OMG: It’s us not them

Researching a New Model of Independent Learning Positioning in Education

Dr Jane Bulkeley and John Luker

Demand Model of University

Education

I’m paying your

wages

I wantI payI get

This is what you

are paid to do.

It’s you not me!

Yes, but what is it that you want?

University as an Ethos

• Academics as:

• Customer service staff;

• Teachers;

• Facilitators;

• Guardians;

• or Learners?

Academic Culture• Academics set the joining

standards;

• Academics set the membership rules;

• Students do not change the rules once they have joined just because they have paid the entry fee;

• If students break the rules, they break the university culture and ethos.

Lifelong Learning• School versus University;

• Both part of the lifelong learning sector;

• Both claim to develop a culture of independent learning;

• School largely remains a culture of dependency;

• Growing expectation of Edutainment to engage learners for all age groups.

Change - a leap of faith

• Change the mind-set: The Customerisation Virus

• Education is for all, but not all can achieve in University;

• Some are not ready yet, some will fail now;

• Customerisation is a virus and if universities do not stop the spread now it will become endemic

• Change the mind-set to a culture of mutual trust;

• Confidence to engage in learning as against teaching;

• Confidence of senior leaders to challenge the paradigm.

Joining Up - Joining In• Proposal:

• That University more like a gym than McDonalds;

• University staff in all roles free to challenge the concept of a customer focus that is to the detriment of the independent learners and a University ethos?

• Change Assumptions:

• A university provides the culture, ethos, facilities and expertise to train the mind;

• Paying the membership fee does not guarantee success;

• Membership comes with privileges;

• It also comes with the responsibility to apply effort in order to gain success.

Whose module is

it anyway?

OMG: It’s ours not theirs

It is the process not the product

The RemedyWe are responsible for letting the noise take over - stop

Take care of ourselves

Nurture the academic trying to get out

Know when tosay No

Looking for our own inner

change

It is OK to do nothing sometimes

Do not let workload become an excuse for not doing your own research

If all we feel is relief that it is over, how do the students feel?

It’s too hard

How many words?

Can I see onethat’s been done

before?

Will you proofread my work?

Will you show mehow to start?

You haven’texplained this

very well

You are a24/7 service

By not holding the students’ hands we force independence and foster deeper

thinkingOur vision: Individuals changing and growing intellectually

Students will leave their mark on us, positively

Adaptive ActionCollaborativeParticipative

Reciprocal

Change the Mindset

I want to be proud of my

own achievement

Changing the underpinning

philosophy to let the learners learn

Promote and provide

opportunities

Resist the desire to prescribe

It needs to be them and not us

I wantto learn for myself

What could it look like if we are prepared to change?

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