Open Access Week 2017

It’s Open Access Week, and to mark the occasion we’re running a host of events across the week plus a competition to win some great prizes.

The theme for this year’s International Open Access Week is “Open in order to…”. This theme is designed to be an invitation to answer the question of what concrete benefits can be realised by making scholarly outputs openly available.

There are three ways you can get involved this week:

• “Open in order to …” and tweet it along with the hashtags #OAweek #OpeninOrder  #LboroOA .
• Enter our International Open Access Week Competition (details available here: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/media/wwwlboroacuk/external/content/research/scholarlycomms/IOAW_competition_guidelines_2017_09_12.pdf )
• Attend one of our Open Access sessions – a full schedule of the weeks events can be found here: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/scholcomms/openaccess/internationalopenaccessweek/

Database Trial - CEEOL (Central and Eastern European Online Library)

Our latest database trial is likely to be of great interest to social science, politics and world history students, the Central and Eastern European Online Library.

CEEOL is a leading provider of academic e-journals and e-books in the Humanities and Social Sciences from and about Central and Eastern Europe. In the rapidly changing digital sphere CEEOL is a reliable source of adjusting expertise trusted by scholars, publishers and librarians. Currently, over 600 publishers entrust CEEOL with their high-quality journals and e-books. CEEOL provides scholars, researchers and students with access to a wide range of academic content in a constantly growing, dynamic repository. Currently, CEEOL covers more than 1.100 journals and 350.000 articles.

To begin searching go to www.ceeol.com – access is via IP address and the trial runs to 17^th November 2017.

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn – s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk  – with your comments.

Five reasons to join a committee and get involved

Towards the end of first year, I was approached by a few friends who had applied for the Yoga Society Committee. They asked if I wanted to be Media Rep, and being a fellow lover of Yoga and interested in designing and creating the media aspect, it was a bit of a no brainer! Continue reading

Struggling with the Academic Scholarship Test?

If you have been struggling to answer the questions in the Academic Scholarship Test or have reached the stage where you have failed to reach the pass mark on 5 occasions and it won’t let you attempt it again, help is at hand.  Not only can you revisit the support that your School has provided within the relevant module, you can also visit the Library’s Learn page on ‘Avoiding Plagiarism’ to:

• Watch a lecture capture of the Library’s Know How session on ‘Plagiarism and how to avoid it’
• View the slides from a session on ‘Plagiarism and how to avoid it’
• Read an advice sheet on ‘Understanding Plagiarism’
• Visit the complementary section for advice on ‘How to reference’.

Once you feel confident enough to have another go at the test, contact your tutor or module leader (it varies according to your School) to ask if the test can be reopened for you.  Please note that each School will have its own procedure for this.

Got Any Books You Don't Want? Donate for a Better World!

A new initiative has been launched this week encouraging students and staff to donate any unwanted books to the Library as part of the Better World Books charitable scheme.

Better World Books is an initiative which collects unwanted books from organisations such as universities and libraries, to then sell on to generate funds for literacy initiatives around the world. For every book sold, a book is donated to someone in need. Better World Books also provide literacy grants of up to £1000 to non-profit organisations and libraries within the UK and Europe.

The Library will be accepting any unwanted books from both staff and students and small amounts can be dropped off to us at the Pilkington Library reception. If you have a large amount of books to donate, please email library@lboro.ac.uk in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements.

All genres of books are welcome. In particular, the scheme is looking for:

• Academic non-fiction and all other non-fiction
• Children’s books
• Education/Technical/Vocational books
• Ex-library books
• Hardback/Paperback fiction
• Travel books
• University and Secondary textbooks and study guides
• Other books used in University and Secondary classrooms

Please note that we cannot accept any journals, magazines or periodicals.

By donating books, you are supporting the University’s current campaign, ‘Waste… let’s get it sorted’ by reusing rather than sending to landfill. Any books not sold by Better World Books will either be donated or recycled – no book is sent to landfill.

For more information about the scheme, visit the Sustainability webpages.

Database Trial - Victorian Popular Culture

Take a trip back in time to the smoky world of music halls and circus tents with our latest database trial courtesy of Adam Matthew Digital.

Victorian Popular Culture is a portal comprised of four modules, inviting users into the darkened halls, small backrooms, big tops and travelling venues that hosted everything from spectacular shows and bawdy burlesque, to the world of magic, spiritualist séances, optical entertainments and the first moving pictures…

To begin searching go to www.victorianpopularculture.amdigital.co.uk

Access is via IP address and the trial runs to 15^th December 2017. Please note that PDF download options are not available during this  trial.

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn – s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk  – with your comments.

Why Freshers should attend the Graduate and Placement Fair

You may or may not be aware that next week, on campus,  we host The Autumn Graduate and Placement Fair – the University’s flagship careers event and the biggest university careers fair in the UK, attracting over 6000 students and 200 organisations. Continue reading

International Student Book Club, 31st October

Update Task Sequence Media to Oct17

The Task Sequence Media has now been updated and we can confirm that this has resolved the issue.

YOU WILL NEED TO UPDATE YOUR TASK SEQUENCE MEDIA TO THE LATEST VERSION TO AVOID ISSUES WHEN IMAGING.

The files have been moved to \\ws2.lboro.ac.uk\DesktopResource\Windows\TaskSequenceMedia as the same media works for both Windows 7 and Windows 10. The latest version is TS_Media_Oct17.

The Provisioning Package is unaffected and does not need updating.

Online Daily Newspaper Access

While our daily newspaper deliveries have been temporarily suspended, what better time to remind people that you can still catch up with the latest news via Nexis UK.

The Nexis UK database provides a wide range of UK, European and U.S. newspapers online, on the day of publication. You can find all of the UK national papers as well as a wide range of regional titles.

Nexis UK can be found via the Library Catalogue, you just need your Athens username and password.

http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/auth/athensredirection.do

Spotlight On... Your Library

The Library is here to support all new and returning students in their learning and research needs. Come along to our stand to find out:

• What we can provide
• How to use e-books
• What types of information resource you might need to use
• How to find the books, articles and other resources you need
• Where the resources are in the building or online
• Who can help you throughout your time at Loughborough

When: Tuesday 17^th October, 12-2pm and Thursday 19^th October, 2-4pm.

Where: University Library foyer, Loughborough campus.

Why: Find out in this short video (https://youtu.be/BEQx1MmZ_yY)

Get the Know How Sessions, 16th & 17th October

Next week we will be running two more of our ever-popular Get the Know How study skills sessions here in the Library.

On Monday 16th October we will be presenting advice on Plagiarism and how to avoid it. This workshop explains what plagiarism is, why people plagiarise and offers help on how to avoid plagiarising.

On Tuesday 17th October we will be running the session Referencing and citation explained. Do your referencing and citation skills need improvement? Good quality bibliographies and correct referencing in your assignments can lift your assignment marks. Come and learn how to cite different types of resource for your assignments.

Both sessions are being held in Library Seminar Room 1 between 1-1.50pm. Owing to the popularity of these sessions we recommend that you book your place in advance. To do that, please visit the link below:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/students/eventsandworkshops/

Athens Democracy Forum turns the spotlight on the risks to democracy in Central Europe

Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Communication and Culture partnered with The New York Times and the Open Society Foundations to organize a Central and Eastern European Symposium, a special side event to the 5th Athens Democracy Forum which took place on 13-17 September 2017. Continue reading

My step in to the working world

Studying at university doesn’t half provide you with experience! But does it prepare you for the working world? Continue reading

View from the Hill

One of the things that is always included on the Loughborough Student ‘to do list’ is to climb to the second highest point in Leicestershire, Beacon Hill and look over Loughborough. Continue reading

No Newspaper Deliveries to Library, 15th-19th October

Our local newspaper supplier is undergoing renovations during the week beginning 15th October, meaning that the Library will not be receiving any deliveries of newspapers for this week. We hope that normal services will resume the week after this.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

New faces, old places, recent work.

The new academic session is upon us with several new faces coming into town, and ‘old’ ones returning from the summer break. Continue reading

How to deal with lectures

Lectures maybe something you didn’t consider when you thought about uni. You may have thought, “Well, every student has them, so what’s so difficult”. Continue reading

Looking back on second year

My third year at university has officially started, which means I have made it to my last year being an undergraduate – fingers crossed. Continue reading

Homesickness

Homesickness is completely natural! Don’t feel bad, university is a change but don’t worry, whilst it might feel scary now, don’t quit. Continue reading

Campus Network Outages, 16th-17th October

On 16^th and 17^th October IT Services will be performing essential work to upgrade software in the central network infrastructure, causing short outages across the network. Each outage should be around half an hour maximum (unless there are unexpected difficulties).

