From Ideas to Apps: Rediscovering Creativity Through AI and Vibe Coding

For most of my working life, I’ve been fascinated by how ideas become real. In the last century, when I taught mass communications and videography, the creative process was equal part excitement and endurance. We storyboarded ambitious scenes, imagined sweeping camera moves, and dreamed in colour. We then we spent hours in the editing suite wrestling with sync, sound, and timing. The gap between what we envisioned and what we produced was often wide, and closing it required patience, skill, and a fair bit of stubbornness. That has since changed.

I followed a similar path with early computing. Tools like WordStar, HyperCard, and QuarkXPress opened new creative possibilities, but they also demanded a working knowledge of code. When the web arrived in the 1990s, I used those skills to build simple pages for students. But as blogging platforms and user‑friendly tools emerged, the need to hand‑craft everything faded. Even when I later managed large coding projects, I left the actual code to the coders.

Today, that landscape around coding has shifted again and dramatically.

The Rise of Vibe Coding

We are now in an era where AI allows us to be more ambitious than ever. “Vibe coding” ,using natural language to shape an application into existence, it represents a genuine paradigm shift. Instead of wrestling with boilerplate or scaffolding, we can focus on the logic, the user experience, and the problem we’re trying to solve. The AI does the magic and handles the heavy lifting.

Whether you’re automating a manual workflow, prototyping a weekend idea, or simply tidying up a webpage, vibe coding lets you move from concept to working prototype with astonishing speed. It’s powerful even if you never intend to write a line of code yourself. You can test ideas, explore possibilities, and hand a validated proof‑of‑concept to professional developers when you’re ready.

I’ve been experimenting with this through the Glasgow No Code Initiative, which has taken me “back to college” in the best possible way. While the classes use Replit, I’ve tried a range of tools, and the experience has been both a refresher and a revelation. It's been good too to catch up with some fellow like minds from Glasgow's digital community who have signed up for the course.

I’ve even built a simple app that checks a community hall’s availability via Google Calendar and allows users to make a booking, something that would once have required a small team, a long timeline and/or would have cost money if we'd bought an off the shelve tool.

The Golden Rules of Prompting

Regardless of the tool, your results depend on the clarity of your instructions. There are four principles that consistently produce better outputs from large language models like Replit , Claude or ChatGPT:

1. Be Clear and Concise

Avoid unnecessary detail. Tell the model exactly what it needs to know.

2. Prioritise Requirements

Put the most important constraints at the top of your prompt. Structure matters.

3. Frame Requests Positively

Tell the AI what to do, not just what to avoid. Positive instructions reduce ambiguity.

4. Use Precise Language

Specificity narrows the “hallucination gap” and leads to more reliable results.

And if the model gets it wrong? Refine your prompt. Iteration is part of the process — just as it always was in the editing suite.

A New Creative Cycle

What excites me most is how familiar this all feels. The tools have changed, but the creative impulse hasn’t. We’re once again at a moment where imagination leads, and technology follows. The difference now is the speed: the distance between idea and prototype has collapsed.

If I was back in the classroom I'd be showing all learners how to use these tools to develop apps for themselves.

For educators, community builders, and anyone with a spark of curiosity, this is an extraordinary opportunity. If you have an idea, even a small one, give it a go. You might be surprised by how quickly it becomes something real.

And if the Glasgow No Code Initiative runs again, it’s well worth signing up.

A Week in London #bettuk2026 #bett26 Part Three BETT

 #Bettuk2026 Wed -Friday 21st-23rd January 2026

Here is my usual summary and observations

2nd year at BETT when there were no feet on the ground from Education Scotland.  A travel ban apparently. Shame when the biggest educational technology event in the UK is on and senior folks from all major IT companies are in London and not least the UK and international educational community. 

It is a bit of a scandal really. Scotland should be on the map at this event. I spotted Wales and Northern Ireland on the UK stands. Great to see EdTech's from schools, colleges, universities and local authorities found the ways and means to get down from Scotland. Education Scotland's sponsoring department please note.

