Personal Blogs

Political and Economic Factors

Merle Jacob & Tomas Hellström (2014) 'Opportunity from crisis: a common agenda for higher education and science, technology and innovation policy research' Studies in

Higher Education, 39:8, 1321-1331, DOI: 10.1080/03075079.2014.949531 (Accessed 17 November)

The article refers to the impact of 'massification' on HE throughout the world (in other words, the expansion in provision), and the push for internalization and the professionalization of university administration which this has brought with it. Massification raised the question of 'quality', which is linked inextricably with 'standardization and accountability' (p. 1323). A concern with standardization has led to an increasing focus on accreditation, and the bodies which provide it. However, this standardization mean that the names of universities are becoming 'akin to a brand', and 'facilitates the deepening marketization of the university (p.1324).

The article stresses that the 're-conceptualisation' of research has led to an increasing emphasis on the importance of journal publication for career academics. It also meant that a 'fictional narrative' developed in which the performance of different departments at a university could be compared. Universities were incentivized to separate 'teaching' and 'research' staff, dealing a blow, according to the writer to 'research-based education'.

It is claimed that there has been a retreat from the promise of higher education for all citizens in many countries. Universities have been redefined in the following ways: “(a) recasting students as customers, (b) re-visioning university education as a source of skills and increased employability, (c) treating universities as corporate actors and (d) framing cost sharing as a question of equity.” (p1325) The article wonders whether the idea of higher education creating 'good citizens' may be left behind by this drive.

Attention is also paid to the 'internationalisation of the governanace of universities' and the 'development of multinational' universities. (p.1326) The article stresses that internationalisation is now an important part of the marketing strategy of institutions which have embraced it. It notes that “Phenomena such as joint programming initiatives and the European Research Area Networks (ERANETs) are simply the latest in a development which has accelerated in the last decade.” (1327)

It is noted that university administration is now growing exponentially as a result of new management practices and policy initiatives. In the past, 'faculty' and 'admin' were very much separate spheres.

Finally, the article calls for a recognition that research and teaching must be seen as inter-connected. It poses the question: “Is the corporate organizational form and logic suitable for the modern university, or are there other directions for organizational and institutional innovation?” (1329) It points out that, although globalisation and the corresponding diversity of the student body is important in a select group of institutions, most universities still have locals as the majority of their student body. “However, unlike the first wave of massification where higher education and research were driven by the ideal of realizing and strengthening the nation state, universities today are all convinced that they need to measure up to a global standard.” (1330)

Relevance to my theme

The section about internationalisation is particularly important, as I need to consider that many of the EAP students will actually be hoping to enrol at English-speaking branches of universities in their own countries. This means that they will not necessarily be immersed in the culture of the English-speaking world as they pursue their studies. The drive for standardization in HE extends to EAP, and I may need to consider how my resource fits in with the existing frameworks, such as European language benchmarks.

Technical Factors

Gilbert, J. (2013) 'English for Academic Purposes' in Motteram, G. (ed.) Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching, Longon, British Council, pp. 117-145 Available at: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/C607%20Information%20and%20Communication_WEB%20ONLY_FINAL.pdf (Accessed 17 November)

This chapter examines a number of technologies that have been, or have the potential to be, of particular use to EAP tutors and their students.

• Concordancing and corpus analysis

  It is suggested that students use online corpora to conduct mini-research projects on how language is used. “For teachers, concordancing can offer input for materials development and classroom teaching, and provide a source of lexico-grammatical information about naturally occurring language. For learners, concordancing can provide opportunities for inductive learning, a resource for error analysis and correction, and opportunities for ‘serendipity learning’ (Johns, 1988, cited

in Flowerdew, 1996).” (p123) It is suggested that corpora are used to create learning materials and frequency-based word lists. The chapter makes reference to DDL, (data driven learning), a term coined by Tim Johns.

• Web-based research the internet as information source in EAP courses

  It is acknowledged that computer research is now commonplace in EAP. However, a question is raised as to the assumption that such students are digitally literate: “In an earlier paper, based on a survey of computer use at HEIs in the UK, Jarvis (2004: 126) raises this concern:...[UK university] providers are focused exclusively on computers for language work ... it is surprising to note the confidence that providers have in the perceived understanding that EFL students are competent in the use of computers in their academic studies... Providers of EAP might ask the following questions...Do students really know how to access and evaluate relevant WWW sites? And how to paraphrase, quote and appropriately reference material from the WWW?” (p.129) The article goes on to point out that research on the web poses particular challenges for NNS, as it requires a particular 'critical mindset' and the ability to cope with a 'deluge of information'. (p.130) In a library, students will, to a certain extent, come by sources which are pre-filtered in terms of quality and reliability. There is no such guarantee on the web. To improve e-literacy, activities such as WebQuests are recommended.

