What is "From the Digital Desk" all about?

Higher education has come a long way, even in the last 10 years. No longer sufficient to teach by "sage on the stage" or to assess by "a darkened room and parchment", as educators we have to start to recognise that methods of teaching and assessment must move on to reflect a rapidly changing world. With such easy and instant access to information, testing how much a person knows does not necessarily mean they actually understand that knowledge or know how to use it. Likewise, telling them things you feel they should know doesn't necessarily mean they are developing the other skills necessary apply that knowledge appropriately.

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But with all that change in how they learn, how we teach, how we assess, and all the other enhancements to the university experience, comes more work, more burden, and more stress. So to tackle both sides of the equation we need to adapt how we work and how we do what needs to be done to ensure robust academic standards and a quality student experience.

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That's where digital education and ways of working come in. And that's what I, and this site, are all about - taking challenges and coming up with simple solutions, taking the ways of old and evolving them to suit a world of tomorrow while keeping their spirit. Making light work of the burdens that can drag down our enthusiasm to teach and to work to the best of our ability. So have a look through the video gallery of ideas and approaches and tips; read the blog entries on thoughts about how we should navigate this infinitely busy world of higher education; let me know your thoughts and ideas.