Mirena
@marvelezza.bsky.social
Teacher (academic writing and research skills), AI skeptic, nature and art lover
https://fullofbeams.blogspot.com/?m=1
https://fullofbeams.blogspot.com/?m=1
Reposted by Mirena
This is quite cool. My university is the first organisation in the world to force Microsoft to allow us to turn off copilot summaries in Word 365, after a backlash against it from staff (including, very vocally, me). That cannot have been easy for our heroic IT people so hats very much off to them!
September 28, 2026 at 3:42 PM
This is quite cool. My university is the first organisation in the world to force Microsoft to allow us to turn off copilot summaries in Word 365, after a backlash against it from staff (including, very vocally, me). That cannot have been easy for our heroic IT people so hats very much off to them!
And like I noted years ago the "open source" agenda serves the same purpose
September 19, 2026 at 5:08 AM
And like I noted years ago the "open source" agenda serves the same purpose
A2 The key Q is what is the ultimate purpose of TNE? If it is for international students to obtain a UK degree, then should not the standards, methods etc of the awarding institution come to the fore? #LTHEchat
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Q2 - Whose knowledge and perspectives are represented in TNE curricula? How can partners share curricula while ensuring local relevance and sensitivity to context?
Reply with A2 #LTHEChat and your response @alysonklewis.bsky.social and @heatherpennington.bsky.social
Reply with A2 #LTHEChat and your response @alysonklewis.bsky.social and @heatherpennington.bsky.social
September 17, 2026 at 8:45 AM
A2 The key Q is what is the ultimate purpose of TNE? If it is for international students to obtain a UK degree, then should not the standards, methods etc of the awarding institution come to the fore? #LTHEchat
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Double marking as a #CPD opportunity - some observations and reflections
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/09/doub...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/09/doub...
Double marking as a CPD opportunity
Double marking is a standard procedure when marking writing. It should not be a box ticking exercise, but taken seriously as it is yet anot...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com
September 12, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Double marking as a #CPD opportunity - some observations and reflections
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/09/doub...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/09/doub...
Just saw a LinkedIn post promoting a Research Gap Finder link for PhD students.
Could this get any more ridiculous?
Could this get any more ridiculous?
September 1, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Just saw a LinkedIn post promoting a Research Gap Finder link for PhD students.
Could this get any more ridiculous?
Could this get any more ridiculous?
Teaching students how to use LLMs "responsibly" is irresponsible
LLMs exist, and they aren't going away, not yet at least, and academia will have no influence on that, whatsoever. But. LLM's work, if they work, as a shortcut for routine tasks and business language use. A SHORTCUT. Handing them to an undergrad is absurd. They don't know the destination, let alone
August 30, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Teaching students how to use LLMs "responsibly" is irresponsible
A Cambridge alumnus view of academia
maxthinks.substack.com/p/i-studied-...
maxthinks.substack.com/p/i-studied-...
I studied in Jason Arday’s department at Cambridge. Here’s the crap I was taught.
What institutional capture looks like in practice
maxthinks.substack.com
August 23, 2026 at 2:06 AM
A Cambridge alumnus view of academia
maxthinks.substack.com/p/i-studied-...
maxthinks.substack.com/p/i-studied-...
Reposted by Mirena
After a brief summer hiatus, The Important Work will be back in September. If you teach writing to high school or college students, work in writing centers, take writing classes, assign writing in any context, I would love to hear from you and publish your reflections. Guidelines are here. /1
Write for The Important Work
Submission Guidelines
theimportantwork.substack.com
August 22, 2026 at 12:34 AM
After a brief summer hiatus, The Important Work will be back in September. If you teach writing to high school or college students, work in writing centers, take writing classes, assign writing in any context, I would love to hear from you and publish your reflections. Guidelines are here. /1
I find it odd that AI has been used for suggesting outlines for academic writing. It is engaging with reading and ideas of others which determines the building of the argument, which in turn reflects on the outline. How can an external agent suggest an outline in this process?!
August 22, 2026 at 12:01 AM
I find it odd that AI has been used for suggesting outlines for academic writing. It is engaging with reading and ideas of others which determines the building of the argument, which in turn reflects on the outline. How can an external agent suggest an outline in this process?!
