Nothing to Fear!

The above image, taken at the British Library, says it all with regard to why we should seek to know more about the world around us.

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Vice Chancellor’s Awards 2010-11

Nominations for this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Awards at the University of Hertfordshire open Monday 10 January. The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards annually recognise staff at the University who do exemplary work. Students can nominate staff in one of two categories; ‘Tutor of the Year’ and/or ‘Outstanding Service in Support of Student’. Staff at the university, as well as those [...]

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Comtemplation

Following on from my previous post, which cited an interview with Noam Chomsky, it is also worth noting his comments on how the rise of internet has altered the quality of public debate. Chomsky commented that the internet ‘is basically positive but it has its downsides. If something comes to mind, people just put it [...]

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Towards more effective study

In a recent interview with Nigel Farndale, of the Telegraph newspaper, Noam Chomsky was asked about stories of undergraduates at British Universities having to be taught grammar in their first year of study. Noam Chomsky replied ‘Yes, there is that. It is probably down to the texting culture. The use of textonyms and so on. But it [...]

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MyStudyBar

‘MyStudyBar is free to download and is designed to help overcome problems that students commonly experience with studying, reading and writing. The tool consists of a set of portable open source and freeware applications, assembled into one convenient package [...]  MyStudyBar provides comprehensive learning support at the desktop, where it is needed. So, if you are interested, [...]

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#loveHE!

‘Initiated by Times Higher Education, the campaign is an all-embracing and unashamed way to champion higher education in all its multifaceted glory, from inside and outside the sector’. ‘…we should all celebrate the sector at a time when it may not be as high on the list of public priorities as it should be. Launched [...]

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Is the easy option always the best option?

In a recent edition of the Times Higher Education there is an article entitled ‘Students swear by module of obscenely hard work’. In the article, Professor Martin promises his students that if  ‘they work obscenely hard then he will work obscenely hard, too’.  While one might want to avoid elements of ‘public humiliation’, I found [...]

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National Student Survey 2010

January saw the launch of the National Student Survey (NSS) 2010 at most universities and colleges across the UK. Entering its sixth year, the NSS is a census of students in the final year of a course leading to undergraduate credits or qualifications across the UK. It is your opportunity to give your opinions on [...]

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Welcome back!

Welcome back! Due to the allocation of new jobs roles this year, I was unable to make it to Switzerland this year. The area you went to is a fantastic part of the world and from talking to colleagues I gather you had a good fieldtrip. Before long you will be turning your attention to the [...]

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Exams!

It is 0930! I have just returned from checking that my final year undergrads exam in environmental policy and management is all OK. I hope they all do really well, they deserve to. It has been a privilege to teach them. They have been so motivated and engaging throughout the course. When you get such [...]

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