Wednesday, August 05, 2009

BBC Today on Radio 4 Monday had a short piece about UK universities and concern from MPs about standards. Scroll to about ten to eight.

Dr Wendy Platt starts by reference to the Quality Assurance Agency. So possibly quality theory is of more interest for Russell Group universities than I have found previously. Then she suggests the record of graduates from "the top twenty" unis in finding jobs is evidence of something. I find it rather disturbing that she seems to suggest this could include the dodgy value of attending any other UK university. My guess is that creative industries, tech stuff around the web, engineering base for quality, several other things practical or vocational would be quite likely to be studied somewhere else than the "top 20". Worth checking out some time. The Today approach seemed to be not to question this idea of the "top 20". What was the RAE about if there is just a static ceiling?
Last night I heard a BBC World Service program about technology and learning organisations. I wonder if they are open to a mash-up? Peter Day mentions he finds half an hour of BBC training just close to his limit sometimes. I wonder if I could take some sound clips out of his half hour programs and do some samples for YouTube?

The "Learning Organisation" is near the front of the half hour but not much explained. Maybe this is because Leadership is now promoted. Most academic links to the USA. Not surprising as their stuff is usually possible to understand.
This text is from a couple of days ago as drafted on a piece of paper. I am still in part holiday mode till Sidmouth Folk Week is over, well maybe for much of August. I don't really have mobile computing, still rely on a desktop such as now.

This draft is to explain a line of questioning for video around learning technology starting with Lancaster campus as a set. Clips for context now include the Sony Reader in the Waterstones on Alexanderplatz. the Learning Zone is under construction, a resource for web connections.

There was work on the idea of Learning Organisations but also critique of some aspects and related quality ideas. Networked Learning described technology applied in organisations. Similar issues were discussed around Networked Learning as around Learning Organisations.

Recently social networking online has demonstrated possibilities. Possibly some of the aims discussed for Learning Organisations are now easier to realise. Policy discussion for Further Education now often considers what students already expect from web design.

What is now possible? Could it meet some of the requirements identified in previous critiques?

A couple of sites could illustrate the issues. Critical Management includes content on Web 2.0 but could have more involvement online. Is it just about announcements for realtime conferences? Networked Learning conference has a Facebook aspect that seems currently to be about ease of logging in. What other connections are possible?