What will international education look like in 20 years time? Reflections...
Author: Flo Martin, Partnership Manager at FutureLearnLooking 20 years ahead is a seemingly impossible task in today’s uncertain world. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone and is making us work in ways we’d never anticipated.. For universities, with empty campuses and anxious students, the task to provide quality online education that meets the expectations of their…
Lesson Plan: The Migrant Busing Crisis
In this lesson, students will learn how Republican governors are sending migrants to Democratic cities and towns to protest the high number of arrivals at the southern border.
Do You Use, Like, Too Many Filler Words?
Do you use words like “like,” “um” and “you know” often? Do your friends?Do you think these filler words get in the way of communication? Or, do they help?In “Where Did Our Strange Use of ‘Like’ Come From?” John McWhorter writes about the history and evolution of the popular four-letter filler word:Some months ago, one…
Are Alison Certificates Worth It for Career Growth?
Online learning has changed how people build skills and move forward in their careers. But a common question still comes up: are Alison Certificates worth it? Especially when you’re competing with degree holders or trying to stand out in a crowded job market. The answer depends on how you use Alison Certificates. For employers, it’s…
What’s Going On in This Picture? | March 18, 2024
1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post…
Must Read
Why the Future of Learning Starts with Building
Coding has always served two purposes: the intrinsic drive to build something, and the practical path to a lucrative career. Even the most passionate code aficionados don’t dream of variables or syntax — they want to make a website, a tool, a game. For years, the career upside was impossible to ignore. You could land a stable SWE job, bootstrap your own app, or join a buzzy…
Data analytics tips from a University of Michigan professor
This week, we’re sharing some key takeaways from our Q&A with Chris Brooks, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan specializing in data analytics. In particular, he teaches students how data can be used to inform public policy and positively impact the public sector. The idea of pursuing a career in data analytics can…
Word of the Day: anthropomorphize
The word anthropomorphize has appeared in 13 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 11 in “A Chimp Sanctuary With a New Urgency to Give Shelter” by Emmett Lindner, an interview with Emily Anthes:In an article like this one, do you try to stay away from projecting too many human attributes onto…
Film Club: ‘New Climate Promises, Same Old Global Warming’
What responsibility do corporations have to take action on climate change right now?
Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs?
Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.Attitudes around drugs have changed considerably over the past few decades. Voters’ approval of drug-related initiatives in several states in the Nov. 3 election made that clear:New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and Arizona joined 11 other states…
Thank You To Our 2025 Community!
Today is (American) Thanksgiving so we wanted to take the opportunity to thank our community! We are so grateful for the continued support, encouragement, and contributions of our community.Thank you to our Patreon sponsors! Your support keeps our email subscription service and podcast production going. The Learning Scientists is an entirely volunteer effort and we…
Past Stories
Summer Reading Contest, Week 4: What Interested You Most in The...
Welcome to Week Four of our Tenth Annual Summer Reading Contest. To participate, just post a comment here by 9 a.m. Eastern on July 12 that answers the questions “What interested you most in The Times this week? Why?” What should you choose? Well, as you know from the rules we’ve posted, you can pick…
Word + Quiz: visage
visage ˈvi-zij noun1. the human face2. the appearance conveyed by a person’s face_________The word visage has appeared in 26 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 5 in the Opinion essay “His Face Is Unmistakable. It Is the Face of Protest” by Sara Barrett:In an article that appeared during the…
What’s Going On in This Graph? | Nov. 17, 2021
3. Below the response box, there is an option to click on “Email me when my comment is published.” This sends the link to your response which you can share with your teacher.4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button…
Enhancing Learning Through Storytelling
By Carolina Kuepper-TetzelImagine you are enrolled in a life sciences course and learning about stochastic molecular motion in biological systems (i.e., how molecules move in random ways within cells and other parts of living things). You are given the option to study the topic using either a) expository instruction which focuses on explaining the topic,…
Forest in a Stadium
A curator recently installed 299 trees in a soccer stadium in Austria for an art installation. When you look at it, what does it make you think? What statement do you think the curator is trying to make with this project? What do you think it says about people, society, the world or life in…
John Monyjok Maluth: “Learn. Practice. Live a purposeful life.”
“My name is John Monyjok Maluth (a.k.a John Shalom). I’m an independent nonfiction author of over 50 books and booklets. I love computers though I studied theology. I love teaching or simply sharing knowledge with others. That’s why I write my life stories, ‘how to’ guides and educational material.” How did…