courses

Tackle that seemingly endless selection of course offerings; a roundup of helpful resources and sound advice for selecting the best courses and acing them.

The Chinese University Name Mystery Hiding in One Missing Character
Tsinghua’s Department of Mechanical Engineering opens its history page with an older name: “The Department of Mechanical Engineering traces its origins to the Department of Mechanical Engineering Studies established in 1932 in the School of Engineering of Tsinghua University.” The current sign reads “Department of Mechanical Engineering.” The history page keeps 学; the seal does not.
By Jin3 days ago in Education
Everyone Uses AI in Research. Nobody Writes It Down.
If today's papers were re-read against the old standards, many acknowledgments pages would have to be rewritten. The old standards were generous. Early in a project, someone explains the field's open problems and results. You thank them. When the work stalls and a friend takes a walk with you, listens to your confusion, and says one sentence that opens things up. You thank them. At a conference, you corner an expert and ask a few key questions. You thank them. You read an important paper, email the author about a derivation, and get a reply explaining the details. You thank them too. Go further. Someone verifies a derivation, checks code, helps run data, or offers important input on the writing plan or the research plan. By the old ruler, that kind of help may belong in the author list.
By Jin3 days ago in Education
Play Is the Thing: Why Games Are So Much More Than Fun in Youth Theatre
If you’ve ever walked into a youth theatre rehearsal and found a group of children pretending to be jellyfish, shouting nonsensical words at one another or collapsing into fits of laughter, you might be forgiven for wondering what on earth is going on.
By Millie Hardy-Ashton5 days ago in Education
After the Interview Ends: A Practical Guide to Turning Recordings into Readable Articles
The interview went well. Your guest told a story you had not heard before, corrected something you had misunderstood, and gave you two or three lines that sounded like a perfect opening.
By Gulshan8 days ago in Education
Clear Learning Begins with Thoughtful Design
Think about the last time you were expected to learn something new without clear directions. Maybe someone handed you a manual, rushed through a demonstration, or assumed you already understood the basics. That experience can leave you questioning your ability when the real issue is how the information was presented. For me, thoughtful instructional design begins with recognizing that people need a clear starting point and support as they move forward.
By Learning by Design10 days ago in Education
The Qualities of a Great Educator and My Role in Instructional Design
I have wanted to be a teacher since I was very little. I remember lining up all my dolls, whom I named Nicole, and giving them lessons on the ABCs and Numbers. I can only think this must have been something I emulated from what I saw in my preschool; I believe an educator can have that kind of effect on impressionable minds.
By Learning by Design10 days ago in Education
Comparing a Big City and a Small Town, a Writing Prompt
Prompt #2 Have you ever traveled through a small town and a large city? What are the similarities and differences between the town and city you visited? Write a description about both places. Describe what you like and dislike about both of these settings.
By Dean Traylor13 days ago in Education
The Teacher Who Saw Me: A Story of Belief and Transformation
Author's note: I originally wrote this story several years ago for a writing competition, as a tribute to a teacher whose belief in me changed my life. Revisiting it in 2026, I wanted to return to that memory with a little more understanding of what it meant to me.
By Sergios Saropoulos15 days ago in Education
The Math AI Can’t Do for Us
Mathematical research aims to discover new mathematical knowledge. That sounds tautological, but it is often reduced to a narrower claim: the aim is to produce the first proof of an unsolved problem. These are not the same thing. A theorem proved true is an important kind of knowledge. Mathematical knowledge also includes methods, concepts, proof paths, error estimates, structural insight, the ecology of problems, and the judgment of what is worth pursuing. Proofs are the hard currency of mathematics. They are not the whole of its wealth.
By Jin16 days ago in Education
The Homework Looks Fine. That’s the Problem.
At ten at night, a message landed in the parent chat: “If your child used AI for today’s essay, message me privately.” Ms. Li put the phone face down. Forty-two essays covered her desk. The top one was neat. It opened with a poem, ran three parallel paragraphs through the middle, and closed on “New Era Youth.” She underlined those last three words in red. The pen stopped. She had asked the boy why he put that phrase there. He said, “The template has it.”
By Jin17 days ago in Education
We’re Turning University Libraries Into Study Halls. We’re Losing the Accident That Makes Them Matter.
Two weeks before exam week, the line outside the library stretched from the first floor to the third. Someone arrives at 6:30, puts a bag on a chair, and then goes to buy breakfast. Someone else claims a seat but never shows up all day, leaving only a note that says “Taken.” Rows of students wear headphones, facing their computers and books, so quiet that the only sounds left are pages turning and keyboards clicking.
By Jin19 days ago in Education
Tao Called AI Math “Toxic Waste.” The Fight Is Over Who Cleans Up.
n October 2026, OpenAI’s mathematics manuscript repository showed 722 rows. The next day, three rows turned gray. Retracted. Then came 14 revisions, 13 citation updates, and a total of 719. Around then, Terence Tao said “toxic waste” on the SAIR podcast. Headlines cut the phrase out and used it as proof that Tao had rejected AI mathematics outright. Put the sentence back into the audio. The clauses around it are still there. He was describing proofs driven by benchmarks, dumped in bulk, and left for no one in particular to digest. His target was the mode of production and the allocation of responsibility.
By Jin20 days ago in Education