Queen Elizabeth line to Excel continues to be a revelation for travelling to and from venue and opens up possibility of accommodation across London. I stayed initially with my daughter in her student flat over in Deptford and then moved for two nights to an amazing hotel hostel in Rotherhithe. Really brilliant value and proof that you can do BETT on a budget. Made for an interesting free short ferry commute in morning. 

It was very much AI every where - some pretty random and some very focused on the challenges discussed over the previous two days. AI can write your essay and mark it. Message really is that assessment has to change and that centres really need to learn about CASE and MCP servers to make most of their data and content. 

Bridget Phillipson Secretary of State for Education's address picked up on much I had heard on the two preceding days with OECD and 1Edtech. Good to see her back ( see last year's BETT post) . Highlighting the transformative potential of AI and EdTech to make learning more inclusive, support teachers, and improve outcomes for all learners. Announces new safety standards, new digital skills pathways for teacher training, and a £23 million expansion of the EdTech Testbeds programme to build a strong evidence base for effective tools. 

I achieved everything in my original plan and then some. 

Squeezed into a smaller area of Excel this year but having spoken to the organisers, more exhibitors and certainly high footfall. Great to have themed stages with keynotes distributed around exhibitors. I spent most of my time in and around FE/HE zone. Still think could do with a bit more from ALT, Jisc , QAA and perhaps some more focus on Colleges and vocational learning.  

Great to see many of the Scots who made it down at the Scottish gathering kindly supported by SmartBoards. Good too to get great update on their products. The training and support they give users is first class- liked new mike through smartboard- and still like smartboard mini. 

Nice to see more thought on design and layout of the start up zone. Though apologies nothing really fired me up this year.  

TeachmeetBett26 on Teachmeet's 20th Anniversary. Many thanks to BETT organisers for super on site support. 

I did a two minute plug for learning design , Open Education  and for membership of ALT. Thanks too Everway/Texthelp for sponsoring cracking social at 02 Battle Bar and for old pal Dawn Holly-Bone from 2Simple for chairing so well. Was great to see new faces embracing Teachmeet methodology. Presentations here and tribute to Teachmeet history.  Every College should hold one at least once a year. Challenge is out to all attendees to organise one.

Here is very quick run down of what caught my eye and attention and some of my chats .

• Microsoft - sat through a few sessions to be up to speed with their new roll outs. I didn't go to all of their sessions mainly the What is new session. But you can get all of their sessions here.
• Google - Similarly spent some time getting on inside track . Some great sessions on using Notebook LM for research.

I am still really amazed that every College does not have tenancies on both Microsoft and Google platforms. It can be done at no cost, if you know how. Both are promoting a range of new tools within existing licensing costs and the best way to prevent any shadow IT developing. 

In main auditorium, teaching and learning theatre and Higher Education theatre - some practical workshops particularly around how AI is changing up operational areas of Colleges and Universities - from data to track skills and employment opportunities , answering phones and even students using vibe coding to create their own booking systems. Had quick coffee and catch up with Paul Mckean and Sue Attewell on Jisc AI work.  

Lots of AI with everything sat through presentations  and visited some of these stands. Last year Teachermatic was out in the lead for teacher content creation, now everyone is at that game , including Microsoft and Google.  More significantly emergence of tools using CASE and MCP.

Many amazing stands - big budget items. The Egyptian Education Authority had built a pyramid. 

Lots too on esports - which I still don't quite get.  I do get it as a gateway to games development and programming.

VR and AR it is still ClassVR leader of pack and interesting new tools for simulating interviews.  Metaverse learning and Body Swaps territory . Think every College should have a class set of VR head sets for appropriate activities. 

Liked this juice bar vending machine as an alternative to fizzy drinks. 

A few stands that I thought were selling Vapes - were really selling Vape detector systems. A sign of the times. 

