I have been working part-time in the Institute for Educational Cybernetics (IEC) at the University of Bolton for the last two years, after seventeen years at Ultralab.
IEC houses three major projects:
• the JISC Innovation Support Centre for Educational Technology & Interoperability Studies (CETIS);
• the Inter-Disciplinary Inquiry-Based Learning project creating innovative higher degree frameworks (IDIBL);
• the TenCompetence European research project developing a lifelong competence development infrastructure for Europe;
I work on the IDIBL project with Stephen Powell and Mark Johnson – an enormous pleasure to refine and improve the Ultraversity model we created in Ultralab at Anglia Ruskin University in 2003 and which is still running. The model is of work-focussed action inquiry as a means to learning, supported by colleagues, online community, facilitators and experts.
After IEC’s success in the recent Research Assessment Exercise, we are able to ramp up our activity in this area and are looking to extend our research group in IEC to focus on the following topics:
• systematic institutional transformation;
• organisational improvement;
• inquiry-based learning;
• learning with technology;
• interoperability and standards;
• learning design;
• assessment and portfolios;
• lifelong competencies.
Key features of the learning experience for new members of the research group are:
• improvement in current work context as the focus for study which enables work full time and study full time;
• completion of Masters in 15 months, PhD in three years;
• study online with no need for attendance;
• learning together as an online community with access to IEC experts;
• assessment to fit creative and work expertise.
A competitive bursary scheme for PhD will help lower the costs for successful applicants.
If you feel that you fit the bill, then we would be delighted to to discuss further – mail me at r.millwood [at] bolton.ac.uk or call me on +44 779 055 8641