The first time I sat through a PowerPoint lecture during a continuing legal education seminar I was certain that science had finally discovered a cure to insomnia. OK, a bit of an exaggeration, but the point is that they don't facilitate the process of active learning, the vigorous exchange of ideas between a professor and their class that makes students think more deeply about a topic. Bent Meier Sorensen, a Professor of Philosophy and Business at Copenhagen Business School

There are few public expenditures that would generate a greater return on investment than President Joe Biden's Early Childhood Education proposal. Biden campaigned on providing pre-K education to every 3- and 4-year-old in the United States and it's a core component of his "American Families Plan." Research tells us that the plan would improve educational outcomes, create a more just society, and enable parents of young children to participate fully in the workforce. Moreove

Today, it seems that when Republican legislators aren't engaged in voter suppression efforts, they are trying to stop high school students from hearing about "Critical Race Theory [CRT]," which is pretty ironic because their efforts to make voting more difficult seem aimed, at least in part, at voters of color. There are dozens of frequently cited definitions of CRT, but the central tenet is that since our founding racism has been a fundamental part of America's laws and soci

Historians responded with a mixture of anger and laughter yesterday after the Trump White House’s “1776 Commission” released a report it claimed would provide Americans with a "patriotic" understand of the nation’s history. Washington Post: “It’s a hack job. It’s not a work of history,” American Historical Association president Jim Grossman told The Washington Post. “It’s a work of contentious politics designed to stoke culture wars.” ... “I don’t know where to begin,” said p

It's a bit tricky teaching political science these days. Many students just started paying attention to politics in the Trump era and don't have a lot to compare it to. Others realize that Trump is "different" than past Presidents, but are unsure of his impact on American politics. During my 29 years of teaching, I've been proud that my students have consistently told me that they didn't pick up a particular bias in my lectures. A professor's job isn't to tell students what t

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico announced a free college tuition plan for the state's residents yesterday. Grisham via Twitter: "Today I’m thrilled to announce a huge development for New Mexico higher education – we’re going to make college tuition-free for New Mexico students." It's an enlightened and bold approach for a state that has traditionally been one of the poorest in the nation and which cut funding for higher education by 30% in the decade foll