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→
Blog Archives
Teacher-researchers : the university profession torn apart
Editing your writing – lessons from chefs?
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→
Half of our unis don’t have bullying policies for students. This is what they need to protect them
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→
Motivation is a key factor in whether students cheat
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→
Getting started with the discussion section
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→
Investigating the social sciences at the university: how to get out of the controversies over ” Islamo-leftism “?
With “Islamo-leftism” , the public debate turns to muddled controversy, and to controversy that is not very scientific. Couldn’t we approach things differently, and back up the reflection and the positions taken on rigorous knowledge and precise information? Wouldn’t that be better than political statements and repeated petitions in which there are tens or hundreds and over the […] … learn more→
Colleges confront their links to slavery and wrestle with how to atone for past sins
Colleges and universities across the U.S. have been taking a hard look at their ties to slavery. This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Back in 2006, Brown University published a report showing that the university – from its construction to its endowment – participated in and benefited from the slave trade and slavery. And since then, […] … learn more→
Lockdown writing routines – a.k.a a cheer for the humble pear
Most creative writers have their own idiosyncratic set of rituals and routines. Academic writers do too. But at least some of these practices may have had to change during WFH – working from home – during the various lockdowns. While I’ve been acutely aware of changes that lockdown has brought to PhDers I hadn’t thought a […] … learn more→
Think big. Why the future of uni campuses lies beyond the CBD
The “dreaming spires” of Oxford University that Matthew Arnold romanticised in 1865 still have a powerful grip on our image of the university. Nevertheless, the university town is part of the past. A key reason for this is the expense of developing facilities on a confined site, particularly in a heritage setting. The new Cavendish Laboratory at […] … learn more→
Mental scars caused by on-campus teaching in pandemic may not heal
When academics were asked to teach in poorly ventilated seminar rooms last year as a pandemic raged, it didn’t just put their physical health at risk. It also jeopardised the mental well-being of staff – but not for the reason you might think. While it is true that many lecturers were understandably anxious about returning […] … learn more→
