Noughties

In 2000, Ultralab undertook the Talking Heads project with over one thousand head teachers joining an online community of practice, thus marking a move towards large-scale action research. Later in this decade I took on the leadership of Ultralab, participating and overseeing the development of Ultraversity - an innovative online work-focussed degree programme - and later moved to the University of Bolton to help create a university framework based on Ultraversity's success.

Table 11: Selected items from the 2000s

Portfolio reference	Aim	Contribution	Originality, Impact and Importance
[C14] Talking Heads / Virtual Heads	To design learning resources to support headteachers in embarking on an online community of practice for their continuing professional development.	I helped set up the project initially, developing the database of participants and continued to act as a mentor to the personnel involved. I also designed and developed the interactive multimedia and carried out the technical production of the CD-ROM, applying my knowledge of multiple text tracks and interactivity in Quicktime. My part: 5% (with Stephen Heppell, Leonie Ramondt, Carole Chapman, Stephen Powell and others)	These projects devised new online facilitation for the busiest of professionals as they led schools. It opened new channels of communication for heads who otherwise were rarely in contact with each other and who were distributed throughout the UK. The learning conversations that resulted lead directly to school improvement and the project laid the foundations for the National College's practice for years to come.
[C15] Summer School	To develop informal learning for digital creativity through student video production.	My role was to prepare the ground for understanding what could be achieved with new digital creativity tools and help articulate this in collaboration with colleagues in Ultralab, and when the Summer School project took off, to observe its results and feed them in to subsequent work. My part: 10% (with Stephen Heppell, Matthew Eaves and others)	This approach had been a hallmark of Ultralab's approach to new digital media since the early nineties, but was refined to include unique and key features of student-led creativity and mutual celebration, including the production of a DVD with all the outputs. This DVD was widely circulated to make impact on the children's creativity community. I am particularly proud of having led the Summer School with youth groups in Belfast. This was held in the week leading up to the 12th July parades which were catalysts for trouble. Our colleagues in Belfast pointed out that we had successfully retained the interest and celebrated the talent amongst teenagers collaborating from both sides who would otherwise be engaged in building bonfires.
[C16] Input CBBC	To design the support web site to explore the potential for students' creativity with video to be broadcast.	I took the role of co-leader at Ultralab developing the key values, participant action research approach and philosophy, working with the CBBC Future TV section at the BBC. I took on the visual and information design challenge of presenting templates and guidance in a child friendly web-site whilst maintaining a connection to the CBBC's visual style. My part: 25% (with Matthew Eaves and others)	The project was quite new for a national broadcaster to take a serious view of children's digital creativity. Its impact was on the BBC itself in determining its future policies and confirming the research outcomes from earlier Ultralab projects.
[C17] QCA - An Investigation Into Pupils' Creativity Across The Curriculum	To clarify criteria that explain how technology enhances creativity in learning.	From my report, the 'Features of ICT' section was adopted by the committee for the final Creativity Framework Taxonomy. 20%	This was a synthesis of my original thinking and other sources including my experience as a designer in discussion with many others. This was newly articulated in print by me for this consultation and adopted by this national advisory body for advice on future curriculum thinking nationally.
[C18] Ultraversity Project	To design and develop a new work focussed online university experience to suit 'those for whom traditional university did not fit'.	Initially, as part of a small team, I developed the documents for validation and designed strategy and materials for recruitment in 2003. I then had oversight of the direction of the Ultraversity Project in my role as Head of Ultralab from 2005 to 2007. I frequently took a practical developmental role, creating and designing resources, infrastructure, marketing, research and team collaboration as well as a refining a theoretical stance to champion the values and philosophy of the project. 20% (with Stephen Heppell, Stephen Powell and many others)	This project combined unique elements into a completely new undergraduate opportunity. Its impact was felt deeply on the student's lives and on the researchers who made it possible. It influenced a wider academic community that drew inspiration from its success, and continues to be the subject of much interest today as well as a current course at Anglia Ruskin University. Its importance was recognised by newspapers, government ministers at the time and by organisations such as the Centre for Recording Achievement, who invited me to keynote at their conference to celebrate 10 years of the patchwork text.
[C19] SCHOOL MATTERS – Happiest Days?	To research and develop the script and present a television programme discussing well-being in school education.	I provided a design practitioner's perspective to the programme maker's research, and articulated the ideas by editing the script and acting as presenter for the programme. My part: 25%	This television program was a new synthesis of ideas about well-being in schools - it was published on Teachers' TV and viewed and reviewed by many teachers. Its importance is in the way it links well-being with effectiveness in learning.
[C20] Inter-Disciplinary Inquiry-Based Learning (IDIBL)	To design and develop a whole university framework for work focussed learning.	My role was of co-developer, working closely to establish aims & values, design the curriculum, seek validation, organise, teach & mark work, operate quality mechanisms. I also designed the web site and fliers for marketing, sought meetings with stakeholders to market the course directly, worked with staff to disseminate ideas within the university, undertook research to establish evidence and co-wrote academic papers and made presentations at conferences. My part: 25% (with Stephen Powell and others)	The project was based on the experience of Ultraversity, but broke new ground by taking a whole university framework approach. It led to wholehearted adoption by some colleagues, whilst others appropriated parts of it for other courses. Its importance was in recognising the conditions under which work-focussed learning could prosper.
[C21] Report on good practice of innovative applications of learning theories in TEL	To clarify the accepted learning theories and explain their connection to theorists, disciplines and paradigms.	I exercised analytical and visual design skills in the construction of the conceptual diagram and contributed the statements about the complex, contested and dynamic nature of learning theory. I also tidied up and commented on the stakeholder analysis for innovation designers. My part: 80%	This work is a new synthesis of key theorists and their ideas. It has been widely reported as part of the Hotel EU project and achieved considerable dissemination and impact as evidenced by the public feedback and continuing debate on my blog. It is intended to address an EU identified problem of educational technology innovators who are actively developing without a full understanding of the scope of learning theory and its problems in relation to technology. (Millwood, 2013)

