It is relatively rare for a young person to leave school knowing on their own exactly what they want to do next. And, even if they do, it’s unusual to seamlessly and independently go to university, complete the degree of their choosing, graduate, and move into the working world. For most young people the world … Read more
Financial access is extremely important for poor and working class students wanting to get a foot in the door at universities. But on its own this isn’t a guarantee of success. South Africa has very poor student throughput (that is, from enrolment to graduation) and low retention rates in undergraduate education. Only 30% of students complete … Read more
For most people who finished school or university even a decade ago, the idea of virtual reality in the classroom probably seems like the stuff of science fiction. But immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality – which all aim to marry the physical and digital worlds – are increasingly … Read more
Technology has become the centre of our lives. It has also changed how university students learn and how lecturers teach. Some institutions had already shifted to some form of online teaching and learning before 2020. Then the onset of the COVID pandemic made digitised education commonplace in many parts of the world. But it’s not enough for universities … Read more
Transactional sex – the exchange of consensual sex for material support like gifts, money or food – occurs on university campuses in many parts of the world. South Africa is no exception. Some scholars have highlighted the importance of understanding transactional sexual relationships beyond seeing it only (or mostly) as a way for young women to mitigate poverty, or because they … Read more
When ChatGPT was released in November 2022, it sparked many conversations and moral panics. These centre on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the information environment. People worry that AI chatbots can negatively affect the integrity of creative and academic work, especially since they can produce human-like texts and images. ChatGPT is a generative AI model … Read more
Engineering courses are a popular choice among South African university students. But these courses are also gruelling and the attrition rates are high. The Council on Higher Education reports that half of the engineering students enrolled at South African universities do not complete their studies. That figure is similar in other parts of the world. Yet, some students weather the storms of … Read more
It’s no secret New Zealand universities are at a crossroads. Financial constraints, a post-COVID hangover and sweeping staff layoffs have all made for testing times in the tertiary world. So the government’s appointment of a University Advisory Group to “consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector” is more than timely. The group is charged with … Read more
In recent decades, student numbers have risen at higher education institutions in many parts of the world. This has opened doors for students who might have been excluded before. These students may be drawn from indigenous groups in formerly colonised areas or part of a foreign minority in a host country. Many of the students in minority groups fare poorly when compared … Read more
South Africa’s youth unemployment rate, at 45.5% (among those aged between 15 and 34), is worryingly high, even in the context of widespread unemployment across the African continent. More than 72 million young people in Africa, most of them women, are neither employed nor pursuing tertiary education. And, while South African statistics have shown that holding a tertiary degree or diploma … Read more