MA Online & Distance Education & Applied Linguistics | ELT, CALL, Instructional Design, & Moodle 🇬🇧 🇪🇸 🇪🇺 https://matbury.com/https://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3muytkf3eec2iPaul Romer's accusations of a lack of genuine scientific endeavour in Economics seems to bring forth many of the same issues that plague Education research. Well worth a read: paulromer.net/mathiness/ https://paulromer.net/mathiness/08 Sep 2026 10:41 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3muytkf3eec2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3murfglof522jFor anyone in education who's looking for office software for students that doesn't force them to use GPT-LLMs, doesn't distract them with "help," doesn't try to "up-sell" them to a paid plan, & just lets them get on with the task of writing well: https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/09/03/yes-no-ai-is-now-a-feature/05 Sep 2026 11:40 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3murfglof522jhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mukxgdzix22lMy laptop runs on essentially the same operating system as CERN's nuclear accelerator (Debian/Ubuntu).02 Sep 2026 22:13 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukxgdzix22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3muiisdunlk2vCritical theory in three words:01 Sep 2026 22:46 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3muiisdunlk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mugctr53uc2iBLOG POST I posted this one nearly a year ago but it seems to have recently taken on a more urgent significance. Digital sovereignty or digital colony? A wake-up call for Europe: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2025/11/01/digital-sovereignty-or-digital-colony-a-wake-up-call-for-europe/01 Sep 2026 01:54 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mugctr53uc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3muby4aoos22iI think I understand the Labour Party's energy & environment policy now: We need to drill more North Sea oil in order to meet the energy demands of the United States' AI data centres we're subsidising.30 Aug 2026 08:31 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3muby4aoos22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mua5zmbox22d"with no built-in AI" has got to be one of the best selling points for office software I've seen these days: www.libreoffice.org https://www.libreoffice.org/29 Aug 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mua5zmbox22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mtw3y24ow22sEducators, regarding GPT-LLMs: Please, please, please read this article https://dtwuva.substack.com/p/students-should-only-use-ai-for-things For me, this begs the question, when can students write well enough that they no longer need to practice?25 Aug 2026 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtw3y24ow22shttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mtw3spwvc22sEducators, regarding GPT-LLMs: Please, please, please read this article https://dtwuva.substack.com/p/students-should-only-use-ai-for-things For me, this begs the question, when can students write well enough that they no longer need to practice?25 Aug 2026 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtw3spwvc22shttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mtjgbzndwc2qIf you're worried about AI taking musicians' jobs, note that there've been "composition algorithms" at least since the 1780s. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musikalisches_W%C3%BCrfelspiel20 Aug 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjgbzndwc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mt4vir57dc2zA wonderful explanation of how pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) goes beyond pedagogical knowledge (i.e. how to teach), subject matter knowledge (i.e. what to teach) & why it's necessary for effective teaching: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wMk7s8Zwj7Y15 Aug 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt4vir57dc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mrseqtczpk2bApparently, it was Karl Popper's, the philosopher behind the modern scientific method, birthday yesterday (28th July). He was an intellectual giant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Popper29 Jul 2026 16:45 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrseqtczpk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mrse55mffk2bJust a thought: Wouldn't it be a good idea to have some substantial, high-quality research on how the various GPT-LLM use strategies improve &/or inhibit learning BEFORE running workshops that give recommendations for strategies for using GPT-LLMs in educational contexts?29 Jul 2026 16:34 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrse55mffk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mqedk2r7ks2hNEW BLOG POST Addressing the disconnect: Pre-sessional EAP instruction vs. functional disciplinary language requirements in humanities & social sciences Continue reading: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/07/10/addressing-the-disconnect-pre-sessional-eap-instruction-vs-functional-disciplinary-language-requirements-in-humanities-social-sciences/11 Jul 2026 09:20 