Between 07:00 and 9:00am, all IT systems and telephony will be unavailable to staff and students in the following areas on campus:

Monday 16^th October: East park, Central park and West park

Tuesday 17^th October: Holywell Park and wireless network across campus

During this time you will not be able to access:

• Systems that you might use for University-related business, e.g. iTrent, LUSI, Agresso, Learn, Kx and Webmail
• Individual and Group Workspaces
• Telephone system
• Networked printers
• Access to websites other than the University’s.

The following will be available:

• Log on to your PC and work offline

IT Services apologise for this interruption to the service but this is unfortunately necessary to protect the network from unforeseen interruptions in the future.

For further information and advice, please contact the IT Service Desk via IT.Services@lboro.ac.uk or on extension 222333.

Making the Most of Your Time at University

First of all, I will start by saying welcome to the #LboroFamily, to those of you who have just joined us. Continue reading

Can't Make It to the Library? Drop In On Your Academic Librarian

It’s a busy time for staff as well as students, and while we try to answer every question at our information desks, sometimes you might need a little more specialist help – and that’s where our ever-helpful team of Academic Librarians come into play!

Our Academic Librarians are available to assist all University staff and students, offering specialist 1-2-1 advice on any information related query including academic skills, referencing, conducting a literature review and getting published. They have all developed expertise in the subject areas of their Schools and are happy to help.

Teaching and departmental commitments mean they’re not always in the office, but don’t worry – most of them run specialist drop-in sessions in their departments across campus, where you can just pop by and ask them any question about any issue or problem with your studies.

We run the sessions on the following days during term-time:

Monday:

12.30 – 1.30 Civil and Building Eng / Civil Foyer [Ginny Franklin]

2.00 – 3.00 PHIR / Herbert Manzoni, Near admin office [Sharon Reid]

 Wednesday:

12.00 – 1.00 Social Sciences / Brockington U305 [Nathan Rush]

Thursday:

10.30 – 11.30 English / Martin Hall break out area [Jen De Lilo]

11.00 – 12.00 Computer Science / Haslegrave, ground floor [Charlotte Greasley]

12.30 – 1.30 AACME / S Building foyer [Ginny Franklin]

12.30 – 1.30 Wolfson & Chemistry / Mezzanine seating area STEMLab [Alison Ashmore]

Or by Academic Librarian name:

• Alison Ashmore Academic Librarian for Wolfson School & School of Science – Chemistry Drop-in hours: Thursdays 12.30-1.30, Mezzanine seating area, STEMLab
• Jen De Lillo Academic Librarian for School of English, Arts and Drama – English Drop-in hours: Thursdays 10.30-11.30, Martin Hall break out area
• Ginny Franklin Academic Librarian for Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. Drop-in hours: Mondays 12.30-1.30 in the atrium (Sir Frank Gibb) and Academic Librarian for Aero, Auto, Chemical and Materials Engineering. Drop-in hours: Thursdays 12.30-1.30 in the S Building foyer.
• Charlotte Greasley Academic Librarian for School of Science – Computer Science Drop-in hours: Thursdays 11.00-12.00 in Haslegrave, Ground Floor
• Sharon Reid Academic Librarian (PHIR) Drop-in hours: Mondays 2.00 – 3.00 in Herbert Manzoni, Near admin office
• Nathan Rush Academic Librarian (Social Science and Psychology) Drop-in hours: Wednesday, 12.00-1.00, in Brockington U305

Further contact details can be found on our web page:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/students/learningsupport/academiclibrarians/

20 years in tech

I was a PhD student in Manchester when a robotics lab was opened in the Department of Computer Science. It was 1997, or thereabouts. The robot itself was not as impressive as I had anticipated. It looked like an upturned waste-paper basket with wheels. Its task was to learn to navigate through the department’s first floor by itself. It had no sensory discrimination over a transient object like a human and something permanent like a wall. This meant that we humans were responsible for stepping out of its way should it approach. Quite regularly one would see it, wheeling its little way through the corridors, trying to learn the layout of the corridors. I do not recall if it was based upon a rule-based AI or some more extensive Machine Learning algorithm. Either way, the little robot was frequently found stuck in a doorway or at corridor’s end. One could helpfully nudge it on its way as one returned from coffee.

In 2004, Levy and Murnane published ‘The New Division of Labour’. In it they speculated that driving was one of those sentient tasks that would always be beyond the wit of machine intelligence. No computer, they proposed, would ever navigate a truck through a busy intersection.

In 2010 Google launched its autonomous car project. Waymo, the company founded by Google to bring autonomous cars to market, was launched in 2016. This year, it was announced that autonomous trucks will be tested on the UK’s roads. Tesla already has a semi-autonomous mode of hands-free driving for its cars and has over 1.3 billion miles of experience. The machines learn all the time that a Tesla moves.

Tech is breaching the dam of expectations. It is certainly ahead of my expectations of 1997. I did not expect trucks to navigate motorways within 20 years of that little robot, and it is ahead of Levy and Murnane.

The automotive industry is especially important as an indicator of the advance of ‘tech’ because we understand the complexity of taking a car through Houston, as Waymo does. We also understand the social significance of a day when the disabled and the old are able to take autonomous vehicles, when children take autonomous vehicles, when the rest of us convert to autonomy, and when we stop buying cars and prefer pay-as-you-go.

We intuit that vehicles that are more road-efficient, more environmentally friendly, and more socially inclusive, are hugely important for society. They might also mean the end of some of the great car companies of today. Most likely, the oil-economy will take another very serious hit. That will change geopolitics.

Could this prospect be bigger?

The term ‘accelerationist’ is applied to the thesis that innovation is speeding up. The accelerationist argument observes that there are combinatorial effects between innovations (the autonomous car depends on Machine Learning, Big Data, the Cloud, Internet of Things, faster chip speeds, satellite navigation and batteries).

These combinatorial effects tend to have the effect of increasing the overall rate of change as they multiply the possible number of applications of any given piece of kit. Though mainly associated with futurists and tech-investors, it seems to me that in many circumstances this accelerationist argument is sensible and realistic. There is evidence. As we have progresses from an upturned waste basket with wheels in 1997 to Tesla and Waymo in 2017, what is in store for the next twenty?

Once, and laughably in retrospect, we thought of ‘tech’ as a sector different to other ‘traditional’ sectors like automotive, or energy, banking, law, or, indeed, education. Now we know tech as more or less everything outside of the artisan bakery. Find me an oil executive, a banker, lawyer or manufacturer who is not talking about ‘tech’ and I will find you someone who is close to retirement.

Coda

Since the little robot of 1997, we have seen the rise of Amazon, Facebook, and Google. Steve Jobs returned to Apple. Microsoft won the browser wars but lost on mobile. Social media, cameras, telephony and tracking devices began to crowd our lives. Teachers began to outsource homework to websites. The BBC, newspapers, record companies, malls, advertisers and banks all lost key positions. Cyber-crime was born.

Think about the systemic effects of the cookie – that little bit of spying functionality that we accept on our computers. It is not an exaggeration to say that the cookie begat new forms of commerce and in some ways changed the world. More and more we are beginning to package and price attention itself as Google and Facebook run billions of auctions for personalised advertising.

Probably we should be reaching for Schumpeter, Kondratieff, Kuhn…

Yet, with fairness, one cannot say that British business schools have been at the cutting edge of this change. Scholars have established some good reflective positions, some valuable insights, but we are not associated with anything like the river of ideas and connections as Stanford or Sloan. There are obvious reasons like geography and funding: this is primarily an American revolution. There are also other reasons that are less obvious but still very important.

I have been reflecting on how William Barton Rogers sowed a commitment to ‘learning by doing’ into the primary constitution of MIT. Here in the UK we actually have a great tradition of engaged and action-based research, indeed possibly we have the world’s best academic works on this kind of practical theorising and value creation.

So, in short, we should be thinking about the methodological challenge of researching the fast-changing, turbulent, multifaceted , tricksy phenomena of digital. Herein is an opportunity and portal for Loughborough.

This Blog post was written by Peter Kawalek, Professor of Information Management and Director of the Centre for Information Management. Peter can be reached on P.Kawalek@lboro.ac.uk.

Fruit Routes Harvest 2017

Important! Last Chance to Save Your RefWorks References

Are you a RefWorks user? If so, it is important that you act now in order to ensure that you do not lose any of your work.

From the end of October 2017 the University will no longer be supporting RefWorks; so it is vital that you make provision to migrate any references you have in RefWorks to a new platform.

The University is now recommending Mendeley as our chosen referencing software. If you choose to use Mendeley migrating your references from RefWorks to Mendeley is a simple process, details of which can be found on the Referencing Software pages on Learn:

http://learn.lboro.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3539

These pages have further details about Mendeley, with videos and guides, informing you about the functionality of Mendeley and how to get started using it.

The Library is also running an introductory workshop on 9th November, 2-3.30pm.

Go to the Library website to book your place:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/students/eventsandworkshops/

Alternatively contact your Academic Librarian for further details about workshops and Mendeley:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/staff-researchers/about/librarystaff/

The secret to working a full-time job and a PhD...

