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Fusion Investment Fund open for applications

Funding opportunities, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund

FIF is open!

Excuse me? You don’t know what FIF is?

FIF stands for the Fusion Investment Fund. It is designed to support staff in developing as researchers, educators and practitioners. Since its inception in 2012, FIF has funded over 200 projects with awards totalling more than £2m.

Want to know more?

Two funding strands are available to staff: Co-creation and co-production strand (CC&CP), and Staff mobility and networking strand (SMN).

For all the policy documents, Fund FAQs and information about applying, please visit the FIF website.

Please direct all initial enquiries to the Fusion Investment Fund Co-ordinator, Sue Townrow, at Fusion Fund.

 

Working creatively to explore abuse in young people’s relationships – the CATCAM project

Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, student research

There is increasing awareness of the risks that young people face in terms of abusive personal relationships and intimate partner violence (IPV), and the Home Office has recently widened the definition the government uses to include abuse against those aged 16-17 as well as adults

Intimate partner violence concerns physical violence directed against a partner and often includes sexual violence and psychological abuse (Jewkes, 2002). This is a global issue and increasing concern is now being expressed about IPV in teenage and young people’s relationships (Keenan-Miller et al. 2007). US research suggests that 66 % of college-aged dating students experience at least one incident of IVP (Smith et al. 2003).

CATCAM picThe project which has received Fusion Funding from BU aims to:

  • Develop creative methodologies/animation to explore the nature of abuse in young people’s relationships;
  • Explore how such methods might be used in domestic abuse prevention education

To date we have had two creative workshops which have used a range of materials and motion capture to produce a short piece of animation visualising mood and emotion. Those involved have enjoyed trying newapproaches to express and visualise meaning associated with relationships and abuse. It is great to be a co-learner in this process and to be taken out of my comfort zone as we are encouraged to use ‘visualisation’ techniques in a co-produced piece of work. Here are some examples of some of our visualisation work to date.

For more information on the CATCAM project please contact:

Dr. Lee-Ann Fenge lfenge@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Collaboration in Malaysia – BU and INTI-IU, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dr Carol Clark and Dr Judith Chapman visited INTL-International University, Nilai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia following a visit at the end of 2014 by Professor Tim McIntyre-Batty. The faculty of Health currently consists of one programme – Physiotherapy BSc (Hons). Colleagues at INTL-IU wish to expand their provision of health science programmes and their research profile. Carol and Judith met with some of the faculty including Dato’ Professor Rahmah Mohamed – Dean of the Faculty of Health and VC of INTL-IU, Professor Narasimman Swaminathan – Head of Research and Praveen Surendran – Head of Physiotherapy Programme. Primarily to discuss similar research interests, physiotherapy programmes in Malaysia and the UK and provision of additional health related programmes for example; public health, nutrition and paramedic science. We found we had a lot of common ground and put together a paper setting out ideas relating to future collaborative work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol and Judith joined Dato’ Professor Rahmah Mohamed the Dean of the Faculty of Health and VC of INTL-IU and colleagues from the faculty for an evening of entertainment. We were introduced to Malaysian culture in the form of dancing and cuisine and were made to feel very welcome.

 

Carol and Judith facilitated a work shop highlighting the importance of Physical activity in the prevention of non-communicable diseases including Metabolic Syndrome. Non-communicable diseases account for over two thirds of the global health burden in relation to mortality and morbidity. The non-communicable diseases include: diabetes, heart and lung diseases, stroke, some cancers and dementia. In Malaysia the prevalence of diabetes is 10% and increasing while metabolic syndrome in the > 30 year olds is between 24% – 47% and ethnically dependent. With a growing elderly population and rising obesity the burden of non-communicable diseases has increased significantly in Malaysia in the last 10-15 years. The aim of the workshop was to explore how Physiotherapists might influence and engage in the promotion of physical activity through the lifespan by considering the motivators and barriers in Malaysia.
Students from two universities (INTL- IU and Ramsay Sime Darby University) attended the workshop and shared their own levels of physical activity and explored ideas relating to increasing physical activity engagement amongst different groups in Malaysia in the future.

Dr Carol Clark, Dr Judith Chapman (Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, BU) Professor Narasimman Swaminathan and Praveen Surendran (Faculty of Health, INTI-IU)

An Overview on the Design and Analysis of Collaborative Decision Making Games

We would like to invite you to the next research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre.

