Learning Always Network

Lectures, Policy & Engagment - Mind Your Higher Ed 005

TIMESTAMPS 00:50 – The death of lectures (again…) 01:45 – Steve Wheeler on lectures (To lecture...). 02:45 – Don't blame the lecturer. 03:30 – Should lectures be banned? 05:10 – Lectures shouldn’t be considered a default. Neither should anything else. 06:50 – What’s the best way to help students in their learning journey? 07:30 – Quoting more Steve Wheeler (...or not to lecture). 08:10 – The nature of policy is always changing. 08:55 – Michael Young on "The genesis of the concept of ‘powerful knowledge’ and what it means for the student university experience today". 10:40 – My conversation with Paul Greatrix, MYHE Episode 002. 11:50 – Helen Perkins on "What role does (or should) higher education research play in higher education policy making?" 12:15 – Policy wonk sites and other policy discussion aren't vehicles to bypass academic research on policy. Rather, they are complementary. And further layers should be created that speak to external stakeholders and the wider public. 13:50 – Less bias in a person with the more education they receive? Nope. At most, the biases may be different. But you cannot avoid them completely. Recognise it for what it is and challenge yourself every time you notice the possibility of bias in your thinking. 16:30 – David Runciman on "How the education gap is tearing politics apart". 17:30 – Tim Harford’s book, "Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World". 18:00 – How do we speak the language of others, even when people don’t see eye to eye? 19:30 – The Democratic Disconnect 20:30 – Diversity doesn't deserve a bad name. That's not the problem. 21:25 – “The conversations we have on a day-to-day basis, are not always as simple as we might think they are.” 22:00 – Returning to lectures. False questions won’t help get to the bottom of what’s necessary. 24:30 – Everyone is touched by higher education. The wider university staff can reach with their conversations, the more likely the HE sector will be seen in a positive light. That’s not an easy feat, but it’s worth finding as many ways to engage positively as possible. Music is by "From the Dust" and released under Creative Commons. Check out their music at @ftdmusic Mind Your Higher Ed is part of the Learning Always Network. Full links, credits, and shownotes for MYHE are available at http://learningalways.co.uk/lectures-policy-myhe005/

Declan Wilson Steps Forward With SHRPA - Learning, Always 004

In the interview, for today's edition of Learning Always, Declan talks about confidence, making plans, seeing the difference between goals and life dreams, and why it's so important to find support along your learning journey. Timestamps: 03:50 - How much can children help adults learn about learning? 06:20 - On the search for individuals who were looking to do things differently. Declan explains what it means to "Step Up". 08:40 - What people can do to gain confidence in stepping up. Why trying something new every day is a great way to overcome fear. 12:10 - There's nothing wrong with saying "I don't know," so long as you develop a plan to find out. 13:30 - Things go right, things go wrong. The importance of knowing that failure cannot be avoided, and how to embrace your bumpy journey. 15:30 - Declan explains what it means to "Step Up", to "Step Out" and to "Step Forward". On Hobbits, kilns, and horizons... 18:50 - Declan's main goal right now isn't his life dream. Once you reach goals, you need to keep stepping forward. 20:20 - Stepping up is tough, but necessary. 21:10 - Your easy is another person's revelation. 23:30 - How to give yourself permission. "Just own it." 25:30 - You never reach the horizon. So do you keep stepping toward it on your journey, or does there come a stopping point? Declan says he's stepping away from one thing so he can step forward in a new direction. 28:30 - Declan's learning journey and why communities are crucial to it. 30:50 - Having others hold you accountable. And how they can push you further. 32:10 - 8 weeks to start a business. 33:10 - "We all have hopes and dreams. It's not just reserved for the younger generations." 35:40 - "Your journey is your bowl. Don't make it bigger than it needs to be." I like this quote from Declan's book, The Millennial Way. I explain how your supportive community can help make your bowl bigger in a positive way. 38:30 - "Every time I keep trying something new, it's a new thing that I've learned, and I'm able to tackle it again with a bit more confidence." 40:50 - Life hacks and quick fixes: When they work and when they don't. Full shownotes are available at http://learningalways.co.uk/la004-declan-wilson/

Interview with Early Career Researcher, Rachael Lamb - Mind Your Higher Ed 004

Studying for a PhD can be lonely work. When you focus on new research and making findings for the first time, it's hard to find many people to share your excitement with. That's not stopping my guest on today's Mind Your Higher Ed. Early career researcher, Rachael Lamb, joins me on the show to discuss not only how she's being supported in her postgraduate research role, but also how she's working to help undergraduate students in their work too. 02:20 - What is an early career researcher? 03:40 - Tackling the sometimes lonely PhD journey. 04:50 - How supervisors help when working on a PhD. 05:50 - Rachael works on creativity in the workplace. Does she see many gaps in the current literature? 06:50 - The possibility of universities and businesses collaborating more around creativity. 07:50 - Juggling deadlines and managing time, especially when dealing with students too. 10:20 - On students transitioning to HE. 14:20 - The investment that universities go to providing many useful academic resources. 16:00 - The difficulties of academic language, even when studying for a PhD. 17:30 - How have undergraduate students helped Rachael on her own learning journey? 18:50 - The joy of studying for a PhD and how Rachael perceives creativity now. 22:20 - To what extent does higher education represent creativity? 24:00 - The support universities give to postgraduates, as well as the areas in which difficulties can arise. 26:10 - The highs and the lows of the PhD process. 28:00 - Students are "all in the same boat" way beyond the first year. The common problems that Rachael keeps hearing again and again. 31:20 - Is higher education more competitive or collaborative? 34:00 - Creativity can come about through both competition and collaboration. 35:20 - Our experiences of Apollo 13. Both the mission and the film. 37:10 - #LoveHE and being an advocate of lifelong learning. 40:50 - It's not just HE policy that the sector has to deal with. Other issues local, nationally, and globally, can all make a mark and require a reponse. 44:10 - "You're never to old to go back and continue with your studying." Music is by "From the Dust" and released under Creative Commons. Check out their music at @ftdmusic Mind Your Higher Ed is part of the Learning Always Network. Full links, credits, and shownotes for MYHE are available at http://learningalways.co.uk

