: “Great!” Then the lectures were recorded and available online for students who might have been sick that week, and we said: “Great!” Then the students stopped coming to the lectures because they could […] … learn more→

My reflection is rooted in the words of a young colleague who once told me: “We do two jobs”, implying teaching and research. I had never imagined it this way. I have always considered that my research work was essential to nourish my teaching mission and, reciprocally, that my relationship with students could nourish my scientific reflection. However, […] … learn more→

You can pick up helpful ideas from the most unlikely places. Like cooking shows. Yes I watch cooking shows, it’s one of my guilty pleasures. I’m sure I’m not the only one, given their popularity. Sometimes they offer more than new ways with potatoes. Just last week I found myself thinking about the ways in […] … learn more→

Students are heading off to universities around Australia, whether for the first time or as returning students, with expectations of a year of learning, making friends and enjoyable socialising. For some students this will not be the case. Bullying by other students continues to be a serious but neglected problem at Australian universities. Our recent study of […] … learn more→

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic caused many U.S. colleges to shift to remote learning in the spring of 2020, student cheating has been a concern for instructors and students alike. To detect student cheating, considerable resources have been devoted to using technology to monitor students online. This online surveillance has increased students’ anxiety and distress. For instance, some students have indicated the monitoring […] … learn more→

Last year I wrote a post called How do I write the discussion section? This post was in response to an analysis of blog traffic which showed that 75% of the writing related searches that led people to the Thesis Whisperer wanted to know about this section of the thesis. The discussion section is the ‘problem child’ of […] … learn more→