The fight against Covid-19 has illuminated the value of rapid and borderless access to research. But while most coronavirus studies were commendably made freely available to all, it remains a different matter for much of the world’s publicly funded university research. Change is possible, however. Publishers, research institutions and their funders are now working together […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Covid-19 underlines the need for full open access
How to adapt the assessment for College access for students with dyslexia
Among the different Spanish autonomous communities there are no clear and agreed criteria to determine what are the necessary adaptations for a student with dyslexia in high school for the University Access Assessment (EvAU) exams. We find from concise instructions with minimal adaptations in the Community of Madrid to the detailed recommendations offered by the Dyslexia and Family […] … learn more→
Critical thinking or memorization? This is the education that comes
It is fully accepted that we are in an information society (they also say that of knowledge , a doubtful statement if it refers to the entire population). We receive news of all kinds from very different media, more or less traditional: press, radio, television, internet or social networks. This results in the possibility of accessing any type of […] … learn more→
Insisting on in-person classes post-Covid is not a line we can hold
Every day, when I pass my campus’ empty parking garages and dark, deserted buildings, I cannot help but think of the Maginot Line. It is not so much the visual impact of so many concrete outposts that reminds me of the series of defensive fortifications built by France after the First World War. Nor is […] … learn more→
Information indigestion: The search for a perfect note taking system
For the last 20 years I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect academic note taking system. I abandoned paper in 2005 when I realised my notebooks were the place my ideas went to die. Although writing into a notebook felt useful at the time it was hard to find stuff later. Flipping fruitlessly […] … learn more→
Post-baccalaureate orientation : coming from a private high school, is that an asset for selective courses?
Beyond the social background alone, do the chances of entering a selective higher education course depend on the high school where you obtained your baccalaureate? Does coming from a private high school increase the chances of accessing selective establishments? While inequalities based on students’ social and academic characteristics are widely documented by research , those related to […] … learn more→
As unis eye more ‘Instagram-worthy’ campus experiences, they shouldn’t treat online teaching as a cheap and easy option
The times they are a-changin’ for higher education. Or so say a growing number of commentators. They see COVID-19 disruptions as a tipping point for universities, accelerating sweeping changes across institutions. These include not just a shift to online teaching and learning, but also a greater focus on industry links and employability skills, and accompanying campus design upgrades. Many of these […] … learn more→
Afua Cooper: My 30-year effort to bring Black studies to Canadian universities is still an upward battle
Since my time as a graduate student to my present appointment as professor at Dalhousie University, I have been involved with championing and developing Black studies in universities and beyond. Previously, within Canadian universities, not many scholars who work in creating knowledge about Black people called it Black studies. For many, “Black studies” was something […] … learn more→
Our Covid disadvantages were eased by a Zoom room of our own
Last week it was an earthquake. The week before it was an elderly relative’s ill health. The week before that it was concerns about a child. Normal workplace topics of conversation – but with a difference. For almost a year now, I’ve spent a part of most weekdays hanging out with academic colleagues in our […] … learn more→
Liberal arts education must embrace employability
In 1753, when the educator William Smith conceived the modern world’s first liberal arts college, he envisioned a place where students would express themselves by “writing, speaking, acting, and living well”, and where knowledge itself fuelled “the business of life”. Smith’s ideal, which inspired the founding of Washington College in 1782, was not unlike that […] … learn more→
