tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729408071195993362026-04-16T10:48:16.730+10:00Higher Education WhispererCourse Design, Teaching and Research.Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.comBlogger2242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-17415098082250937942026-04-16T10:46:00.003+10:002026-04-16T10:48:16.578+10:00Transport Hackathon Solving My Bus ProblemGreetings from the"ACET Zero-Emission-Transport Hackathon, run by the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) at the University of Canberra today. I am here to mentor teams, but ironically, I missed the bus on the way here this morning. On a positive note, I told some of the teams about this, and they are working on a solution. The teams have until this afternoon to come up with an idea and Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-80535103772237972372026-04-14T12:45:00.005+10:002026-04-14T13:17:39.868+10:00Starlink in the Pacific Greetings from State of the Pacific, hosted by the Australian National University in Canberra for the next 3 days. Along with political and social issues, there is a session Thursday morning on Starlink's effect on Pacific communications. The conference is free for anyone, in person, or online. The first day's free lunch was very good. Also a session on Big Data for Pacific Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-13532598956602310622026-04-08T14:47:00.008+10:002026-04-08T15:32:05.548+10:00Innovation Ecosystems HandbookGreetings from the launch of the Handbook of Innovation Ecosystems by John Howard at the Canberra Innovation Network's refurbished meeting room. The ACT Chief Minister is on the panel but having to wait for a couple of academics to talk. Walsh Bay in Sydney got a mention, as a cultural centre complementing the innovation startups. Those not from Sydney, or Australia, may know it as NCIS Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-65850817217074090182026-04-02T13:08:00.002+11:002026-04-02T13:08:35.455+11:00Parliamentary Inquiry into the rise in the number of Australian university graduates who struggle to find work after graduatingThe Australian Senate is inquiring into "The rise in the number of Australian university graduates who struggle to find work after graduating". Normally I would have to compose a short pithy summary into what an inquiry is about. But in this case that is a direct quote from the very short terms of reference. The Senate Education and Employment References Committee has called for submissions by 5 Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-19331011425753604982026-04-01T17:50:00.000+11:002026-04-01T17:50:02.810+11:00Innovating education and health Greetings from Canberra Innovation Network's First Wednesday Connect. Tonight we are at the Australian Catholic University and the pitches are on education, health, and health education. I don't know if this was curated or just because ACU specialises in education and health.Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-43857645254076022462026-03-28T12:22:00.002+11:002026-03-28T12:27:25.066+11:00AI Boosterism in AI TrainingI had some spare time so decided to get on with the AI training the Australian National University is encouraging staff to take. This is the usual online training module with some quizzes and exercises. It wasn't too bad, but as I know a bit about the topic, I was up to part 5 of 8 before it started telling me anything I didn't know. At this point I was instructed to get AI to generateTom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-16137499045593809652026-03-03T15:45:00.003+11:002026-03-03T15:45:57.598+11:00Securing a sustainable future for Australian universities through mergersUniversities Australia reports in "Critical challenges in Australia’s university sector: securing a sustainable future" that almost two-thirds of university revenue is from student (directly & via government subsidies) and this is falling. At the same time universities have fewer casual staff, thus less scope to quickly cut costs. I suggest it is time for universities to consolidate and Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-12473954286103009082026-02-28T09:24:00.006+11:002026-02-28T09:24:57.039+11:00Charles Darwin University Cancelling Plans for a London campusCharles Darwin University is cancelling plans for a London campus. Perhaps CDU should consider more modest options, along the lines of the University Study Hubs in regional Australian centers. Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-39757082802501236802026-02-25T09:20:00.001+11:002026-02-25T18:04:26.807+11:00CDU London CampusThere has been criticism of Charles Darwin University opening a London campus, but if they can turn a profit in a reasonable time (say 5 years), then good luck to them. An inner city "campus" is a relatively small investment. It is not quads with stone buildings, just a few rooms rented in an office building. University College London previously shared the one three story building in Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-62058602835812014392026-02-08T16:11:00.001+11:002026-02-08T16:26:53.423+11:00And the winner is ... at the Defence Hackerthon Greetings from the last day of the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon at UNSW Canberra. The wining teams were Crowdshield, a crowd-sourced defence to identify, classify and neutralize unauthorized drone activities, Circinus Corp,with a Low cost integrated standalone platform for remote threat detection and categorisation and HPM Shielding Solutions refining the process for designing EM Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-23777908395314655882026-02-08T13:39:00.001+11:002026-02-08T14:15:44.962+11:00Ambassador of Ukraine on Deterrence Through InnovationAmbassador of Ukraine addressing the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon, photo by Tom Worthington, CC-BY 8 February 2026Greetings from the last day of the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon at UNSW Canberra. The Ambassador of Ukraine is arguing that deterrence through innovation is needed. He discussed recent development with drones and communing integration of AI with them. Being an island Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-1725519369816308312026-02-06T13:27:00.006+11:002026-02-06T13:44:32.317+11:00Civil Defence AppsRhys Kissell, at hackathon startGreetings from UNSW Canberra, where the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon just started. There is a room full of people ready to build defence related inventions. It was a unique and sobering experience to have a minute silence in memory of those lost in the Ukraine war. It was also useful to be reminded that defence tech is not all about drones dropping bombs, thisTom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-89891960067309808072026-02-05T11:42:00.004+11:002026-02-08T09:35:33.222+11:00How to Pitch to a General: Presenting to a Military AudienceI am presenting "How to Pitch to a General: Presenting to a Military Audience" at the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon, 11 am 7 February 2026, UNSW Canberra. This is intended to be a short informal