Category Archives: Robert’s posts

Grad School is tough enough already

Posted on November 18, 2017 by Robert Basil

The Republican House of Representatives’ tax plan would transform “tough enough” into *impossible* for tens of thousands of graduate students who receive fellowships that allow them to study “for free.” (Of course these students also usually teach as well, and … Continue reading →

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Transformative learning and student autonomy

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Robert Basil

No Contest co-founder Tierney Wisniewski has written a beautifully conceived and composed Master’s Thesis. Here’s the abstract. [I’ve added some paragraphing for ease of online reading, because abstracts by requirement are very, very fat.] Self-determination theory (SDT) is a well-established theory … Continue reading →

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No plagiarism foul

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Robert Basil

A super-smart student in my Advanced Professional Communications class asked me whether using an app that generates a citation for you in proper APA, MLA, Chicago style was plagiarism. My first thought was “I doubt it,” but in my line … Continue reading →

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Writing in the Sciences

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Robert Basil

“The more that you take care with your writing, the more you might explore uncertainties in your thinking,” suggests Stanford University Environmental Earth System Science Professor Julie Kennedy in this excellent Writing Matters video. Kennedy helpfully stresses the primacy of … Continue reading →

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Having a strong accent can work in your favour …

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Robert Basil

… writes MIT cognitive science professor Edward Gibson in Aeon: Suppose you are at a cocktail party, and your conversation partner – someone with power in your field – wants to know your view about a potentially scandalous issue at your … Continue reading →

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Mistakes you should avoid as a business using social media

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Robert Basil

The always smart Kaylynn Chong at Hootsuite has these six good reminders: Don’t over-hashtag. “Too many hashtags can make you look spammy or desperate if you’re using ones that aren’t relevant to your post. Even if you gain followers, it’s … Continue reading →

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The ‘Fuzzy Logic’ Man

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Robert Basil

“He always took criticism as a compliment,” said Stuart Russell, a Berkeley professor who worked next door to Mr. Zadeh for many years. “It meant that people were considering what he had to say.”

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Should a President Be Allowed to Block You on Twitter?

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Robert Basil

Jacob Sollum from Reason Magazine’s Hit & Run Blog has a good piece on the topic this morning. It will surprise no one familiar with Donald Trump’s attitude toward criticism that people who make negative comments about him on Twitter … Continue reading →

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The Bad Mess at Evergreen

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Robert Basil

The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington has earned its renown as an experimental – indeed avant-garde – institution; its ‘progressive’ bona-fides have been warranted as well. Back in the day, I explored the possibility of taking a faculty position in … Continue reading →

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Professions

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Robert Basil

V. told me that when someone [at a meeting to program literary events] proposed a poetry reading by cops who write poetry, another person said, “Yeah, and let’s have a night for poets who beat people up.” – Reginald Gibbons, … Continue reading →

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