Category / Fusion themes

SaferKids VR launch

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, Industry collaboration, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

Before the pandemic, local school children had a local facility near Wallisdown called SafeWise. SafeWise supported children learning about keeping safe and in particular road safety. However, during the pandemic this facility closed, leaving children without such an important resource. In collaboration with Colin Parnell from Centre VR, Dr Sarah Hodge (from the Department of Psychology) was awarded a bid by Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council to develop a VR simulation/game about road safety skills; SaferKids VR.

The educational simulation/game was designed and created, with an interdisciplinary team, including psychologists, and game developers and programmers. The team of game developers and programmers, consisted of two BU graduates Sam Walsh and Josh Maddocks, as well as Andrew Ham. Since graduating from his Masters degree, Sam has led the team on the SaferKids VR development.

Within SaferKids VR, there was the creation of SKIE: Safer Kids Interactive Expert (robot pictured above). SKIE supports the player in VR, navigating the friendly real-life interactive virtual world and achieving learning goals and road safety skills. In the United States, every year, thousands of people are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. You can read this article to know what to do if you ever get into an accident.

Schools can sign up for their pupils to be involved. 

For more information on the project please see the link https://centrevr.co.uk/saferkidsvr/ or contact shodge@bournemouth.ac.uk

Socio-Ecological Transition Seminars – Semester 1 wrap up

Knowledge Exchange

Socio-Ecological Transition Seminars – a short summary of what we discussed in semester 1, with all related recordings. The calendar for semester two will be shared soon 🙂

12 October 2022 – Philip Balsiger, University of Neuchâtel, presented his work “The dynamics of ‘Moralized Markets’: a field perspective, Socio-Economic Review, Volume 19, Issue 1, January 2021”

Philip’s key proposition is that morality has increasingly become a way through which value is created in contemporary capitalism, and he discussed the processes through which this happens and their implications.

The recording is available here.

9 November 2022 – Fátima Portilho, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, presented her work “Politicizing Consumption in Latin America‘” published in The Oxford Handbook of Political Consumerism.

Fatima showed how political consumerism takes a different trajectory in Latin America when compared with the northern hemisphere. She discussed specificities and the limitations and opportunities for the expansion of political consumerism throughout the continent, with a focus on Brazil.

The recording is available here.

14 December 2022 – Markus Wissen, Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR) presented his recent book “The Imperial Mode of Living. Everyday Life and the Ecological Crisis of Capitalism”, co-authored with Ulrich Brand (2021).

Markus outlined the concept of Imperial Mode of Living, highlighting that Western mode of production and living is based on asymmetrical social relations along class, gender and race; relies heavily on the unlimited appropriation of resources; and is a main driver of the ecological crisis and economic and political instability.

The recording is available here.

SETS is a joint initiative between the Research Group on Collective Action, Change, and Transition at the University of Trento, the Centre for Sustainable and Socially Responsible Consumption at Bournemouth University, and the Environmental Sociology Section at the University of Orebro. The seminars are open to a diverse audience, including academics, students, practitioners, social movements, and the non-specialist public.

NIHR Bulletin

Funding opportunities, NHS

RDS NEWS

RDS Blog: Researcher, adviser, committee member – we’re all on the same side
The RDS blog this month looks at the many hats that our RDS advisers wear to support you develop the best application for submission to NIHR funding programmes. Find out more.

NIHR News

NIHR publishes its 2021-22 Annual Report
The NIHR has published its annual report and accounts, highlighting milestones and achievements during 2021/22. Find out more.

eBulletins and Newsletters

CRN West of England – AcoRD Specialist Update

NIHR ARCs Your Path in Research: January 2023,  New Year Special

NIHR Evidence: December 2022

NIHR News and Research: December 2022

 

Funding Opportunities

Latest NIHR funding calls

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme
22/564 Evaluating the Efficacy of Metformin in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme
22/563 Evaluating new models of care for children and young people with excess weight and related complications

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme
23/1 Health Technology Assessment Programme researcher-led (primary research)
23/2 Health Technology Assessment Programme researcher-led (evidence synthesis)
23/3 NIHR NICE rolling call (HTA Programme)
23/4 NIHR James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnerships rolling call (HTA Programme)
23/6 Motor Neurone Disease (HTA Programme)

Public Health Research (PHR) Programme
Health Determinant Research Collaborations (HDRCs) – webinar on 1 February

Your local branch of the NIHR RDS (Research Design Service) is based within the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) should you need help with your application. We advise on all aspects of developing an application and can review application drafts as well as put them to a mock funding panel (run by RDS South West) known as Project Review Committee, which is a fantastic opportunity for researchers to obtain a critical review of a proposed grant application before this is sent to a funding body or if you’re hoping to resubmit the panel can provide some excellent tips and feedback.