Todd Brison & The Creative's Curse - Learning Always 003

Today's guest on Learning Always is a creative with a curse. Todd Brison may tens of thousands of readers over at Medium, but that doesn't mean he's about to slack on his learning journey. His book, The Creative's Curse, talks about a subtle problem that can eat away at you. That is, unless you learn to live with that curse and let it inspire you. I had a great time chatting with Todd and he shares many great takeaways on how you can be more creative, be more productive, and embrace learning to suit your own personality. On Today's Show: - How to develop a creative process that works for you. - Why you don't need to know absolutely everything before you start. - The power of consistency. - The importance of being inspired by others, but then finding your own take on things. Timestamps: 02:20 - "Something good is going to happen." - Todd's mantra that kept him going. 03:20 - Todd feels like he's working a second full-time job. But by doing what he's best at, it doesn't feel draining. 03:50 - "What charges your battery?" 05:45 - On the Creative's Curse. 07:10 - Why you have to be self-aware in order to make the most of your time and productivity. 08:50 - Why productivity and procrastination can get confused. 12:00 - Don't forget about your other commitments in order to live a full life. 13:00 - Listen to all the advice and do nothing, or take on a couple of advice nuggets and action them with intent? 15:20 - Todd explains why consistency and momentum are so important. 17:50 - On fear getting in the way of the learning process. What will you do to get out of your comfort zone every day? 19:00 - Todd says why he's scared to slow down. 20:00 - How short-form writing became a form of learning about others and turned into a book. 21:30 - Listening to other people asking questions is a great tool against writer's block. 22:40 - Why repurposing isn't cheating. It's spreading your message as far as possible. 25:30 - Does it really matter where you are consistent? 26:00 - Building real relationships far outweighs getting a huge number of random followers. 27:50 - Todd explains why he thinks everything you publish is about personality. 30:40 - Why Todd is the "Pom-Pom King". 32:00 - The annoying inner voice screaming that everything needs to be perfect. 33:30 - You're not Stephen King. And that's just fine. 35:40 - Even live conversations don't have to be a first rough draft. 37:35 - Todd's analogy of the painter who creates a masterpiece from a mess. 39:10 - Todd owns a dog. Or does the dog own Todd? 41:40 - The balance between a long-term plan and winging it at every new opportunity. 43:40 - Leaning to the short-term on a day-to-day basis, but maintaining an overarching framework to stay grounded. 45:00 - I don't want to lose ideas; I want to have them ready when the right time comes. 46:20 - "Ideation and execution are often separate." Full shownotes are available at http://learningalways.co.uk/la003-todd-brison

Philosophical Questions - Mind Your Higher Ed 003

When quick decisions and rapid change appear to dominate proceedings, it's time to ask more philosophical questions. 01:00 - Why policy needs philosophers as much as it needs science 03:00 - On increasing confirmation bias. Algorithms tend to fuel this further. 05:30 - HE responds to changes outside the sector, as well as managing its own uncertainties. On top of that, Alistair Jarvis argues that the sector must work harder to prove its relevance. 06:40 - Internal pressures require great care. Even apparently positive policy change is regularly confused and argued over. In academia, detailed analysis of the pros and cons is unsurprising. How is the discussion best served to get the best outcomes for as many as possible? 09:00 - If hands are somewhat tied, what can be done? Is it reasonable? 10:40 - Are there distinctive clusters of higher and lower status universities in the UK? 11:40 - Specialising in the general. 12:20 - Even unrelated or not directly related matters can get in the way of clarity. And some policy matters can even be at odds with how universities with to operate. This matters on both local and international levels. 13:50 - Asking philosophical questions because nothing is obvious any more. And even if there has never been an 'obvious', the pace of change is the new challenge. Decisions are being made more quickly, with more urgency. 14:50 - What can the sector do as a whole? And how can it best appear united (if it can) in message and voice to the wider public and the world? 16:20 - When conversations don't extend far and wide, it can cause great shock. 18:00 - On wanting the same things, but going about it in very different ways. How I saw this at an education event. 20:30 - The importance of bridging gaps and how it can help us to learn. Music is by "From the Dust" and released under Creative Commons. Check out their music at https://soundcloud.com/ftdmusic Mind Your Higher Ed is part of the Learning Always Network. Full links, credits, and shownotes for MYHE are available at http://learningalways.co.uk