Tony Knight Obituary

In 1970, my dear friend Tony Knight passed away at the age of 93. He had become headteacher of the Church of England middle school in Newport on the Isle of Wight before the school had even been built, and had worked tirelessly to turn it into a thriving community on the island. Tony made a point of seeking out non-traditional teaching staff to join his team, constantly finding new ways to...

Who’s The Hottest Teacher In The US?

In the United States, there are an estimated 400,000 college and university professors. However, determining who the best teacher is can be a difficult task. That's where MTV comes in. Earlier this year, the popular music channel purchased RateMyProfessors.com (RMP), and the site has now released its first-ever "Annual RateMyProfessors.com Top 50 Rankings." RMP gathers feedback from...

It’s The End Of The Frog And Toad For Regional Slang, Says Report

According to a recent report called "The Sounds of 2066," spoken English is predicted to become increasingly homogenized, with regional accents and dialects disappearing within the next 50 years. The report suggests that "talking to machines and listening to Americans" will play a significant role in killing off regional accents and phrases, leading to a more universally...

Flashy University Buildings: Do They Live Up To The Hype?

According to the late Sir David Watson, universities could be viewed as property companies with education as an add-on. Estate-related issues consume vast amounts of time, money, and heated debates in universities. Below are some notable points to consider regarding university buildings: 1. Some buildings end up attracting criticism and controversy. They appear bizarre, kinky, and fail to serve...

Students Try To Flee UK By Chartered Plane For ‘safer’ China

According to universities, a multitude of international students are looking to return home due to safety concerns regarding COVID-19. The deserted campuses, which are operating under skeletal services, have left many international students alone and universities have been calling students to reassure them they are not alone. The universities have reported that Chinese students, who make up a...

Moocs, And The Man Leading The UK’s Charge

Simon Nelson was shown an image of a Highland cow, known as a kyloe in Gaelic, twenty months ago as part of the Open University's secret project, which many believe has the potential to revolutionize higher education around the world. Nelson, who previously worked for the BBC and helped launch iPlayer, now heads FutureLearn, a company that has attracted 450,000 learners from 40 top universities,...

Ofqual’s A-level Algorithm: Why Did It Fail To Make The Grade?

Ofqual's grading algorithm, represented by the equation Pkj = (1-rj)Ckj + rj(Ckj + qkj - pkj), may be short but it reveals much about what went wrong with the grading system. One apparent issue is the algorithm's simplicity, as it only involves the four variables Ckj, qkj, pkj, and rj, indicating a lack of breadth in the input data. Contrary to popular big data solutions, Ofqual chose to gather...

Methodology Behind The Guardian University Guide 2021

To create a league table for 54 subjects, we assess the performance of each provider using nine measures that cover all stages of the student life cycle. We treat each subject provider as a department and ask them to inform us which of their students count within each department. Our goal is to demonstrate how each department is likely to offer a positive overall experience to future students. To...

University Accommodation: A Quick Way To Break The Ice

Deciding where to live during university can feel like navigating a minefield of difficult choices that could make or break the student experience. Should one opt for catered or non-catered accommodation, choose to live nearby or on campus, a spacious apartment or a humble one, and an ensuite or a shared bathroom? Vivienne Robinson, the head of accommodation at Newcastle University, suggests that...

What Are Universities Reasons For Rejecting Students?

Despite being a model pupil, Fred, an 18-year-old comprehensive school student, has been rejected by each of the five universities that he applied to this year. His teachers are unable to comprehend why this is happening. Fred is not his real name. He has been predicted all As at A-level and scored all A and A* grades at GCSE. His headteacher, Mike Griffiths, describes him as not only...