Contact us as early as possible to benefit fully from the advice

Feel free to call us on 01202 961939 or send us an email.

NMWP Unconference and Awards Evening! 17-18 Jan, online

As part of the annual New Media Writing Prize, for the first time, we are hosting a fully online 2-day “unconference” symposium, 17-18 Jan 2023, hosted by BU in partnership with the Electronic Literature Organization and the British Library. The Unconference will culminate in the awards evening for the New Media Writing Prize on 18 January 2023.

NMWP Unconference Theme: Social Good

How can we change our world with our digital art and literature?

Our unconference call for proposals sought creative approaches to conference activities: events, works, and activities that aim to serve a social purpose (such as projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals): “Digital Literature for Social Good”. Activist projects, works for education and sustainability, events to brainstorm new digital lit approaches to improving society and culture—it’s all fair game. How can we change our world with our art and literature?

Over the past couple of months, we’ve put together a fantastic two days of discussions, workshops, artists’ talks, and brainstorming sessions. (See the schedule here.)

Join us!

Registration is open to those who would like to attend and participate in these creative sessions. (Please contact Lyle Skains if, as a BU student or staff member, you would like to observe only.)

Please also join us for the ultimate event in our NMWP Unconference, the New Media Writing Prize Awards Evening, which is free and open to the public. Our keynote is Deena Larsen, creator of Marble Springs, Modern Moral Fairy Tale, and other frequently studied and taught works of electronic literature. The 2021 NMWP winner, Joannes Truyens for Neurocracy, will give a featured talk, and awards will be given for the Chris Meade Memorial Main Prize, the Journalism Prize, Student Prize, and the Opening Up Prize (which is still open for voting here!).

We hope to see you there!

Tourism, marketing and health in 2022

BRIAN, international, Publishing, writing

In his overview of 2022 on LinkedIn Professor Dimitrios Buhalis reminded us that: “The Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing Marketing was finally published with 1250 entries contributed by 1500 academics from all over the world to produce 4 volumes and 3528 pages. This will work brought together the best thinking process and brains in tourism management to contribute to the rebuilding of the tourism industry, globally, and contribution to communities around the world.”

We are happy to have made a small contribution to this book.  Professor Padam Simkhada (BU Visiting Faculty and Professor at the University of Huddersfield) and I contributed the chapter on trekking guides in Nepal and sexual health [1].

 

 

Have a happy and healthy 2023!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

 

Reference:

  1. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen E. (2022) Sexual relationships and trekking guides. In: Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing, Buhalis, D. (ed.), Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing, pages: 77-79.

New BU Social Work publication

international, Publishing, writing

Yesterday the European Journal of Social Work published a new article co-authored by Prof. Jonathan Parker in the Department of Social Sciences & Social Work.  The paper ‘Alice Salomon: critical social work pioneer’ examines the theory and practice of early German social work researcher, activist, author and educator, Alice Salomon (1872–1948).  Salomon’s work is characterised by her orientation on social justice, her internationalism, her concern with the structural inequalities that shape clients’ lives, her sensitivity to oppression in society, and her commitment to feminist social work.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

Reference:

  1. Kuhlmann, C., Frampton, M., Parker, J. (2022) Alice Salomon: critical social work pioneer, European Journal of Social Work, [online first]  DOI:
    10.1080/13691457.2022.2161484

Agile Learning Environments amid Disruption

Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Dawn Morley and Debbie Holley

Dr. Dawn Morley and Prof. Debbie Holley, both in the Department of Nursing Sciences, published a chapter in the book: Evaluating Academic Innovations in Higher Education during COVID-19.  Their chapter Agile Learning Environments amid Disruption (pp 19–34) appeared just before Christmas in this edited collection.