Back to human - resisting the devil's tool - my latest blogpost on #AI insidious impact
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/08/back...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/08/back...
Back to human - resisting the devil's tool
Back to human: resisting the devil's tool In the Biblical story of Job, the devil challenged God that the righteous man Job ...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com
August 15, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Back to human - resisting the devil's tool - my latest blogpost on #AI insidious impact
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/08/back...
fullofbeams.blogspot.com/2026/08/back...
Reposted by Mirena
📢NEW @seda-ed-dev.bsky.social #SEDAEdDevs Issue 27.2 OUT NOW, read via: www.seda.ac.uk/seda-publish... Please repost in your networks 🙏 Happy Reading, consider contributing an article via: www.seda.ac.uk/seda-publish.... #EdDev #HigherEd #education (cc @anniehughes.bsky.social)
August 5, 2026 at 1:42 PM
📢NEW @seda-ed-dev.bsky.social #SEDAEdDevs Issue 27.2 OUT NOW, read via: www.seda.ac.uk/seda-publish... Please repost in your networks 🙏 Happy Reading, consider contributing an article via: www.seda.ac.uk/seda-publish.... #EdDev #HigherEd #education (cc @anniehughes.bsky.social)
Reposted by Mirena
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
July 31, 2026 at 9:35 PM
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
Critical AI
Critical drug abuse
Critical alcoholism
Humane murder
If something is not right, do not do it
Adding "critical" might appease your conscience, though
Critical drug abuse
Critical alcoholism
Humane murder
If something is not right, do not do it
Adding "critical" might appease your conscience, though
July 21, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Critical AI
Critical drug abuse
Critical alcoholism
Humane murder
If something is not right, do not do it
Adding "critical" might appease your conscience, though
Critical drug abuse
Critical alcoholism
Humane murder
If something is not right, do not do it
Adding "critical" might appease your conscience, though
Reposted by Mirena
The #ALDinHE networking and expertise directory http://aldinhe.ac.uk/support/expertise-directory is a great resource to support your professional development - network with the Learning Development community, contact colleagues working on similar topics, bounce ideas and ask for opinions. #LoveLD
July 16, 2026 at 11:48 AM
The #ALDinHE networking and expertise directory http://aldinhe.ac.uk/support/expertise-directory is a great resource to support your professional development - network with the Learning Development community, contact colleagues working on similar topics, bounce ideas and ask for opinions. #LoveLD
When it comes to cheating and AI, there are various cases and articles about educators using AI checkers to wrongly accuse students of cheating. Nobody talks about real cases of cheating and how it makes the educator feel
June 30, 2026 at 12:40 PM
When it comes to cheating and AI, there are various cases and articles about educators using AI checkers to wrongly accuse students of cheating. Nobody talks about real cases of cheating and how it makes the educator feel
Reposted by Mirena
Some lower level L2 students are doing it to complete assignments even though they are told this is unacceptable. Apparently scholars are doing it too. With AI obliterating language barriers easily, will the idea of academic rigour change?
German scholar of Japanese history writes a book about slavery in Korea despite the fact that he doesn't have adequate Korean reading skills so instead of collaborating with an actual human Korean expert, he turns to AI to translate thousands of pages of source material. 🤯😡
일본사 전공한 독일 역사학자가 한국사의 노예제에 관한 책을 냈는데 한국어와 중국어를 못 해서 AI로 번역시켜서 자료를 읽었다고 써 놓음. 😡 무려 De Gruyter Brill 출판사에서…
📖 Zöllner, Reinhard. Slavery and Servile Societies in Korean History: The Hidden Background of Modern Korea, De Gruyter, 2025. doi.org/10.1515/9783...
📖 Zöllner, Reinhard. Slavery and Servile Societies in Korean History: The Hidden Background of Modern Korea, De Gruyter, 2025. doi.org/10.1515/9783...
June 7, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Some lower level L2 students are doing it to complete assignments even though they are told this is unacceptable. Apparently scholars are doing it too. With AI obliterating language barriers easily, will the idea of academic rigour change?