Great conversations with ClickView , Cisco Training Academies and BodySwaps - it is great to hear they are going from strength to strength. Met some old Spanish friends who do lot around improving data and learning material flows for Colleges and Universities. I spent some time too revisiting C-Learning and their Merlyn Mind product. 

Useful conversation with Newcastle College group who are doing the right thing and rolling out CMALT to all of their educational technologists. Follow up conversation with their Rob Wraith on how they manage access and costs around tokenisation in Microsoft Co-Pilot. Basically how they set up permissions and controls so that the institution does not get additional bills. ( this is issue for many institutions moving ahead into this space) So critical that learning technologists and IT work together around this. 

Only spotted one awarding body - which may also be sign of times - assessment and certification really need to change.

But back to my theme of week it was really AI with everything - have a look at BrainFreeze stand useful to see they are explaining how their tool uses CASE and MCP.

Sorry to miss a sit down and proper catch up with Vic Boyd and Scott Renton from City of Glasgow College who were around too and many more colleagues from across vocational learning. We will catch up soon. 

On way down I spotted a very negative post about BETT from a 'leading' Scottish educational academic who I think has attended one BETT in the past- it was very down on the technological hegemony - but on all technology really. 

Yes, lots of selling of fantasies but some really useful learning for all. People make BETT not the technology. Everyone working in learning really needs an understanding of technologies - it is the only way to actually move classroom, institutional and global learning forward.  We all need a bit more #openscot. 

And a final big thanks for all the hospitality and good company I enjoyed. 

My week in London Reports

• Part One with OECD
• Part Two with IEdtech.
• Reports on Previous BETT conferences here.

I miss Wakelet as my tool of choice for summarising events like this. 

A Week in London #bettuk2026 #bett26 Part Two 1Edtech Why AI in Learning Needs Standards: Shared Context, Shared Trust , Westminster Hall.

Tuesday 20th January

1Edtech Why AI in Learning Needs Standards: Shared Context, Shared Trust , Westminster Hall. 

It was really useful to get high level OECD view on Monday and technical deep dive from 1Edtech on following day. Open technical standards still drive most of the global developments in technology and learning. 

I was a guest of 1Edtech last year too. The event last year had a specific focus on the open badge and other relevant standards. This year the focus was on AI and the place of open standards in the technical stack. I've a book chapter just published on this area. ( more in a later post) 

Great presentations and discussion showing how AI can bridge different educational lexicons when it has been trained. The challenge is being confident enough to start this process. 

• Japan, Korea  and France identified as world leaders in adoption of open standards - in terms of national data. 
• Korea - using AI already to map national competency standards to national qualifications. ( accelerates development process)
• Japan - Using the one roster standard to streamline the exchange of educational data between School Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) across the country.
• France - Whole sale adoption of open standards to improve learning and data flows across their educational system. 

The discussion and debate was unavoidably technical. A lot focussing on what needs to be done to pre-existing content and data to give it context to work well with AI systems. 

Useful metaphor - example - the same ingredients can make a Pancake or a Yorkshire pudding. Currently a large language model with no context would not know which one you want.

When you have context. You can do more 

You can use an MCP Server - MCP servers are essential for building AI agents that can actually "do" things, rather than just talk about them.  It allows multi agentic workflows. MCP is a protocol and a standard , it acts as a "USB-C" connector for AI, allowing models to securely access local files, databases, and third-party services without requiring custom, one-off integrations. 

These systems use CASE 

• A data standard that allows educational institutions, employers, and edtech platforms to exchange competency data in machine-readable formats (JSON).
• Purpose: It replaces static, inefficient documents like PDFs or spreadsheets with standardized, digital frameworks that can be easily mapped, searched, and updated.