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqedk2r7ks2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mq3gaitpqc2qOh please, please, please make this happen! A petition, a campaign, a viral video... A "Yes Men" video with a UKIP... sorry, ReformUK spokesperson announcing that Nige is now pursuing an inclusive, compassionate, caring manifesto to re-unite Britain & renouncing foreign interference in our democracy [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Jul 2026 20:15 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq3gaitpqc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpvjem2cx224NEW BLOG POST How to close achievement gaps without resorting to differentiated instruction Continue reading: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/07/04/how-to-close-achievement-gaps-without-resorting-to-differentiated-instruction/05 Jul 2026 11:55 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpvjem2cx224https://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpouuarnk22shalf-cock (noun) /hɑ:fˈkɒk/: Teaching [insert new technology here] "literacy" when there's little valid, reliable research & the new technology &/or our understanding of it is likely to change just after you've told everyone how you think it should be used.02 Jul 2026 20:32 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpouuarnk22shttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpotf5xqv22ssamethink (noun) /ˈseɪmθɪŋk/: The tendency for two or more people to arrive at similar ideas, language, strategies, & conclusions through the use of GPT-LLMs instead of actually doing the work themselves. See also: groupthink, conformity, intellectual dishonesty02 Jul 2026 20:06 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpotf5xqv22shttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpgz3xg6ps27Where language learning is concerned, we have some meaningful, useful models of language to choose from. Why do we stick with the current orthodox model that is so problematic? - We can & should change. Link: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/06/28/rejecting-chomskian-grammar-for-more-meaningful-useful-models/29 Jun 2026 17:26 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgz3xg6ps27https://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpgo5yzrck2nOnline age-verification to prevent child abuse & promote child well-being SocMedia are in overdrive to discredit, dismiss, & demonise efforts to reign in their abuses. The EU's response makes online age verification easy to use, secure, & private: See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uryHjVMfZGg29 Jun 2026 14:11 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpgo5yzrck2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mpe3eozatc2wNEW BLOG POST Rejecting Chomskian grammar for more meaningful & useful models Continue reading: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/06/28/rejecting-chomskian-grammar-for-more-meaningful-useful-models/28 Jun 2026 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpe3eozatc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mp7dlgitbk2rNow that none of the royals actually want to live at Buckingham Palace, can we have a petition to prevent Tim Martin from turning it into a Wetherspoons? Please? Pretty please?26 Jun 2026 16:13 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp7dlgitbk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mp2e2jkgoc23For anyone who's not used to living in a hot climate, it takes about 2 weeks for your body to adapt. During that time, give yourself & break. Take things slowly.24 Jun 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp2e2jkgoc23https://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mov4whs7722aWriting from sources (WFS) is arguably the predominant method for students to learn & make sense of their disciplines. It's also arguably the most challenging to learn & teach. I've compiled a checklist of 20 criteria for evaluating WFS instruction: https://matbury.com/wordpress/index.php/2026/06/05/learning-to-write-from-sources-constructs-challenges-recommendations-for-english-for-general-academic-purposes-contexts/22 Jun 2026 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mov4whs7722ahttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mosghg4onc2tWhy is 3rd person -s in English so problematic for our EFL & ESL students? Here's the coherent, cohesive, comprehensive explanation you've been waiting for:21 Jun 2026 13:00 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mosghg4onc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3mosfar633k2tCurious about the origins of large language models (LLMs)? This paper was a milestone in their development & gives an accessible, simplified view of how LLMs can generate seemingly meaningful text purely from statistical regularities: http://wordvec.colorado.edu/papers/Landauer_Dumais_1997.pdf21 Jun 2026 12:38 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mosfar633k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/matbury.bsky.social/post/3moqqc4juwc2nRe: GPT-LLM plagiarism, looking on the bright side, at least now I can say my terrible, eccentric, sometimes unfathomable writing is actually mine & people will believe me & think it's a good thing!20 Jun 2026 20:50 +0000at://did:plc:6m2xbtx7dzdvxadyy2uzthc3/app.bsky.feed.post/3moqqc4juwc2n