Summer Edition _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Extremism risks uni reputation : Pyne Academic extremism risks damaging the standing of Australia's universities, says education minister Christopher Pyne. 6 January 2014 | Pyne's comments come in the wake of the controversy over the support for the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions movement by Sydney University's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies and that a Sydney University senior lecturer was part of a WikiLeaks Party delegation granted an audience with Syrian dictator … [Read more...]
Are MOOCs making education a monoculture?
02/01/2014 by
2 January 2014 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... The rise of Massive Open Online Courses is presenting higher education with a powerful challenge. Access to great teachers will help millions. But will MOOCs cause a massive institutional shakeout as well, asks John Yemma of The Christian Science Monitor? .......................................................................................................................................................................................... A tree farm produces a monoculture you can count … [Read more...]
The Scan | #143 | 11 November 2013
11/11/2013 by
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Typhoon Haiyan slams the PhilippinesSuper Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record, destroyed thousands of homes as it tracked across central Philippines. Winds of more than 300km/h, flash flooding and landslides have left families without shelter, food and water. Thousands of people are feared dead. Red Cross staff and volunteers are on the ground in the disaster-affected communities, helping people evacuate and providing emergency first aid and relief supplies, such as food, water and … [Read more...]
Open2Study reaches 100,000 students
11/11/2013 by
Open2Study Media | 28 October 2013 In just six months, Open Universities Australia has reached 100,000 enrolments in its free online learning platform with 53,000 students from more than 180 countries undertaking one or more of its massive open online courses, or MOOCs. Open2Study began by offering 10 free subjects in April, with each taking four weeks to complete. The platform currently offers 32 courses with Principles of Project Management, Food, Nutrition & Your Health, Writing for the Web, User Experience for the Web and Strategic Management attracting the highest enrolments. With new subjects added almost every month, the Open2Study team expects to have up to 50 … [Read more...]
The debate we have yet to have
17/10/2013 by
Regulation of what and why? The topic of this series of annual forums, governance and regulation, begs the questions: of what and why? When the ‘what’ refers to individual institutions the answers relate primarily to university mission (purpose, direction and goal focus) and self-governance at various levels from the Council or Senate as the governing body (including Finance Committee), the Executive as the strategic managing body, Academic Board as the internal quality assurance entity, and Faculties and Centres, Business units and Administrative services, including their policies and procedures for self-regulating and monitoring, and for external reporting on capacity, needs and … [Read more...]
LH Martin Institute Insights September 2013
26/09/2013 by
Insights Innovation Darwinism by Doron Ben-Meir CEO of Commercialisation Australia Doron Ben-Meir on factors that drive innovation. University professional staff: enhancing student outcomes by Carroll Graham UTS' Carroll Graham on the key factors team leaders or managers can foster to achieve positive student outcomes. Can we better link education and work through 'vocations' and 'human capabilities'? by Dr Nick Fredman Our Research Fellow Nick Fredman reviews the three-year Vocations project, which is wrapping up at the end of this year. 2014 postgraduate … [Read more...]
