PEST analysis of Learning in HE #4 Technological

Digital disruption is the latest phase in the technological revolution.  It will be as far reaching as the Industrial Revolution was in the 18th Century.

As with the Industrial Revolution, it will have implications for jobs, economies, welfare, wealth, politics and even education.

Not only do Universities have to prepare students for working lives that will be disrupted, for jobs that do not even exist today but they also have to do so by harnessing technology (in the current guise of BigData) to provide hard pressed tutors with up to date analytics on student performance in order that interventions can be initiated.

PICTURES FROM KHUNASPIX AND TWOBEE AT FREEDIGITALIMAGES.NET

Many institutions will embrace this trend by using mobile apps to collect analytics data to feed into BigData systems. Data collected will be things like: attendance; VLE hits; assessed marks; library searches; library books withdrawn; number of comfort breaks per lecture session; size of Twitter following etc...

As I learned in my first computing class in the mid 1970's

RUBBISH IN...RUBBISH OUT

What are the odds?

I'm publishing this on my birthday - 20th  July.

But as we look back through history some momentous things have happened on 20th July:

MY MUM WOULDN'T LET ME STAY UP TO WATCH THIS LIVE

1969 - Man's first landing on the moon - Apollo 11

1944 - an attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler

1712 - The Riot Act takes effect in Great Britain

OK, so I looked the last one up.

But what are the odds?

365:1 actually.

After the GOLD Rush

Maintaining the lustre, value and beauty of GOLD is now a priority for those prestigious Universities that have secured GOLD in the recent TEF ratings - and so I am indebted to WIKIHOW for the Do's and Dont's of caring for your GOLD:

1. Do not bathe or go swimming in your GOLD.
   I'd go further and echo Adolf Hitler's advice: “No politician (VC?) should ever let himself be photographed in a bathing suit.”
   So, do not expose your GOLD to moisture, dampness or water (possibly through the cold shower of a poor NSS, PTES, League Table...)
   

   

   PICTURE BY STUART MILES AT FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET

   
   
2. Store your GOLD separately.
   ...and securely, as there are folks out there who are jealous of your GOLD and want it for themselves.  Who knows, they might even value it enough to tempt "TEF Tarts" away from GOLD institutions.
3. Clean and Buff your GOLD regularly.
   Environmental damage, exposure to the sun and to everyday life can make GOLD lose its lustre.  In some cases it may be GOLD on the inside but it looks like "unidentified yellow metal" to anyone viewing it.  So, regular care of your GOLD by a crack team of Buffers is essential.
4. Check the value of your GOLD regularly.
   I add this financial measure as ONE reason for holding GOLD must be its ability to grow in value over time.  Whilst GOLD does not pay dividends it can, in the longer term, increase in value, allowing holders of GOLD to become wealthier.  Do not panic, however, when short-term issues reduce the perceived value of GOLD temporarily.

If you keep your GOLD clean, safe and shiny all you have to fear is someone discovering an alternative source of GOLD and flooding the market with it.

PEST analysis of Learning in HE #3 Social

A degree in Nursing does not make you care more.

A degree in Media studies does not make you more creative.

A degree in Business does not make you more entrepreneurial.

Picture from stockimages atfreedigitalphotos.net

Some of society's needs are met by the excellent training and qualification of professionals - lawyers, vets, doctors, accountants, scientists and engineers...but some are not.

Society seems to want Higher Education to deliver things it was never created to do. Is this simply society looking for a "one size fits all" solution or a complete misunderstanding of Higher Education?

I'm glad that I don't have to worry about that.