This past month everything has started to fall into place. I’m finally unpacked and properly moved in up North and have settled in to my new job. Continue reading

Four month goals revisited

Hello readers! In my last blog before summer I made myself a list of goals for the 4 months away from university to keep myself productive, and I encouraged you all to do the same. Continue reading

Exploring the concept of an operating model

The concept of an operating model has come to the fore in operations management research in the last five years. Much of the available material about operating model is published by consultancies and there has been little academic focus on the definition of an operating model.

In the recently published paper, Operating Model: An Exploration of the Concept, Dr Nicola Bateman (formerly at the SBE) examines the concepts of an operating model, to provide a meaningful definition and framework of an operating model in a management context.

The paper explores the current literature about operating models; discusses the different elements of existing operating models; and provides a new method for auditing operating models. The paper also discusses how operating models are linked to other operations management and management ideas, and the challenges of implementing and maintaining operating models.

This Blog post was written by Rosamund Chester Buxton, member of the Centre for Service Management and doctoral researcher at the SBE. Ros can be reached on R.B.ChesterBuxton@lboro.ac.uk

Get the Most Out of Your Library - Get the Know How

We start a new semester with a new season of our popular Get the Know How sessions aimed giving students a gentle but effective introduction into some of the finer points of studying and learning here in the Library.

Our first session – Getting the most out of your Library – is next week, Thursday 12th October, from 1pm to 1.50pm in Library Seminar Room 1. This session will introduce you to the various Library services and facilities available to help you get the most of your studies at University.

Owing to the popularity of these sessions, we require that people reserve their place online. Please follow the link below in order to book.

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/library/students/eventsandworkshops/listing/getting-the-most-out-of-your-library.html

5 Hidden Gems Of Loughborough Town - My Five Best Restaurants, Cafes, Shops and Bars.

After a year of staying in Loughborough, I have managed to find a select few places in Loughborough that are perfect for meeting friends and taking your family to just get a break from the Loughborough Campus bubble. I am all for taking time to explore and find the best places in the area and these are my favourites (so far)!

Continue reading

Congratulations to Kazuo Ishiguro

Congratulations to British author Kazuo Ishiguro, who was today announced as the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Best known for the 1989 Booker Prize winning novel The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Japan in 1954 but emigrated with his family to England in 1960. His first novel, A Pale View of Hills (1982) actually started life as his masters thesis! He has published 8 novels in total so far, and two – Remains of the Day (1993) and Never Let Me Go (2010) – have been successfully adapted for cinema.

The Library holds copies of several of his novels among our literature section on Level 2, along with a broad spectrum of representative and critical works of the greatest authors of all time.

World Space Week 2017

This week is the start of World Space Week, the worldwide annual celebration of the marvels and mysteries of astronautics, astronomy and all things galactic. And, fittingly enough for the start of a new academic year, the theme is one of exploration!

Launched specifically on 4th October by the UN General Assembly to mark the successful launch of Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite, in 1957, and the signing of the ‘Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies’ on October 10th 1967, World Space Week has been held every year since 1999, and seeks primarily to educate people about the positives of space exploration and encourage better public understanding and support for space programmes.

This year’s theme is Exploring New Worlds in Space. From the first race to the South Pole, and first solo flight accross Atlantic, to the opening of a sea route from Europe to the East, exploration and adventures have always defined our very existence as inhabitants of planet Earth. World Space Week celebrations in 2017 will open-up avenues to improve the vast human knowledge and awareness of the clear benefits of space technology and its applications. This will also illustrate that our exploration potential has no end, and that the sky is not the limit for the many wonders of human discovery.

We have many and various astronomical and astronautic resources in the Library, including access to the  National Geophysical Data Centre database, which provides the latest satellite geophysical data from the Sun to the Earth and Earth’s sea floor and solid earth environment, including Earth observations from space, and the NASA Scientific & Technical Information database, which includes up-to-date information about NASA’s space projects. We also hold a good selection of books about space & space exploration in general.

To find out more about World Space Week, visit their website here:

http://www.worldspaceweek.org/

Busy Start of Term!

Well! Didn’t we have a busy time of it yesterday! Even by usual first-day-of-term standards we were inundated with newcomers and returners alike who all, hopefully, found what they were looking for!

Some stat facts for all you numbers fans (and who isn’t?)

• 2295 enquiries at our information desks (up 12% on last year’s figures)
• 2762 people through the doors (including those who didn’t remember their ID cards, ahem!)
• 1872 books issued (don’t worry, we’ve still got another 698,000 to go!)
• 60 eager beavers for our Library Induction tours (still running 11-3 daily folks!)

If you’ve yet to catch up with us, don’t worry – there’s still plenty of time, and loads of information can be found on our all-new Welcome to the Library page.

#YOLO: Millennials are buying experiences but are not necessarily better off

Millennials (individuals born between 1981 and 2000) are often portrayed as living short term and therefore spending on immediate rewards – eating out, social events, travels – rather than on investing on long-term possessions, like housing. In the end, ‘YOLO – You Only Live Once’. I am a millennial; I eat out, I go to social events, I travel, and I do not own a house. My own experience very much resembles the findings of our recent study, done in conjunction with the Resolution Foundation, which looks at consumption patterns of different generations across time.

But our findings show that the idea of millennials as a carefree bunch living a life of pleasure is a gross misrepresentation.

We used data from the Food Expenditure Survey 1963, 1989, 2000-01, and the Living Costs and Food Survey 2014. We examined expenditure patterns of adults aged 25-34, 40-49, and 55-64, corresponding with different stages in life of the millennials, generation x (born 1966-80), baby boomers (born 1946-65), and the silent generation (born 1926-45).

Our study found that not only have millennials’ incomes failed to grow in the same way as previous generations did, but also they are facing increasingly higher housing costs, which constitutes on average over a fifth of their income: up to three times the proportion spent on housing as other generations when they were of a similar age.

In other areas of consumption, our research indicates that millennials are spending more on ‘experiences’ than older generations. For example, millennials are generally spending more on eating out than generation x or the baby boomers, paired with a reduction in expenditure on food eaten at home. However, the overall shift towards eating out is seen across generations. In 1963, households spent about 30% of their income on food eaten at home and only 4% on eating out. In 2014, households spent around 11% of their budget on food eaten at home and around 7% on eating out.

Another way in which millennials are buying ‘experiences’ is through technology. Computers and audio-visual equipment enable socialisation through social media as well as entertainment through mobile games, or streaming of video contents. Millennials have more electronic devices than other generations did in the past, not only because smartphones and iPads did not exist but also because prices of electronics have drastically fallen in a small period of time. Our research, however, indicates that all generations have benefitted from the technological revolution. In fact, it is the baby boomers who see a particular ‘catch up’ with technology: while in 2000, baby boomers spent half as much as younger adults on these items, in 2014 they increased their expenditure to be 16% more than younger adults.

Ironically, looking at expenditure on leisure services (subscription fees, cinema and theatre tickets, recreational classes, holiday packages – all of which explicitly refer to ‘experiences’), millennials are the ones who tend to spend the least among the age groups studied, with £21 per week, compared to generation x spending £28 and baby boomers £34 per week. Leisure services have become considerably more expensive during the last couple of decades, partly because they are labour-dependent and therefore influenced by increases in staff costs. If millennials are indeed living an ‘experience economy’; is it perhaps through activities that would not require a subscription or entrance fee, or is it perhaps through social media and contents freely available through a smartphone?

We millennials are living in a different world to the one in which our parents and grandparents grew up, with different challenges and different rules, some of which are tougher and some of which open up new possibilities. Perhaps we cannot still afford to buy a house, but we are always looking for innovative ways to achieve a decent standard of living within our highly constrained disposable incomes.

Getting Started for uni – Againnnn!!

Hi guys! Hope you guys had a great summer with a well-deserved break after your A Levels. First of all, a big WELCOME to the readers who are going to become a part of #LboroFamily. Continue reading

Freshers bucket list

You’ve made it to Loughborough! Hi, and a big welcome to the #LboroFamily. Now all the excitement of moving in is over, we’ve put together a list of quintessential Loughborough experiences to help you make the most of your first few weeks in the bubble.

Continue reading

Freshers and Returners - Have You Checked Your IT Tool Kit?

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Acknowledgement

The past 356 days of studying outside my home country have been the most challenging, albeit rewarding and indeed exciting days of my life thus far. It feels like it was just last month I left Nigeria for the UK. My programme has gone really fast. You know they say when you’re doing something you enjoy, time moves really fast. Continue reading

DJ Society | Focus Series

Jack, chair of DJ Society, shares how his society showcases the best of student DJ talent. If your passion lies with live techno and house music, drop these guys a line.  Continue reading

Library Car Park Closures During Fresher's Week

It’s that time of the year again… new students will be arriving for the new academic year on Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th September. To assist with their arrival into halls various car parks will be open only to arriving students on these days, including the Library car park on the following days:

• On Wednesday 26th September half of the Library car park will be closed.
• On Thursday 27th September the entire Library car park will be closed.