 

Speaker: Dr Aida AzadeganCollaborative Decision Making

 

Title:   An Overview on the Design and Analysis of Collaborative Decision Making Games

 

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 27th May 2015

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

 

Abstract: Collaborative games require players to work together on shared activities to achieve a common goal. These games received widespread interest in the past decade, yet little is known on how to design them successfully, as well as how to evaluate or analyse them.

 

This talk will describe a research project that aims to deliver a better understanding of collaborative processes designed in the mechanics of Collaborative Decision Making Games (CDMGs) in which collaboration takes place during the game play process at conscious cognitive level. To follow the aim, Collaboration Engineering (CE), a discipline that has studied collaboration for decades is used as a theoretical guideline to analyse and design CDMGs. At the analysis stage of this research, the primary focus is on understanding how CE is used in the design of the mechanics of CDMGs and within the design stage the goal is to demonstrate a pattern-based approach, developed using CE principles, which is then applied to the design of these games.

 

Potential insights from this research make clear in what contexts CE is relevant and what kind of role it can play both in terms of analysis and the design of CDMGs.

 

 

We hope to see you there.

AiR – being creative at the Social Research Association conference

 

AiR presenters

Five members of the AiR (Arts in Research) collaborative delivered an experiential workshop at the Social Research Association conference on Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences on Friday 8th May at the British Library, (Left to right: Anne Quinney, Maggie Hutchings, Caroline Ellis-HIll, Wendy Couchman and Michelle Cannon).  The conference brought together researchers from a diverse range of disciplines including human geography, criminal justice, media, and migration studies. By inviting the delegates to create a sculpture in pipe-cleaners of their journey to the conference, the keynote speaker, Professor David Gauntlett from the University of Westminster, set the scene for an interactive and inspirational day in which presenters shared their creative research methods.

Drawing on the two day workshop, A past/a present, held at BU in September 2014, the collaborative shared their experiences and invited the audience to learn what it feels like to reveal our often most private self to an unfamiliar person by talking about the significance of a personal artefact that they had with them. The participants found it to be a very powerful process which can occur in a very short space of time.
As well as learning about collage as a research tool in working with offenders, the use of hand drawn timelines in working with returning Afghan migrants, walking as a tool for understanding marginalised young men, and walking to develop understanding the day to day lives of women asylum seekers, the AiR collaboration members made new connections and explored several potential research collaborations.
The ARTS in Research (AiR) collaborative is open to BU students and staff across faculties and disciplines. Please contact the AiR facilitator, Dr Kip Jones, (kipworld@gmail.com) to join.
https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/2014/01/arts-in-research-air/

New paper by PhD student Sheetal Sharma

PG research, Publishing, student research

Sheetal Sharma, PhD student in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health (CMMPH), published her latest paper this week in the Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities [1].  The paper ‘Nepenglish’ or ‘Nepali English’: A New Version of English? raises the question whether we are beginning to see a new variant of English.

The paper is co-authored with Mrs. Pragyan Joshi from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kathmandu and BU Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.   Sheetal’s PhD research focuses on the evaluation of a large-sclae maternity care improvement intervention in rural Nepal.

The paper is based on listening to people in Nepal speaking English and reading their writing in English.  English is a living language and different native and non-native speakers develop English in slightly different ways. This paper argues that it is time to consider whether we should study the English spoken by native-Nepali speakers (Nepenglish) as a separately developing variant of English. The question is particularly intriguing since Nepali English bears such a similarity with Indian English, as both are largely based on originally Sanskrit-based languages. The focus is particularly on how native-Nepali speakers express themselves in English.

 

 

Reference:

 

  1. Sharma, S., Joshi, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) ‘Nepenglish’ or ‘Nepali English’: A new version of English? Asian Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences 4(2): 188-193. www.ajssh.leena-luna.co.jp/AJSSHPDFs/Vol.4%282%29/AJSSH2015%284.2-21%29.pdf

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

 

“What do you get out of your student-staff co-created research experience?”

 

 

“What do you get out of your student-staff co-created research experience?”

This was a question reflected on by the SciTech student and staff recipients of this year’s CEL Co-creation student projects.  Five level H(6) students in SciTec won CEL co-creation bursaries this year to work with academic staff (Figure 1). Here we share their individual experiences and their overall reflection.