• Online Learning Environments: collaboration and project-based learning

  This was a particularly interesting example: “In another example, Kessler

et. al (2012) discuss how Google Docs can support a collaborative writing project

among advanced proficiency EAP students. The study investigated the details of

how students write collaboratively in using online word processing, and focused on

the types and accuracy of changes made by writers, and the levels of participation

within collaborative groups. As a result of their investigation and earlier studies,

Kessler et al. recommend that practitioners take a flexible approach to writing

pedagogy in order to take full advantage of new technologies for writing, as

students ‘engage in the writing process in new and unexpected ways’ (p. 104).” Some

case studies of Wiki were also explored.

• Learning Management Systems: Additional Opportunities to Engage in Learning

Most EAP teachers have access to an LMS, usually Moodle or Blackboard. The article explores different ways in which this is used, as a repository, online space, etc.

In the conclusion, the writer points out an important aspect of technology in relation to EAP: “Many contextual factors influence the EAP teacher’s decision and ability to use technology. The most obvious and often cited of these is time. The intensive nature

of EAP courses and institutional demands to ‘get through’ the curriculum with

learners means that instructors can have difficulty finding the time needed to

judiciously investigate and integrate technology in their teaching” (p.140)

Relevance to my theme

The most obvious take-away from this is the importance of digital literacy when teaching citation and referencing. There is no way students can be taught about plagiarism without understanding the centrality of critical thought in online research. I'd also like to consider how I might use corpora as part of my OER.

Social Innovation: http://www.economist.com/node/16789766

This is connected to the idea of 'social entrepreneurship' which David Cameron was partly referring to in his drive for the 'Big Society', much vaunted in his first election campaign, but Barack Obama also created an 'Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation', so it is clear that this is a very current idea. According to this article, this is more or less shorthand for public-private partnerships, and a drive to apply some modern business ideas and theories to the not-for-profit sector and bring 'productivity' to the public realm. Not many of these projects, however, have brought substantial dividends, a problem which it attributes to 'speed and scale'. Whereas as the success of a business can easily be measured in profit, it is harder to decide what defines success in a social project.

Relevance to my theme

Some OERs could be regarded as a form of 'social entrepreneurship', especially those which target the under-privileged. My project does not really fall into this category. However, the issues of economic sustainability have pertinence to the Openness movement in general.

LangOER, and EU funded initiative to support the teaching of minority languages, something that relates quite well to my BSL idea.

OPEN CONTEXT

• who is/are the main spokesperson(s) for this initiative Eric and Sarah Kansa are the husband and wife team who founded the initiative, and they appear to do most of the promotional work.
  
• where the research and activity around it is occurring The data being accepted and digitally archived comes from all over the globe, although the greatest volume appears to come from Europe, the United States and the Middle East. The website's homepage (http://opencontext.org/) explains that "Open Context reviews, edits, and publishes archaeological research data and archives data with university-backed repositories, including the California Digital Library."
  
• why it appears to be happening now or in this form (which are the apparent drivers and motivators) I listened to a podcast featuring an interview with the founders of this project. They explained that they were beginning their careers as archaeologists, and happened to discuss the huge benefits to be gained from archaeologists and those in the CRM community sharing data, even before publication. As blogging was just starting to take off, they decided that a website would be an ideal way to facilitate this.
  
• what product(s) or progress is/are apparent Since I am not an archaeologist,  I think I'm probably best off quoting directly from "About Open Context" at this juncture: Open Context specializes in the review, documentation, and publication of research data contributed by scholars. "Open Context data publications can complement and enhance conventional publications through comprehensive dissemination and preservation of rich digital data and media." They provide editorial and peer review of the material submitted, and then safeguard and preserve it, making it available to ther researchers.
  
• how these might connect now, or in the future, with learning and teaching activity. This is a tool aimed pretty squarely at researchers, but I assume it could be used for the training of postgraduate students. It is explained that "Data aligned to key "Linked Open Data" standards to facilitate future analyses, data integration, visualization, and understanding".
  

• who is/are the main spokesperson(s) for this initiative This is an EU-funded initiative, and quite a few organisations are involved in its promotion, as its website (http://langoer.eun.org/) explains: "a global organisation for open and distance education, a consortium of 30 European Ministries of Education linked to the biggest network of European schools, a research centre on multilingualism / network of multilingual schools in minority language areas in Europe, universities with R&D activity and strong local and national reach, and companies with experience in quality e-learning activity at European level."  Alastair Creelman, of Linnaeus University, appears to be particularly active in representing the initiative on Twitter.
  