session, with plenty of participation from the members of hackerthon teams. Here is a preview, and some notes to start the discussion:You can learn to pitch at a local innovation center. These Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-77708210191028789282026-01-30T11:58:00.003+11:002026-01-30T11:59:53.604+11:00TIME Magazine's Ranking of the World's Top UniversitiesTime Magazine has produced a ranking of the World's Top Universities. Note that this is from a different publisher and is a different ranking scheme to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Time claim their rankings are more relevant to students, but produce much the same results as Times & other ranking schemes. The Time & Times rankings have the same 8 universities Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-61227683451265887772026-01-28T18:43:00.005+11:002026-01-31T08:21:40.154+11:00Who Hacks Wins: Australian Defense Tech HackathonI am delighted to be mentoring teams in the Australian Defense Tech Hackathon, 6 to 8 February 2026, at UNSW Canberra. This is being held in association with the European Defense Tech Hub. The usual hackathon format is used, with teams spending a few days working on an idea & competing for prizes. But the point with a hackerthon is that you are not there to invent something, but toTom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-26214803732869110532026-01-23T17:24:00.004+11:002026-01-23T17:27:04.822+11:00Learning Language with Manisha KhetarpalManisha Khetarpal at EO26Greetings from the end of Everything Open 2026 at University of Canberra. The conference traditionally ends with short light heated talks. Manisha Khetarpal gave us a short dynamic lesson in learning words in another language. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I volunteered to talk in Manisha's Microlearning Series. on "Keep Calm and Carry Online". Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-58005851919676501212026-01-23T09:35:00.012+11:002026-01-23T10:46:34.740+11:00Open Source Volunteers Are Like the Allen Key in a Flat-pack Bookcase: Vital But UnappreciatedEmma Davidson at EO26Greetings from day three of Everything Open 2026 at University of Canberra. Emma is Program Director of IDEATE & started with a plea for industry to support their open source workers, describing them as like the allen keys in a flat-pack bookcase, pointing out that IKEA depends on open source software: She went onto propose 0.3% of the AUKUS funding be put into Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-39195255632766584812026-01-22T10:11:00.001+11:002026-01-22T10:11:30.866+11:00We do not want truth to become a luxury good in a sea of slopGreetings from day two of Everything Open 2026 at University of Canberra. Keir Winesmith, Chief Digital Officer of the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia is arguing we are at the end of a golden age for creative arts online and the beginning of another using AI. The Archives will be sharing more. He used as an example of technology sparking creative the first filming of the Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-55690071239218681452026-01-21T12:20:00.000+11:002026-01-21T12:20:31.964+11:00Government of India's National Institutional Ranking Framework The Indian Ministry of Education has a National Institutional Ranking Framework, ranking universities. All but one of the top ten institutions for 2025 in the Indian government's ranking also appear in the top ten by Webometrics:Indian Institute of Technology Madras (3)Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (7)Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (2)Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (4)IndianTom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-4661863295430075002026-01-21T11:42:00.008+11:002026-01-21T11:42:50.674+11:00Encouraging Democratic Participation with SoftwareGreetings from "Encouraging Democratic Participation with Software" by Vanessa Teague from Democracy Developers. They make open-source software to support democracy. However, this seems to be about explaining how the electoral system works and contacting MPs. However, this is a very narrow view of the democratic process and leaves out policy development. Policy is developed in a complex Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-30022133939737470232026-01-21T09:59:00.002+11:002026-01-21T10:17:46.154+11:00Everything Too Open?Greetings from Everything Open 2026 at University of Canberra. This is Linux Australia's annual conference. The opening keynote presentation is by Kylie McDevitt, former Technical Director at the Australian Signals Directorate. Kylie is discussing security analysis of internet connected devices. This is very topical, with the ACT Government checking if their electric busses can be remotely Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-26719818805571913672026-01-07T09:23:00.003+11:002026-01-07T09:23:38.707+11:002025 in Review Here are some highlights from my 2025, from my blog:Friday, April 4, 2025Assessing Student Team Project Work Greetings from the ANU Techlauncher "Sprint 1" assessment review. There are 12 tutors (mostly in person, a couple online) plus two convenors reviewing grades from assessment of the first assessed task for project students. There list a list of teams on the wall, with each tutor Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-73247214834572090352025-12-16T10:26:00.008+11:002025-12-18T07:31:01.777+11:00Reflecting on What a university is and can doOne of the ways I teach students is via reflection. The student is usually asked what they have achieved, what they aim to achieve in the future and what they will need to do to get to their goals. The university where I teach is now asking itself similar questions. What have been the achievements in the past, what do we aspire to in the near future and what makes us different from others. ITom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-14445644714112502002025-12-11T08:38:00.002+11:002025-12-11T08:38:22.767+11:00Undergraduate Certificates are not qualifications for dropoutsThe media is portraying Swinburne University of Technology's announcement of an Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education Studies, as a qualifications for dropouts. But this is a positive move, which is an extension of current practice by universities. When a student is unable to complete their program of study it has been usual to offer them a lesser qualification. With postgraduates this Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-472940807119599336.post-36007028549236877882025-12-10T10:32:00.003+11:002025-12-10T10:32:31.171+11:00ACS Statement on Social Media BanThe Australian Computer Society has issued a statement on the Australian social media ban for children under 16. Among other luminaries I get quoted:"We should be looking at how AI can help create kid-friendly alternatives. If kids are suddenly forced to go cold turkey, we’re risking some pretty severe mental health consequences. Overnight they lose their main way of connecting with friends, and Tom Worthingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18437898895608697334noreply@blogger.com0