Guess around Exeter online learning

 Because of the pandemic I am not visiting any part of the Exeter campus. In more normal times i walk past St Lukes on the way to Phonic studio so can have a look. But now depending on social media. There has been a response to @wenotno with useful info.

We Don't Know is a radio show, mostly music so not always time there for long comments on HE, but some connection to what turns up on Twitter or in blogs. Sometimes just a few remarks. I had thought that since Telematics there has not been much similar happening at St Lukes. But it seems the Digital Humanities lab is a new focus. Located on the main campus near the library. Scope seems to have expanded beyond texts.

There is a requirement for password and user ID to get far into the sites for Project Enhance or the TEL resources. But I get the impression both are based in the admin resources that support all staff. So a form of quality assurance. I can guess how this might work, at least in theory. What sort of feedback to policy not clear at this time but info may appear later. Some sort of theory to study at St Lukes but again no link at the moment.

On the @wenotno show we are working on a drama, fiction approach. Current crisis too much pressure so imagine a future in a couple of years with more stability. Discussion on space needed for education while walking round central Exeter remembering space needed for music retail. The info basis is not really from Exeter as such, script just an outline that would work in most places. 

Campus as normal

 Reading Guardian today suggests the situation on campus is normal but not seen as such. If regarded as hotel business, hospitality sector, city central property then much in common with everything else. Larry Elliott reports views from Andy Haldane, chief economist for Bank of England. Suggests working from home (WFH ) went up to 50% in severe lockdown, now about 33%. this might be what blended of hybrid learning looks like. Students mostly off campus in a crisis and then mostly on campus in a new model. Proportions might not settle for a while. Some would be mostly distant. 

Same page in print, PwC report that hotels will take four years to recover. There has been payroll support for hotels so if HE recognised the view from Will Hutton that much of the campus is the "hotels" business maybe there could be government support on that basis. From Twitter yesterday I learnt that debt may be significant and maybe the banks will be expected to take some loss. In retail there is recognised pause in rentals, maybe this would also compare.

But I don't think government have made any statement about this. Not even about how quarantine works around Christmas travel. Looking out for news.

HE fiction and reality based in Exeter

 This week I am starting on the course " Finding A Voice" from Cambridge Continuing Education. Starts as a MOOC but could become a micro Masters. Drama / fiction has an attraction as reality harder to report on. Current scene on campus pretty much a mystery, very hard to find out anything. So maybe best to leave it till news arrives. There may be a quarantine before Xmas travel. There may be mixed decisions on a return.

Meanwhile my chat with Jon Mahy is getting closer to reality. Part of We Don't Know show on Phonic FM. Previously I have been promoting my play - #CDWalk - about a tour of central Exeter where the record shops used to be. Set in near future when pandemic is over as a pressure so conversation possible about space needed for the campus, student accommodation and experience. Jon thinks I never get my script ideas into production. But this week we did not get as far as considering the possibility. Jon has strong views on the downside around online learning. Clip from show when I manage to get in a few words about open research, digital disruption as well as online learning.

So this will be interesting. Because of Covid this @wenotno is the only live radio with two people. Wild Show has phone ins from Chris and JD. Drama Show is pre-recorded as before 10 in morning when Phoenix still shut. All of this may change. I think Exeter safe enough at this time to travel to studio but I will self quarantine before Christmas travel so the shows may all be pre-recorded or automated or just a memory. Social media may take over from FM but not soon. Anyway the scope of the conversation probably remains actual experience of Jon with an online course he did not expect and me with  a MOOC with face2face option, though that is pending at this time.

My scripts may include reference to my questions. Peter Horrocks lecture on Fortress University still not much commented on. Time for a rethink? In Exeter I do not know what happened to Telematics. Something happens as Digital Humanities but not sure how this connects with St Lukes. ( I will not be walking about much, clues via social media please )

Mostly I am waiting on the Standup Philosopher. He is still in France, may return in December. I do not write dialogue, I try to find material for him to consider and encourage situations where he may comment. Not sure if there is a theory for this but I will try to find one. The setting is a future ruin of the Fortress University where he remembers what the purpose was in the first place. #RuinsHE finds more. #BlendCafe25 is a blended learning cafe around the same time. More relaxed, less of a shock. #CDWalk appears relaxed but the comparison of music retail and campus space could be a challenge.

Twitter has links to speculation, but not much info from UK HE. More on USA, possibly the academic year started sooner. So tweets possible but mostly i will be thinking about fiction.

HE clues, starting the winterlude

 There are some clues from the newspapers about what is happening with HE, but much still a mystery. Perhaps time to start the winterlude, a period of reflection usually from mid December.

Guardian probably knows more than is reported. the campus is not revealing much on what choices can be made. Friday Gaby Hinsliff suggested that the biggest fear for universities is that students will not return in January. They still have to get away in December. Before the government "pumps in more cash" it could be more clear what the scale of the problem is. What sort of shortfall if the campus is closed down? It clearly has been looked at as an option.

Sunday Will Hutton back in Observer but not directly on HE this time. Previously he suggested the online education was working well but the "hotels business" meant that a return to the campus was required. This week more about platforms and AI. Bot his could relate to HE. If education moves online there is a larger problem than just the revenue shortfall this year and next. What is the value of the campus and accommodation? Peter Horrocks lecture at Durham on the Fortress University included a look at social media platforms and how they have tended to concentrate in the USA. Similar take now from Will Hutton but no mention of Futurelearn or the priority for a UK platform in HE.