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1.  Faculty of Science & Technology student and staff winners of the 2015 CEL-funded Co-creation Projects. Left to right – Matthew Kidd, Tom Barnham, Dominick Jay, Kevin McGhee, Emilie Hardouin, Emma Hill, Keith Pretty, Simon Harding.

INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES

Project 1  – Emma Hill.  LabTube – a series of video protocols for the DNA lab equipment. The aim of the co-creation project that I am involved in is to produce a series of instructive videos on the equipment (show scales and balances) within the DNA laboratory. This will allow students to remind themselves of the protocol of a specific piece of equipment and so feel confident to continue their work without needing a supervisor present every time they use something. Working on this project has allowed me to learn new skills from experienced members of staff from varying scientific backgrounds, and gain hands on experience with equipment that I wouldn’t have had much interaction with on my course. It’s great to know I’ve been able to help produce a resource to be used by students for years to come.

Academic Mentor reflection for Project 1 – Kevin McGhee. This award is yet another great initiative by BU, promoting the development of our students’ skills for future employment through projects which enhance the lab experience for all of us

Project 2 – Simon Harding. The role, contribution and management of student social media groups as part of the learning experience at BU. I worked with the Learning Technology team and my supervisor Keith Pretty as part of my co-creation project. The aim was to investigate the role of student social media groups and how they can contribute towards the student learning experience.  Creation of student guidance will give students the knowledge and tools to utilise student social media groups. The solution will also make recommendations for the university when integrating social media groups. Working closely with my supervisor and the rest of the co-creation team I held data collection event with BU students to gather data on their perspectives of student social media groups. The team work helped to make the data collection event a success. Collaborative work with my supervisor has given me new skills and improved my experience which I will take with me when I finish university and pursue my career in the computing industry.

Project 3 – Matthew Kidd. Adoption and implementation of BLE Beacon technology at Bournemouth University to enhance open, collaborative learning opportunities. I worked closely with Keith Pretty and the learning technology team for my co-creation project.  The aim was to investigate the feasibility for implementing a new emerging technology: BLE Beacons into the learning environment. It was identified that students are bringing their mobile devices onto campus with many intending to use them to support with studies. Yet research has found that many students find the devices a distraction with some unsure on how to effectively use them in learning. It has been discovered that whilst infrastructure and services exist little has been done to integrate them into the learning experience; BLE beacons have an opportunity to shape this. By working on a co-creation project I have had the opportunity to work with stakeholders which are critical to the deployment of new technologies, this relationship has enabled a much broader understanding for the operation of the University and has enabled me to develop new skills throughout the process.

Project 4 – Dominick Jay. iBU Student Informing Feature Development. I worked with my supervisor and the iBU technical team with the end goal being the identification and development of a feature prototype for the iBU application. This prototype was evaluated at both the initial and design stages by fellow students, and after development by the iBU team. Events took place allowing for critical feedback to be delivered from students in response to design ideas. Using co-creation this year has introduced a unique way of working, and has helped improve how I work both as a team and individually.

Project 5 – Tom Barnham.  A Utility, Usability and User Experience Evaluation of the iBU Mobile Application. My co-creation project was based on a user evaluation of the iBU application, which required participants to conduct tests. Keith Pretty helped me structure my project and plan the most essential part of the project which was to conduct a user evaluation experiment. We were able to meet key contacts that could provide valuable information including the iBU development team. The client was Stuart Claw and provided useful information and always swiftly replied to emails.

Academic Mentor reflection for Projects 2, 3, 4 & 5 – Keith Pretty.

This co-creation funding has offered a fantastic opportunity to work with students on projects that have a direct influence on the learning experience, through building on our use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) and the iBU mobile application. Key BU teams were brought into help shape the four projects from the outset, acting as clients for each student to work with. This has enabled the sharing and application of a wide range of skills and experience, plus the opportunity for networking between the iBU, Learning Technology, library and other teams within the university. I already work with most of these teams regularly as part of my own teaching and learning development projects, but the students have brought in new perspectives and insights into our use of TEL that have enabled the outcomes of these projects to be stronger.

I would like to take this opportunity to not only thank CEL and Tom, Simon, Dominick and Matt for creating a great learning opportunity for us all, but also the time, dedication and effort that the iBU and Learning Technology teams have put into their roles as clients to support the students. In particular, David Fevyer and Stephen Pyne from the Learning Technology team and Stuart Claw and Philip Downes from the iBU team.  I have enjoyed working with everyone immensely and recommend other staff to take up future opportunities for co-creation that will be on offer.

