I am confident that we all have had a certain teacher or lecturer that made a huge impression on us. Perhaps it was their energetic approach, their eccentricity, their vast knowledge base, charisma, or their enthusiastic personality. In most cases, and unknowingly, these professionals were skilled at teaching from the podium. Their delivery was engaging….>
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Managing The Transition From Masters to PhD – Top Ten Tips
So you have completed your Masters. You enjoyed the experience of postgraduate work. And you’ve caught the bug. You’re going to make the leap to the next research step: the PhD.
No Time to Think? Time Management
Time management is a fast-growing trend. Most of us have been to time management courses before, read books, and listened to YouTube videos on the topic. However, we have not really cracked time management just yet. The problem with time management is that we are trying to cram in more and more activities into our…>
4 Tips for a Winning Academic Cover Letter
Too many people spend days crafting the perfect academic CV, only to spend minimal effort on their academic cover letter. But, the truth is, that even the most perfectly crafted CV is nothing without an impactful cover letter. A strategically targeted cover letter which demonstrates your abilities, enthusiasm and suitability for the role paired with…>
Constructivist Approaches to Teaching and Learning
In my previous article (‘The delivery metaphor of teaching and learning’) I outlined some of the problems of treating knowledge as something to be ‘delivered’ or ‘transmitted’ to students. In this view of teaching and learning, the teacher’s role is to transmit knowledge and information, the learners’ role is simply to receive it. One of…>
Working Abroad as an Academic
A career as an academic often comes with the opportunity to spend some, or all, of your career working abroad. But what should you consider before making the big move? Institutional Reputation It is important when considering such a big move that you carry out thorough research, especially when considering a country you are not…>
Teaching From the Podium
Communication comes in many different formats. In modern society, the physical contact of communication appears to be diminishing. We are often hidden behind screens. Sending messages. Providing feedback. Giving instructions. Completing forms. This virtual world of communication lacks warmth, authenticity, integrity, and emotion. I miss the times of sitting with a lecturer over coffee, deliberating…>