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#MOOCs are a financial gamble, but one worth taking for British


universities


TRENDING TOPICS # #Trending topics What’s been trending on our Twitterfeed and LinkedIn Group this month?


#demo2012 Student Marches Late last year, student protesters made headlines for the first time since the infamous riots of 2010, with the announcement that up to 10,000 individuals were expected to gather in London as part of the so-called ‘demo2012’ marches. The marches were organised and backed by the NUS, who arrived in the capital with three demands: Education, Empowerment and, interestingly for AGR members, Employment. Not surprisingly the march was met with mixed


reactions on social media, both from students and employers, who debated fiercely the validity of the students’ complaints:


1 million young unemployed, EMA scrapped, Future Jobs Fund scrapped. #Demo2012 is about more than tuition fees


“Education should open doors; the government is slamming them shut”: NUS leader as students protest in London


Elsewhere, on the AGR LinkedIn Group, a number of employers expressed their sense of helplessness at the protest, stating:


I think it’s interesting that students are planning to ‘storm’ London today due to lack of employment prospects post university. Why is it then that most graduate employers can’t fill their vacancies?? We’ve got jobs here… as do most graduate employers!


#moocs In December, 12 top British Universities announced their allegiance with Futurelearn, a new programme offering free online degree-level courses to students around the world.


These free courses, popularly known as ‘Moocs’ (massive open online courses), have fast-become a significant talking point in the Higher Education community, both at home and in the USA, where the concept originated. Whilst no one can deny that the move to introduce Moocs to the UK marks a significant seachange in the future of higher education, there is a lot of interest in the way in which this change will manifest itself:


Are MOOCs - an education game-changer? Who Are #MOOCs Most Likely to Help?


#MOOCs are a financial gamble, but one worth taking for British universities


Are #MOOCs becoming mechanisms for international competition in global higher education?


#RichardReview Published in November 2012, the Richard Review is a government-backed review into apprenticeship provision in the UK. With a broad-range of suggestions, including the idea that employers should be in charge of funding, qualification design and assessment of internships, the Richard Review has been welcomed by many, but met with caution elsewhere:


Much to welcome in #richardreview … in particular that ‘an apprenticeship is a form of education’


#richardreview making apprenticeships a serious option for young people and making employers take responsibility for careers


Lots of good stuff in #RichardReview, but employer funding… seems naive.


What are your thoughts on this topic? With an ever- increasing number of AGR member expressing an interest in apprenticeships, does the Richard Review add an extra pressure onto recruiters, or does it instead offer the opportunity to make apprenticeships the best they can possibly be? Share your thoughts using the hashtag #richardreview. To find out more, visit www.gov.uk


#French Lesbian Poetry James Dyson raised a few eyebrows in November when he claimed that to “make Britain Great” we need “more science, less French lesbian poetry” being taught in our universities. While education secretary Michael Gove defended the study of French lesbian poetry, arguing that knowledge for its own sake is a good thing, others took a more practical- approach to the matter. As one AGR member pointed out on our LinkedIn group:


Clearly not everyone is going to follow vocational studies, and there is room for arts, humanities and others. But it is absolutely clear that we need more scientists and engineers in this country. Those studying (or planning to study) STEM subjects will be highly sought on graduation.


So, just to be clear - James Dyson is right. We need to be investing more in developing STEM-related skills, and “investing at more appropriate levels” in the development of French lesbian poets.


Who do you agree with? Is a ‘liberal’ education as valuable as a vocational degree, or should the government be doing more to address the glaring lack of some skills and expertise? Let us know what you think.


Have you seen something that we’ve missed on #TrendingTopics? Let us know: @agrtweets


GRADUATE RECRUITER 29


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