Key Components:

• Frameworks: Digital versions of academic standards or professional competencies.
• Items: Machine-readable statements of what a learner should know or be able to do.
• GUIDs (Globally Unique Identifiers):Every standard, skill, or competency is given a unique identifier, ensuring it can be recognized globally across different systems.
• Associations: Links that define how competencies relate to each other, such as aligning a local school curriculum with national or international standard.

Why is this useful 

• In the context of global learning (interconnected education,, sustainability, and international skills), CASE serves several critical functions:
• Interoperability for Global Education: As educational institutions operate internationally, CASE allows them to map their curricula, learning outcomes, and assessment rubrics to common global frameworks, facilitating easier student transfer and recognition of skills.
• Workforce Competency Mapping: CASE helps define and exchange skills needed for the global economy. It is used in higher education and corporate training to ensure that digital credentials and competency-based learning modules are recognized across different borders and platforms.
• Digital Credentialing: It enables the alignment of learning outcomes with micro-credentials and digital badges, allowing a skill earned in one country to be verified and understood by an employer in another.
• Reducing Inefficiency: By providing a common, machine-readable language, CASE eliminates the need for manual, error-prone, or time-consuming mapping of learning standards across different systems.

Example used Campus Mind - system can identify where student potentially needs some additional support and can build a personalised course from materials that institution already has across range of repositories including the virtual learning environment. 

Microsoft and Google are both building integrations. Jisc standards group moving ahead in UK.

Some examples 

1. Otus - taking data and learning materials from multiple sources.
2. French Teacher training Moodle platform - AI was used to - re-engineered with standards and context to allow individual training pathways - personalised for teachers.  The MCP server can now be used with  any learner management system. 

Overall and ties in well with OECD work.  

• Call to move away from general models of AI to local models of AI that capture context etc ( what OECD said)  
• To move forward all players need increased awareness of the open standards that are already available and ones in development. 

To move forward here data needs context added ( AI could help with that). It was great to catch up with Dominik Lukes and a number of like minded old friends.

So what does all this mean at national level.

• We really need SQA - Qualifications Scotland to get a move on here. This is much more than end of paper based certification. 
• More Scottish organisations should have appropriate membership of 1Edtech and I am going to see if I can help with that. 
• And a final plug anyone interested in these open standards should get along and or get a paper into their upcoming European Conference in Salonika.

At institutional level

• AI and MCP services can start bringing your data together securely. You will be  using local engine rather than opening up anything. Get a move on.
• Make sure you and or any suppliers you use are making most of open standards. Some of this should be hard wired into procurement guidance.   

All of the above set up BETT Conference very well, Part 3 to follow. 

A Week in London #bettuk2026 #bett26 Part One Pre Bett OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026

As ever, a very busy week, as the world's clans of educational technologists gather in London in and around BETT.

What was one post has become three posts as each event I attended really worth digging into.

Monday

OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026: Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education , The Law Society Hall Chancery Lane

The event was to launch the OECD recent research paper. It was good to meet some old chums from the European policy landscape.

It was great too to have an update from the Education Department's Susan Acland-Hood, who was confident and on the ball , reporting on the AI test beds happening in English schools that are all exploring the possible. 

This including a content store, a repository of documents, such as curriculum guidance and anonymized pupil assessments, to train AI models for better educational outputs. 

The key bit of all of this is criticality of developing local models 

"Launched in May 2025 with £3 million in funding, pools and encodes curriculum guidance, lesson plans and anonymised pupil work, to train AI tools that generate accurate, high quality educational content. Training on the content store increases accuracy of feedback on students’ work to 92%, up from 67%, meaning safer and more reliable use of AI in the classroom"

She also pointed out the refreshed English standards launched to coincide with BETT week. She also keyed up well the Education ministers speech on day one of BETT. 

Key messages are much more than cautious optimism and much more than a narrow focus on teaching and learning.

There is always a danger that the AI industry like IT industry before sells education fantasies and that is why it is so critical that education takes technology and uses it to build it's own closed models.