The book addresses the need of evaluating innovative or non-traditional academic schemes for understanding their feasibility in extraordinary educational environments. The individual chapters are enriched with robust appraisals of policies and practices linked to academic innovations in higher education during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The case studies report wide-ranging teaching, learning and academic support practices within online, open, blended and distance learning models. The findings supply two domains of scholarship: evidence-based scenarios through real-world case studies, and a critical evaluation of educational quality through research-informed argument. The evidence gathered from countries, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the UK show empowering and deterring elements of academic innovation amid disruptions. Although this book highlights academic innovations in disruptive situations, they emerge as powerful tools and approaches to be considered in traditional face to face learning.

 ‘Agile Learning Environments amid Disruption: Evaluating Academic Innovations in Higher Education during COVID-19’ is now available online!! Please check the publisher’s website access is free:  https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-92979-4

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Coaching At-Risk Young People CPD by Bournemouth University Business School

Fusion, Fusion themes

Practitioners in the education, welfare and youth sectors possess invaluable and unparalleled experience. Still, they need to reinforce this with continuing professional development (CPD) involving specialised training courses to expand their knowledge and evaluate their practices.

The importance of CPD is linked to lifelong learning, which champions continuous learning for all, regardless of age or profession and beyond compulsory levels of education. Lifelong learning boosts well-being and confidence at work. However, it could be challenging to promote among individuals with a fixed mindset towards learning who perceive their abilities as unchangeable and are typically reluctant to embrace opportunities to upskill or tasks that require extra effort.

However, one’s mindset is not always the problem. Many adults cite excessive work demands as a barrier to professional development, implying that employers have a shared responsibility to create the time for employees to undertake CPD training.

According to the annual Adult Participation in Learning Survey in the UK, adult learning has increased post-pandemic, with fewer adults choosing to learn because it is a job requirement and more adults motivated to learn to improve their knowledge and skill. Results from the survey, however, indicate sub-regional differences in adult learning participation rates, with the highest percentage in London (56% in 2022) and the lowest percentages so far in the North East (37%) and South West (35%) of England.

Bridging the regional and adult skills gap requires investment in more CPD opportunities that are accessible, high-quality, and relevant, like the Coaching At-risk Young People CPD delivered by the SPEED-You-UP team at Bournemouth University.

Participants at the SPEED-You-UP Training Programme, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPEED-You-UP is a project aimed at improving the employability and entrepreneurship skills of young people in disadvantaged coastal communities across England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, through entrepreneurship education for young people at risk of early school leaving and those currently not in employment, education or training (NEET). The project tackles unemployment and economic inactivity among young people by considering individual-level factors like socioeconomic backgrounds, low motivation and confidence and structural-level constraints like inadequate investments in professional development for teachers and youth sector professionals.

On 22 November 2022 at Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, practitioners from the welfare, business, and creative sectors engaged in three workshops on the following topics: The Value of Entrepreneurship Education for (at-risk) NEET Young people, Developing a Coaching Approach for Young People, and Stakeholder Management & Collaboration. The training programme was led by Dr Carly Stewart, Associate Professor, Head of Department for People and Organisations and Principal Investigator of the SPEED-You-UP project, Dr Esther Anwuzia, and Ms Preethi Rajaprakasam.

In meeting the accessibility criteria, the training programme was free and open to experienced and aspiring professionals. The sessions were also designed to be interactive and enlightening. On the one hand, it leveraged the unique experiences of participants by encouraging group discussions and, on the other, equipped participants with evidence-based knowledge and skills to work with vulnerable young people. In attendance were representatives from SWRAC, Young Enterprise, Dorset Growth Hub, West Howe Community Enterprises, and Bournemouth University’s Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Department. Entrepreneurs from the creative industry were also present.

Participants discussed the challenges of working with NEET young people, the causes of early school leaving, the benefits of coaching for young people, and stakeholder collaboration.

The key takeaways from the training were:

  • For CPD to engender sustained engagement and impact, it must be relevant to the needs of practitioners.
  • CPD can foster reciprocity between universities and non-academic stakeholders, enriching research and practice.
  • Professionals in the youth sector are passionate about their work, and employers, universities, and the government should support their personal development to enhance their motivation and productivity.
  • CPD opportunities are avenues for self-assessment, potential partnerships and connections.
  • Adults can also be enthusiastic learners!

___________________________________________

Dr Esther Anwuzia, Postdoctoral Researcher, Entrepreneurship and Youth Employability, on behalf of the SPEED-You-UP team at Bournemouth University.