5 août 2015
5 août 2015
How do we value universities?
By . We have become accustomed to hearing the benefits of higher education measured in economic terms. But is this the only way we value them. More...5 août 2015
Who do universities serve? Everyone, or just the elite few?
By . There are now 40 universities in Australia, three of which are private. They all receive Commonwealth government grants and an increasing range of private funds. As the debate continues around whether or not to deregulate universities further, we might also ask who universities serve. Public universities in particular, are obliged to serve the public and give access to all who are capable, not only the advantaged. More...5 août 2015
Boosting commercialisation of research poses a big challenge for universities
By . The world’s most prosperous and advanced economies are “innovation-driven”. They have strong national innovation systems that are built on a foundation of close relationships between the research and industry sectors. More...5 août 2015
Public universities shouldn’t be making political donations
By and . It was recently revealed that the University of Wollongong has spent around A$20,000 over the past five years on lunches and dinners with politicians, including several fundraising events for the Liberal Party. More...5 août 2015
How competing for students will transform universities
By . Historically, universities were privileged institutions for the “intelligent elite”, almost exclusively male communities, where great thinkers lived and worked and passed on their wisdom to fellow scholars and their students. Imagine Oxford, Harvard and the University of Melbourne before 1960. More...5 août 2015
Who should go to university? Everyone, or just enough people to fill skilled jobs?
By . We have more people going to university in Australia than ever before. In 1971 only 2% of the population over 15 years old held a Bachelor’s degree, in 2013 it was 25%. Last year a whopping 1,149,300 people were enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree or above. More...5 août 2015
Embracing Indigenous languages: the Kiwis just do it better
By . The idea that our Kiwi cousins have a much better track record on national policy and attitudes to Indigenous peoples is not at all new. Talk to Kiwis and there is an uncomfortable cringe about Australian ignorance towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages, and relief that New Zealand’s relationships with Māori are much healthier. More...5 août 2015
Policing won’t be enough to prevent pay-for plagiarism
By . Buying and selling high-stakes assessments is bad for education. It undermines community confidence because we can’t be sure if a grade was earned or bought. Plagiarism hurts plagiarists too, because they miss out on the learning opportunities that the assessment was supposed to provide. Tensions around plagiarism may be part of a culture of distrust between teachers and students. More...5 août 2015
How to make Australia more bilingual
By . Bilingualism has been associated with a range of benefits for young learners, from higher test scores to more creative thought processes and greater mental flexibility. Being bilingual has even been claimed to mitigate the impacts of socioeconomic status on students. More.../https%3A%2F%2Fprofilepics.canalblog.com%2Fprofilepics%2F1%2F0%2F1076071.jpg)