Comments on Universities in Medialand

This is just a quick response to the video. I do a blog and regular Tweets so relate to the remarks about social media.

I think there is even more to worry about. social media is part of a move online. This includes the MOOC scene , micro credentials , significant challenge to campus model. Newspapers in UK are trending to zero as print circulation. This seems to influence the take on digital. Peter Wilby in Guardian was very negative about Peter Horrocks plans for Futurelearn and his take on the Fortress University as described in lecture at Durham. Previously Peter Scott wrote that he intended to ignore the MOOC completely and he left the Guardian before this could not be avoided.

There would have been "too much honesty" to say that students were required to attend campus to maintain income for accommodation. But two other issues might have been looked at. What do locals think about student accommodation? If online learning works ok now what will happen longterm? I live in Exeter where the number of students has expanded rapidly. My strong impression is that accommodation is a local issue. But I cannot find any report or research into long term demand. Student debt was mentioned but arguably this is multiplied by the assumed future to fund more buildings.

Recently Exeter launched a Big Conversation but I found the tweet reply disappointing. 

#BigWideConversation might reach more places and include more issues. It is possible the Russell Group sites could stay the same size or expand as well as moving online if they went for larger volumes of students so "non-research" sites closed down. Is there ever discussion of this? We have reporting on offices / working at home. Retail / the high street. But nothing about the campus. 

Is it time to look again at Peter Horrocks on the Fortress? Coursera is now regarded as a tech giant. Is Futurelearn still just a way to burn money? Seek Group in Australia now has 50% of Futurelearn but was there ver a chance of HE funding from UK?

And another thing. Oxford had funding to research ethics and AI. What % was spent on a building? Is there any research into ethics and budgets for buildings?

But the main thing is the Fortress lecture. Comments could be in video form to expand conversation on YouTube.

Temp Radio Studio longer time phases #TempRadioStudio

 The lockdown is coming to an end, but slowly. The Phonic FM studio could be open for one person at a time but I think the Wild Show and We Don't Know will wait till May when there will be complete vax clearance and maybe two in studio at once. Meanwhile there are pre-recorded show for drama and Wild. We are trying out Zoom and some bits are worth repeating. the sound quality is not that good so we may need to say the same things again in the studio.

So the temp Radio Studio may not be in time for the windows project as Trade and Exchange. This is expected in the second week of April and maybe into May. Some clips of sound / edits of graphics may still be available for future discussion. From the video call it is likley there will be a link to the FabLab in the library and Double Elephant in the Phoenix.

The "Temp Radio Studio" is a bit of a fiction anyway. Very rarely is any broadcast completely live. The aim is still to have enough mobile tech to take live sound from central Exeter to an FM signal from roof of Phoenix. But there may be some pre-recorded elements. So far I have found from previously a performance by Widsith and Deor from Awesome Art Space Exeter and an interview with FabLab from a Wild Show some time ago. JD in studio, Chris Norton with iphone. Sound quality of iphone could be better maybe someone from FabLab will be in Phonic studio sometime this year. 

Topics will include student accommodation and the way learning may move online. There may be connections how radio can work and what a campus studio is like. I am thinking about pre-recorded video for an architecture conference and Tech Exeter. More on this later. the news is that pre-recorded video is now welcome at a conference. Also Tech Exeter have some kit for streaming events that might be available to borrow.

Widsith and Deor are expected in Devon for Beautiful Days in August so may be nearby on August Bank Holiday if there is a street arts event. Meanwhile MIDI TV continues but dates are a bit variable. The radio shows I edit will get less precise about time.

Big Wide Conversation as Communication #BigWideConversation

 If education moves more online there may be more of an overlap with social media, radio, other forms of communication. So I will try to make better links between different situations that I know about.

Professional development has been forced online. Networking in person is not possible. there are expectations for hybrid events. I have previously found enough problems with video to doubt that streaming is easy but there are examples. Also forms of radio or DJ streams on platforms that started with games. I am not sure of my facts on any of this, just things I have noticed once or twice.

