Ali Struthers
@dralistruthers.bsky.social
Reader at Warwick Law School | SFHEA | Child Rights | Public Legal Education | Widening Access | #TaskmasterEducation Co-founder | Creator of @schooltasking.bsky.social | Munro-bagging Scot 🏴
“Surprisingly socially functional for an academic"
“Surprisingly socially functional for an academic"
Pinned
Ali Struthers
@dralistruthers.bsky.social
· Apr 30
School tasking in UK primary schools: widening access through early intervention and gameful design
School Tasking is a successful, university-led primary school outreach programme in law based on the format of the hit television show, Taskmaster. It borrows the fun, interactivity, and gentle com...
www.tandfonline.com
New #SchoolTasking article in the Journal of Further & Higher Education is now available open access.
It discusses why early intervention is so important in outreach (at a time when many universities are moving in the opposite direction) & why gameful design has been key to the project's success.
It discusses why early intervention is so important in outreach (at a time when many universities are moving in the opposite direction) & why gameful design has been key to the project's success.
There’s nowhere quite like home, even on a dreich Autumn day.
November 11, 2025 at 10:25 AM
There’s nowhere quite like home, even on a dreich Autumn day.
Reposted by Ali Struthers
Late light at Loch an Eilein, Rothiemurchus #Scotland #Rothiemurchus #Aviemore #Cairngorms www.damianshields.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Late light at Loch an Eilein, Rothiemurchus #Scotland #Rothiemurchus #Aviemore #Cairngorms www.damianshields.com
Reposted by Ali Struthers
For anyone who may not be following Gail Myerscough, she has a lovely and unique design aesthetic.
So much of her work seems to draw on the past while somehow imagining the future.
It gives her designs a timeless feel.
And she's having a sale!
Click through and have a look:
So much of her work seems to draw on the past while somehow imagining the future.
It gives her designs a timeless feel.
And she's having a sale!
Click through and have a look:
I’ve just launched my #Christmas Gift Guide
Here’s an offer that might tempt you to have a look
www.gailmyerscough.co.uk/christmas-gi...
Here’s an offer that might tempt you to have a look
www.gailmyerscough.co.uk/christmas-gi...
November 3, 2025 at 11:44 AM
For anyone who may not be following Gail Myerscough, she has a lovely and unique design aesthetic.
So much of her work seems to draw on the past while somehow imagining the future.
It gives her designs a timeless feel.
And she's having a sale!
Click through and have a look:
So much of her work seems to draw on the past while somehow imagining the future.
It gives her designs a timeless feel.
And she's having a sale!
Click through and have a look:
Reposted by Ali Struthers
Reposted by Ali Struthers
My GP just gave me a new response the next time something goes wrong at work
October 30, 2025 at 9:17 AM
My GP just gave me a new response the next time something goes wrong at work
Reposted by Ali Struthers
October 29, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Quote post with your favourite reaction gif of all time
(working in academia, I use this one a *lot*...)
(working in academia, I use this one a *lot*...)
October 28, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Quote post with your favourite reaction gif of all time
(working in academia, I use this one a *lot*...)
(working in academia, I use this one a *lot*...)
Reposted by Ali Struthers
Outreach initiatives such as ‘School Tasking’ help academics connect with young learners and make higher education feel approachable, write Ali Struthers and Alex Horne: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/snail... #Academia #HigherEd #AcademicChatter #AcademicSky #EduSky
Snails, Jaffa Cakes and rubber ducks: making outreach playful
Outreach initiatives like ‘School Tasking’ show how academics can break down barriers, engage young learners, and make higher education feel accessible rather than intimidating
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Outreach initiatives such as ‘School Tasking’ help academics connect with young learners and make higher education feel approachable, write Ali Struthers and Alex Horne: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/snail... #Academia #HigherEd #AcademicChatter #AcademicSky #EduSky
Reposted by Ali Struthers
Another fabulous shot of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Suotojärvi Lake, Sweden, by Petr Horálek, with the colorful Aurora Borealis lighting up the sky.
More at www.petrhoralek.com?p=25820 and
fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/1154...
#Astronomy
More at www.petrhoralek.com?p=25820 and
fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/1154...
#Astronomy
October 26, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Another fabulous shot of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over Suotojärvi Lake, Sweden, by Petr Horálek, with the colorful Aurora Borealis lighting up the sky.
