Intro on #mtwr / Wild Show and MOOC trends

I have started another blog on the event for Management Theory at Work in Radio. This will be on June 9th at Phoenix in Exeter. I will try to keep that blog fairly calm, just maintain a structure for the discussion. So strong opinions will be in this blog, maybe with a link sometimes. Not sure how this will turn out.

Meanwhile Chris Norton on the Wild Show has given me enough time to play a lot of a talk on MOOC at South by SouthWest. You can hear the full talk here or a clip on show as broadcast, Go about 30 min in, look for lower sound level.

Listen to "The wild show - 2018-03-15-1000" on Spreaker.

It is a bit strange, usually I have 30 minutes talking to JD while Chris arrives. Then we found the link that worked was on his phone but not good sound held up to a microphone. We got the cable sorted during what is normally music. So the Phonic FM audience now has a better understanding of MOOC situation. Dhawal Shah writes for Class Central where there is much more info.

I think this is a significant talk as it suggests online education is at a point where it could be viable. Coursera was at Learning Technologies in London earlier this year. Futurelearn was at BETT but presumably are getting some contact with larger companies that need volume training. Much could be clear by next year. My guess is that this will turn out similar to music. Streaming can be free though subscriptions are now gaining scale. Still not obvious that much is viable but there are some strong trends.

The objections to Futurelearn reported by Peter Wilby are not just about the business model so still much to discuss. But there is clear energy around "business and tech". May reach the rest of education later.

We will try to mix the content for June 9th with the radio shows. Suggestions welcome on clips to include.

Update on June Management Theory at Work in Radio #mtwr

I am gradually getting a more stable view of this. Back in Exeter after a trip to Lancaster and Cumbria. Starting to settle back into radio and it turns out a lot of the discussion will be around technology. Still a business focus but the tech is a large part of it. Tuesday we spoke about Learning Technnology as well as BETT. There is still a delay on Padcaster being available for phones. Still iPad only. Relevant as probably university sites will become more like a studio so the radio starting point is not as off topic as first appeared Common issue, how to produce video?

Yesterday found a link to MOOC discussion at South by Southwest. See also text at Class Central. The campus is not going to be transformed any time soon but there is some movement for courses in tech and business. So comparison with music situation is possible. London University now working with Coursera on computer science degrees. Futurelearn looks quite sensible but still a controversy in UK.

I am not sure how to pitch the event. Depends who turns up. Could prepare content as if for an academic audience and then see how much of it is needed. Could then make a start on another Management Theory at Work. At Lancaster I found that the Circular Economy is included in 54 Degrees magazine. May relate to Exeter conference. NHS day in Cumbria was excellent at explaining ideas. Social media well advanced as a communication method. Video already from previous year and seems to be well set up for future.

More later. Wild Show tomorrow, becomes more like chat in real time. there will be edited clips later but a backlog already. Show is mostly music but content more current than this blog in some ways. Will sort out maybe in next week or so.

Notes after watching Sunday morning TV and reading newspapers

Will look for a topic heading later.

During the week interested in Leveson, lack of reporting, and BBC balance around May speech. They seem to think the news is all about the lack of combat in cabinet. Any comment outside this not of interest. I have found a clip online interview with Corbyn but can only remember a short clip from this on tv.

What keeps coming back to my mind is the coverage of Corbyn during the referendum. Maybe because a lot was on social media it seemed he was under reported on TV and in newspapers. I don't want to stir things up, there is some calm in the Labour Party, but the attempted coup had something to do with the way "blame Corbyn" came about. I think this was a myth. He did say he was "not a catastrophist" so did not go along with all of Cameron / Osborne claims. How was it decided when he got on TV? Were Brown and Lord Darling the best choice for the left behind regions? anyway see previous posts.

So this morning we had May followed by Duncan Smith and Lord Mandelson. Mandelson mostly concerned about the City. He is surely correct that Brexit is a disaster for the City but will that concern persuade many UK voters to change  their mind if the voted Leave? Was it sense for Labour to campaign as Cameron lite during the referendum? My guess is that Corbyn did not have much control at that time. The choices he made not to share a platform with Conservatives turned out to be sensible.

Caroline Flint on Preston actually talked about concerns in the left behind communities. One tweet on this from the show, no clip. Missing a chance I think. Lidington claimed that May was very concerned about the left behind communities but I cannot remember anything in the Marr interview.

So what we get is a debate inside the Conservative Party as if it was the entire range of allowed public discussion, a small amount of Labour, only some of it relevant for actual or potential Labour voters, and a starting point of what is worrying for the City. I realise the referendum was a long time ago so there may not be any info available on what happened or how it was decided who was on what spot. But today should be easy to remember.

Newspapers on Levesen. Sunday Times p 23, News Review on Max Mosley, A Faded Choirboy Filled With Hate, finds a conclusion about related topic, press regulation. Apparently it was Mosley who "encouraged the victims of telephone hacking to sue the newspaper proprietors". Bernie Ecclestone is quoted " The media will always have the last word." I cannot find mention of Leveson2 but it may be in there somewhere. I missed reporting on the apology to Corbyn last week.

The Observer headline (p 10) is more upfront in linking the 56-year old leaflet and the battle for the future of the press. It also mentions a possible civil case in the autumn. My guess is that this is much more likely to be reported online than in the newspapers or on radio / TV. So far as I know Channel 4 News has done most to promote the newspaper story on Max Mosley. Started in Mail, then Sun / Times and Telegraph. Timing seemed to coincide with cancel Leveson2. Channel 4 News claimed their story put Labour on back foot in opposing this.

This morning on TV nothing about Leveson I remember.

Sunday Times p 5 also has story about BBC Warning on Tech Giants Dividing UK, speech expected for Wednesday. Apparently there is a danger of "imagined communities where we only engage with those who share our views" as UK culture is absorbed into West Coast USA via Netflix etc.

( sorry just a bit off topic I am imagining a community like a BBC panel, someone from the Times, someone from the Sun, and the heroic Steve Richards for balance)

Surely the big UK divide is roughly speaking around age, somewhere between 40 and 50 depending on which poll. Younger more likely to vote Labour, more opposed to Brexit, unlikely to read newspapers, possibly getting TV / radio through digital devices. Older mostly the opposite.

Broadcast media could actually report on this as a situation. They do not have to accept a print news agenda.

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some questions

Could Mary Beard off translations on BBC News when Rees-Mogg apologises in Latin for lies about Corbyn?

Just before the coup BBC reported two heckles on Corbyn. Through many tweets it is widely believed that one was linked to Portland, one to Lib Dems. Has the BBC ever checked this out?

Corbyn appeared on the Last Leg during referendum but Channel 4 blocked his upload of full clip to YouTube. Would they still do this? Anyone got a copy?

Smear effort on Corbyn as spy failed. Not much reported but is there an issue around competence for those doing the Conservative social media? Must be a story somewhere.