Educator Shares Insights from Conducting 71 Oral Exams in 12 Days on Faculty Focus

Disenchanted with grading AI-produced essays and scantron tests, I ventured into oral exams this finals season. The exams were part of lower-division history classes: one primarily for history majors, the other for students meeting general education requirements. Students used Google Calendar to select 30-minute slots, starting the day after the last class and ending just…

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Harvard Researchers Develop Blood Test for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

A Harvard-affiliated research team at Mass General Brigham has discovered that a blood test measuring plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) could forecast Alzheimer’s disease progression long before symptoms or brain scan changes occur. This finding, published in Nature Communications, suggests this test could simplify disease prediction and identify those at risk of cognitive decline. Lead…

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Harvard News Highlights Internal Risks

John D. Spengler has significantly contributed to improvements in indoor air quality throughout his 50-year career, impacting areas like hockey rinks and airplanes. His research led to smoking bans on flights and increased awareness of childhood asthma in public housing. Initially focusing on outdoor pollution, Spengler’s interest in indoor environments began with the “Six Cities”…

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Harvard News: Voting Dispute Heads to Court

As the November midterm elections approach, legal battles over election management are taking place across the United States. Lawyers are contesting various issues, including the federal government’s access to state voter lists. A federal judge recently rejected the Justice Department’s request for Massachusetts to provide its voter data, one of 30 similar cases in the…

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Higher Education Should Prioritize Meaning Over Modality, Faculty Focus Reports

Educators across various fields are trying out new teaching methods such as flipped classrooms, active learning, and flexible assessments to boost student engagement. However, many still find that while students participate, they do not take ownership of their learning. This indicates that the issue may not be the teaching methods themselves, but rather when meaning…

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