M&M Podcast: Discussions from Edinburgh at the Intersections of Education and Technology

The twenty-seventh episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast sees us talking with Dr Tracey Madden about her really important work at the university on accessibility, universal design and more. Tracey is a Learning Technology Advisor in the Educational Design and EngagementLearning, Teaching and Web Services department at the University of Edinburgh. It is hard to overstate how good Tracey is at what she does and to what range she does her work. In this particular episode, we talk about accessibility with educational technology but we could easily have her on to talk at length about any number of subjects, universal design included. Thanks so much Tracey! If you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore some of the themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration back and forth. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well. 

The twenty-sixth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast sees us talking with Dr Glaire Anderson about her incredible work at the intersections of the digital, history, art and architecture. Dr Anderson is Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art, History of Art at the Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh and just an all around really really interesting person. Some of Dr. Anderson's projects, which we discuss a bit in the podcast, are below. all of which are worth looking into in greater depth than we could gather in the 30 minutes we chatted. Digital Lab for Islamic Visual CultureThe Digital Munya ProjectHistory and Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh and on FacebookPlease do give them a look (and purchase the upcoming game called Viking in the Sun (preview image below but do check out the Facebook page to learn more). Thanks so much Dr Anderson! If you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore some of the themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well. 

The twenty-fifth episode (we think) of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast sees us talking with Ewan McAndrew (Wikimedian in Residence) and Clea Strathmann (Open data and knowledge equity Intern). A really good discussion around the role of entities like Wikipedia in knowledge equity in HE and beyond. Some more information about some of the activity happening at the University of Edinburgh around this below. Wikimedian in ResidenceWikipedia:University_of_EdinburghVideos and video tutorialsWikimedian in Residence channelNew booklet of UK Case StudiesIf you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore some of the themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well. 

The twenty-fourth episode (we think) of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast sees us talking with the exceptionally gracious Lorna Campbell. Lorna has a long standing commitment to supporting open education technology, policy and practice; she founded the Open Scotland initiative, co-chaired the OER16 Open Culture Conference, and is the driving force behind the Scottish Open Education Declaration. Lorna is also a Trustee of Wikimedia UK. Lorna's blog, Open World, can be found at lornamcampbell.org. A few of the initiatives that Lorna mentioned are:Open.EdWikimedian in ResidenceAssociation for Learning TechnologyPlease do give them a look. Thanks so much Lorna! If you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore some of the themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well.

The twenty-third episode (we think) of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast brings us back after an unintentional six month hiatus to lay out the themes which we will explore in subsequent episodes. If you are interested in speaking with us, please do reach out to michael.s.gallagher@ed.ac.uk. Otherwise stay tuned as we explore six very important themes that recent events have surfaced and accelerated in all this digital migration. Here is hoping this podcast finds you well. 

On the twenty-second episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast we are revisited by India Somerside who is a 4th year student at the University of Edinburgh. We discuss the pandemic pivot impact on student life, hybrid learning and the realities of how the semester unfolded. A very insightful conversation and many thanks to India for guiding us here.As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The twenty-first episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast brings us back to the reason the podcast started in the first place: a project around automation and teaching. We discuss some of the use cases emerging from this project in a freeflowing banter befitting of the uncertainty around the topic, one that tries to capture what the university community wants from all of this. All of what we talk about is somehow captured in one of these three articles: Gallagher, M., & Breines, M. (2020). Surfacing knowledge mobilities in higher education: reconfiguring the teacher function through automation. Learning, Media and Technology, 1-13.Breines, M. R., & Gallagher, M. (2020). A return to Teacherbot: rethinking the development of educational technology at the University of Edinburgh. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-15.Gallagher, M.; Breines, M. & Blaney, M. (2020). Ontological transparency, (in)visibility, and hidden curricula: surfacing critical pedagogy through contentious edtech. Postdigital Science and Education. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The twentieth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores assessment and how this has shifted in light of Covid-19 (or not, as is sometimes the case). We are lucky enough to be joined Stuart Nicol, Head of Educational Design and Engagement at Learning, Teaching and Web Services and Karen Howie, Head of Digital Learning Applications and Media at University of Edinburgh Information Services Group.  As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

