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PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 26th November 2025, Wednesday 26 November, 5:00pm - Lancaster University

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 4d

Congratulations Richard!

Richard Budd @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social · 4d

Nobody is more surprised than me that I'll be a keynote speaker for the Emerging Researchers' Group at the European Educational Research Association Conference in Tampere in August 2026.

(Conference submissions open from the 1st of December, by the way.)

eera-ecer.de/conferences/...

Keynote Speakers | EERA

eera-ecer.de

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 4d

Interested in studying a fully online, part-time PhD in higher education? I will be hosting an applicant webinar for our HEREE programme from 17.00-18.00 (UK time) on Wed 26th November on Zoom. Register here: www.lancaster.ac.uk/social-scien...

Interested in applying for our fully online PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement in October 2026? Join one of our monthly online webinars. You will have the opportunity to hear mo...

Soft Power Rankings? What the…?

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 4d

As ever, thoughtful analysis from my colleague @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social

Richard Budd @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social · 4d

I took a deeper look at the HEPI/Kaplan Soft Power "Index".

To me what it isn't saying - what is effectively being taken for granted - is far more important and interesting than what it purportedly tells us (which is of very little real value).

ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com/2025/11/05/s...

World leading, or not…? Something caught my eye online recently – the publication of the “HEPI/Kaplan Soft Power Index” (LINK). I clicked on it out of curiosity and almost instantly wished I …

Soft Power Rankings? What the…?

Richard Budd @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social · 4d

I took a deeper look at the HEPI/Kaplan Soft Power "Index".

To me what it isn't saying - what is effectively being taken for granted - is far more important and interesting than what it purportedly tells us (which is of very little real value).

ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com/2025/11/05/s...

World leading, or not…? Something caught my eye online recently – the publication of the “HEPI/Kaplan Soft Power Index” (LINK). I clicked on it out of curiosity and almost instantly wished I …

The definition of educational quality in a quasi-marketised higher education system: stumbling towards a knowledge crisis

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 5d

Let me know whether you end up regretting it Paul.

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 5d

For those interested (anyone?), it was the work for the Oxford Review of Education article that led me to write a @wonkhe.bsky.social blog on the way that the Office for Students has ventriloquised the student interest: wonkhe.com/blogs/ventri...

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 5d

Delighted my article 'The definition of educational quality in a quasi-marketised HE system: stumbling towards a knowledge crisis' is now published open access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... & even happier it's part of a brilliant special issue edited by @jo-annebaird.bsky.social & Gemma Moss

In this article, I examine the definition of educational quality in the English higher education system. I examine three phases in the measurement of educational quality, each prompted by the repor...

www.tandfonline.com

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 5d

The "knowledge infrastructure crisis" paper is part of this special issue on various "knowledge crises" and "democratic deficits" in contemporary education -all of it just published together in Oxford Review of Education www.tandfonline.com/toc/core20/5...

Oxford Review of Education

Special Issue: Knowledge crises and democratic deficit in education. Guest Edited by Gemma Moss and Jo-Anne Baird. Volume 51, Issue 6 of Oxford Review of Education

www.tandfonline.com

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 5d

New paper just out on how changing sociotechnical systems of knowledge production and access - platforms, the cloud, AI - pose profound challenges to educational practice and research doi.org/10.1080/0305...

Knowledge infrastructure crisis: digital democratic deficits and alternative designs for education

The production and circulation of knowledge in education increasingly depends on large-scale digital infrastructures. In this article we provide a critical review of the transformation of the conte...

doi.org

KathyMChandler @kathymchandler.bsky.social · 13d

I'm looking forward to being part of a panel at the launch event of the Language Education Technology Research Group tomorrow.

The Future of Technology in Language Education
Wednesday 29 October, 2025
13:30-15:00

www.lancaster.ac.uk/confucius-in...

The Future of Technology in Language Education, Wednesday 29 October, 1:30pm - Lancaster University

All welcome to join 'The Future of Technology in Language Education' event. This event will launch the Language Education Technology Research Group.

PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 30th October 2025, Thursday 30 October, 1:00pm - Lancaster University

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 13d

There is still time to register for this applicant webinar this Thursday for our part-time fully online PhD in Higher Education. I look forward to seeing you there.

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · Oct 9

Interested in studying a fully online, part-time PhD in higher education? I will be hosting an applicant webinar for our HEREE programme from 13.00-14.00 (UK time) on Thurs 30th October on Zoom. Register here: www.lancaster.ac.uk/social-scien...

Interested in applying for our fully online PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement in October 2026? Join one of our monthly online webinars. You will have the opportunity to hear mo...

Risk of ‘standardisation’ as ministers mull progression measures

Chris Havergal @chrishavergal.bsky.social · 15d

Reforming external examining and introducing progression measure risk standardising university curricula and treating them like schools, warn @paulashwin.bsky.social @davehitchcock.bsky.social @profstevenjones.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/news/risk-st... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

Universities would look to ‘game’ new metric for testing learning gain, critics warn, with external examination defended as ‘best we’ve got’

Risk of ‘standardisation’ as ministers mull progression measures

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 15d

me, @profstevenjones.bsky.social and others on the dangers of the Skills White Paper proposals for measuring and assuring the quality of education offered by HE institutions: www.timeshighereducation.com/news/risk-st...

Universities would look to ‘game’ new metric for testing learning gain, critics warn, with external examination defended as ‘best we’ve got’

<em>British Educational Research Journal</em> | BERA Journal | Wiley Online Library

Mieke Van Houtte @mvanhoutte.bsky.social · 20d

🎓 New publication alert 📢

Open access in British Educational Research Journal:

"System failure? Exploring the interplay of fear of failure, competition, cooperation and sense of belonging in education in England and Flanders" with @carolynjackson.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1002/berj...