Security recommend that visitors use the multi-storey car park next to the Engineering School, which is only a five minute walk to the Library.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

The real world

I am on a Graphic Design Placement for a year, and have wanted to write about what I have learnt at university, whether that has been useful and how I have applied that in the workplace. Continue reading

AU Volleyball l Focus Series

Jessica talks about her experience as a member of AU Volleyball. If you are interested in joining them, they will be hosting trials on the 5th October.

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French Society | Focus Series

Marina, the Chair of French Society, tells us her plans for the society this upcoming year. She talks about how their community helps to overcome homesickness and all the activities they organise for society members.

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Freshers' First Day

The start of September can only mean one thing –UNI IS BACK! Not only is the excitement real for all of you new, budding freshlings but also it means that my third and final year is officially here. With it being my last year (and mainly that I’m not ready to accept that I only have one more year left at Luff) I thought I’d be a tad nostalgic and relive my first day as a Fresher. The nerves, the excitement, the guaranteed crying from my mum plus the worry that you didn’t pack enough fancy dress outfits although you are guaranteed to barely use any of them after Freshers’ week.

Moving to university

Packed to the brim, my mum and I scrambled into the car with my Nan and Granddad following closely behind with the rest of my things, and yes I needed two cars. If I’m honest, I really wasn’t that nervous. I think my excitement to be attending my first choice university and the chance to meet new people and experience a new environment took over. Of course everyone is different and I know people who have nearly made themselves sick with worry but I promise you that once you get here; you will have the time of your life.

As soon as we pulled up outside of my halls, there were Fresher helpers ready and waiting to help get your things to your room. I remember that I was the second to get to my flat and as soon as the other people began turning up, off went my mum to chat to everyone and let me know who was who. I am sure my mum knew my entire flat before I did.

My first day

After some emotional goodbyes and plenty of hugs from my family, they headed back to Birmingham and I was officially on my own. However, even from the get go, I didn’t feel like I was alone because my flatmates were brilliant as was everyone else we met on the first day. My hall was Hazlerigg-Rutland and once we were settled in, we went down to the ‘common room’ for a welcome talk and free pizza – you heard me right, free pizza. It really was just a lovely way to start my uni life because it was chilled and fun but still a great way to meet a lot of new people.

You will usually have your Fresher themes and activities released a couple of weeks before you arrive to give you time to prepare. Of course there are the brilliant themed nights out but every hall plans other days out such as bowling, laser-quest and a BBQ. Every hall takes part in the legendary Sing Off, which is a brilliant night so get those vocal cords ready to go as soon as you arrive. Pre-warning, everyone in the bubble takes the Sing Off very seriously so no letting the side down people, make your hall proud! LSU also organise the Freshers’ Ball so lads get those tuxes on and girls, this is your chance to order 5 dresses from Asos without feeling guilty. If you head over to the LSU Twitter or Snapchat page, you can also have a sneak peek at who this year’s headline act is!

So my final advice to you for Freshers is simply have fun, make the most of it and try as hard as you can to avoid Freshers flu however I doubt that is even possible. And WELCOME TO LOUGHBOROUGH!

Moving here, there and back again

How is it nearly a new semester? Didn’t I start university yesterday?

It feels very weird thinking back to moving in to Faraday Halls in Fresher’s, to moving to Australia, to moving back to Loughborough, to moving to Watford for my drama placement. Come to think of it, that’s quite a lot of moving! Continue reading

A new year of research

We’re only a week into September but for me, review month is over for my research project! The week leading up to the submission deadline was very long and sleepless. Continue reading

Year 13 to First Year. What's the REAL Difference?

You braved it through A-Levels and successfully made it out the other side. With great results you reached the requirements for your much-anticipated university offers. You can relax for now, and get ready to take in everything that life at university has to offer! Continue reading

A degree opens many doors

University is a brilliant place to try loads of new things and culture the things you already enjoy. Continue reading

Countdowns and Goodbyes

It’s quite nice to see that we are already counting down to a lot of things as the year gradually ticks to a close. It’s such surprise how fast things happen. The normal Christmas countdown is already being done in earnest in some places (as much as I get baffled by this). There is also the countdown to Halloween. But, the most immediate one is the countdown to a new session and welcoming students (new and old) back to campus. Continue reading

University Open Days, September 22nd-23rd

The University will be holding Open Days on Friday 22nd September and Saturday 23rd September. Visitors, students and staff should be aware that campus, and in particular the Library, will likely be extremely busy on both days.

The Library will, as usual, be hosting several displays and stands by other support services within the University on both days, and they will be taking up temporary residence this week on Level 3. As such, from Wednesday 20th, certain study areas on this level will be unavailable during this time.

From halls to student housing

Results days have passed, the primary and secondary schools have all returned, the summer is over and that means only one thing… It’s almost time for the start of the University term. Continue reading

Bed, bath, and halls: bringing the comforts of home to university

So you’ve got your place. The days of constantly checking UCAS are over. You’ve now found yourself in that month between Results Day and starting university not sure what to do with yourself. Continue reading

Postgraduate Arts Degree Show 2017

This week sees the launch of the Postgraduate Arts Degree Show down at the School of the Arts, English and Drama.

The Loughborough University Postgraduate Degree Show is an opportunity to view the original and innovative work produced by graduating MA Graphic Design and Visualisation and MA Art and Design (Studio Practice) students.

The pieces are inspired and influenced by a diverse range of sources and cultures, and encourage visitors to question everyday concepts while appreciating the technical skill of the exhibitors.

Notable works include those by Jacqui Gallon, who explores absence and presence in relation to loss, mourning and the clothing left behind after death and Yia-Loren Gomez, whose research focuses on theories of light and its effect on people’s mood.

Meanwhile, Mengfan Yu takes the confusion and uneasiness of life in the city as a theme in order to investigate the relationships between people, the environment and the architecture.

The show will be open 10am-5pm on 21-23 September in the Fine Art Gallery, School of the Arts, English and Drama, Loughborough University. Please access the gallery via the Edward Barnsley Building on Epinal Way, and follow the signs to the show.

Settling back and preparing for final year

A month later and I think I’ve only just started to readjust to the British time after my study-exchange in Australia! At the airport, my family were in tears, the same as when I left. Continue reading

University halls: What to bring and what to leave behind - an illustrated blog

When it came to moving into halls, I was quite honestly, pretty terrified. I knew I would be fine, but nothing can really prepare you for the big step of moving away from home. Continue reading

Computer Society l Focus Series

We talk to Abby about all things Computer Society. This society hosts large scale LAN events, and boasts the largest student run LAN in the country. If you’re a tech wizard or a complete novice, they’d love to meet you at this year’s Freshers Bazaar.

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LSUTV l Focus Series

We talk to Craig, LSUTV‘s Station Manager, who shares all the details on this section of LSU Media. If you fancy being on the big screen, or behind the camera, then this section of LSU is well worth looking into!

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Loughborough Marrow Society l Focus Series

We talk to Pippa, President of the Loughborough Marrow Society, a society which works alongside Anthony Nolan to sign people up to the stem cell donor register. They’re also the society who helped break records as part of the University’s Spit Happens event earlier this year.

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Cocktail Society l Focus Series

We hear from Jasmine, Chair of the Cocktail Society. She talks about what life as a member is like, and the different events members get involved in. If you’d like to learn the art of cocktail making, then this society might be the gin to your tonic!

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Salsa Society l Focus Series

We speak to Katherine from the Salsa Society all about what makes the society so fun, friendly and exciting! If you’re looking to learn a new skill, improve your fitness, or perform – then why not say hello at this year’s Freshers Bazaar!

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Library open as normal on Friday after power outage on Thursday

The Library will be open as normal as things stand on Friday 15th September (9am-5.30pm). Thank you to our users for their understanding about a situation that was out of our hands yesterday.

Open Minds Society l Focus Series

Toyah from the Open Minds Society tells us all about her experience as a member, and how it’s defined her Loughborough experience.

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AU Squash l Focus Series

Alex from the AU Squash Club tells us what it’s like to be a member and remembers some of his best moments in the club. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, Squash Club would love to see you at this year’s Freshers Bazaar!

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Resisting the visual: Why academia is still resistant to the power of imagery in learning

Introduction

This blog is about academic resistance to a good idea. It’s not uncommon that good practices sometimes prompt people to reject them, but that’s different from the other things I’ve talked about in earlier blogs, like being unaware of the problems associated with the ways we often use our primary projection platform, PowerPoint. Being unaware of alternatives is different from knowing of an alternative but resisting its adoption, and this blog is about the latter of those two scenarios.

In other blog posts, I have made a number of arguments advancing the use of images in lectures. These arguments derive in large part from two arenas of thought, one social and one scholarly. The social argument for using images in lectures is that we now live in the most visual era of human existence. Not since cave days have we used imagery to communicate elemental, fundamental knowledge en masse.