OVERALL REFLECTIONS

The student and staff co-creators were invited to spend a few minutes of an informal, celebratory session capturing on posit notes their responses to the question “What do you get out of your student-staff co-created research experience?” (Table 1).  I have colour coded some of their responses to indicate how they might match gains in all three of the spheres of learning for effective citizenship (Figure 2).

Table 1. Replies to the question “What do you get out of your student-staff co-created research experience?”.  Colour codes indicate matches with spheres of learning of cognitive maturity (yellow), integrated identity (blue) and mature relationships (pink).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. The core spheres of learning for effective citizenship (based on Baxter Magolda & King, 2004)

There is a growing global interest in 21st century education creating effective citizenship through fostering the underpinning personal development  towards “Self Authorship”  –  i.e. the ability to  collect, interpret, and analyze information and reflect on one’s own beliefs in order to form judgments” (Baxter Magolda, 2007).  The reflections of the students and staff co-creators in the above projects suggests that research co-creation is a great way of enhancing the whole BU university learning experience and developing effective global citizenship. It is also great fun. We hope you feel inspired to get co-creating research too!

Complied by Ant Diaz, CEL theme leader for student engagement & co-creation. adiaz@bmth.ac.uk

References.

Baxter Magolda, M. B., & King, P. M. (2004) (Eds) Learning partnerships: Theory and models of practice to educate for self-authorship. Sterling, VA: Stylus

Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2007). Self‐authorship: The foundation for twenty‐first‐century education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2007(109), 69-83.

 

Highlights from the World Confederation of Physical Therapy Congress, Singapore, May 2015

PG research

 

Around 3400 delegates from all over the world gathered in Singapore at the start of May for the World Confederation for Physical Therapy Congress.  With an impressive 572 platform presentations, 1,578 poster sessions, and 36 networking sessions there was certainly plenty of opportunity to be informed and stimulated by new ideas.

 

Three representatives attended from Bournemouth University (Judith Chapman, Carol Clark and Clare Farrance) who presented some of their current research (8 papers) around reflective practice, chronic pain, joint hyper-mobility and physical activity.  Clare commented that sharing research around these areas provided “a great opportunity to see where our research at BU sits within the clinical and academic physiotherapy situation worldwide”.

 

Other highlights included learning more about educational approaches for undergraduate students, the use of integrating technology to support people with long-term conditions, furthering international relationships and collaborations, and of course the amazing array of food in Singapore (including the chilli crab!).

 

Many thanks to the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Santander PGR Mobility Awards for funding to make attendance at this valuable conference possible.

Inter-professional Education Dementia Themed Study Day

Last Friday we delivered the second dementia themed study day for the undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. In total about 500 students attended over the 2 days. Students from adult nursing, mental health nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social worker, nutritional students, Operating Department Practitioners attended.

The aim of the day was for the students to gain an insight into the lived experience of dementia and see the person beyond the diagnosis. The humanising values framework underpins the undergraduate courses and the students were encouraged to consider how they can deliver humanised care and avoid de-humanised care, when caring for people with dementia.

There were a range of sessions and delivery styles that engaged the students throughout the day. A carer spoke with compassion about how she looks after her husband who has Alzheimer’s, the students felt this insight would encourage then to work more closely with family members. Throughout the day many speakers showed films of people with dementia talking about their experiences, the students feel as a result of seeing these they will take more time to hear the voice of the person they are looking after. Working in pairs the students shared an aspect of their life story with each other. By doing this they were able to consider the value of individual life history in supporting the person with dementia.

There were further sessions sharing some of the research the faculty are undertaking with people with dementia. For example Dr Jane Murphy discussed her work around nutrition and offered some very practical tips that the students can take to practice to assist a person with dementia with their diet. Dr Michelle Heward from BUDI shared some of the innovative work being undertaken by this team. The day concluded with a presentation by the Alzheimer’s society, very timely in light of this being Dementia Awareness week.

