Back in June 2023 Musk Tweeted What has this tweet, and climate change got to do with Dave Cormier and his new book? Let’s start with Cormier’s Book. I’m oversimplifying his arguments, but essentially he argues (very well) that we are living in a time of information abundance. This means that it can seem that…
Read moreAuthor: Lawrie Phipps
If you set a minimum standard…
… that’s what they’ll strive for. I was recently asked how I would change something to make the accessibility elements more in line with inclusive principles. The honest answer is I don’t know. The problem is that the purpose of the thing was to get people to change things, to change practice or technology etc. And…
Read more
Means. Motive, Opportunity: A Composite Narrative about Academic Misconduct
Reposted my original post from the National Centre for AI I would like to thank the late Andrew Cormack for his support in approaching the ethics of this post, and many others, his support and guidance will be missed. The header image is one that he would have enjoyed and laughed at, The Bird of…
Read more
(Not) Writing with an AI
This is not a post about AI per se, it’s about my writing process. I was chatting to a colleague this week about the tool of the moment, ChatGPTn, they were expressing that it was beneficial for them, because faced with a blank piece of paper they struggle to start. I get that, I have…
Read more
Consumerism – Neoliberal Education – Climate Change
I spent some time over Christmas reflecting on digital education and the post I wrote about digital capabilities and climate back in July, mostly because I was sat in a “bomb cyclone” in New England – another of the extreme weather events which are becoming more regular. I’m not sure what direction I am taking…
Read more
Accounting for the climate in digital capability: initial thinking
Right now in the UK we are focused on climate change. Why? Because we just broke previous temperature records – we hit 40°C– for colleagues in the US, that’s 104°F. I’m not going to debate climate change here; it’s real and if you think it isn’t you’re an idiot, or you’re an idiot and you’re…
Read more
Zoom and Room: hidden labour
We need to recognise the labour involved in these emerging practices; existing teams are great at making things happen, making it feel possible, and making it as simple as they can for those of us who are experiencing it as users. But if the practices are to be embedded and widespread, that extra labour needs to be recognized and accounted for. People often can’t just turn up and flip a switch. And those who are told it’s just that easy are being sold something. In some institutions I am seeing a lot of recruitment in learning design and technology enhanced learning roles, in some I am seeing restructures with no overall increase in numbers, and of course some are either not changing or even reducing their numbers.
Read more
Chasing Unicorns: how the EdTech Unicorn Pin came to be
Three of us sat together at “yet another edtech conference” we were probably listening to a wild-eyed techno-solutionist deliver an “ode to the new LMS”, or newly converted academic to the cult of VR, or it may have been the “and now a word from our sponsors” session, where another company starts telling academics how…
Read more
Reflecting about adopting more technology
This is just me thinking out loud… My wife went for a run at the weekend. She does that. I do not run, for the record. She’s an orienteer (running with a map and compass), she’s also a former British Champion at night orienteering. Orienteering is a very social sport, so the pandemic had an…
Read more
Looking Ahead!
St Lubbock’s Day! Well one of them. One of the things about bank holidays that come after a long break is that I always feel that it’s like a “get ready for work day”. I’m lucky, often I am recovering from jet lag from a skiing holiday, in readiness to get ready for the first…
Read more