Copyright 123RF

The scholarly argument warns us of the peril of continuing with this imbalance.  Multimedia Learning (MML) scholarship declares that a much more efficient, less harmful, less counter-productive pedagogy would balance delivery of images and text together, exploiting our dual visual and audio-textual processing capacity and easing pressure on working memory.

Copyright Dr. David Roberts 2017/123RF

This more balanced delivery, it is claimed, makes for greater engagement, a particular bug-bear in UK HE presently. But in addition, using images can organically stimulate active learning in student audiences. That is, without having to create other pedagogic spaces to counter the lack of active learning in any lecture theatres, introducing images can automatically trigger inquiry and interrogation in an audience.

Image provision will grow, not shrink. The academic world gives us reason to deploy imagery as a matter of course, as a parallel constitutive pedagogy with as much legitimacy as text. The opportunities and justification create the potential for a transformation of the lecture space from what can often be a disengaging place of passive learning into an arena fit for the challenges of an unpredictable world demanding a critical population and workforce. It is a paradigm-shifting moment in HE history, guiding us from hegemonic adherence to the Gutenberg Press towards a more fit-for-purpose multimedia dimensionality. And yet, it doesn’t take off. Why not? The remainder of this blog is directed at why academics may resist the rise of the visual in human evolution and its potential in Higher Education teaching.

King Canute. CC 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/30591976@N05/3402395112

Resistances

MML scholarship is still novel. The primary tome, published in 2014, has come in for little, if any, reasoned criticism. Perhaps this is because it rests on decades of respected scholarship undertaken by the likes of Allan Paivio, a world-renowned scholar of cognition and memory whose work spans five decades. Its bedrock is solid and has been accepted and integrated into much other work in other fields, such as Psychology and Cognitive Load Theory. I have yet come across no reputable material that takes issue with the primary claims made by MML research, which is that we learn better with images and text, than text alone (Mayer, 2014). And since the method has not been widely applied in HE environments, empirical data concerning its effects has not been rigorously formulated. So, if there’s little discernible scholarly resistance to the use of images in HE lecture theatres, what forms of resistance push back at this counter-hegemonic pedagogy?

Copyright Dr. David Roberts 2017

There’s plenty, so we could do with a framework for organizing it. Stephen Sterling (2004) is a scholar concerned with why it was so hard to get the idea of sustainability into Higher Education before it became commonly internalized. The idea was to educate for change as well as change education: it was a new, external concept that was directed at HE and which required HE to change in the way it operated. I’m going to use some of his categories to present some forms of resistance to the use of images I have come across. There will be others, inevitably, that I have not included and commentators are most welcome to share such resistance with me.

Typology of resistances

The first category Sterling identified was denial. In this case, it means that MML is not yet considered valid as a pedagogical approach and therefore poses no challenge to the prevailing, logocentric orthodoxy. This kind of resistance is common enough where a new contender challenges a long-standing tradition, like when the Gutenberg Press challenged the handwritten word, or perhaps when TV challenged radio.  The prevailing logocentric wisdom in HE has stood the test of time, is widely if not universally applied, has mass legitimacy and is dominant because we have made it so. It occupies a position of hegemony that we reproduce each time we use it. It is a deeply-rooted concept.

Copyright 123RF

Most lectures in most places of HE are done textually (with exceptions, naturally, since no generalization modelled on human behaviour holds true constantly). Each time this happens, it affirms the legitimacy of the practice and, therefore, the illegitimacy of methods other than this. And it’s a vicious cycle. That logocentric legitimacy is preserved further as it rejects new contenders. For example, we are not long in such a conversation before we hear that images in HE ‘simply entertain or illustrate, providing a respite from serious academic work’ (Thomas, et al., 2008, p. 23). They are a ‘cop out’ (Jarvis, 2014; Turkle, 2004) and/or the ‘lowbrow detritus of a shallow media age’ (Little, et al., 2015, p. 1). Goldfarb (2002, p. 3) says the visual is construed as a ‘more base, even primitive, and also untrustworthy form of knowledge transmission’. Using images is not far from playing with Lego, childish or infantilizing, unfit for Higher Education purposes, some suggest (Havergal, 2015; Mitu, 2016).

Sterling then directs our attention to the idea of the ‘bolt-on’. Applied to the idea of images as a pedagogic insurrection, HE tolerates the visual as an appendage in teaching, rather than as an ocularcentric challenge to the primacy of an increasingly eccentric logocentrism. It is perhaps the easiest reaction, since many academics use images already, in one way or another. Astronomers use images of the Horsehead Nebula; chemists and physicists show the structure of atoms using scanning electron microscopes; historians show images of ancient artefacts to students and so on. Images have their place; it is second and it is as an appendage and what’s more, we already do it.

Copyright 123RF

MML has infiltrated the academy under cover of regular practice and without the legitimacy of great scholarly interrogation of its value by those using them, for the most part. But it has limited sanction and is not accepted as a countervailing, balancing force that might improve our students’ pedagogic lot.  Furthermore, there is normally a limit to their use. Felten and Little (2010, p. 5) talk about images being used ‘to provide visual interest’ and little more, as opposed to balancing cognitive load distribution or using working memory more efficiently, as MML research does.

A third category of Sterling’s concerns an existential confrontation to a prevailing orthodoxy. MML scholarship is based not on content but on a cognition all sighted people share, which implies that the perpetuation of a universal problem (most people using PowerPoint use it the same way) faces a universal challenge.

Copyright Dr. David Roberts 2017

When dominant orthodoxies and beliefs are challenged, it is a normal reaction to close down, go into denial and even hide from the threat. If academics have learned to teach using text for all their careers, and have not engaged with countervailing argument (for many good reasons), there is less to suggest a challenge has legitimacy. And where such a challenge implies, inaccurately, that to engage with it substantial change is required, leading to increased workloads, new technologies and other distractions from research-led hierarchies of professional expectations and incentivization/rewards systems, there is a human tendency sometimes to turn away from that challenge.

Copyright 123RF

These aren’t the only ways people resist change in academic circles. For example, it’s well-understood that academics resist pedagogic change when it threatens to undermine our professional security and/or identity (Lotz-Sisitka, et al., 2015). We can be ‘invested strongly in avoiding embarrassment, and… reluctant to adopt innovative [pedagogic] tools or practices’ (Herckis, et al., 2017). And research at Carnegie Mellon found that academics ‘need the validation of satisfied students, take student satisfaction as a sign that things are going well, fear the professional consequences of poor teaching evaluations, don’t think alternatives are a good fit, are sceptical of literature that supports alternatives, and believe that institutional support for alternatives is lacking’ (Herckis, et al., 2017). That study wasn’t alone; Deidre LeFevre (2014) and Samuel Bloom (1988) both identified similar resistances.

There are more practical, immediate concerns at work here as well. I’ve had the chance, when consulting to universities here and in the US, to talk with people about their feelings on the subject. A common strand in these conversations concerns copyright, and rightly so. We fear being ‘done’ for copyright infringement, especially if there is an associated consequence professionally-speaking, and especially when the provenance of an image may be unclear or unstated. It’s worth reminding ourselves that, in a very real sense, we already have expertise in dealing with such issues because as academics we are carefully and highly trained not to plagiarise. We routinely execute an automatic, inbuilt responsibility to ourselves and our profession to attribute the work of others to their rightful owners, and this is no different. We can check for Creative Commons licences by filtering our searches accordingly. Google’s Advanced Image Search allows such control; Flickr states the use rights on or near each image; and subscription sites like 123RF (paid for out of School budgets rather than our pockets) are clear about non-commercial use of images. Other sites like Pixabay and Pexels allow a choice of attribution of their images.

In short, copyright is a technical issue that can be adapted to our needs and is no obstacle to the legal and acceptable use of images. Another common concern has been the time investment required to adopt MML approaches. The first thing I’d say is, ‘it isn’t compulsory’. It’s a choice we can make. The second thing I’d raise is that we can spend as much or as little time as we want on such projects. The third thing I’d say is, we invest a lot of time in creating lectures anyway and we update them as we go. Conversion or adaptation doesn’t have to be instant, it can be something done over time. The last thing I’d say is, just reducing visible text on each slide will reduce cognitive overloading, and that doesn’t take a huge amount of time and the input we make will be valued by our students.

Conclusion

We won’t be reversing the pictorial turn any time soon, if at all. Some have even argued that new technologies will merge text and images in radical ways (Lester, 2014). Resistance, as they say, is futile, but how we respond to change is up to us. The main grounds of resistance that can be substantiated are not presently directed at the pedagogy itself. They reflect other concerns external to MML research and scholarship. Are these good enough reasons to ignore the peer-reviewed research and the implications for our students’ learning experiences?

