Blogs on 'Guest blogger'

Chair of Cambridge Assessment’s LGBTQIA+ staff network, David Wikramaratna, shares how we’re marking Pride this month and highlights some of the ways the network is helping to make the workplace a more inclusive and safer place to be for all our colleagues.

In this blog explore what is meant by curriculum coherence, and examine possible connections between curriculum coherence and learner attainment.

As part of our SHAPE Education initiative, we’re hosting monthly debates with educational experts on the future of education. This month we asked 'What can we remove from education?' and discussed how we can learn from the way the educational landscape has changed in the last year in relation to the attainment and wellbeing of learners.

A group called Rethinking Assessment has called for GCSEs to be scrapped. But why, and do their arguments hold any merit? Barnaby Lenon examines the case for an overhaul of our exam system.

Teacher training and development is an integral part of a thriving education ecosystem. At the latest Global Online Learning Alliance, 90 education leaders from around the world met to discuss actions and policies across borders, and to make recommendations for the future.

First and second language skills are a benefit to learners and, in today’s globalised world, are an important benefit to society too. Here Freelance Language and Assessment Specialist Kirsten Sutton explores the many advantages of bilingualism and how bilingual speakers can gain a different perspective of the world.

Professional development professor Rob Coe of Evidence Based Education explains the value of professional development as he introduces the 'Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review'.

We caught up with colleagues from our BAME staff network to hear about the wonderful things happening across the organisation to commemorate Black History Month.

History teacher Sitara Amin reflects on Black History Month, and her own experience of learning and teaching the stories of Britain’s BAME communities.

On-screen testing had already been an area of increasing interest for assessment experts before the events of 2020. The challenge of making means of assessment accessible to disparate cohorts of students has only accelerated with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The current edition of Research Matters includes an intriguing article that shines a new light on life in Germany in the months leading up to the Second World War.

In recent weeks, the debate over university admissions procedures has again come to the fore. This has been prompted partly by the impact of Covid-19 on education, but also because of growing concern that admissions based on predicted grades and personal statements can, perhaps unintentionally, disadvantage certain student groups.

To mark Pride Month, we caught up with members of our LGBT+ staff network to find out how they will be celebrating Pride and to highlight their important work as one of our committed networks promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

"We think of May and June as the main summer examination season so, as exam rooms stand empty in 2020, this time of year feels particularly odd." Our Group Archivist, Gillian Cooke, reflects on the summer exam series.

Advice for parents, guardians and teachers on how we can support children and young adults with mental health and being out school during the coronavirus crisis.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day, our Group Archivist delved into the Cambridge Assessment archives to find out how our exams have been impacted in history, including during and after the Second World War.

Ewan Brady shares his motivation for applying for the PGCA, providing insight into how the course is structured and how what he learned can be applied to his role as Subject Advisor at OCR.

Video games have become a mainstream phenomenon. Despite this, many people don’t realise how beneficial video games can be for language learning, and for learning more generally. We explore the potential benefits of video games for English language learners and challenge some of the common misconceptions that exist about video games.

The novel coronavirus outbreak presents huge and unexpected challenges for the education community worldwide. As an international exams group, Cambridge Assessment has a range of resources and digital products available that can support and enable remote teaching and learning.

Dr Julia Yu, Cambridge International’s Regional Professional Development Manager for East Asia, shares how the novel coronavirus has impacted on teaching and learning in China.

In celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Cambridge Assessment’s Group Archivist Gillian Cooke looks back at science exams for female candidates.

Helen Ash, Monitor/Educator on The Network's online courses, discusses her experience working with Cambridge Assessment and the importance of studying assessment.

Four staff from our Environment staff network share their mission to help improve sustainability and protect the environment, and explain how Cambridge Assessment supports them in doing that.

Jaideep Prabhu gives an insight into innovation and why the best innovation is often fast, fun and frugal.

Health and Wellbeing Advisor Dianne Muir explores the value of workplace wellbeing and the wellbeing programme available to our staff.

How can educational researchers handle anxiety? Will Millard explains how the team at education and youth ‘think and action-tank’ LKMco cope with scrutiny.

Research Officer Sinéad Fitzsimons reveals how two events exploring access to education for migrants chimed with the theme of a recent speech by Group Chief Executive Saul Nassé.

Iris Bi of Cambridge Assessment English presents insights from the Asian Association of Language Assessment conference in China, which featured several Cambridge English representatives.

As the Centre for Education Economics launches an expanded monthly research digest, guest blogger Lee Crawfurd explains how the discipline of education economics has much to teach mainstream education research.

Elizabeth Cater, from Cambridge University Press, looks back at where Cambridge Mathematics started, what has been achieved, and where it is going next.

Martin Robinson asks whether the rise of ed tech is having a particular effect on the quality of education preparing our next generation of artists, who he fears are being prepared for an ‘inauthentic future.’

TES columinst Joe Nutt guest blogs for us following a lively debate about the use of technology in education, which Cambridge Assessment sponsored and live-streamed for the Centre for Education Economics.

Guest blogger Ann Gravells explains why she thinks new teachers especially should study the basics of assessment, and how different types of assessment feedback can have an impact on learners’ confidence.

Guest blogger, Carla Adams, looks ahead to a world where today's school children will be in jobs we can't yet imagine.

Guest blogger Emily responds to a recent Education Select Committee debating primary school assessment and accountability, at which our own Tim Oates gave evidence.

Guest blogger David Wang returns to tell us about the UK Modern Apprenticeship Scheme and why it's attracting a lot of interest in China.

Our latest guest blogger offers an insight into the drivers behind the move to an 'international education' in China.

We speak to Principal Project Manager Tony Collins about being the ‘Soft Landings Champion’ for the Triangle, ensuring the move to our new headquarters will be as smooth as possible.

What are the English language requirements for study in the UK? Blandine Bastié of Cambridge English explains.

Guest blogger, Geoff Barton, dispels some of the education myths portrayed on television with his own first-hand experience from both Suffolk and Shanghai schools.

Downton Abbey’s storyline highlights the power of exams in improving the life-chances of people from all backgrounds.

Melissa Balzano shares a visual insight into life as part of 'Team India' for Cambridge International Examinations.