Unsolicited help lurking at every corner is trolling and harrassment. That's all you need to know about #AI tools integrated into work systems
June 7, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Unsolicited help lurking at every corner is trolling and harrassment. That's all you need to know about #AI tools integrated into work systems
A3 Anything that piques your interest and you go about investigating it in a systematic and clear way to find an answer to a question and then share your findings, with others to enhance practice. That involves using formal methods of research accepted in your field.
#LTHEchat
#LTHEchat
Q3 - What does the phrase ‘real’ or ‘proper’ researcher mean to you?
Reply with A3 #LTHEChat and your response @jilldickinson.bsky.social @monika-foster06.bsky.social @debbierigby.bsky.social
Reply with A3 #LTHEChat and your response @jilldickinson.bsky.social @monika-foster06.bsky.social @debbierigby.bsky.social
June 4, 2026 at 10:58 AM
A3 Anything that piques your interest and you go about investigating it in a systematic and clear way to find an answer to a question and then share your findings, with others to enhance practice. That involves using formal methods of research accepted in your field.
#LTHEchat
#LTHEchat
A5 1.Misalignment between personal aspirations and institutional overall strategy. One can feel like a fish out of water or a flower growing between rocks
2.Clumsy and lengthy ethical approval procedures
3. Lack of spaces to discuss/share ideas with others, lack of research culture
#LTHEchat
2.Clumsy and lengthy ethical approval procedures
3. Lack of spaces to discuss/share ideas with others, lack of research culture
#LTHEchat
Q5 - What factors might restrict colleagues in feeling like they are ‘real’ or ‘proper’ researchers, and why?
Reply with A5 #LTHEChat and your response
@jilldickinson.bsky.social @monika-foster06.bsky.social @debbierigby.bsky.social
Reply with A5 #LTHEChat and your response
@jilldickinson.bsky.social @monika-foster06.bsky.social @debbierigby.bsky.social
June 4, 2026 at 10:51 AM
A5 1.Misalignment between personal aspirations and institutional overall strategy. One can feel like a fish out of water or a flower growing between rocks
2.Clumsy and lengthy ethical approval procedures
3. Lack of spaces to discuss/share ideas with others, lack of research culture
#LTHEchat
2.Clumsy and lengthy ethical approval procedures
3. Lack of spaces to discuss/share ideas with others, lack of research culture
#LTHEchat
Even though I am an inquisitive mind and have always wanted to learn and grow, I'm increasingly finding myself in the grips of academic fatigue, a kind of saturation or burnout. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of articles resources in professional emails filling my inbox.
June 2, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Even though I am an inquisitive mind and have always wanted to learn and grow, I'm increasingly finding myself in the grips of academic fatigue, a kind of saturation or burnout. I feel overwhelmed by the amount of articles resources in professional emails filling my inbox.
Reposted by Mirena
Join us for this week’s #LTHEchat which will explore pracademia with Jill Dickinson (@jilldickinson.bsky.social), Debrorah Rigby (@debbierigby.bsky.social) and Monika Foster (@monika-foster-6.bsky.social) on Wednesday 8-9pm BST. Read the blog post
LTHEchat 367: Pracademia and professional identity: Navigating research cultures(s) in HE
Join us on Bluesky for the LTHEchat on Wednesday 3rd June at 8pm BST with guests Jill Dickinson (@jilldickinson.bsky.social), Debrorah Rigby (@debbierigby.bsky.social) and Monika Foster (@monika-foster-6.bsky.social) to discuss potential challenges and opportunities for pracademics in navigating the research culture of higher education Introduction In an increasingly tricky global landscape, it has become even more important to identify opportunities for bringing together HE and external organisations in driving forward collaborations that generate impactful research and knowledge exchange.
lthechat.com
May 31, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Join us for this week’s #LTHEchat which will explore pracademia with Jill Dickinson (@jilldickinson.bsky.social), Debrorah Rigby (@debbierigby.bsky.social) and Monika Foster (@monika-foster-6.bsky.social) on Wednesday 8-9pm BST. Read the blog post