An estimated 12% of first graders’ most-used media at home is educational, a new study suggests. Results also showed that higher use of educational media was associated with both more time spent reading and less overall time in front of a screen – a signal that educational video, app and game use is not replacing reading.

Scientists analyzed a sample of more than 100,000 oral exams and found that students’ chances of passing were affected by the time of day when the exam began. These interview-style exams, which are standard practice at Italian universities, can cover anything in a student’s course, and are marked immediately by the examiner. Results showed that students were less likely to pass exams scheduled before 09:00 or after 15:00, compared to students taking exams around noon. The scientists say these effects, which might be explained by physiological rhythms affecting tiredness and alertness, could potentially influence job interviews or similar assessments.  

A visionary $100 million matching grant from the Weill Family Foundation is bringing together two leading cancer centers to launch the Weill Cancer Hub West -– an innovative collaboration among some of the nation’s most talented scientists that will transform cancer research and care in the next decade. 

As Japanese society increasingly gets global, a new study finds that its education system has not kept pace. Students with foreign roots face cultural and linguistic hurdles in schools that still operate on assumptions of homogeneity. Findings suggest a lack of teacher training on multiculturalism is contributing to isolation and missed learning opportunities for these students.