Bibliography

• Adams, C., 2006. PowerPoint, habits of mind, and classroom culture. Journal of Curriculum studies, 38(4), pp. 389-411.
• Bartscha, R. & Cobern, K. M., 2003. Effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations in lectures. Computers & Education, Volume 41, pp. 77-86.
• Blin, F. & Munro, M., 2008. Why hasn’t technology disrupted academics’ teaching practices? Understanding resistance to change through the lens of activity theory. Computers and Education, 50(2), pp. 475-490.
• Bloom, S., 1988. Structure and Ideology in Medical Education: An Analysis of Resistance to Change. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 29(4), pp. 294-306.
• Elen, J., Lindblom-Ylanne, S. & Clement, M., 2007. Faculty Development in Research‐Intensive Universities: The role of academics’ conceptions on the relationship between research and teaching. International Journal for Academic Development, 12(2), pp. 129-139.
• Felten, P. & Little, D., 2010. Advocate: When Images Rule. [Online]
  Available at: http://www.nea.org/home/37004.htm?q=deandra
  [Accessed 25 August 2017].
• Geschwind, L. & Brostrom, A., 2015. Managing the teaching–research nexus: ideals and practice in research-oriented universities. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(1), pp. 60-73.
• Goldfarb, B., 2002. Visual Pedagogy: Media Cultures in and beyond the Classroom. Durham (US): Duke University Press.
• Havergal, C., 2015. Lego: the building blocks of university teaching?. [Online]
  Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/lego-the-building-blocks-of-university-teaching
  [Accessed 5 September 2017].
• Herckis, L., Scheines , R. & Smith, J., 2017. Failure to embrace new teaching techniques not just about fear of embarrassment. [Online]
  Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/academics-fail-change-teaching-due-fear-looking-stupid
  [Accessed 24 August 2017].
• Hopper, K. & Waugh, J. B., 2014. PowerPoint: An overused technology deserving of criticism but indispensible. Educational Technology: the magazine for managers of change in education, Volume September-October, pp. 29-34.
• Hutchings, M. & Quinney, A., 2015. The Flipped Classroom, Disruptive Pedagogies, Enabling Technologies and Wicked Problems: Responding to “The Bomb in the Basement”. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 13(2), pp. 106-119.
• Jarvis, M., 2014. Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom : A very practical guide for teachers and lecturers. London: Routledge.
• Lane, I., 2007. Change in higher education: understanding and responding to individual and organizational resistance. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 34(2), pp. 85-92.
• Le Fevre, D., 2014. Barriers to implementing pedagogical change: The role of teachers’ perceptions of risk. Teaching and Teacher Education, 38(2), pp. 56-65.
• LeFevre, D., 2014. Barriers to implementing pedagogical change: The role of teachers’ perceptions of risk. Teaching and Teacher Education, 38(2), pp. 56-64.
• Lester, P., 2014. Visual communication: Images with messages. 6th ed. New York: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• Little, D., Felten, P. & Berry, C., 2010. Liberal Education in a Visual World. Liberal Education, 96(2), p. 44–49..
• Little, D., Felten, P. & Berry, C., 2015. Editors’ notes. In: C. Wehlburg, ed. Looking and learning: visual literacy across the disciplines. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 1-6.
• Lotz-Sisitka, H. et al., 2015. Transformative, transgressive social learning: rethinking higher education pedagogy in times of systemic global dysfunction. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 16(1), pp. 73-80.
• Mitu, B., 2016. Students get to grips with Lego to improve brain power. [Online]
  Available at: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/about-us/news-and-events/latest-news/2016/february-2016/students-get-to-grips-with-lego-to-improve-brain-power.php
  [Accessed 5 September 2017].
• Newland, B. & Byles, L., 2014. Changing academic teaching with Web 2.0 technologies. Innovations in Education and Teaching International , 5(3), pp. 315-325.
• Sterling, S., 2004. Higher Education, Sustainability, and the Role of Systemic Learning. In: Higher Education and the Challenge of Sustainability. Dordrecht: Kluwer, pp. 49-70.
• Thomas, E., Place, N. & Hillyard, C., 2008. Students and teachers learning to see Part 1: Using Visual Images in the College Classroom to Promote Students’ Capacities and Skills. College Teaching, 56(1), pp. 23-27.
• Tietje, L. & Cresap, S., 2005. Radical Pedagogy. [Online]
  Available at: http://www.radicalpedagogy.org/radicalpedagogy.org/Hegemonic_Visualism.html
  [Accessed 18 May 2015].
• Turkle, S., 2004. How Computers Change the Way We Think. The Chronicle of Higher Education , 50(21), pp. 26-28.

Formula Student l Focus Series

Monty, chair for Loughborough’s Formula Student team, tells us all about what it’s like to build and race a formula racing car – and why he hopes to see you at the Freshers bazaar!

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AU Dance l Focus Series

We talk to Livi, the Media Rep for AU Dance. She tells us all about her experience as a member, and why you won’t regret heading down to their taster sessions and auditions this year!

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AU Women's Hockey l Focus Series

We talk to Emma from the AU Women’s Hockey committee to find out why you should give a taster session a go this Freshers week, and what it’s like to be a team member!

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AU Trampolining l Focus Series

Jodi from AU Trampolining tells us all about the sport, and what it’s like to be a member of the club. If you want to compete, or just fancy a bounce and a laugh, then Trampolining might be the sport for you.

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Malaysian and Singaporean Society l Focus Series

We talk to Hope on the committee for the Malaysian and Singaporean Society. If you’re looking for a “home away from home” during your time in Loughborough and the chance to make new friends, this society is exactly what you’re looking for.

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Shakespeare Society l Focus Series

Shakespeare Society‘s social secretary Michael tells us all about how he first got involved in the society – and the great friends he’s made in the process! If you like performing, or fancy yourself as a backstage or technical whizz, this is definitely a society worth looking into.

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Sikh Society l Focus Series

We talk to Ranbir from Sikh Society about her experience as a member. If you want to connect with students with similar beliefs, or learn more about the Sikh faith then this society is the one for you.

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How to Evidence Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Paula Gamble-Schwarz and colleagues on the Foundation Art & Design programme were delighted to this year to be one of the recipients of the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In the post below, Paula explains and shares their successful application template, which can act as a guide for programme teams.

I believe that within the one year Foundation Programme (SAED), we continually evidence a professional and meaningful level of contact, stimulation, challenge and achievement which can be supported by analysis of our student outcomes, staff collaboration, student support and academic culture. Students achieve through the implementation of our ongoing programme of excellence. Foundation staff are engaged and active in their modelling, mentoring, mutual appreciation, productive action and achievement of learner outcomes (evidenced in Ofsted report). I would like to be considered for the VC’S Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in recognition of the outstanding learning outcomes and achievements that I support via my team across the Foundation Programme.

Girls Into STEM

The sixth form college I went to has consistently been considered one of the best colleges in the country, indeed this year they were ranked by the department of education as the second best in the country. When I was there, over a decade ago, out of a class size of approximately 15 students, I was one of only 3 girls in my maths class and one of only two in my physics class. Those girls went on to university to study textiles, architecture and medicine. However, these only represent the top set in the school and indeed the number of girls in the lower sets were slightly higher, but not by much.

The number of girls going on to study maths and science at A-level has been increasing over the years but it’s often difficult to visualise these numbers in reality. In 2016 the percentage of girls taking A-level physics was 21.6% [1] (this has been roughly the same since 1985) and girls taking A-level maths was 39% [2] as a proportion of those studying that particular subject. So, according to these percentages, out of a class of 15 students, there would be 3.24 girls in a physics and 5.85 in a maths class.

Considering that there is a shortage globally of people qualified in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and that all signs point to these areas being where skills will be required for the future of human progress, it is paramount that we work to encourage diversity and increase participation in STEM.

In the middle of July, Loughborough ran a residential programme, which I was a part of, called Girls into STEM. It was a four-day programme with 26 year-10 girls from 4 different schools from around the region. The girls were divided up into groups of four, each with a student ambassador who was studying in a STEM related subject, to look after and guide them. The groups were small enough so that we could really get to know the girls and engage with them fully, and them us.

The programme was set around a group project which encompassed them having to research and design how they would set up a sustainable community of 40 people on a fictional island. Throughout the four days, workshops and lectures were set up to discuss the various options and problems that they would need to deal with, such as energy, water, shelter and transportation.

I had the loveliest set of girls from Rutland (smallest county in England – FYI), who wanted to make their island not just functional but also chilled out and peaceful. They elected to call it Zen Island and decided that their priorities should be designed around a framework of community engagement and cohesion. It wasn’t enough to just make the island habitable, people should want to add to the community and thrive there.

Several of the girls were very talented at drawing and it was so interesting to see how they visualised the houses on their island, what they placed emphasis on and how they managed to solve problems. Science is all about collaboration and team work, no project or lab work is done in isolation. All the girls acted like a team and worked together so that each added to the group project equally and shared ideas openly.