Portfolio reference

Aim

Contribution

Originality, Impact and Importance

[C14] Talking Heads / Virtual Heads

To design learning resources to support headteachers in embarking on an online community of practice for their continuing professional development.

I helped set up the project initially, developing the database of participants and continued to act as a mentor to the personnel involved. I also designed and developed the interactive multimedia and carried out the technical production of the CD-ROM, applying my knowledge of multiple text tracks and interactivity in Quicktime. My part: 5% (with Stephen Heppell, Leonie Ramondt, Carole Chapman, Stephen Powell and others)

These projects devised new online facilitation for the busiest of professionals as they led schools. It opened new channels of communication for heads who otherwise were rarely in contact with each other and who were distributed throughout the UK. The learning conversations that resulted lead directly to school improvement and the project laid the foundations for the National College's practice for years to come.

[C15] Summer School

To develop informal learning for digital creativity through student video production.

My role was to prepare the ground for understanding what could be achieved with new digital creativity tools and help articulate this in collaboration with colleagues in Ultralab, and when the Summer School project took off, to observe its results and feed them in to subsequent work. My part: 10% (with Stephen Heppell, Matthew Eaves and others)

This approach had been a hallmark of Ultralab's approach to new digital media since the early nineties, but was refined to include unique and key features of student-led creativity and mutual celebration, including the production of a DVD with all the outputs. This DVD was widely circulated to make impact on the children's creativity community. I am particularly proud of having led the Summer School with youth groups in Belfast. This was held in the week leading up to the 12th July parades which were catalysts for trouble. Our colleagues in Belfast pointed out that we had successfully retained the interest and celebrated the talent amongst teenagers collaborating from both sides who would otherwise be engaged in building bonfires.

[C16] Input CBBC

To design the support web site to explore the potential for students' creativity with video to be broadcast.

I took the role of co-leader at Ultralab developing the key values, participant action research approach and philosophy, working with the CBBC Future TV section at the BBC. I took on the visual and information design challenge of presenting templates and guidance in a child friendly web-site whilst maintaining a connection to the CBBC's visual style. My part: 25% (with Matthew Eaves and others)

The project was quite new for a national broadcaster to take a serious view of children's digital creativity. Its impact was on the BBC itself in determining its future policies and confirming the research outcomes from earlier Ultralab projects.

[C17] QCA - An Investigation Into Pupils' Creativity Across The Curriculum

To clarify criteria that explain how technology enhances creativity in learning.