One of the highlights for many students was a role play by five different health care professionals (Dr Bethan Collins,(OT), Carol Clark and Debbie Neal, (physio), Sheeran Zsigo and  Margarete Parrish (Social workers), Lesley Elcock and John Tarrant (ODP), Michele Board (Nurse)), who discussed their individual roles when caring for a person with dementia. This emphasised to the students the importance of collaboration when caring for a person with dementia.  Health and social care is too often fragmented, with services based on professional and institutional boundaries when it should be co-ordinated around the needs of patients. Following the Care Act 2014 a duty was placed on local authorities to promote the integration of care and support services with health services.  The role play demonstrated to the students the importance of integrated care and the interprofessional team working (and playing) together!

There were many positive comments from students including this one from an adult nursing student,

“Just wanted to say a huge thank you for today. Personally I feel this course has started with a bang and it’s been a shock. Todays reminded me why I’m doing this and its made feel more determined to keep working hard. So thank you for that”.

Michele Board, Senior Lecturer Nursing Older People.

Upcoming CfE Event: Your Brand is your BIGGEST Asset!

Business Engagement

Thursday 11 June 2015
5:30pm arrival for a 6pm start
Executive Business Centre, Bournemouth University, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB

Have you ever considered whether you are making the most of your brand? Do you treat your brand as a valuable business asset?

Our team of experienced academic consultants at BU invite you to join them for a thought provoking seminar and hear ideas around branding as a strategic asset. The session will consider key issues such as brand identity, image and values and the role that your consumers can play in co-creating brand experiences.

This is a free event for businesses, BU students, BU staff and BU Alumni so the perfect chance to network! Refreshments will be provided, to find out more or to book your place please click here

BRIAN Announcement to Faculty and Staff

Guidance, Post-award, Publishing, Training

We are happy to inform you that Bournemouth Research Information and Networking System (BRIAN) will be upgrading to a new version. The system will be offline from 8.30am, 20th May 2015 on Wednesday, and will hopefully be restored and functioning fully on the 26th May 2015, 8.30am.

Some of the benefits of this upgrade are:

  • Re-designed Deposit Page

The page shown when you deposit a publication to BURO has been completely redesigned to improve the flow through the page, to allow entry of an Open access location and to provide more visible guidance.

  • Assistance when adding publications, including duplicate prevention

This is a completely new mechanism designed to assist you and your co-authors when manually adding new works to BRIAN. The first step in this process is to perform a search using the title, partial title or identifier (ISBN or DOI). Using this information, records that already exist in BRIAN may then be claimed by you or your co-author, thereby avoiding the creation of unnecessary manual records.

The new mechanism applies to all publication types. In addition, for Books and Journal articles, searches are also performed against a number of external data sources (including Google Books).

  • Harvest publications using Scopus Author Identifier

 

 

We are happy to announce that in the new version of BRIAN, it is now possible to add a verified Scopus Author Identifier to your account (through ‘search settings’) which will result in all publications linked to the Scopus ID being automatically imported to BRIAN in a claimed state.

  • Improved Photo Cropping Mechanism

This new photo crop mechanism allows you to drag and drop photos in for use and it will also allow you to crop the pictures to the desired style.

We do apologise for the inconvenience but we hope that these exciting new features will be up and running for you to use on the 26th May.

All relevant guidance notes on the Staff Intranet will be updated in due course. If you need any help using the new system or if you encounter any problems after the upgrade, please do send an email to BRIAN@bournemouth.ac.uk and a member of staff will be able to assist you.

Monthly BRIAN training sessions will also start taking place beginning June 2015. Please watch out for announcement on future dates on the RKEO Research blog.

In the meantime, if you do have queries relating to the upgrade, please feel free to get in touch with Pengpeng Hatch at pphatch@bournemouth.ac.uk (01202 961354).

BU’s research website nominated for a Heist Award

Bournemouth University’s research website has been nominated for a Heist Award for ‘best digital or social initiative’.  Heist Awards celebrate the best examples of marketing across the higher education sector and exist to exist to recognise and celebrate the professionalism, expertise and innovation that found throughout the sector, from the smallest regional college, to global education brands.

BU’s research website was refreshed and re-launched over a year ago and has since become a valuable source of news and updates about research going on at BU.  The site is very much owned by academics and researchers, who have responsibility for adding and editing their own content – as the people closest to research, we believe they are best qualified to talk about their work.

With new and exciting content being added every week, the site has become an active hub of information about BU’s research.

The full nomination list can be read here.

Results will be announced on 9th July.