New job, who dis?

It has been four months since I joined ALT as their new COO. I can no longer use ‘it’s my first day’ as an excuse. I had been a learning technologist, albeit with varying titles, for over ten years. I have worked at four different universities in that time. My last, was my longest. I […]

The Employability Misconception

There is a misconception amongst our students that a degree will guarantee a job. I realised this belief is probably a huge factor that contributes to the worrying behaviours I wrote about in my last post Students: I’m worried about you. There is a belief, or misguided hope at least, that a degree will guarantee a […]

Highlights: UCISA Spotlight on Digital Capabilities 2

I had a fantastic time at this years UCISA Spotlight on Digital Capabilities 2 (USDC) conference. I was so pleased that the Digital Capabilities group put on another event. People matter My biggest ‘take-away’ from USDC is the continued belief that people matter. The featured image for this post was an attendees idea of digital nirvana […]

Live blogging the verdict: madness

Live blogging. How do I loath thee? How do I loath thee? Let me count the ways. I loath thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I loath thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet […]

Building digital capability for new digital leadership, pedagogy and efficiency

I am sat in Birmingham listening to another of James Clay’s greatest hits. If you don’t know what I’m talking about read James’s blog. I am happy to call it a greatest hits keynote because I never tire of hearing it. (I am writing this on my phone as the WiFi here is awful!) James […]

Technology, Digital Capabilities and the Language of Change

Communication and resilience are key to change. Here here. We often neglect people and focus on the service. Change effects people differently but all change is disruptive. This is the basis of David Walker’s presentation. How do we avoid alienating everyone? When we think about technologies we shouldn’t be distracted by the shiny stuff. I […]

Benchmarking your students’ digital experience

We’re now talking student engagement with Ellie Russell, Student Engagement Partnership Manager, NUS, and Sarah Knight, Senior Co-design Manager, Jisc. (I am getting RSI from blogging on my phone. I regret this decision. No WiFi so needs must) So we’re looking at how we involve students in our learning community. It already kinda happens. Students […]

Amber Miro Award winner 2015: Lessons from a Learners’ Toolkit

Hamish Loveday is talking about the learner toolkit he’s developed. I am really enjoying this talk. XXX is speaking my language. People first, technology later. (I’m on the la Let’s start with people. What do they want to achieve and what can we do to achieve it. Technology is there to serve us and what […]

Supporting staff to embed inclusivity and accessibility in their practice

Alistair McNaught is now talking about inclusive practice. Why is inclusivity important? Well look at the numbers 35,000 numbers identify themselves as having a specific learning difficulty. Barriers are everywhere but they can be overcome. Alistair uses a fantastic exercise to demonstrate how different people like different methods of communication. We all closed our eyes, […]

Online learning and digital capabilities – the theory and the reality

Online learning and digital capabilities – the theory and the reality Kathryn Wenczek, IT Learning Centre Manager, University of Oxford and Silke Prodinger-Leong, Client Success Consultant, Lynda.com, a LinkedIn Company Silke Prodinger-Leong showed that there are lots of different interpretations of digital capabilities and of online learning. She shared a number of statistics which demonstrate […]