• where the research and activity around it is occurring It's a 'pan-European' initiative, so the activity is occurring in a number of different countries.
  
• why it appears to be happening now or in this form (which are the apparent drivers and motivators) Because OER language initiatives have, so far, overwhelmingly been aimed at improving English, it was felt that there was a need to draw educators' and policymakers' attention to the potential of the medium for protecting and promoting minority languages. There is a growing awareness of endangered languages, and this initiative has probably been inspired, at least partly, by this.
  
• what product(s) or progress is/are apparent The project has been running since early 2014, so quite a great deal of material has been produced. A State Of The Art report has been published, looking into OER in 23 different languages. A policy brief has also been produced, available in 8 languages. 18 expert interviews have been conducted and made available on. Teacher training activities have been carried out in 6 different countries, providing instruction in how to use and create OER.  A number of conference presentations have been delivered.
  

• how these might connect now, or in the future, with learning and teaching activity. I think the main idea is to enable teachers of minority languages to create OER, and to influence policy makers to improve the distribution of these materials.
  

It was interesting to read the possible objections to the closed approach. Both Weller's and Adams touch on issues of intellectual property and copyright, but something I felt was not explored was the issue of quality and standards. I agree with many of the points that Weller makes about traditional publishing, its elitism, conservatism and frequent exploitation of authors. But publishers of academic books and journals do act as gatekeepers, ensuring that what is produced has met certain standards in terms of research and style, and has passed a number of well-qualified eyes. There is, of course, plenty to be said for the spontaneous blogpost, but there is a need for careful, in-depth analysis too, particularly in the case of the sciences.

There is no reason, of course, why sources should not be open AND peer-reviewed. In fact, I've already seen at least one such online journal on my internet searches. It may just be the case that a little time is required for such publications to build up the credibility they need. 

A lot of what Martin Weller's said resonated with me. I think that the 'unexpected results' phenomenon he talked about is one that most of us can recognise: after we put up our entry for the JISC accessibility competition, our group leader was asked to speak to the CEO of Makaton, which we most certainly were not expecting. And if we had embarked on the project in a closed manner, I doubt we would have made that kind of contact. 

I was heartened to hear what he said, as well, about the reciprocal nature of networked practice. I believe what he says, but I suspect you are more likely to be able to ask your network for favours if you have recognition and status in your community, and that will probably be achieved through citations, conference speeches, and all the traditional academic pathways. 

I am, on the whole, in favour of openness. Over the weekend, I listened to a pair of archaeologists on a podcast, who had developed a tool called 'Open Context', which allowed researchers to share datasets online. One of them said that open practice has gone from being something quirky that you could opt out of to, to being something that you knew you really had to do. I suspect that applies across disciplines now. 

We've talked a fair bit about the value of informal education and the increased 'ownership' that comes with it. I found this view, on the comment thread of an Independent article, rather interesting:

I entirely agree. Boyd Tonkin is evidently a very clever fellow; I do wish he would understand that not everyone is as clever and write with less prolixity. This is not the age of Macaulay, and few of today's university-educated readers will have the patience or the attention span to plough through his purple prose, let alone readers such as myself who never had the privilege of a university education or entered the virtual portals of the OU.

If I understand the nub of his argument, it is that a university education is not necessarily the key to a successful life, however one measures success. Ralph Waldo Emerson opined that success is a constitutional trait, an opinion that Richard Branson, who eschewed a university education, will doubtless echo.

Such learning as I have acquired has been steadily accumulated through a lifetime of reading for pleasure. And it appears I have not been alone in benefiting from self-education, unhampered by the prejudices and limitations of tutors whose experience of the real world is confined to ivory-towered academia.

One of the books from which I have taken most pleasure is The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes, by Jonathan Rose, praised by Paul Foot as 'a feast of the memories and pleasures of British working-class readers.' I have been unable to detect a trace of political bias throughout its 500-plus pages, possibly explained by the fact that the author is an American academic.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/true-education-is-for-life-not-just-alevel-results-day-10456514.html

"Yet alongside this conventional system a quite different form of politics is emerging, with a quite different structure... It is governed by what Martin Luther King, in a very different context, called "the fierce urgency of now”. It recognises that today's voters are the children of the digital Big Bang, bombarded with an unprecedented blitz of information, data and noise. They exist in bubbles of digital mayhem, less bothered by the future and the past than by getting through life moment to moment. Their universe is defined by the immediate and the deafening data stream."

