Are University Lectures Unfair?!

from nytimes.com

There is a growing body of evidence that indicates that university lecture style of “teaching” is biased against minorities, low-income students, first-generation university students, and women. Who does it seem to work well for? White, affluent men. But there is hope! It turns out that “active-learning” styles of instruction actually reduces the gap substantially. What is “active-learning”? Something that sounds a lot like what we do in our high school science classes. If you would like to read the full nytimes article click here.

Oliver Sacks – Science as He Dies

Oliver Sacks at Columbia University in New York City in 2009. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Oliver Sacks is a neurologist and the author of Awakenings, which was made into a movie starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. His essay on the last months of his life and how science has been, at times, a source of comfort is poignant, wistful, and yet still somehow uplifting. I highly recommend that you give it a read.

Oliver Sacks: My Periodic Table