Paul Ashwin
@paulashwin.bsky.social
I teach and research about higher education
Pinned
Paul Ashwin
@paulashwin.bsky.social
· May 27
Students’ changing accounts of chemical engineering: a longitudinal study in three countries
In this article we examine how students’ accounts of chemical engineering change during their undergraduate degrees and whether these changes were related to the educational intentions of their deg...
www.tandfonline.com
Delighted that this Open Access article, with Ashish Agrawal, Mags Blackie, @janmcarthur.bsky.social, Nicole Pitterson and Renee Smit, on students' accounts of chemical engineering is now out. It's from our @cghe.bsky.social project. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
We're looking for a Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning to contribute to our PhD in E-Research and TEL for 12 months. Please share: hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
Job Opportunity at Lancaster University: Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning
Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning in the School of Social Sciences, Lancaster University (Temporary one-year post).The School of Social Sciences seeks to appoint a full-time Lecturer in Technol...
hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 8:32 AM
We're looking for a Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning to contribute to our PhD in E-Research and TEL for 12 months. Please share: hr-jobs.lancs.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
Quoted on the danger of putting too much weight on TEF judgements by using them to allocate resources because it will completely undermine the TEF's already limited validity as a measure of educational quality in this @timeshighered.bsky.social piece www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/tef-so...
Is the TEF a solution that has finally found a problem?
The Teaching Excellence Framework’s reliance on existing outcomes and satisfaction data, as proxies for teaching quality, has always invited criticism. But with the OfS now proposing to use it to asse...
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Quoted on the danger of putting too much weight on TEF judgements by using them to allocate resources because it will completely undermine the TEF's already limited validity as a measure of educational quality in this @timeshighered.bsky.social piece www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/tef-so...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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/...
(Conference submissions open from the 1st of December, by the way.)
eera-ecer.de/conferences/...
Keynote Speakers | EERA
eera-ecer.de
November 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
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/...
(Conference submissions open from the 1st of December, by the way.)
eera-ecer.de/conferences/...
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...
PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 26th November 2025, Wednesday 26 November, 5:00pm - Lancaster University
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...
www.lancaster.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
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...
As ever, thoughtful analysis from my colleague @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social
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...
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...
Soft Power Rankings? What the…?
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 …
ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:29 AM
As ever, thoughtful analysis from my colleague @ddubdrahcir.bsky.social
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
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...
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...
November 5, 2025 at 2:02 PM
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...
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
The definition of educational quality in a quasi-marketised higher education system: stumbling towards a knowledge crisis
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
November 5, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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, 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.
www.lancaster.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM
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, 2025
13:30-15:00
www.lancaster.ac.uk/confucius-in...
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.
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...
PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 30th October 2025, Thursday 30 October, 1:00pm - Lancaster University
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...
www.lancaster.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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.
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
Risk of ‘standardisation’ as ministers mull progression measures
Universities would look to ‘game’ new metric for testing learning gain, critics warn, with external examination defended as ‘best we’ve got’
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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
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...
Risk of ‘standardisation’ as ministers mull progression measures
Universities would look to ‘game’ new metric for testing learning gain, critics warn, with external examination defended as ‘best we’ve got’
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:26 AM
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
🎓 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...
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...
<em>British Educational Research Journal</em> | BERA Journal | Wiley Online Library
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
October 22, 2025 at 9:00 AM
🎓 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...
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
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...
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"
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...
www.timeshighereducation.com
October 14, 2025 at 8:31 AM
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"
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...
PhD Higher Education: Research Evaluation and Enhancement Applicant Webinar - 30th October 2025, Thursday 30 October, 1:00pm - Lancaster University
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...
www.lancaster.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
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…
socmedhe25.wordpress.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:36 AM
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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!
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
September 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
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!
Hope you can join us - see you in December!
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
www.timeshighereducation.com
September 19, 2025 at 8:29 AM
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
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...
Back to the future for the TEF? Back to school for OfS?
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
September 9, 2025 at 7:22 AM
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...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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!
September 2, 2025 at 6:07 PM
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!
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
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
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…
ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:17 PM
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
This is an online accessible version of my piece.
ddubdrahcir.wordpress.com/2025/09/03/f...
#academicsky #studentfees #highered
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
🚨Vital conversations about violence against women are being hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda.
We've joined 200 organisations to urge the Government to address this dangerous weaponisation of VAWG.
Read more: mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
We've joined 200 organisations to urge the Government to address this dangerous weaponisation of VAWG.
Read more: mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
August 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
🚨Vital conversations about violence against women are being hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda.
We've joined 200 organisations to urge the Government to address this dangerous weaponisation of VAWG.
Read more: mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
We've joined 200 organisations to urge the Government to address this dangerous weaponisation of VAWG.
Read more: mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reposted by Paul Ashwin
This International Women's Day, Rights of Women is celebrating its 50th anniversary
Find out more about how we are reflecting on progress to #AccelerateAction since 1975 and how you can join our ongoing work to increase women's access to justice
www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/about-us/rig...
#IWD2025
Find out more about how we are reflecting on progress to #AccelerateAction since 1975 and how you can join our ongoing work to increase women's access to justice
www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/about-us/rig...
#IWD2025
March 7, 2025 at 2:54 PM
This International Women's Day, Rights of Women is celebrating its 50th anniversary
Find out more about how we are reflecting on progress to #AccelerateAction since 1975 and how you can join our ongoing work to increase women's access to justice
www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/about-us/rig...
#IWD2025
Find out more about how we are reflecting on progress to #AccelerateAction since 1975 and how you can join our ongoing work to increase women's access to justice
www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/about-us/rig...
#IWD2025