Gina’s Blog

APU hosted a seminar last Thursday. Students were invited to showcase their multi-media work, followed by three presentations by staff.

Dr Martin Spaul from Science and Technology spoke about the ‘terminal stage for our computer labs’. The university no longer has to supply the hardware or software it needed to even a few years ago, as students are usually better equipped with more up to date software. The role of tutor has also changed - no longer is he or she needed as an ‘expert’ at programming and software. What interested me in particular, was his emphasis on the need for personalisation of learning. We need ‘ communal development of subject knowledge and experience which is shared asynchronously’. Sounds like Ultraversity.

Matt shared some of his experiences sicne he’s been at Ultralab. I spend a lot of time sitting at the desk opposite his and I didn’t know he’d been up to so much! Can I be so bold as to say his main message was - if you want to know what kids want ask them. Simple but not obvious to the organisations he’s helped such as the BBC, BETT and RNLI.

Richard spoke of using multimedia for new ways of expressing ideas. We often approach a new tool with many limitations in our own minds, such as how TV was first used in a similar way to radio before it came into its own.

And here is Neil helping Matt to get his phone controlling his computer for his presentation. I did watch Neil unobtrusively assisting everyone in his humble efficient manner and thought - ‘everyone ought to have a Neil’.