Do not log on!
A friend of MabelSpace's recounts a story from her early 2000s school days. Her group would wait outside the computer room for their IT lesson. Eventually, a slightly grumpy science teacher, reassigned from his true calling, would greet the group with "come in, sit down, do not log on".
Having established his primary objective, that of order, he would mimic a live screen using his preferred medium: the writing board behind his desk. Hand-writing menu titles like File, Edit, View, Insert, and Format, he could then 'select' one of these menus and list the commands beneath. With some animated scribbling, bit by bit, spreadsheets and charts would appear. When one cell's input changed, his hand also updated those cells that 'contained formulas'. Applied with vigour, this method packed plenty into 45 minutes (without the dull time-consuming startup of Windows XP).
Of course, it's easy to scoff at absurd actions in the past; but avoiding being the butt of tomorrow's jokes is harder. What are our current pitfalls?
Lamenting the expansion of AI, rather than using it, will likely be on the list. Another big trap will be failing to grasp online opportunities. These opportunities include the widespread sharing of the best-quality learning materials, alongside more personalised learning accessed when and where the student wants it. Last week, we featured an article from the Times Higher Ed where the authors suggested educators can learn from Spotify (see MabelPost 240323) and advocated the use of shared online spaces (apps). Here the best 'content creators' can post learning materials. Students, with the guidance and support of their teachers, can then access the materials that match both their course objectives and their own learning styles.
All this has profound consequences for the scale and content of future education estates. Most current Colleges and Universities are likely to need some physical accommodation, but at a smaller scale and with a different mix of spaces.
However, the DfE has recently announced a third wave of funding for skills 'bootcamps'. Bootcamps are meant to offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks to boost the skills of adults (in work or unemployed), and digital skills are often a key ingredient. But bidders should note that the DfE has introduced a rule that at least 85 per cent of learning time is to be face-to-face (not online).
Is this the stuff of tomorrow's humour?
One person not laughing is Mark Dawe (former college principal and CEO of online learning and skills provider The Skills Network). Dawe writes in FE Week under the banner:
Criticising the top-down imposition of teaching techniques, he states:
the DfE and its regulators seem to be set on returning to ‘old trusted ways of working’, limiting opportunities for many of our communities.
At times, it feels like those making the decisions are doing everything they can to stifle innovation in the delivery of education and skills. I am sure this can’t be their deliberate intention, but if we are not careful, the government will inadvertently create a learning agenda where online learning is throttled at birth..."
But now for some real innovation...
The University Design Forum has published a new study.
The publication of 'Innovation Districts and Collaboration Spaces' explores HE institutions' role in developing innovation districts. The publication includes views on innovation district curation and the relationships required between public and private bodies to create the conditions for success. A piece by Philip Dyer outlines the challenges and ambitions of the Innovation District in Sheffield/South Yorkshire. Meanwhile, there are case studies on projects in Liverpool, Cambridge, UCL East (the Olympic Park), Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
DfE allocates remaining transformation fund cash
We reported in MabelPost 030323 that circa £285m of the Department for Education's £1.5 billion FE Capital Transformation programme remained unallocated, but an announcement was due before the end of March. This week the Department allocated £286m on a formula basis (differing from the last round, which required colleges to propose projects). MabelPost 030323 assumed that almost all FE Colleges (not including Sixth Form) would get something; in fact, 35 colleges did not receive an allocation. Therefore after this week's announcement, MabelSpace's revised estimates for the Fund's entire allocations are:
2020: a circa 180 college formula allocation, with an average of £1.1 million.
2021: allocation to 16 of the poorest condition colleges, average circa £37 million.
2022: 60 colleges (after a competitive process): average £6.8 million.
2023: a 146 college formula allocation, average £1.96 million.
Normally colleges receive these allocations and self-manage the expenditure. However, the 16 colleges (2021) are an exception. The DfE is delivering these projects on behalf of the 16 using its own approved contractors. MabelSpace estimates that this will use around 40% of the total fund.
For the latest 2023 allocation, colleges receiving more than £1 million will get two instalments; the first in the 2023/24 financial year (in May) and the second in 2024/25. There are some notable winners, £15 million for NCG, £11.5 million for Havant and South Downs College, and £10.4 million for City of Bristol College. Meanwhile, alongside the 35 with no allocation, eight will receive less than £100,000.
Education Projects Finalists in Construction News Awards
Two Higher Education Developments have made the Construction News Awards Shortlist for Project of the Year. The first is at Cardiff University (the +£50m category), and the second is in Hereford (under £20m).
Bouygues UK built two buildings at Cardiff's Innovation Campus. The playful, colourful sbarc, designed by Hawkins\Brown, contains a grand oculus stairway and is a 'social science research park'. HOK designed sbarc's much straighter brother, the Translational Research Hub. TRH is home to two leading research establishments: the Institute for Compound Semiconductors and Cardiff Catalysis Institute.
Speller Metcalfe delivered the Skylon Campus (pictured below) for the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (a new higher education provider). The campus includes the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) and the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT). Bond Bryan designed the development with two distinct elements (one part using a steel frame and one part framed in timber).
The winners will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on 13 July.
That is all, have a nice weekend!