On the campus there has been study of learning design over many years but often last year there was just a video version of a lecture. This is now changing so there will be more resources and methods. 

My own situation is now mostly about pre-recorded radio shows , partly made out of old ones , for Phonic FM. I use Premiere Elements, intended for video. I am starting to use Zoom to get new bits of sound. Some of this will continue in a new normal for radio when we get back into the studio. Quite possibly with different equipment and some training. I think we are mostly guessing at this time.

Most of the Zoom conversations are with people I would meet in the studio for the Wild Show and We Don't Know. I have been concentrating on the student accommodation topoic during our #CDWalk - imagined walk in central Exeter. But we seem to be now more interested in a temp radio studio. As if a host device for Zoom is all we need. It just feeds into the FM desk. So this may be the main topic for later shows. I think we would still need backup of pre recorded stuff just in case Zoom fell over. Also a mix in better sound quality of anything to comment on.

During April there is a "virtual drupa" - a print show entirely online. This is very unusual. Will sound be part of it in a way that lasts?

Also an event from Adobe. They stopped going to drupa some time ago. Now they cover analytics on how to mix up bits of content for marketing. This content marketing may just result in everything being free. Radio presenters do not mind this but the music industry has faced issues that may arise for education. Creative Commons model is more stable.

Big Wide Conversation Continued #BigWideConversation

 I was not sure where this would go this week but Monday starts with a tweet from James Calleja about a Networked Learning Forum in Malta. My guess this may or may not happen in real space. I would like to follow it online. This could be a link between my own situation and the big conversation in Exeter.

The NL Forum keynote topics include social media, public spaces and problem based learning. The Exeter scope is only for staff and students and covers research and education, not the campus infrastructure. ( Based on tweet so far ) So no scope for student accommodation building or consequence for the wider city. I guess this is an issue in many UK places, maybe other countries also.

My question is why the building continues if learning moves online? Now in the form of two plays / imagined situations.  A walk in Exeter with people from radio looks at where the music shops used to be and there is speculation about space needed for campus etc in future. #CDWalk . Also future scifi set in ruins of the Fortress University as described by Peter Horrocks in Durham a while ago. #SiegeK is a temp episode using Kendal Castle for a siege of ideas.

At a tweet level there may be connections. I am working with people from Wild Show and We Don't Know on Phonic FM, local community FM signal in Exeter. Our problem situation is that in lockdown we are not allowed in the studio. We have claimed that mobile devices and social media will replace FM eventually but we find it very difficult in practice so going back to the studio would be welcome. Online video conferencing helps but sound quality is an issue. Previously I found getting agreement on video was an issue at Networked Learning conferences but that may have been solved. Online video is normal. 

Big Wide Conversation #BigWideConversation

 There are signs of change in Exeter. The University has announced at least three Big Conversations. There may be lessons learned from recent times.

However the Big Conversation is limited to staff and students. No input expected from local residents.`

Recent tweets-

So I am starting a new tag - #BigWideConversation - with the Wide to indicate the campus in space context. Also other places where conversation is more open.

In Exeter the student accommodation is an issue for residents. Research and education are not happening completely in virtual space.

Analytics , time to face the facts

 I have been thinking about analytics and some sort of model of how things might work. So many tweets, so many video views, so many tickets sold. Problems with this include the difficulty of being sure about causation and the fact there are no tickets anyway during the lockdown. But things may change so some study is in order.

My own videos have very low numbers, especially the radio clips. "Small pieces loosely joined" is not working at all. The titles are not good as descriptions. It started as a way to issue some bits ahead of the broadcast date. But the numbers are so low it would not matter to get ahead of radio exclusive. Do not tell JD the Producer. I am repeating things quite a lot, I may just go back and re-release the clips with a bit of an edit.