More at www.petrhoralek.com?p=25820 and
fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/1154...
#Astronomy
More at www.petrhoralek.com?p=25820 and
fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/1154...
#Astronomy
Reposted by Ali Struthers
When there are three people at the table sharing a joke, and a Nazi sits down with them and joins in the laughter, there are four Nazis at the table.
This is basic.
This is basic.
October 23, 2025 at 9:47 AM
When there are three people at the table sharing a joke, and a Nazi sits down with them and joins in the laughter, there are four Nazis at the table.
This is basic.
This is basic.
We wrote a thing! But, perhaps more importantly, this @timeshighered.bsky.social article contains an exclusive on whether @alexhorne.bsky.social considers Jaffa Cakes to be cakes or biscuits... 👀
New article in @timeshighered.bsky.social by @dralistruthers.bsky.social & (Dr) @alexhorne.bsky.social on the importance of being playful in outreach with children 🤩
www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/snail...
www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/snail...
Snails, Jaffa Cakes and rubber ducks: making outreach playful
Outreach initiatives like ‘School Tasking’ show how academics can break down barriers, engage young learners, and make higher education feel accessible rather than intimidating
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:53 AM
We wrote a thing! But, perhaps more importantly, this @timeshighered.bsky.social article contains an exclusive on whether @alexhorne.bsky.social considers Jaffa Cakes to be cakes or biscuits... 👀
Reposted by Ali Struthers
Louvre robbery. French police release image of suspect.
October 19, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Louvre robbery. French police release image of suspect.
I was going to be good tonight & do the opposite to last week: watch Taskmaster in real time & catch-up with Celebrity Traitors tomorrow night.
But then the Celia Imrie Flatulence Incident happened & the compulsion to watch Traitors is now even stronger 🤣
But then the Celia Imrie Flatulence Incident happened & the compulsion to watch Traitors is now even stronger 🤣
October 16, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I was going to be good tonight & do the opposite to last week: watch Taskmaster in real time & catch-up with Celebrity Traitors tomorrow night.
But then the Celia Imrie Flatulence Incident happened & the compulsion to watch Traitors is now even stronger 🤣
But then the Celia Imrie Flatulence Incident happened & the compulsion to watch Traitors is now even stronger 🤣
I've just written a book chapter about things that have gone wrong in a very successful project that I run.
It's a case study in a book I'm co-authoring & there are already plenty of 'all the things that went right' chapters about the project elsewhere. Time for the shit show of all the disasters 😂
It's a case study in a book I'm co-authoring & there are already plenty of 'all the things that went right' chapters about the project elsewhere. Time for the shit show of all the disasters 😂
Every academic career is built on rejection, but we don’t show it.
CVs list publications, grants & awards, not rejected manuscripts, unfunded proposals, or failures.
But those invisible rejections shape us more than our successes ever do.
👉 catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/fail-bette...
🧵
CVs list publications, grants & awards, not rejected manuscripts, unfunded proposals, or failures.
But those invisible rejections shape us more than our successes ever do.
👉 catherineeunicedevries.substack.com/p/fail-bette...
🧵
Fail Better: Why Your Rejections Will Shape You More Than Your Publications
The Art of Learning from Rejection
catherineeunicedevries.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
I've just written a book chapter about things that have gone wrong in a very successful project that I run.
It's a case study in a book I'm co-authoring & there are already plenty of 'all the things that went right' chapters about the project elsewhere. Time for the shit show of all the disasters 😂
It's a case study in a book I'm co-authoring & there are already plenty of 'all the things that went right' chapters about the project elsewhere. Time for the shit show of all the disasters 😂
Reposted by Ali Struthers
‘96% of healthcare professionals said the model helps to reduce children’s anxiety, and 46% reported a lesser need to use sedation after the children played with the set.‘
‘Lego doesn’t sell the sets and instead has donated more than 10,000 of the kits to hospitals around the world.’
‘Lego doesn’t sell the sets and instead has donated more than 10,000 of the kits to hospitals around the world.’
How Lego MRI scanner sets are reducing anxiety in children undergoing medical treatment www.cnbc.com/2025/10/13/l...
