ESRC - Imagie timing the university of the future seminar

Today - I attended a CHEER seminar called "Who can Inhabit the New ACademic Identities of a Digital Age. It was very interesting and raised some key themes about the research project. It is clear that there is much debate about the motivations and drivers pushing the use of technology and the governments agenda and role of corporations. Despite these interplays- I think that my role is not to get caught up in the complexities of rhetoric of policy, but to take a microlevel approach and think about whether it adds value in terms of my practice and what I believe its use can enable me to do as a practioner.

There was some very interesting discussion about space and time compression, simultaneity of place, the transformative impact that technologies can have on spatial relations, visualisation of knowledge etc

The work of Professor Huw Morris outlining the vested interest of theorists of technology use in education such as Prensky, really opened my eyes to the clouding of pedagogical impact and value that technologies have in people's eyes because of the capitalist rewards associated with buyin. However, I firmly believe that the capabilities of technology can enhance learning and help students learn how they learn. They are without doubt in my mind effective mediating tools, when selected properly - issues of equity, access, participation etc are important in the wider context but in terms of informing my practice and this project - I will continue to evaluate things in relation to my context and the impact that the use of these technologies have on students on this project - this will be used to inform the design and delivery of the work based mobile learning module I have written

I was supposed to call students yesterday but absolutely snowed under - will make time tomorrow to call and see how everyone is doing.

I havent created any personal assets recently, so this is something to do - need to do a reflection on the work based mobile learning module.


I have submitted a short paper for our ALT journal - so will have to see how that goes, waiting to hear about my PGCHE files (we wouldnt get away with not providing feedack within 3 weeks let me tell you!) and submitted the revised version of my book chapter (dont think it will be accepted based on the revisions that I had to make, but a very worthwhile process to have gone through nonetheless)

OK -well off to bed and up early to wade through the mountain of marking!