The one that has gone over 1000 is an instrumental version of Tony Toni Tone If I Had No Loot. This is the theme for the We Don't Know show. We put it on YouTube as a backup. Sometimes the previous show is still using the CD players as we arrive so YouTube might be useful. Then it turns out to be popular in itself. The main video not as high numbers as the single ( over 1m ) because the sound levels keep changing. Works ok as a video but not as radio or whatever people listen to. 

The Video that has found more views than expected is Drift by Cathy Marston. I have tweeted this once and played it on the Drama Show for Phonic FM. Over 8,000 views since 19th December. I found it through Sara Trickey who plays violin. Through the pandemic she has gradually done more as online video including short promotions for friends and relations. I have stumbled into the classics as she is a cousin. So now I am trying to find out more and also contact Luch Caise-Dearg who presents the Classical Journey on Phonic FM. I think this video works on YouTube as dance, the music is part of it. Is there more like this? Can it mix with pop / R&B ? ( The "drama show" I have taken over from the Storyteller so arguably it can include anything that might turn up near a teepee stage for Widsith & Deor ).

The next event is on Saturday. Tickets HERE and on YouTube there is a complete performance from previously.

This is content marketing on a grand scale. I will be looking for other examples. Eventually there will be a model of a system or at least a process. Lots of social media follows a pattern so this should be understood eventually.

#SiegeK update - YouTube record shows links to Exeter

 Following tweet on previous post I was shown a link to YouTube record of last week's launch of  Gravity Assist launch. Very interesting and also showed me the words to search on and find  more about Exeter. See below for new readers, background on student accommodation.

I have watched this once and will cover some detail within a few days. The main thing that strikes me is that most of the issues were raised by Peter Horrocks in his lecture about the Fortress University at Durham a few years ago. this got even less treatment as news until an interview with Peter Wilby in the Guardian. Mostly negative and soon Peter Horrocks had to resign. He had clear views and sold off regional support buildings to fund Futurelearn.  Will this be checked out again?

I have found twitter account and video for @EdtechExeter and the Education Incubator. I will try to find sound I can use on Phonic FM. There is the basis for a local story with wider context. So far though I do not see any signs of reducing the building plans. Investment in a platform is some way off.

My main questions as someone who lives in Exeter are still about student accommodation. Below are video raves from Fore Street and Hoopern Fields. Too late for Fore Street now but is there any change in plan for Hoopern Fields? If learning moves online why will the buildings be needed? Has any thinking changed because of recent events?

#SiegeK continues as fiction / drama . Still with Peter Horrocks as main source but season two will follow up the Gravity Assist.

Video embed not working at the moment

Try  https://youtu.be/gNZz0Dxq1p8

#SiegeK turning into a series , season one more or less over

 It seems discussion has now move on to next year. Guardian today reports on positioning ahead of recruitment for next academic year. Probably the higher grades expected will allow the Russell Group and such to recruit an even higher proportion of students than this year. Despite a fall in income from EU students, research funding will be secure.

There is no mention of an offer of cheaper online courses as an option. Also no mention of the report last week on "Gravity Assist" , looking at implications of what has happened during the pandemic. Launching this Gavin Williamson said

Instead of pushing young people on to dead-end courses that give them nothing but a mountain of debt, we need universities and colleges to work together to address the gaps in our labour market, and create the valuable and technical courses our society needs. I know that they are up for this challenge – indeed, many are already embracing it and already delivering on it.

Much to disagree with here. Dead end courses? This could have been put differently. But he has sort of got a point. even if everything is back to normal by September some potential students will be considering online options, even lifelong learning as in some sort of mix of employment and courses. 

Anyway the first siege of the Fortress University at Kendal has come to an end as people just drift way. The seats for AI and Marketing are still there ( Donald Clark and Scott Galloway continue online ) but the official courses are coming to an end. There is nobody in the VC Tower though the VC may be on a study tour of Asia. Australia is out of bounds but some sort of blended solution seems possible with nearby sites. So sometime next year this may feed back to new proposals. But the scheme for next time is just like last time.

By the way the reason newspapers do not report the online aspect of learning is the danger for the print format. Circulation in UK trends to zero. Just my guess.