Meanwhile not much detail available but there must be reflection on campus. I expect more news later, movements before and after Christmas will be of public interest. Finances around student accommodation may become a topic. This seems to be a similar situation to Edtech so far as involving companies is concerned. The tech is not in itself a major change. There could even be a look at journals and the publishing methods. Could libraries organise in some way to reduce costs and expand access? Talk around platforms may include this.

Winterlude continues with speculation. Assume something more clear in Jan or Feb. From a fiction / drama aspect the Standup Philosopher is still expected to return near Exeter in December. 

 

HE moving online , Exeter, Phonic Studio

 USA Today reports several USA colleges and universities plan to move more online in early 2021. Interesting as UK seems determined to keep the campus open. In Exeter where I live the Western Morning News reports praise for Exeter students in avoiding a spread of Covid to the community. However I am not sure this will last. 

Guardian today reports that university infections in UK can be seven times higher than in wider areas. Includes this quote-

Prof Gavin Yamey, the director of the Centre for Policy Impact in Global Health at Duke University, who is leading research into the spread of Covid across higher education, warned: “It is impossible to hermetically seal off students and staff from the wider community.”

So my guess is the UK situation will change over time, including Exeter. This may mean for myself that I stop going to the centre, including Phonic FM studio. So no live radio shows, maybe more pre-recorded  and blogs / tweets. There could be more information about Exeter but I can find news about somewhere and speculate. 

Probably the USA sites that make a decision to move online will gain experience and reputation. If students get more used to online they may report back to schools. Costs will fall, especially from sites that stop investing in more buildings.

I recently signed up for a course in script writing from Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education / EdX. Also tweeting about disruption and the maybe through AI I get adverts for a course on digital disruption from Judge Business School also at Cambridge. Not a free option here but interesting, looks good value if you have $2000 .

My question is this. Could there be digital disruption for UK Business Schools? I mostly wonder about Exeter, but Lancaster, Durham also. In this case it is Emeritus that seems to have the knowledge on what works. Course includes "Platforms" , general term for many situations. MOOC examples Coursera, Futurelearn. I think Lancaster recently spent £18m on a building. So a few sites could have matched the £50m that Seek Group invested in Futurelearn. It is this long term set of issues that interests me. Durham IAS could update consideration of Peter Horrocks take on Fortress University.

But current issues very pressing. So far UK still in back to normal as far as possible mode. BBC reported that recent rejected advice included "requiring all university and college teaching to take place online". Unclear if students sent home or what support there would be for accommodation costs. Presumably HE has not yet come to terms with this suggestion. Any info welcome if things change.

 

Phonic FM working fine as FM / social media - online learning as example

 Things are working out as in using radio / voice along with social media to develop ideas around online learning. Still a bit rough but ok to repeat clips on radio. There will be a sequence of repeats and attempts to clarify. General claim is that online learning may follow similar route to music but about 10 - 15 years later. Very vague about this, even the music people may not have caught up.

This is where I think I will try to  put some energy. The #CDWalk tag is not finding anything else. Fiction / drama based on a walk. On air mostly the making of, behind the scenes. Will fit with We Don't Know on a Monday, Wild Show on a Thursday and Drama Show prerecorded also on a Thursday. The Standup Philosopher may return in December.

Reality could be around Will Hutton and his reports from Oxford. I cannot find out much detail from Durham or Exeter but his Observer article is clear enough that online learning worked ok. In Exeter there is some info about Digital Humanities. Durham have not done much around the Peter Horrocks lecture on the Fortress University. But an earlier article by Will Hutton is a reference for the reception of Peter Horrocks ideas around 2018.

Working through these will take a while but something I will return to. Other news may develop in reality mode but I am mostly thinking about fiction.

University and College Union / MOOC Unicorns

 This post is notes for topics that may come back later. they sort of fit into radio ( see previous post ) but not getting feedback at this time. 

Today on BBC  R4 had an interview with Jo Grady from UCU suggesting online should now be the default. I have uploaded this to YouTube with a question / suggestion around what UCU supports as online policy? Previously I found just by looking at Twitter that there were many critics of Peter Horrocks at OU. I cannot find any change in this that is public.

Good news that there will be research at Lancaster into the "Unicorns" and EdTech. Just one example though, Coursera is valued over two billion based on raising $130million. see report at Class Central. The stats on other platforms show much lower numbers, possibly no more MOOC unicorns. But enough to query the take from Peter Wilby in Guardian when discussing Futurelearn.

However there is probably no chance of new comments any time soon. So I will only cover this if there is some new link for the blog. My radio and Youtube ideas will tend more to fiction and speculation. Walking around vanished CD stores and wondering if HE time scale has a related pattern.

Radio seems to be working ok / CD Walk

 I have now edited some clips out of the two shows this week - Wild Show and We Don't Know. There is content around online learning /pandemic and sound tech for streaming / studio for FM . Mostly at chat level but working ok. this is first week back from holiday and start of concentrating on doing  a series of shows. We Don't Know moved to Monday afternoon , now every week. I have not managed to include all the points I first though of but there is now a sequence of sound, reasonable base. Jon Mahy has a lot of sympathy for situation of students so we are not pushing the disaster aspects of campus building etc. On Wild Show JD more open to tech trends. He is ready to look at Exeter CD shops as reality, an actual history. But the drama first, an imagined walk around where the CD shops once were. Far enough in future for pandemic pressure to reduce, but maybe HMV and Rooster are still there even in another form. Not sure how many people on the walk but conversation also includes speculation on education, student accommodation etc. Compare sound and education over time.

Text has been troubled , topic for Edinburgh manifesto on teaching online. Sound also. Producer JD seems interested. The Zoom event is on a Thursday.

Topics that don't fit in well on radio for next post.