Imaging the pandemic:higher education tutors narratives and photographs of precarious online living and learning

Abrupt transitions to online-only teaching during the uncertainties of the early weeks of the Covid19 pandemic in the UK exacerbated precarities in the role of HE teachers which are only now being considered. This study uses narratives and photographs to reveal a series of emotionally-charged responses and ensuing behaviours at the micro-level of teaching during the first phase of lockdown life. Extending frames of liminality and extremity, we draw upon visual and narrative methodologies to explore individual perceptions of the challenges, ambiguities, and opportunities in digital teaching and learning practice. Three themes of precarity and security, perceptions of time in pandemic life and work, and communication between lecturers and their university are investigated. Our paper reports on the outcomes of changed routines, enforced autonomy and possible new independencies with an emphasis on perceptions of precarity in the sector

Using creative facilitation to solve ‘wicked problems’:entrepreneurship for all

Our creative facilitation project, in partnership with a key charity, aims to offer some new thinking in how we can adopt a different, and more creative approach to explore knotty problems. We discuss how this project delivered and evaluate to what extent; our approach will offer additional armoury to organisations and individuals through the development of a practical online creative toolkit that third sector organisations can use to co-create entrepreneurial solutions with users. We detail the design and facilitation of five online workshops to illicit issues around the problem areas and then following on from the workshops themselves an additional co- creation collaboration to develop ideas for solutions also developed and delivered. Working with the charity aiming to support entrepreneurship for an aging society- entrepreneurship for all- we had participants from a variety of companies, stakeholders, individuals and professionals in caring and health roles as well as entrepreneur experts. We used a combination of two different perspectives on making change: a system thinking approach and a design thinking approach.A systems approach looks at problems and potential solutions through the lens of a wider environment. Systems thinking is an approach to analysis that focusses on how the different parts of a system interrelate and how systems work within the context of other, larger systems. It is a holistic approach that can be used in many areas of both business design and research. We incorporated this with design thinking, which is a creative approach to problem-solving that encompasses three aspects: desirability, feasibility, and viability. The goal of desirability is to fully understand the problems within the organization by asking what people are “hearing and seeing and feeling and thinking.” This process of identifying the “deeply felt needs” of various stakeholders is sometimes referred to as human-centred design or empathy. The second aspect—feasibility—requires stakeholders and planners to look at what is possible in the organization in terms of existing and potential capacity, human resources, processes, and technology. Finally, the third aspect is viability, which requires us to consider how a change can be implemented and sustained over time.Following initial explorations and collaborations in the workshops, three questions were set to guide the project and the results of these and led to insights on collaborative co-creation for wicked problems with a positive user experience. How can digital transformation in creative facilitation be used to co-create solutions that address the needs and wants of potential entrepreneurs? How can Design Thinking and Systems thinking be used to enable collaboration to create concepts for entrepreneurship for all? Can the process of collaborative co- creation be enhanced by incorporating design and systems thinking? The paper also reports back on the results of this project now used to develop online courses for budding entrepreneurs.The project has impact by developing supportive toolkits and a robust course development model for online short course development . We were able to develop online workshops to gain a deep understanding of the needs of industry stakeholders and entrepreneurs. The results enabled the charity to support entrepreneurship for all ages and for us to develop the pedagogy for online courses using concepts and tools that have been trialled in this project

Automation in distance learning: an empirical study of unlearning and academic identity change linked to automation of student messaging within distance learning

This paper explores the unlearning and learning undertaken by adjuncts (Associate Lecturers) during the introduction of automated messaging by the university as part replacement of adjunct pastoral support for students. Automated messages were introduced by the University to standardize the student experience in terms of qualification communications, for example, reminders of forthcoming assessment deadlines. This change in communicative strategy is due to shifting power from a collegial to a managerial culture and practice in supporting distance learning students effectively. This is a university-wide initiative in a bid to improve progression and completion in an increasingly cost-focused higher education environment. The introduction of automated messaging requires adjuncts to learn new processes, and thus unlearn previous organizational routines which impacts upon their academic identity and perceived power within their roles

Connecting people to purpose builds a sustainable business model at Bark House

At Bark House, a purpose-driven, sustainability-oriented small and medium-size enterprise (SME) based in North Carolina, a symbiotic relationship between the firm and its stakeholders has led to the development of a resilient business model that has generated hundreds of green-collar jobs. Data collected through semi-structured interviews show that by proactively engaging with stakeholders, the firm has been able to change market perceptions and behavior, and to refine its core operations to become more sustainable. In addition, the stakeholders' belief in the authenticity of the organization's commitment to environmental responsibility influences the way employees feel about themselves and how they behave with others. By putting environmental and societal concerns before profits, the firm generates customer loyalty that enables it to survive economic downturns and offers the promise of long-term success

Global Diffusion of the Internet XI: Internet Diffusion and Its Determinants in South Africa: The First Decade of Democracy (1994 - 2004) and Beyond

South Africa has one of the most sophisticated information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructures in Africa, and was one of the early adopters of the Internet on the continent. This paper describes a longitudinal analysis of Internet diffusion in South Africa over the period 1994 to 2004 by making use of the Global Diffusion of the Internet (GDI) framework. It also analyses the determinants of further diffusion. The analysis shows that in 2004, at the end of its first decade of democracy, less than 10 percent of the population accessed the Internet despite its relatively wide geographic dispersion. Across the education, commercial, health, and public sectors the Internet had been largely embraced, with potential for further diffusion. The underlying national Internet connectivity infrastructure was well established. Strong competition existed between Internet service providers despite a monopoly on fixed-line telecommunications provision for much of the period. The Internet was being used for sophisticated applications in several sectors. The overall analysis reflected South Africa\u27s reputation as having one of the most developed ICT sectors in Africa. The findings are perhaps also a reflection of its status as a middle-income developing country. After major growth in the 1990s, from 2000 to 2004 growth declined significantly. Reasons identified included the monopoly telecommunications environment over much of the period, restrictive regulation, delayed implementation of policies, and the socio-economic divide in the nation. Telecommunications policy directives announced at the end of 2004 helped in reversing the trend of stagnation that had set in

A moment in and out of time: precarity, liminality, and autonomy in crisis teaching

This paper explores tensions and ambiguities for UK HE teachers during COVID-19. It analyses changed behaviours and routines for existing hybrid workers experienced in online pedagogy through three core axes of precarity and security; time and perceptions of time; and communication. Twelve participants supplied photographs and written narratives depicting their teaching during the pandemic. To understand working lives at this liminal time, we undertook three-level photographic and content analysis, examining the interplay between homeworking challenges and extremities with an accompanying range of emotional responses. Findings include changed routines, new independence, and tensions around resulting autonomy in a liminal lockdown phase when everyday life was anything but. Recommendations for HE management are to ensure that effective communication and collaboration are privileged between management and academic staff. Moving forward, the value of academic judgement and voice should be acknowledged as much as teaching capacity in strategic planning and tuition delivery