How Kano turned Patrick, aged eight, into a computer programmer

Launched on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, an easy-to-assemble kit promises to make coding child's play. Miranda Sawyer and her son try it out

Slade art school puts old class pictures online to find past pupils

Renowned London art school places annual photos on the internet in project to track down lesser known alumni

Universities quiz: 10 questions on 2013

Kept up with the twists and turns of higher education news and views this year? Put your knowledge (and memory) to the test

Academic blogging – 10 top tips

Find your authentic blogging voice, harness the power of social media and, remember, only blog if you want to, say

In praise of the university lecture and its place in academic scholarship

The lecture is not just for students, says Frank Furedi – it helps academics see the strengths and weaknesses of their research

Academic blogging: a risk worth taking?

After her blog was republished without credit, PhD student Lucy Williams says we must confront this 'shameless exploitation'

Why do academics blog? It’s not for public outreach, research shows

Blogging is touted as bridge between academia and the world but study finds it functions more like global common room

Thinkspace Pioneers hunt for the next teenage Mark Zuckerberg

A group of Plymouth teenagers is hoping to ‘mould and inspire the next generation of digital thinkers, makers and doers’. By Samuel Gibbs

University data can be a force for good

Data analytics shouldn't be seen as a dark art but a tool to aid student retention and enhance experience, says Ruth Drysdale

Creative master’s degrees: they’re not just for art students

Many creative and media postgraduate courses are open to all graduates, regardless of their first degree

Arts head: Dominic Davenport, founder, Escape Studios

The VFX academy founder on Gravity, Star Wars Episode VII and forging a career in visual effects and motion graphics

Crowdfunding science: could it work?

Crowdfunding has energised public and private sectors, says Didier Schmitt – could it reconnect science and society too?

Digital Kids: how children are using devices, apps and media in 2013

A day-long liveblog covering the latest research, trends and views on children's changing media habits

Drama schools are a waste of money, says National Youth Theatre director

NYT head comes under fire for suggesting that 'the majority of actors' don't need formal training, but should instead focus on marketing skills that enable them to get work

Peer review needs to expand so that more scientists are reviewing papers

A new tool that selects peer reviewers by algorithm could make the peer review process more reliable, says Richard Price