The Art & Science of Learning

Technology, particularly mobile technology, has enabled many of us to learn and work from anywhere and at anytime. Although this may at first seem very liberating, it raises some important considerations. For learning, content on mobile technologies requires a different design and approach. While both working and learning from anywhere, anytime, raises the importance of dedicated time and space. To discuss these issues, I am very happy to be joined by Imogen Casebourne, who brings deep knowledge in both the research and practice of workplace learning technologies. Following an initial degree in philosophy and a Masters in artificial intelligence, Imogen has worked as a writer and designer of online learning for nearly 25 years during which time she has been involved in the design of multiple courses, curriculums and authoring tools. She has designed solutions for tablets and smartphones and led the team that won gold for ‘Best Use of Mobile Learning’ at the E-Learning Awards in 2012, going on to herself win the instructional designer of the year award in 2017. Imogen is currently studying part-time for a Doctorate in Education at the University of Oxford, focusing on mobile technology in work-related learning. Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imogen-c-6170111 Article: http://www.education.ox.ac.uk/mobility-working-learning-and-place-in-a-time-of-pandemic/ Twitter: @icasebourne

Humans have not only created physical machines, but also mental machines, which my guest calls cognitive gadgets, that enable our minds to go farther, faster and in different directions than the minds of other animals. Professor Cecilia Heyes is Senior Research Fellow in psychology at All Souls College at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of the British Academy. Cecilia trained as an experimental psychologist at University College London and was a Harkness Fellow in the United States, as well as a research fellow at Trinity Hall at Cambridge University. She returned to UCL as a faculty member before coming to Oxford. Her work in experimental and theoretical psychology examines the evolution of human cognition. It explores the ways in which natural selection, learning, developmental and cultural processes combine to produce the mature cognitive abilities found in adult humans. Most of her current projects suggest that the neurocognitive mechanisms enabling cultural inheritance - social learning, imitation, mirror neurons, mind reading etc - are themselves the products of cultural evolution. In 2018 Cecilia published her latest book on these topics, titled Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking. http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ascch/index.htm  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Cognitive-Gadgets-Cultural-Evolution-Thinking/dp/0674980158  Twitter: @CeliaHeyes

 Learning in the workplace has never been as important as it is today, but very few organizations have successfully become effective learning organizations. My guest today has over 30 years of experience in this field and has helped companies around the world develop their training.Piers Lea has worked in distance learning and technology-enabled communications since the early 1980s when he was at the University of London. He founded LINE Communications in 1989 which he sold into Learning Technologies Group in 2014. He is now Chief Strategy Officer for Learning Technologies Group (LTG) and LEO (the merge between LINE and Epic), with offices around the world and has worked with the world’s biggest brands to revolutionize the learning technology landscape. As Chief Strategy Officer, Piers is responsible both for setting strategy and working with key clients.Links:https://www.ltgplc.com/about/the-board-of-directors/

 The field of learning and teaching extends far beyond the walls of a school. The way students are taught in school is defined by policy, research and practice. My guest today has had an illustrious career in all these sectors.Professor Richard Pring is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education, Oxford University. He was the Director of the department for 15 years. Since retiring 2003, he has led the Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training in the UK and several subsequent large-scale research projects. Professor Pring has had many roles in education, in research, policy and practice. His experience in education ranges from being Assistant Principal in the Further Education Branch of the Ministry of Education, teaching adolescents in a London comprehensive school, being involved from the 1970s with the Further Education Unit and with TVEI, and as a member of the £15 million ESRC research project SKOPE (Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance). He has continued to publish extensively on philosophy and educational research and vocational education and training.Links:http://www.education.ox.ac.uk/people/richard-pring/

Fostering communities in which people can connect and learn from each other is a challenging task, particularly when the community is comprised of people from around the world and with different interests. In today’s episode, my guest discusses how this can be done.Christine Fairchild is Oxford University’s Director of Alumni Relations and a Fellow of Jesus College Oxford. She is responsible for supporting links between alumni of the collegiate University and Oxford through a robust offering of events, benefits, services and communications vehicles. The University has over 350,000 known alumni, including more than 44,000 in 188 countries outside the UK. Before arriving at Oxford, Christine had over 20 years of experience in alumni relations at the Harvard Business School (HBS). She headed up External Relations at HBS, overseeing the School’s alumni outreach and fundraising activities. Christine also worked at the Harvard Art Museum.Links:https://www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/people/ms-christine-fairchild

How we deal with challenges and tragedy is reflected and informed in the stories and art of our society, this is not always the same in different cultures. What can we learn from the way ancient cultures portray challenges in life?Dr Bihani Sarkar, is a scholar of Sanskrit and ancient Indian culture, language, history and society. She is an associate faculty member of the Oriental Institute at Oxford University, and member of Wolfson College. Bihani has a doctorate in Sanskrit from Oxford University, where she focused on the cult of the warrior goddess Durga in medieval Indian kingship. This research was the basis for her first book. She has subsequently held postdoctoral fellowships at Hamburg University, was a British Academy postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University, and has been a Teaching Fellow at Leeds University. Bihani has just published her second book, titled “Classical Sanskrit Tragedy: the concept of suffering and grief in medieval India”. This book focuses on the way tragedy is dealt with in ancient Indian text, which is what we dig deeper into this episode. We will see what we can learn from these ancient texts and the way that they portrayed people overcoming mental and emotional obstacles.Links:https://www.orinst.ox.ac.uk/people/bihani-sarkarBook: Heroic Shāktism - The Cult of Durgā in Ancient Indian Kingshiphttps://global.oup.com/academic/product/heroic-shktism-9780197266106?cc=gb&lang=en&Book: Classical Sanskrit Tragedy - The Concept of Suffering and Pathos in Medieval Indiahttps://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/classical-sanskrit-tragedy-9781788311113/