Education needs to develop specialist tools to amplify learning. We do need to redesign practice in ways that continues to support teacher agency.

Other work highlighted over day

• The work of Harvard's Bok Centre
• Open AI work around AI Schema to improve reliability of services for education and other areas. Would allow education to customise their own models.
• The emergence of Gemini for Education and Co-Pilot tools that can match and create content against available competency frameworks.

This was a useful paper to take to my second meeting of the week which was more technical about the standards needed to support ethical application of AI.



Pre conference I caught up with Joseph Jones CEO Saige Qualifications an Ofqual approved awarding body in England rolling out AI awards and training for pupils and teachers.

Main takeaways - 

• Education needs to start making more use of AI in a customised way to support learning and operations. 
• At a national level this means system change as well as policy and guidance.  I think we have latter but not former in Scotland.
• At institutional level requires operations , IT , learning technology and whole community to work more effectively together. Start building local agents now.
• As an institution you need that local data store and you need to start making effective use of your data
• For schools in Scotland - local authorities need switched on to this and there is probably a role for Education Scotland but certainly Scottish Education Department in creating something similar to English content store. 

Part Two to follow - 

Old Experiment with Manus AI https://manus.im/app

Tidying up desktop and found this deck created last year in a workshop with lecturing staff. Using tools they may not have encountered yet. In this case Manus a useful tool with some strengths over ChatGPT and Co-Pilot etc.

Prompt was simple, to create an outline presentation on  "Using AI Ethically in Education: A Guide for Students."

Led to some really useful discussions around AI use by teaching staff and students.

If used in real world I would have added references to institutional policy and would have sourced better graphics and as I have done in header I would have acknowledged use of AI in creation of this deck and would have made it much more accessible in terms of colour , text and labelling etc. 

But useful as illustration of what AI can do - in seconds.  

And information on the engine - 

Manus AI was developed and trained by the Chinese startup Monica.im, which has since rebranded and is now known as Butterfly Effect Pte. Ltd. The company was founded by entrepreneurs Xiao Hong (also known as "Red") and Yichao "Peak" Ji.

The development team was a relatively small group within the parent company, which moved its headquarters from China to Singapore in 2025.

Underlying models: Manus operates as a multi-agent system built on and fine-tuned from existing large language models. It uses Anthropic's Claude and Alibaba's Qwen models as a core part of its architecture. This distinguishes Manus from companies that develop their own base model from scratch.

Manus is an autonomous AI agent designed to perform complex, real-world tasks with minimal human guidance, as opposed to simply generating text like a chatbot.

Reflections on AI, Open Policy, and Educational Practice #oer25

An AI Created Logo

  

I had an opportunity to revisit my keynote from June in this online conference. Rather than repeating my presentation from the #OER25 conference, I’m provided a link to it in the session. My aim was to highlight my ongoing concern that our current focus on artificial intelligence may overshadow more meaningful discussions about collaboration, open policy and practice.

Great as ever to interact with passionate folks across UK education. 

Recent Developments Since OER 25

Since the OER 25 conference, there have been several notable updates:

• The Jisc Centre for Artificial Intelligence has continued to release valuable resources for the sector.
• However, recent data from Jisc and other surveys reveal worrying trends, including a lack of formal digital skills training for learners and persistent fatigue among academic staff regarding the rapid changes in the digital landscape.
• Possible game changer in Really Simple Licensing – see deck and news about substantial settlements for copyright breaches.
• I’ve highlighted what I think are useful updates from across the education sector in slides.

Perspectives on AI Use in Education

I recognised during my last session that not everyone shared my optimism about the role of AI. However, I do not believe that the use of AI results in catastrophic cognitive offloading. I do believe we need to navigate it to get the best for learners, teachers and our institutions, 

I strongly support the need to guide learners in the responsible and ethical adoption of AI tools. From Jisc surveys it looks as though this is still not happening.