How Lego MRI scanner sets are reducing anxiety in children undergoing medical treatment
Lego's MRI scanner play sets, which launched in 2023, are significantly reducing anxiety and the use of sedation in children, according to new research.
www.cnbc.com
October 14, 2025 at 7:12 AM
‘96% of healthcare professionals said the model helps to reduce children’s anxiety, and 46% reported a lesser need to use sedation after the children played with the set.‘
‘Lego doesn’t sell the sets and instead has donated more than 10,000 of the kits to hospitals around the world.’
‘Lego doesn’t sell the sets and instead has donated more than 10,000 of the kits to hospitals around the world.’
People often give very little consideration to their children's privacy when they post about them online.
An acquaintance once shared a photo on Facebook of her taking a selfie in the bathroom with her daughter on a potty in the background saying 'no such thing as privacy anymore!' Erm...
An acquaintance once shared a photo on Facebook of her taking a selfie in the bathroom with her daughter on a potty in the background saying 'no such thing as privacy anymore!' Erm...
Parents who film their children crying for clicks should take a good look at themselves | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
Parents who film their children crying for clicks should take a good look at themselves | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
Toddlers have big feelings. But sharing their tantrums and pain on social media is not a ‘teachable moment’. It’s cruel, says Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
www.theguardian.com
October 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
People often give very little consideration to their children's privacy when they post about them online.
An acquaintance once shared a photo on Facebook of her taking a selfie in the bathroom with her daughter on a potty in the background saying 'no such thing as privacy anymore!' Erm...
An acquaintance once shared a photo on Facebook of her taking a selfie in the bathroom with her daughter on a potty in the background saying 'no such thing as privacy anymore!' Erm...
If I had to select a specialist subject for Mastermind, I reckon the geographic spread of these guys across the UK would now see me to victory.
A productive afternoon with littlest family member ahead of her party tomorrow 🎩
A productive afternoon with littlest family member ahead of her party tomorrow 🎩
October 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
If I had to select a specialist subject for Mastermind, I reckon the geographic spread of these guys across the UK would now see me to victory.
A productive afternoon with littlest family member ahead of her party tomorrow 🎩
A productive afternoon with littlest family member ahead of her party tomorrow 🎩
There are definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday than puppy sitting.
October 11, 2025 at 10:40 AM
There are definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday than puppy sitting.
Reposted by Ali Struthers
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 has been awarded to Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado.
The Nobel Committee recognised her “struggle to achieve a just & peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
In other words, exactly the opposite of what Trump is doing to the United States.
The Nobel Committee recognised her “struggle to achieve a just & peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
In other words, exactly the opposite of what Trump is doing to the United States.
October 10, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 has been awarded to Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado.
The Nobel Committee recognised her “struggle to achieve a just & peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
In other words, exactly the opposite of what Trump is doing to the United States.
The Nobel Committee recognised her “struggle to achieve a just & peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
In other words, exactly the opposite of what Trump is doing to the United States.
Reposted by Ali Struthers
UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way.
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens
University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 6:27 AM
UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way.
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
Reposted by Ali Struthers
"Pro Life"
An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled
A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.
www.npr.org
October 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
"Pro Life"
Checklist for meetings with 1st year personal tutees:
- Academic issues;
- Pastoral issues;
- Signposting relevant university services;
- Explaining why it says 'Little Dr Ali Struthers' on my office door.
- Academic issues;
- Pastoral issues;
- Signposting relevant university services;
- Explaining why it says 'Little Dr Ali Struthers' on my office door.
October 8, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Checklist for meetings with 1st year personal tutees:
- Academic issues;
- Pastoral issues;
- Signposting relevant university services;
- Explaining why it says 'Little Dr Ali Struthers' on my office door.
- Academic issues;
- Pastoral issues;
- Signposting relevant university services;
- Explaining why it says 'Little Dr Ali Struthers' on my office door.
@watsoncomedian.bsky.social
What was that you were saying about needy companies sending you emails...?
What was that you were saying about needy companies sending you emails...?
October 8, 2025 at 8:47 AM
@watsoncomedian.bsky.social
What was that you were saying about needy companies sending you emails...?
What was that you were saying about needy companies sending you emails...?
A Labour Prime Minister being quoted in the news bulletin of the most listened to radio station in the UK telling university students that they absolutely should not get involved in peacefully protesting an ongoing genocide is really quite something.
October 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
A Labour Prime Minister being quoted in the news bulletin of the most listened to radio station in the UK telling university students that they absolutely should not get involved in peacefully protesting an ongoing genocide is really quite something.