Fear of failure is damaging in a host of ways yet is rife in many schools. Drawing on self-worth theory, we explore whether fear of academic failure is higher in education systems with features that ...

doi.org

Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference @socmedhe.bsky.social · 27d

Excited to announce that the #SocMedHE25 keynote speaker will be @andytattersall! Andy will be speaking on '#AcademicTwitter Is Dead — What Died, What Survived, What’s Next?'. For more info, including the CFP and registration, see the website at: socmedhe25.wordpress.com/2025/07/15/k...

Keynote speaker

We are excited to announce that Andy Tattersall will be the keynote speaker at the conference! #AcademicTwitter Is Dead — What Died, What Survived, What’s Next X was once the number one place for …

socmedhe25.wordpress.com

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · 28d

Quoted as questioning “the wisdom of positioning a direct link between HE and the labour market,” over which HE has no control; instead universities "offer students... ways of engaging with the world that allow them to make use of the knowledge they’ve studied, to engage with the world in a new way"

Chris Havergal @chrishavergal.bsky.social · 28d

Universities have long trumpeted graduates' employment advantages. But as the jobs market dries up, this could come back to bite them, writes @julietterowsell.bsky.social (feat @profstevenjones.bsky.social @paulashwin.bsky.social) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/faith-u...

Chris Havergal @chrishavergal.bsky.social · 28d

Universities have long trumpeted graduates' employment advantages. But as the jobs market dries up, this could come back to bite them, writes @julietterowsell.bsky.social (feat @profstevenjones.bsky.social @paulashwin.bsky.social) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/faith-u...

PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 30th October 2025, Thursday 30 October, 1:00pm - Lancaster University

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · Oct 9

Interested in studying a fully online, part-time PhD in higher education? I will be hosting an applicant webinar for our HEREE programme from 13.00-14.00 (UK time) on Thurs 30th October on Zoom. Register here: www.lancaster.ac.uk/social-scien...

Interested in applying for our fully online PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement in October 2026? Join one of our monthly online webinars. You will have the opportunity to hear mo...

Booking to attend the conference is now open! The delegate rate to attend the conference is £95 early bird (until 31st October), or £105 standard rate after that. Please use the following link to r…

Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference @socmedhe.bsky.social · Oct 6

Registration for #SocMedHE25 is now open! The early bird rate is £95, available until 31st October, before the standard rate of £105. We hope to see you in Lancaster! Start your registration here: socmedhe25.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/r...

Registration

socmedhe25.wordpress.com

Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference @socmedhe.bsky.social · Sep 23

This year, #socmedhe25 will be coming to Lancaster University, on 16th December! The call for papers/session proposals is now open at socmedhe25.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/c... - please submit abstracts by *24th October*
Hope you can join us - see you in December!

Call for session proposals

This year, we are delighted to host the 11th international Social Media for Learning in Higher Education conference at Lancaster University, co-chaired by Dr Katy Jordan and Dr Kathy Chandler. The …

socmedhe25.wordpress.com

Chris Havergal @chrishavergal.bsky.social · Sep 19

TEF is “a completely inadequate measure of teaching excellence as it is, so the idea that [it] could now be used for some other purpose is seriously concerning”. Views from @tom-richmond.com @paulashwin.bsky.social et al www.timeshighereducation.com/news/tef-cha... via @julietterowsell.bsky.social

TEF changes could lead to ‘more university mergers or closures’

Warnings revised TEF rules could damage universities with a widening participation agenda and fail to weed out bad actors

Back to the future for the TEF? Back to school for OfS?

Paul Ashwin @paulashwin.bsky.social · Sep 9

A @wonkhe.bsky.social blog on the OfS idea to link tuition fees to TEF results. It's unworkable as it was when it was first muted 10 years ago. It suggests that the OfS doesn't understand how the TEF works or the impact on the sector of making such ill-founded suggestions wonkhe.com/blogs/back-t...

OfS is again flirting with the idea of linking tuition fees to TEF outcomes – a proposal that, as Paul Ashwin argues, is as unworkable now as it was a decade ago. OfS is again flirting with the idea o...

wonkhe.com

Richard Budd @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social · Sep 3

I was asked by the editor of The Geographer, the @royalscotgeosoc.bsky.social magazine, to comment on the discussion around imposing domestic student fees in Scotland.

This is an online accessible version of my piece.
ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com/2025/09/03/f...
#academicsky #studentfees #highered

Fees for Scotland? Best not to

This piece appeared in the Summer 2025 edition of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s “The Geographer”, and is replicated here with their kind permission. The spectre of fees for domestic stu…

Life Beyond the Long Grass – Where HE is Heading

Benthe van Wanrooij @benthevanwanrooij.bsky.social · Sep 2

Interesting start to the academic year (okay, actually day 2!) with a lecture from @paulashwin.bsky.social on the role of theories in educational research. Food for thought!

Richard Budd @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social · Aug 27

I've written a blog on the entirely expected (and predicted) crisis that (UK) HE is in and where it's going, with three broad predictions:
- Increasing Elitism
- Soaring Precarity
- Poorer Student Experiences

Do you agree? What have I missed?
#academicsky
ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com/2025/08/27/l...

We’ve arrived in the long grass. (Description, a view of heathland and long grass with mountains in the distance.) I’ve not blogged in ages, I’ve not had the head space for a whil…