Back to the really hard stuff

I am doing, in a way, what I have always wanted to do: teaching in a university, running an academic conference, editing a journal, supervising dissertations, some consultancy. And now I seem to have found the time and space to develop the two items that have been hardest for me to achieve and for which … Continue reading Back to the really hard stuff

Lots to do: thoughts on the task ahead

The task, for me, the lots to-do is to transform theory to practice. That is, education development aims not just to bring about correct understanding but to create social and political conditions (that is, community) more conducive to human flourishing than the present ones. I became a Football Coach last winter and now help run … Continue reading Lots to do: thoughts on the task ahead

Higher Education Studies

Structurally, politically, philosophically and commercially there is more change in higher education in the UK today than there has been since the Polytechnics had their magic wand waved in 1992 The OfS’s foundation is more than a simple re-branding exercise. The shift from a ‘funding council’ to a ‘regulator’, a body found in many public and … Continue reading Higher Education Studies

Learning design: heroic goal in a held space

What was I trying to do in my talk to the Solstice conference 2016? In the talk, I analysed learning using metaphors of “Held space” (Plett 2015), The romantic or heroic quest (Wikipedia for summaries) And “heartwork” (Hogan 2011) or the concept of “emotional labour” (Koster2011). I wanted these to be seen in the light … Continue reading Learning design: heroic goal in a held space

Backpacks, badges and epistemology: an interesting conversation that leads to happily ever after

Grant (2014) asks in the title to her book about digital badges, "What Counts as Learning?" This succinctly expresses the question of higher education and explains the continuing interest in badges, and in learning technologies in general. The fact this is less explored, gives me an opportunity to explore both learning technology and epistemology. I have developed … Continue reading Backpacks, badges and epistemology: an interesting conversation that leads to happily ever after

Usurpation of the University?

Transcendence - transgression - is the modality of human being in the world… The urge to transcend is the most stubbornly present … attribute of human existence (Bauman 2002, 222-23). Last August I discussed a symposium to be held at the Australian Philosophy of Education Society with David Aldridge. That never happened but this note … Continue reading Usurpation of the University?

The “enhancement debate” and TEL

Beginning a critical exploration of "enhancement". The “enhancement debate” clearly (to me) must be addressed within the scope of technology enhanced learning (TEL) debates. TEL is largely seen as an instrumental means of making the individual person (human being) more effective and efficient in the information economy, maybe more compliant to employability and managerial norms … Continue reading The “enhancement debate” and TEL

Towards a new education?

I asked Richard Murphy a question on Twitter after reading his post, "It’s not just a new politics we need: we need a new economics too." "And a new education?" He replied "Almost certainly". @georgeroberts Almost certainly — Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) October 7, 2015 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js This "new education" has to lie in what Murphy calls … Continue reading Towards a new education?

Jisc Digital Leadership Workshop

Semi-live blogging from the Jisc Digital Leadership project Workshop (Twitter #JiscDigLead. in Bristol at the Hotel Mercure, 22-23 October 2015. Day 1 Lawrie Phipps opened the day mentioning the "dynamic online offer" from the Jisc Digital Capability service appearing maybe January time: "Online service moving into beta in the new year," says Lawrie. I wonder … Continue reading Jisc Digital Leadership Workshop

Usurpation: the condition of the university?

Usurpation might better be seen as the condition of the university than as a problem for any particular aspect of that complex phenomenon: higher education today. Taking Subramaniam, Perrucci, & Whitlock's (2014) theoretical framework of social and intellectual closure we might see usurpation as - in parts and in places - an ameliorating response to … Continue reading Usurpation: the condition of the university?