(Matthew D'Ancona. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/09/jeremy-corbyn-donald-trump)

If this writer is correct, and the digital world has hurled us into a constant present, unheeding of the lessons of the past or the consequences of our actions in the future, what implications does this have for education? Should we, as practitioners, bend with the prevailing wind and exploit these mayfly, skimming tendencies? Or should we encourage learners to resist and dig deep?
I'm not sure that it is as simple as D'Ancona suggests. Just because we are bombarded with information, it does not mean that we have lost our ability to critically distinguish the wheat from the chaff. We need to help our learners to hone their sifting skills and to surf the 'digital mayhem'.

I just stumbled on this podcast today, but I think it has a lot of relevance to what we've been reading about higher education and social media.

It's an in-depth interview with two academic archaeologists, one of whom is writing a blog targeted specifically at the professional community, and the other seeking to reach out to a wider public. They talk about how social media can be used to enhance conferences ( referencing the 'Twitter back channel', which was new to me. They use their blogs to draw attention to relevant news stories that might not otherwise get much exposure, and to galvanise other professionals. They reference Wikipedia and describe how there have attempts to get more professional archaeologists involved in writing entries. They even reference myths surrounding the digital natives. 

A different field, but it touches so many of the topics we've covered in H800, I really wanted to recommend it. 

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/76847/social-media-in-archaeology-engaging-the-public-in-a-digital-world

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/give-children-ipads-from-birth-scientists-say-10321322.html

I find it bemusing how all the predictions regarding kids, technology and learning seem to go either in the Armageddon direction ("It'll fry their brains!") or outright, dubious evangelicalism ("Don't bother with books or rattles - just hand them the I-pad and spoon food into them.")

I must confess, I do give my three-year-old son the i-pad sometimes. He probably spends about two or three hours a week on it (never more than half an hour at a time), usually when we're on the bus or I need to make an important phone call. He has learned to use it with incredible ease, and some of the activities he does (using phonetic toys, playing on mini-keyboards, creating pictures) are probably as enriching as 'normal' play stuff. Having said that, he does also play Angry Birds and a few impenetrable racing car games.

It does appear to be addictive. (He would never volunteer to give up the i-pad. I reckon he'd go for hours if I didn't stop him). I reckon it's sensible to let them have a go in short bursts, just to familiarise themselves with the functions and explore the device. But, at that age, they do need as much variety as possible, so it makes sense to restrict access.

Brabazon identified technology and its related practices as a key cause in academic life. This forthcoming discussion might go into this in some more detail and highlight other causes of dissatisfaction:

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2012/jun/13/managing-academic-stress

Watching this video, which is about common misconceptions about Africa, made me think about some of the discussions we've had about OER (Open Educational Resources), and whether it is right that we impose western educational trends on developing countries. I think most of us tended to think we should develop more of a dialogue or exchange of ideas.

I find it interesting to see that the lady in this video regards social media as a real game changer in this respect, with Africans able to present themselves and their lives, unmediated, to those outside the continent. OER, if properly managed, could perhaps have similar potential

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2015/may/27/eliza-anyangwe-africans-dont-want-stinky-tshirts-mythbusters

I found Block 2 a fair bit more challenging than Block 1, but that was to be expected. It was good to be able to consolidate some of what we'd covered earlier. I don't know why this was, but I also found it far harder to remember who said what. That might just have been because we read an awful lot more and on a greater variety of subjects. Anyway...

Highlights

• Blogging. This was always something that I had assumed was not for me, mainly, I think, because I thought of it as a kind of diary. Diaries are great if you have a front row seat on historical cataclysms (Samuel Pepys, Anne Frank) or have a very interesting private/professional life (step forward, Belle Du Jour). But I just didn't think the musings of an ordinary Josephina like me would be of interest to anybody. But it's that 'anybody' which makes the experience unique and exciting. You're writing for an audience. Admittedly, it might be just one course mate, but it could be a total stranger who has stumbled on your page. And that awareness of somebody reading your thoughts makes it quite a different thing from a journal. I love the idea that I might be able to use this to share resources and network with new people.
• Online debates. Doing a couple of rounds of a debate showed me some important things about online research its potential pitfalls. It's so easy to become blinkered to the flaws of your source material if you really want to find evidence for your views. It appealed to my competitive side, as well. I enjoyed finding out about OER and trying a few of the resources myself. It's stunning how much knowledge is out there for grabs now.

Bit less keen on...

• Articles bristling with statistical terms. This is an area I need to focus on and understand. I want to become a skilled researcher, but my brain seems to rebel whenever I seriously engage with it.
• Learning designs. What was that about? Quite enjoyed messing about with Compendium, though, and Cloudworks is something I'd like to return to.