At the end of the week, the groups were asked to give a presentation on how each group had designed their island and the ideas behind it. The breadth of ideas and the depth of thought that had gone into each island was truly impressive. The girls engaged whole heartedly with the project and came up with some innovative, fascinating and sometimes amusing ideas.

When I was at sixth form, my physics teacher put me forward for a summer residential for girls in engineering and it was the influence that those mentors had on me at that channelled me into perusing a career in science. It is my hope that the girls who came to our Girls Into STEM residential will be equally inspired to see themselves seek a future in science. Preferably physics but them again I’m biased. Lol.

“We look at science as something very elite, which only a few people can learn. That’s just not true. You just have to start early and give kids a foundation. Kids live up, or down, to expectations.” -Mae Jemison (first Black woman in space)

Pole Fitness Society | Focus Series

Libby, the promo rep for Pole Fitness Society tells us all about her experience. If you’re interested in improving your fitness or you want to enter competitions and showcases – Pole may be for you!

Continue reading

Hello world!

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Dr Huw Edwards on the 'Economists for Free Trade' report

What many people do not realise is that the biggest gains from free trade come from a country eliminating its own trade barriers against imports from the rest of this world. Indeed, most people think the opposite: that the big gains come fromother countries lowering their trade barriers against our exports. But this is quite wrong for a country like the UK, which though the fifth biggest in the world, is stillrather small relative to the world economy – about 3% of it. Why is this?

British Standards Online - Change of Access

Due to technical issues, access to British Standards Online will now require a valid Athens username & password to log in, replacing access via IP address. This applies to access both on and off campus.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Winning in the third year!

So it’s now August, and soon a lot of you will be finding out where you are going to university. Some of you are looking for graduate jobs, placements, internships, taking a gap year or studying abroad.  Continue reading

Database Trial - ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Our latest online resource trial is courtesy of Proquest’s Historical Newspaper platform and features the archives of the venerable New York Tribune / Herald Tribune.

Horace Greeley, founder, of the New York Tribune, was arguably one of the most colorful and powerful publishers of his time. His editorials influenced the abolishment of slavery, plagued presidents and politicians, and encouraged the settlement of the West. His newspaper featured revolutionary thinkers such as Margaret Fuller, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels. Reform-minded Greeley, whose newspaper had a circulation of more than a quarter of a million by the 1860s, helped form the Republican Party and ran for president in 1872.

Today’s knowledge seekers will find ProQuest’s coverage of the New York Tribune ideal for researching key events of the 19th and 20th centuries, from pre-Civil War tensions and U.S. internationalism to the fight for women’s rights and the completion of the Panama Canal. In addition to politics and reform, this newspaper also reports on the arts, New York society, sports, business and finance, and much more, making it a valuable resource for scholars in many fields.

To begin searching go to:

https://search.proquest.com/hnpnewyorktribunefull/advanced/?accountid=12152

Access is via IP address (or use the VPN from off-campus) and the trial runs to 28th September 2017.

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk with your comments.

Visitor Advice for Disruption on Campus During School Games, 28th August - 3rd September

The 2017 School Games are being held on campus next week, from Thursday 31st August to Sunday 3rd September inclusive. Visitors should be aware that in order to allow for set up, operation and de-rig of the School Games, some car parks and roads across campus will be fully or partially closed. There are also likely to be increased noise levels on campus at certain times and in particular areas.

Specific to Library visitors, the Library Car Park will be partially closed to visitors from Tuesday 29^th August to Sunday 3^rd September, and Car park 3 (opposite the Library, to the rear of Burleigh Court) will be partially closed from Monday 28^th August – Sunday 3^rd September.

On Thursday 31st August between 4pm-10pm, University Road from the Security Junction to the bottom of Manzoni Hill will be closed for the Opening Ceremony.

Further information about the event can be found on the link below:

http://schoolgamesfinals.org/2017/08/21/2017-schedule/

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience.

Database Trial - Academic OneFile and Other Gale Resources

We have a complete package of databases under the microscope this coming month courtesy of the Gale Group.

Academic OneFile is the premier source of peer-reviewed full-text scholarly content across the academic disciplines. With millions of articles available in both PDF and HTML full-text, Academic OneFile is both authoritative and comprehensive.

The trial also includes several other resources including InfoTrac Newsstand, General OneFile, Scribner Writer Series and Twayne’s Authors Series.

To begin searching go to:

http://find.galegroup.com/menu/commonmenu.do?userGroupName=loughuni

– and select the database from the menu. Access is via IP address (or use Athens from off-campus) and the trial runs to 22nd September 2017.

We welcome feedback – good or bad – on this trial, please contact Steve Corn – s.c.corn@lboro.ac.uk – with your comments.

10 things as old as our 2017 Freshers

Toy Story 2

Building on the massive popularity of Toy Story released in 1995, Toy Story 2 released in November 1999, grossing over $497 million worldwide. BUT I DON’T WANNA USE MY HEAD!

The Euro

The Euro wasn’t introduced as a physical currency until 2002, but was introduced to world financial markets in 1999. Today, 19 countries use the Euro, and it’s the second most-traded currency after the dollar.

By Avij (talk · contribs) – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30112364

Family Guy

Family Guy was cancelled in 2003 after three series, but brought back in 2005 after positive DVD sales. It’s now in its fifteenth series!

First version of MSN Messenger released

A staple for any childhood; MSN Messenger was the backbone of teenage communications before the likes of Facebook and Whatsapp. Don’t even get us started on people who nudged non-stop…

SpongeBob Squarepants

Fun fact – SpongeBob Squarepants was created by marine biologist & animator Stephen Hillenburg, and it launched in May, 1999 on Nickelodeon! Pretty sure everybody knows the first few lines of the theme song…

Blue (Da Ba Dee)

One of the strangest, but most iconic songs of all time? With an equally weird video to boot. Relive it below.

First Elections for Scottish Parliament

Following years of negotiations, devolution of power finally took place in 1999 with the first elections taking place for the new Scottish national seat of power in Edinburgh.

By © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30460982

Star Wars Episode One

The first in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and the first Star Wars film since Return of the Jedi, 16 years earlier. True classic, or worst film ever? We’ll let you decide.

Millennium – Backstreet Boys

The third album released by the five-piece boyband, it introduced classics such as “I Want It That Way”, “Larger Than Life” and “The One”, released in May 1999.

The Matrix

Released in March, 1999, and widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. What was with that spoon scene?

Library Opening Hours During the Bank Holiday & Special Assessment Period

Just to remind all of our visitors that the Library will be CLOSED along with the rest of the University during the entire Bank Holiday this coming weekend, and that we will not be re-opening until Wednesday 30th August.

This will coincide with the beginning of the Special Assessment Period, when the Library will be temporarily extending its opening hours to 9am – 8pm on weekdays from Wednesday 30th August to Thursday 7th September. Please note we remain closed at weekends. From Friday 8th September we return to our usual vacation opening times for the remainder of September.

Updates to Windows 7 Managed service

On Wednesday 23rd August  we will start to update Wireless Drivers on Windows 7 Laptops on the Windows 7 Managed Service. This work is part of the Wireless Refresh project which has been running over the Summer. It is hoped that updating to the latest drivers will improve the service for everyone. This update is postponable. It should not require a reboot.

The roll out schedule is :-
23rd Aug. Professional Service and External
25th Aug. Schools A-M
5th Sept. All remaining Windows 7

On Friday 25th  we will start updating Java to version 8 update 131. This should improve security.

The rollout schedule is:-
25th Aug. Professional Service and External
5th Sept. Schools A-M
7th Sept. All remaining Windows 7

If you have any queries regarding this, please contact the IT Service Desk on x222333 or IT.Services@lboro.ac.uk

Top cities to visit before you leave the UK

There are so many beautiful places in the UK. It’s impossible not to fall in love with them. Continue reading

LexisNexis Maintenance Downtime, 26th-27th August

LexisNexis will be performing some necessary maintenance to their database infrastructure on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of August 2017. This means that between 05:00 (BST) on Saturday 26th August and 19:00 on Sunday 27th of August, users may experience difficulty accessing their LexisNexis service.

LexisNexis apologise for any inconvenience in advance of this planned maintenance.

Time to start fixing the broken safety net that no longer catches struggling families

Families on low incomes are once again bearing the brunt of a tough economic environment. Over the past decade, rising costs of items such as food, energy and childcare, combined with stagnating wages and cuts in benefits, have repeatedly put a squeeze on family budgets.  Between 2014 and 2016, some of these pressures eased, as inflation sank to zero and pay started to grow again.  But now that inflation has returned, for the first time in post-war history the increasing cost of a child is being combined with a freeze in all financial support for children.  The failure to uprate either benefits, tax credits or the wage levels at which tax credits are withdrawn means that inflation is bound to erode modest family incomes both in and out of work.

