Shn Wareing, Pro Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching, Bucks
New University Changing the Learning Landscape Formulating Strategy
/ the nature of change
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Contrasts Large scale nihilistic outlook Strategy Long term
outcomes Think global Fleeing disaster Small positive steps Tactics
Short term outcomes Act local Journeying with hope
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Apocalyptic metaphors for Higher Education 1
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Apocalyptic metaphors for Higher Education 2
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Change and supercomplexity Multiple change agendas e.g.
employability; MOOCs; sustainability; student engagement: challenge
fundamental assumptions about HE purpose and structure
Institutional structures and connections; programme benefits
realisation; linking up IT, pedagogy, disciplines, support systems,
staff training, etc. Budgets: doing more, differently, with less
Assumptions about time and space: who works when and where, how we
calculate credit Challenge = aligning forces for change to increase
momentum rather than cancelling each other out
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Balancing Act between conflicting institutional needs e.g. for
ethics, reliability, small turning circle (for future flexibility),
price between robust integrated institutional structures and space
for individual choice and experimentation between structured
guidance, e.g. charts and matrices, and evolving, local,
participatory communities of practice approach between the scale of
the change we are trying to achieve, and the tiny steps of
conversations held, an hours training attended, a new twitter
account created, one module taught as blended learning
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Our aspirations can seem so disproportionately high compared to
where we are now
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In the midst of prophecies of doom (Pearsons), I see green
shoots
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Small positive personal steps... Unlocking an ipod thats been
locked for 22,000,000 minutes by a two year old Twitter, blogs and
skype, + build an avatar Leading to a renewed sense of the
possibility of my own learning A respect for the diversity of
disciplinary discovery, evolution, technical solutions
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The hacker I can outwit
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my homemade avatar
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Landing a virtual jumbo jet in a virtual Gatwick airport a
discipline-specific digital solution
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Recent Initiatives University of the Arts London Bucks New
University Process Arts http://process.arts.ac.uk/conte
nt/dial-projects-and-activities http://process.arts.ac.uk/conte
nt/dial-projects-and-activities Digital Integration of Arts
Learning (DIAL) http://dial.myblog.arts.ac.uk
http://dial.myblog.arts.ac.uk Changing the Learning Landscape
Strands 1,2 and 3
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Activity Rank a range of project outputs/benefits 1-5 where 5
is high Draw on your own context in terms of relevance/significance
Compare with a neighbour
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Rank project outputs/benefits Artefacts discipline specific
digital learning objects Platforms - educationally focussed
interactive sites and tools Partnerships across HEIs and other
education providers Events internal and external Measurable,
specific increase in reported staff digital skills and confidence
Staff development taking place across related fields change
management, project management, pedagogies Institutional capacity
increased via distributed leadership of change projects Conceptual
development e.g. Identification of the need for social learning and
networks in the ecology of repositories to realise the benefits
Project participants able to articulate the power of openness in
education
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Rank project outputs/benefits Contacts local, national,
international, leading to... fertilisation of new ideas a sense of
wider community a support network resources to call on and share
potential for joint activities in the future Changing approaches to
leadership and change Systems improvements (e.g. Integration of
registry & learning systems and data)
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Have we got the scale right? Are we going far enough? Programme
or be programmed? Dont agree with were all doomed but expect to see
a de-bundling, fundamental change in course structures, pricing,
quality processes, staff development, institutional structures
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Can we change the story from fleeing from an analogue
Armageddon, to be journeying purposefully towards somewhere
welcoming, safe, and with hope?