It’s hard to imagine that Covid-19 has had any benefits, but one that is sometimes suggested is the potential healing effect on the natural world of human withdrawal from it. Scientists have given a name to this pandemic-induced slowing of ...
More »Training and its contribution to operational effectiveness during COVID-19: opinion
Training, applied and practised methodically, can and does make a significant contribution to the effective corporate structure. In difficult times like those thrown up by the pandemic, the main areas of focus should be in response to the question: “Is ...
More »New research reveals Aussie suburbs with the shortest life expectancy
Life expectancy in Australia has reached record highs, but where you live has a huge influence on your longevity. Research by the Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) at Torrens University flagged the suburbs and towns with the highest life ...
More »Academic’s paper pulled after plagiarism probe
A journal has retracted a Monash University academic's paper over potential plagiarism. Monash conducted an investigation on the publication after a student raised concerns about potential plagiarism by a supervisor. The retracted paper described research about placental serotonin systems ...
More »Researchers identify Australia’s oldest intact rock painting
Australia’s oldest intact rock painting has been discovered in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. The artwork features a 2 metre-long kangaroo and is believed to be about 17,300 years old, University of Melbourne researchers said. The kangaroo is painted on the sloping ...
More »Making the right moves: how playing chess can make students less risk averse and better prepared for life
While the worldwide smash Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit is about a whole lot more than chess, viewers like myself were drawn into the amount of strategic risk-taking, foresight, planning and dedication required for the protagonist to overcome the formidable Russian world ...
More »Sleep no obstacle for maths: study
It's possible to chat to someone and even do maths while you’re asleep, scientists say. A new study of 36 people experiencing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which produces vivid dreams, has shown they can still respond to questions and ...
More »La Trobe University reveals 2021 financial forecast
La Trobe University came out of 2020 with better than expected finances but it now anticipates a revenue downturn of about $170 million compared with pre-COVID forecasts. In an update on the university’s finances sent to staff this week, vice-chancellor ...
More »Who’s afraid of critical thinking? And why you and your students shouldn’t be
To have adopted a rather pessimistic or ‘tick the box’ attitude towards the Australian Curriculum’s general capabilities – and in particular critical thinking – is not surprising when we consider the enormity of a teacher’s tasks on any day. I ...
More »Ranking addiction: Time to rethink the habit? opinion
In a post-COVID world, how much do the global university rankings really contribute to the sector’s ongoing financial viability? As we know only too well, COVID-19 has laid bare the reliance of some of our most eminent institutions upon international ...
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