From my report, the 'Features of ICT' section was adopted by the committee for the final Creativity Framework Taxonomy. 20%

This was a synthesis of my original thinking and other sources including my experience as a designer in discussion with many others. This was newly articulated in print by me for this consultation and adopted by this national advisory body for advice on future curriculum thinking nationally.

[C18] Ultraversity Project

To design and develop a new work focussed online university experience to suit 'those for whom traditional university did not fit'.

Initially, as part of a small team, I developed the documents for validation and designed strategy and materials for recruitment in 2003. I then had oversight of the direction of the Ultraversity Project in my role as Head of Ultralab from 2005 to 2007. I frequently took a practical developmental role, creating and designing resources, infrastructure, marketing, research and team collaboration as well as a refining a theoretical stance to champion the values and philosophy of the project. 20% (with Stephen Heppell, Stephen Powell and many others)

This project combined unique elements into a completely new undergraduate opportunity. Its impact was felt deeply on the student's lives and on the researchers who made it possible. It influenced a wider academic community that drew inspiration from its success, and continues to be the subject of much interest today as well as a current course at Anglia Ruskin University. Its importance was recognised by newspapers, government ministers at the time and by organisations such as the Centre for Recording Achievement, who invited me to keynote at their conference to celebrate 10 years of the patchwork text.

[C19] SCHOOL MATTERS – Happiest Days?

To research and develop the script and present a television programme discussing well-being in school education.

I provided a design practitioner's perspective to the programme maker's research, and articulated the ideas by editing the script and acting as presenter for the programme. My part: 25%

This television program was a new synthesis of ideas about well-being in schools - it was published on Teachers' TV and viewed and reviewed by many teachers. Its importance is in the way it links well-being with effectiveness in learning.

[C20] Inter-Disciplinary Inquiry-Based Learning (IDIBL)

To design and develop a whole university framework for work focussed learning.

My role was of co-developer, working closely to establish aims & values, design the curriculum, seek validation, organise, teach & mark work, operate quality mechanisms. I also designed the web site and fliers for marketing, sought meetings with stakeholders to market the course directly, worked with staff to disseminate ideas within the university, undertook research to establish evidence and co-wrote academic papers and made presentations at conferences. My part: 25% (with Stephen Powell and others)

The project was based on the experience of Ultraversity, but broke new ground by taking a whole university framework approach. It led to wholehearted adoption by some colleagues, whilst others appropriated parts of it for other courses. Its importance was in recognising the conditions under which work-focussed learning could prosper.

[C21] Report on good practice of innovative applications of learning theories in TEL

To clarify the accepted learning theories and explain their connection to theorists, disciplines and paradigms.

I exercised analytical and visual design skills in the construction of the conceptual diagram and contributed the statements about the complex, contested and dynamic nature of learning theory. I also tidied up and commented on the stakeholder analysis for innovation designers. My part: 80%

This work is a new synthesis of key theorists and their ideas. It has been widely reported as part of the Hotel EU project and achieved considerable dissemination and impact as evidenced by the public feedback and continuing debate on my blog. It is intended to address an EU identified problem of educational technology innovators who are actively developing without a full understanding of the scope of learning theory and its problems in relation to technology. (Millwood, 2013)

The new millenium saw a change in Ultralab, and my practice, from medium to large scale, national and international projects beginning with the headteachers’ online community ‘Talking Heads’ [C14], the development of learner’s creativity through multimedia technology for Ultralab's ‘Summer School’ [C15] and the Children's BBC ‘Input BBC’ pilot [C16], and many more.

In the middle of this decade I took over as head of Ultralab for two years before joining the University of Bolton in 2007 to further develop Ultralab’s ground-breaking Ultraversity project [C18] as the Inter-Disciplinary Inquiry-Based Learning project [C20].

In this period I was invited as consultant to many organisations, but most significantly, to the Qualification and Curriculum Authority's panel to identify the role of technology in creativity and learning [C17]. This work was founded on a more mature form of my learning model of expressive constructivism [A1] and helped me to clarify the role of technology in learning [A2]. I was also invited to take part in two Teachers' TV programmes the first relating to innovation in assessment and the second to 'delight' in learning related to well-being in school education [C19].

I founded my own consultancy company, Core Education UK, and continued to find national and international organisations willing to employ me for my analytical perspectives.

This most recent period permitted substantial reflection, analysis and articulation of ideas through peer-reviewed publications and enabled the development of this PhD by Practice.

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