The gradual fall in living standards that this produces will be worsened by other benefit cuts that come in over the next few years, for different families at different times. For a start, the phasing out of the ‘family element’ of Child Tax Credit (and its equivalent in Universal Credit) will eventually result in all low income families getting over £500 a year less from the state than at present.  Since this only applies to families whose oldest child was born in April 2017 or later, it hits families with the youngest children first, with the effect spreading gradually through the population.  The restriction of tax credit entitlements to a maximum of two children is also being phased in, affecting only third children born from this year on, but will clobber families much more severely, with a loss of nearly £2,800 a year per child.  Some existing larger families who escape this cut have nevertheless had their income severely reduced this year (by anything up to £6,000) by the severe reduction in the benefit cap.

My latest report on the cost of a child takes stock of these trends, and the effects they will have on parents’ ability to provide for their children effectively.  For some families in work, improved support for childcare and a higher minimum wage partially offsets the losses incurred as a result of the above cuts.  But for those relying on benefits as a ‘safety net’ when they are not working, the level of this net is being progressively lowered over time.  On present policies, the support that it provides will sink below half of what families need as a minimum sometime early in the 2020s – having in contrast provided about two thirds of their requirements at the start of the present decade.  There comes a point when a ‘safety net’ stops being worthy of its name because it is no longer enough to provide even the bare essentials of modern life.  The evidence shows that when income sinks this low, most families can only escape severe material hardship either by going into debt or by getting help from extended family members.

We are about to enter a new parliamentary season, led by a government that survived by the skin of its teeth after a disgruntled electorate failed to give it the clear majority that it sought. Raising family living standards has been at the heart of the political promise to improve people’s lives.  The benefits freeze alone seems to contradict this promise by creating a downward escalator for the half of families relying on some kind of means-tested benefit or tax credit, in combination with Child Benefit.  For those who are ‘just about managing’, and particularly for others who are not managing at all, the clearest signal that Philip Hammond could give in his Autumn Budget that he is starting to reverse the direction of that escalator would be to restore a system of benefit upratings.  This would at least allow incomes to keep up with living costs, stopping things from getting systematically worse, and giving a stable foundation on which measures to improve living standards could build.

Ink and Paper

On the 17^th of August the A-level results will be released and for the thousands of students, it will be the day that signifies the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Continue reading

What is CSR?

If you have been following my blogs, then you will know that I am currently on placement as a Junior Graphic Designer for Johnson and Johnson. I have really enjoyed the first few weeks as the company has supported me and given me a lot of responsibility.

As Johnson and Johnson are a well-renowned business with an incredible reputation, the ethics of the company are well voiced in their Credo, well worth a look if you are studying a business related degree.

As part of this, campuses (there are several across England covering the pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer side of the business – J&J is not just baby powder!) are placed in some of the most deprived areas of the UK, which means that employees can go out and help the local community. Each employee gets five CSR days each year. Now I guess I should explain what CSR is!

CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. Therefore, employees within the company help the community around them to make the area a better place and to bring happiness to those who are less fortunate. There are chosen charities who we can help but there is also the option to individually help in a situation you are aware of.

For one of our CSR days, I chose to help the charity for the elderly and took part in a ‘Build your team’ event. This involved myself and the rest of the marketing team (there were seven of us) going out to the local community centre and tidying up the garden.

As a team, we got stuck in and it wasn’t long before I was covered in mud, fighting with a particularly tricky weed! It was so much fun and we were all very motivated and keen for the garden to look as best as it could.

It was time for a lunch break where we had fish and chips to fill us up and give us lots of energy to continue with the day.

By the end of the afternoon, the garden was very neat and tidy with the addition of some tables and chairs, hanging baskets and potted flowers. We were very pleased with what we had achieved and the whole experience brought us together, as a team, and we had a lot of fun in the garden despite the pouring rain.

There is a lot you can get out of days like this and I would urge anyone who has the opportunity to get involved with charity work to do so. It is rewarding but also helps other people in the community to feel cared for. CSR is not just exclusive to Johnson and Johnson and is an initiative carried out within a lot of businesses across the UK.

Get stuck in and get involved!

I’d like to add a little note on the end here to wish all of those getting their A level results and GCSE results the best of luck. There is nothing to worry about. As long as you do your best, that is all that matters. Grades are not the be all and end all and as I hope to show you on my placement, experience is just as valuable, if not more important, as you are in the environment and putting your skills to the test in real life situations. I urge you all to get volunteering and gain experience that way so that you can learn about employment as well as helping those around you.

#LboroGrad2017 - my graduation story

Hi guys! Hope you have made use of the rare sunshine and taken time to chill with families and friends. Results days is approaching soon. I am sure you must be nervous yet excited about it. I wish the best of luck for you guys. Bear in mind if you’ve got any questions, issues or enquiries pop up, Loughborough Student Support and relevant department contacts are more than welcome to answer your enquiries.

With you guys excited to step away from teenage years, I am also stepping into the proper adulthood after my graduation in July. In this blog, I am going to share my graduation day experience.

From Hong Kong to the UK

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Do I have to be sporty to go to Loughborough?

Simply: No, but I URGE you to get involved as joining AU Athletics, learning to Salsa dance with Salsa society, and meeting even more friends at classes, brought me some of my best experiences at university. Continue reading

Time flies... IAAF Championship and graduation

Time flies when you’re having fun, so the saying goes, but it’s also true for when you get caught up in a lot of things, you fail to notice as the hours and days zip past. It’s become a relentless journey in trying to keep abreast and on top of situations.

That has been the story of the past few weeks. You only have to look at how far we’ve come this year to realise the concept of time – We’re already 8 months into the year. Christmas is around the corner, and 2018 is just about 4-plus months away. January 2017 felt like some weeks ago!

World Athletics Championship London 2017 – Volunteering, Lboro/Lboro-based athletes

One of the things that has made these past few days and weeks enjoyable (in the sense of taking a break from work) is the World Championships in Athletics that took place in London. Loughborough University, as is the norm in all these events around the world, have some students or Loughborough University-based athletes competing in these events. The world championship was no exception. It was very nice to see these athletes excel in the games and bring joy to millions around the world.

I will always remember the opportunity (which unfortunately I had to turn down due to my research work ☹) to be at these games as a volunteer. This opportunity came due to the university having another campus close to the event. We had the chance to participate in the organisation of the event, and who knows, maybe meet athletes such as Mo Farah, Usain Bolt, Morgan Lake and others. I hope there will be other opportunities before I graduate.

Graduation ceremonies – #LboroGrad2017

One of the perks of being around on campus during summer break is the summer graduation ceremonies. It’s such a wonderful experience, especially for the graduands and their families to share the special day. I celebrated with some of my research colleagues that graduated by joining them for organised lunch and dinner on campus and in restaurants in the centre of Loughborough town. The joy of putting in all the efforts had been rewarded, and they had their families and friends to share such a moment with. I also envisaged how mine will be and the kind of party/celebration I would organise once I get my certificate.

Over the 4 days of graduation ceremonies, I also did a paid volunteering job for these occasions by helping the celebrants and their families pose for pictures with wonderfully crafted signs to celebrate the occasion. They were encouraged to put it on social media, and it was so much fun seeing proud mums and dads posing with specific placards to show their support and express their joys.

It also highlights the various cultures of the world, as friends and families come from all parts of the world to share the joy. It throws up wonderful attires people adorn, and their cultures and traditions, such that it becomes a wonderful learning experience.

Mixed summer (weather)

As is the norm here in the U.K., the weather acts funny, even though we are supposed to be enjoying summer, there are times when it gets confusing. One of such scenarios played out during the graduation ceremony. One of the days was almost a complete washout, but such can never dampen the joy of graduation. Families braved the weather to ensure they have their pictures taken, and generally enjoy their day. To be fair though, it’s been an amazing summer so far in terms of weather.

Exam Results

I would like to wish all the students the very best with their exam results. I know the anticipation that comes with waiting to know if the hard work put into preparations for exams has paid off. It’s always a rollercoaster of emotions for some, and a mighty relief for others, but in all, I’m sure all will be well.

Till next time….

David

My Experience as a Recipient of the Loughborough Employability Award

The Loughborough Employability Award will help you to stand out from the crowd. It provides you with a framework through which you can record your co-curricular activities and reflect on the employability skills you have developed (LEA, 2017).

Continue reading

Summertime madness

It is crazy to me that the academic year is over. Exams are finished, lectures are done and FND’s are now no more until October – I’ll miss you so very much Cogs. Continue reading

Summer update: Funding a PhD

Over the past couple of months, I have been up and down to Newcastle interviewing for jobs so that I can return to full-time employment. Continue reading

Australia study-exchange

And just like that, the six greatest months of my life are over, my study-exchange in Sydney has come to an end. Continue reading

Dear future Loughborough students - a current student’s top tips

I really quite like my University, and being someone who doesn’t like change I would quite like to keep it that way! So here are a few top tips for you, future Loughborough students who hold the fate of our beloved Loughborough in your youthful, lucky, (I’m not bitter) hands. Continue reading