In order for universities to effectively contribute to social and regional development, it is crucial that they seek new ideas and good practices, and be open to reviewing and changing their models according to the needs of society. More...
27 juillet 2018
Universities in a World in Rapid Transformation
Université : vers une baisse des droits d’inscription et des « aides à la mobilité »
Frédérique Vidal annonce une baisse du coût de la rentrée universitaire, "pour la première fois depuis des années". Des "aides à la mobilité" seront aussi proposées. Plus...
Why We Shouldn't Embrace the Genetics of Education
By John Warner. On Monday, scientists published a study in Nature Genetics that analyzed the genes of 1.1 million people of European ancestry, including over 300,000 23andMe customers. Over 99 percent of our DNA is identical in all humans, but researchers focused on the remaining 1 percent and found thousands of DNA variants that are correlated with educational attainment. This information can be combined into a single number, called a polygenic score. – “Why Progressives Should Embrace the Genetics of Education” by Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden in the New York Times, July 24, 2018. More...The Problems of Real-Time Feedback in Teaching Writing
By John Warner. I’m trying to understand where the notion that constantly monitoring students and subjecting them to real-time feedback is a benefit to learning came from, because I gotta[1] tell you, from my perspective as a teacher of writing, it’s nuts. More...Finding the Right Atmosphere for Learning
By John Warner. A de rigueur scene in sci-fi movies when the intrepid crew has landed on a potentially hostile planet:Captain: What’s the atmosphere like? Is it safe?
Crewmember Who Will Later Have an Alien Burst Out of His Torso: Looks good, Captain, compatible with human life.
While in these movies there are always dangers beyond the potential poisonous nature of the atmosphere itself – like the aliens who will later burst out of torsos – the atmosphere is first. More...
Who Am I Now?
By John Warner. Just over two years ago I wrote my “Not a Quit Lit Essay,” about leaving teaching (only semi-voluntarily). What appeared available to me on that path didn’t seem like enough, and so I chose to try a new one. More...Gen Ed Is a Problem of Pedagogy, Not Subject Matter
By John Warner. Here’s an idea that popped into my head. Tell me what you think about it: Gen ed is a problem of pedagogy, not subject matter. More...Vive la Nap!
By John Warner. According to Robert Channick writing at the Chicago Tribune, “A small but growing number of businesses are encouraging sleep-deprived employees to grab 40 winks during the workday, providing rooms – or in some cases, high-tech napping pods – to get the job done right. Benefits include a more productive workforce, and, hopefully the end to stealth sales meeting snoozes.” More...What We Learn When Our Writing 'Fails'
By John Warner. How can we incentivize students to take writing risks, and give them an escape when they get in over their heads. More...