On the nineteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast we are joined by India Somerside who is a 4th year student and a summer intern in Information Services at the University of Edinburgh. We discuss the pandemic pivot impact on student life, hybrid learning and expectations for the coming semester. A very insightful conversation and many thanks to India for taking part.As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The eighteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us meeting with great colleagues from the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Dr Maryam Ismail and Said Yunus, to chat about digital education in Tanzania and building off the foundations of earlier projects on building capacity for blended learning. Dr Ismail and Said discuss Covid closures, reopenings, challenges, and a call for meaningful partnerships to bolster capacity in the region. A really good chat. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The seventeenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us discussing course design in all its glory with Jon Jack, Learning Technology Team Manager at the University of Edinburgh. Jon discusses with us how design has been working in lockdown, what design practices have been reinvented (often for the better), and what that holds for the future at the University of Edinburgh. Some of the materials that Jon is referring to can be found here: https://www.digitalservices.education.ed.ac.uk/Micropattern_minguide/#/lessons/5z3lDK0xd51AhRhI6EdX30NOSxeHEJjv. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The sixteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us discussing the tensions and pinch points of the hybrid model as well as the possibilities of renewal for our teaching and our community overall. We close with a provocation near and dear our hearts: we are the campus. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The fifteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us starting to sift through the UK sector response to Covid and the hybrid appoach we are adopting at the University of Edinburgh. It includes some of the sources of our inspiration as well (we are looking at you, UCT, SUZA, UDSM, Makerere, and Beni American University. Thank you!). As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The fourteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us trying to make amends for an earlier episode we recorded but managed to erase. We are incredibly fortunate to be joined by Anne-Marie Scott, Deputy Provost, Academic Operations at Athabasca University (and formerly Deputy Director of Learning Teaching and Web Services at Edinburgh University).As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The thirteenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast finds us lucky enough to be joined by Dr Tim Fawns, Deputy Programme Director on the MSc in Clinical Education at the University of Edinburgh. In this episode, we talk about pastoral support, the lowering of expectations, mental health, and community building online, and assessment among other topics. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The twelfth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores past work at the University of Edinburgh in online education and how all of that informed the response to moving teaching online. We are lucky enough to be joined Stuart Nicol, Head of Educational Design and Engagement at Learning, Teaching and Web Services. In this episode, we talk about past work, Covid pivots, and future thinking about how this will all work in the fall. We briefly mention a new MOOC that starts today called COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application on FutureLearn.As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The eleventh episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores the timelines of the University of Edinburgh response to moving teaching online and we are lucky enough to be joined by Karen Howie, Head of Digital Learning Applications and Media at the University of Edinburgh to discuss how we approached the 'pivot' online and what we emphasized in that process. As always, this episode is hosted by Michael Gallagher, a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education, and Myles Blaney, a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media both of the University of Edinburgh.

The tenth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores the particulars of working from home since the pandemic 'pivot' online. We wanted to take a moment to share our experiences a bit and begin to discuss how working practices have changed in the week and a half we have been working from home. The main message is hang in there everyone, stay safe, and don't be too hard on yourself. Michael Gallagher is  a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media.

The ninth episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores the expansion of the teacher function via bots in discussion with two core members of the project, Markus Breines and Marcello Crolla. We talk about the research we have conducted, the ideas emerging from the events and workshops, and what that all means for teaching at the University of Edinburgh.Michael Gallagher is  a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media. Markus Breines is a researcher working on this project from the Centre for Research in Digital Education. Marcello Crolla is an Instructional Designer with Educational Design and Engagement.

In the eighth episode of the M&M (Michael and Myles) podcast we are joined by David Creighton-Offord, the senior Information Security Consultant within the Information Security Team at the University of Edinburgh. We discuss the importance of information security and privacy regulations and how they apply to the technologies of today plus consider their role in AI and Automation.Michael Gallagher is a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media. We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.

In the sixth episode of the M&M (Michael and Myles) podcast we are again joined by Dr Jeremy Knox, the co-director of the Centre for Research in Digital Education (Data Society) and a Lecturer in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh.  We discuss the TeacherBot project Jeremy worked on from 2015-16 and reflect on bots in teaching.Michael Gallagher is a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media. We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.

In the fifth episode of the M&M (Michael and Myles) podcast we are joined by Dr Jeremy Knox, the co-director of the Centre for Research in Digital Education (Data Society) and a Lecturer in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh.  We discuss projects that Jeremy has worked on including Data Justice Week, Learning Analytics Report Card, and the impact of data on education and society.Michael Gallagher is a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media. We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.

In the fourth episode of the M&M (Michael and Myles) podcast we imagine utopian and dystopian narratives of adoption of AI within education, exploring how AI could be used and its impact upon our community at the University of Edinburgh.Michael Gallagher is a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/about/organisation/learning-teaching-web/teams/dlam. We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.

In the third episode of the M&M (Michael and Myles) podcast, we try to define the different types of artificial intelligence (AI), and discuss the narratives and overall presentation of AI in the collective imagination of education (and why all of this is important). This episode was recorded on location in Simon Laurie House at Moray House School of Education and Sport. Michael Gallagher is  a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media. We are both involved on the Expanding the Teacher Function project and the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes. 

The second episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast explores the expansion of the teacher function via bots. The podcast speculates on the role of bots, current bot deployments, bot myths and the research currently being undertaken at the university to identify possible use cases for bots.Michael Gallagher is  a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh.Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applicaitons and Media.We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investgation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.

The first episode of the Michael and Myles (M&M) podcast where we introduce ourselves and set the scene for some of the topics we will be exploring in the coming episodes.The topics themselves will vary but the immediate targets are an ongoing discussion around automation and teaching (lots of demystifying necessary there), learning analytics, and adaptive learning, all of which we are engaging with speculatively at the University.Michael Gallagher is  a Lecturer in Digital Education at the Centre for Research in Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh.Myles Blaney is a service manager in Digital Learning Applications and Media.We are both involved on the Distance Learning at Scale project which is tasked with the investigation and delivery of MicroMasters and Masters online programmes.