Technology and new media

Sian Lawson on how to align expectations in the social media age

£5,000 each for 21 projects

Revamped IT systems are ready for admissions deluge, states Mary Curnock Cook

A new index benchmarking the websites of higher education providers by functionality, accessibility and compliance with standards has been released.

Minerva aims to reinvent the university as a global experience of ‘Ivy League’ education

Online provision appeals to cash-strapped, unstable nations

Scholars at two UK universities are to recreate the 400-year-old walking adventures of celebrated playwright Ben Jonson using social media.

Academics should be proud about the contributions they make to Wikipedia, instead of treating them like a “shameful secret”.

Founder Michael Bulman digs in as academics expound on offering’s weaknesses

Crowdsourcing is invaluable to researchers, but why do people do it and how can their interest be maintained?

Lack of online interaction could signal need for support, research suggests

Institution’s experiment combining classroom and online education aims to clear gridlocked ‘gateway’ courses

Data infrastructure centre ‘decimated’, says 16-year veteran

Forum hears doubts about uncollaborative and ‘imperialist’ initiatives

Teams from six universities will make up the UK’s second cyber security research institute, it has been announced.

Simon Nelson brings BBC experience to the launch of the UK’s first course platform. Chris Parr reports

Founder of free online university confident despite Mooc competition

State should fund the individual, not the provision, Sir Michael Barber argues

Established UK universities will go out of business within the next 10 years unless they adapt to survive an era of intense pressure driven by globalisation, technology, rising student expectations, and competition for funding, a report has warned.

Analysis of information on staff and students can help to improve recruitment and retention

Two of the leading US massive open online course providers have each almost doubled the number of universities offering courses on their online platforms.

Humanities must embrace interdisciplinarity and reclaim their key role in our fractured world, says Michael Worton

Higher education is not compulsory, and in an environment of rising costs and scepticism on both sides of the Atlantic, growing numbers are becoming increasingly vocal about the other options. Jon Marcus reports

Massive open online courses’ lack of study support, for-profit aims may not be ethical, Online and Open-Access Learning in Higher Education conference hears

Five massive open online courses, or Moocs, have been recommended for credit by the American Council on Education, meaning students who complete the courses could potentially use their experience as currency towards a college degree.

‘Web star’ predicts bonfire of the inanities in US sector

By Scott Jaschik, for Inside Higher Ed

More than 300,000 people have signed up to the University of Edinburgh’s free massive open online courses (Moocs) since they were first announced in July 2012, it has been revealed.

Universities face a serious threat from free online degree courses, the vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge has warned.

Online study certificates go on sale, but Coursera’s Andrew Ng tells Chris Parr they won’t match traditional degrees

Lecturers’ live-to-camera marking of student work proves to be a low-budget hit, reports Chris Parr

Edinburgh’s chief information officer offers advice for Futurelearn platform. Chris Parr reports

Traditional values for OU-led Mooc platform that aims to rival US providers. Chris Parr reports

Cambridge tech to boost students’ computer skills captures imagination of British public. Chris Parr reports

Live tweeting at conferences is on the rise as audience members share with online followers, but some think it improper, impolite and plain rude. Chris Parr navigates the new-media rules

Gandhi is the inspiration for a rail-based college. Joanna Sugden reports from New Delhi

The value of a traditional, campus-based degree is being eroded by rising confidence in online courses, a US survey has revealed.

Personal experience can drive scholars to push the boundaries in their chosen field, writes Jon Marcus

Beware online misrepresentation, says academic mistakenly linked to tarot book. Chris Parr reports

But tailored training can boost take-up among scholars at all levels, researcher tells Chris Parr

If Moocs are the future of learning, they’re still not without precedents or pitfalls, reports Tom Barfield