The Dirty Hands University

2009 saw the Facebook,the iPhone and the Nuffield report "Education for All" released for mass consumption. All of these had been under development for several years beforehand, but sadly, only the fist two have gone on to be widely appreciated and adopted globally. The report  "EDUCATION FOR ALL THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR 14-19 YEAR OLDS", looked at the readiness of graduates for a variety of pathways to employment and further study. It contained a number of disturbing findings - and 5 major recommendations. The findings for Britain, now almost a decade old, are echoed fresh and almost daily from many countries around the world.  The recommendations remain as compelling and relevant as ever, 

But there are pockets of progress, the future of education is here, its just poorly distributed.

I think it useful to revisit these recommendations and explore some initiatives that are working in the spirit of these strategies.

In the executive summary the report states

...... what matters ... is how these essential knowledge, capabilities and qualities are translated into the learning experience of young people, into the curriculum, into the role and training of teachers, into the ‘indicators’ by which schools and colleges are judged...

The report then presents five demands:

•  The re-assertion of a broader vision of education 

•  System performance indicators ‘fit for purpose’, 

•  The re-distribution of power and decision-making 

•  The creation of strongly collaborative local learning systems 

•  The development of a more unified system of qualifications 

Seem Familiar?

An emphasis on the process and experience of LEARNING, the ROLE and TRAINING of teachers, and the need for APPROPRIATE metrics. These combined with a BROADER VISION for education, and stronger COLLABORATIVE LOCAL learning system with the ability to formally recognise a broader set of skills, many of which are self acquired in the spirit of LIFE LONG LEARNING..

On my recent visit to Bangkok, I was able to facilitate in a small way a collaboration that is working in the spirit of these recommendations.  One that is clearly seeking to address the types of challenges identified in the Nuffield report and so many others like it.

The National Science Museum in Thailand (NSM) is a significant force in science communication and general science engagement across Thailand, and increasingly the region. They take touring exhibitions and programs, many modelled on examples I helped shape in Australia over the previous decades. They have a strong presence and leadership role at the national science festival, one that runs for s week or so, and sees several hundred thousand visitors. They have a modest in house exhibition development and fabrication team - researchers, designers, technical and trades people. But while they are maturing and developing THEIR SKILLS, and I have the pleasure of mentoring them during the process, they are far too small a group to meet all the demands of the organisation.

NSM has in the past met its need for exhibition development through hiring existing exhibitions, and contracting the work out to commercial firms. For one of the current projects they are piloting a new model, extending a relationship with a nearby university RMUTT..(Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi), and broadening the nature of their collaborations. This parallels a number of similar collaborations i have been involved in, between science centres and informal learning organisations and universities for example Questacon with ANU, and University Canberra, University of Brunei Darasalem and the Shell  Oil and Gas Discovery Centre..

NSM is working with input from other members of the ASPAC network of  science centres to develop an exhibition profiling the important cultural, scientific and technical aspects of Rice. NSM and RMUTT will be working together to develop and produce the exhibition. The university is strongly supported in this process by their President Prof. Prasert Pinpathomrat. 

Supporting the NSM-RMUTT collaboration
Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi

The university is pulling together a team of academic and technical staff from the schools of architecture, engineering and more to service the development of the exhibition. I have been able to facilitate  the initial stages of the formation of the partnership, and provide some specific training to both NSM and RMUTT staff in the challenges of and strategies for tackling such an exhibition. 

The development of interactive exhibitions is such a demanding example of STEM, requiring communication, problem solving, design, research, psychology, engineering, industrial and interior design. It is great when this opportunity is taken up as part of capacity building within the staff and students of an education system.

Presentation of first concepts for the Rice exhibition by RMUTT

But the collaboration has taken a further step, with RMUTT also embracing the opportunity to integrate aspects of hands on enquiry learning, into their other courses. NSM has been providing science communication training, and RMUTT are now looking to integrate some of enquiry based STEM centred workshops into their education faculty, and so influence the nature of the teachers they are training, most of which focus on STEM related education. to learning, 

Prof Pinpathomrat has kindly invited me to present a key note about these learning strategies and partnerships at an up coming international innovation in education conference, and I hope to be able to take up the offer. The university is also offering to partner with me for a series of teacher and pre-service teacher workshops that I will be bringing to a number of countries in South East Asia later this year. I will be continuing to work to bring the best of informal and formal learning together, and the best way to do this is with willing partnerships such as this.

Some organisations have a culture that is more pre-disposed to see the value of these approaches. RMUTT and University of Canberra ( where I hold an Adjunct position within the STEM+education faculty) both have their origins as colleges of advanced and technical education. And have in heir DNA the understanding of the value of active participate learning through doing, and a clear line of sight to the practical demands of the communities into which their graduates go. But universities of many types are taking up the benefits that come from the informal sector, and I'm especially excited by the project I will be undertaking soon, to help establish a hands on mathematics thread as part of the curriculum from primary school teachers within Brunei, through my work with the education faculty of UBD.

I will be working to find ways to bring this type of approach to learning and training to more communities, and looking for the right partnerships to help this start.. and continue.

Technicians at NSM sharing some concepts for an exhibit to support  an enquiry into the motion of pendulums.

I will finish with some insights from the Nuffield report.. I'm biased, but I see the efforts being adopted by NSM and RMUTT - and others like them..are working in this direction, and I'm pleased to be able to help.

All learners will have to become more rounded, resilient, creative and social,
if they are to help shape an increasingly unpredictable and demanding world.