Looking Ahead: A Challenge

Here is one challenge I want to leave you with—not focused on AI, but on the importance of ensuring that your institution has both a policy and a platform that actively supports open practice, as well as the creation and sharing of open educational resources.

I covered this at end of last keynote – we need to refocus on how we open up , how our institutions open and how we support our colleagues to work in the open.

It seems crazy that UK is now recognised in top 5 countries for adoption of AI when the educational establishment has hardly moved on adoption of UN principles around open practice and open educational practice.  Though I  know what a struggle it was latterly within an institution to get systems and people to support open practice. Closed mindsets are not conducive to learning, sharing and collaborating.  

How do we open up

•  Ensure your institution has a clear policy supporting open practice and use and sharing of open educational  resources. Including clear guidelines on creative commons and open licence.
• Resist AI hysteria and manage your way through this. 
• Make sure staff at all levels and all students are digitally literate and can manage their digital footprints.
• Ensure that your institution has an open repository , that your virtual learning environment supports  the open sharing of courses, that staff and students have a publishing space to share their reflections and academic practice.
• For learners that should be a place of their own, a blog or similar – not simply an institutional e-portfolio. The best place that will support them professionally and as lifelong learners.
• Model these behaviours be an open practitioner

Last goodie arrived as I was writing this up here is feedback from from UK Department of Business and Trade who trialled Co-Pilot across the department. 

 

 

OER25 Reflections: Open Practice and AI 

Since 2010, I’ve only missed a handful of the #OER conferences. Over the years, I’ve chaired, curated, and presented, but this year was different. I had the privilege of delivering a keynote, and with it, the chance to speak up for the vocational college sector. It’s a world of practical solutions, limited resources, and a different focus on learning. Perhaps a world less threatened by AI - we do things, demonstrate skills and create things - we don't write essays about how we might do things. 

A Keynote in Good Company

It was great to share the keynote stage with my friend and colleague Helen Beetham. Helen’s keynote was a masterclass in critical thinking, measured, cautious, and deeply principled. Her stance on AI in education was almost a full rejection, grounded in ethical concerns, systemic critique, and a call to resist the current trajectory of big tech. Focusing on the darker undercurrents of AI: copyright violations, exploitative labour practices, environmental degradation, and surveillance. 

Her outrage over AI systems targeting Wikipedia contributors was particularly horrifying. She advocates a boycott of current AI models and recommends the AI Now Institute’s 2025 Landscape Report as a roadmap for resistance.

Helen’s own writing, especially her piece on “Marking the Government’s Homework,” is essential reading for anyone grappling with the ethics of AI in public services. Her Substack is loaded with thoughtful critique.

You can explore both of our jumping off points  here. 

I hope I offered a useful counterpoint: someone who’s on the AI train, but still mindful of the price of the ticket. I really think we still have a lot more to do around equity, sharing and empowering learners. 

My slides including additional support materials are included at end of this blog post. I really don't think AI will damage the human brain - but it was interesting that someone suggested that untested and unsound it could create a scandal on scale of  thalidomide. I remember being told that too much TV would rot my brain too. 

That is the level of contention around adoption of AI in education. At least there is discussion and policy movement here. My presentation reflects a lack of movement around Open Education policies in Scotland specifically but around the UK too.  

Missing My Sense Filter

I have to mention the absence of my Open Scotland co-founder, Lorna Campbell. Lorna is a fixture at these events and serves as my sense filter. She was unfortunately laid low this year, but her blog post, “Stepping Back and Speaking Truth to Power,” offers a moving reflection on the conference and her own journey. 

AI: The New Scary Kid on the Block

Artificial Intelligence is undeniably the new disruptive force in education. But there’s a real danger that open education and open practice will be bullied further into the margins. We  across the UK lag behind global peers in adopting coherent policies around open educational resources (OER) and open practice.

The challenge is that AI’s shiny allure and/or toxicity distracts us from the deficits in our current system. 

In higher education, the model was broken long ago. I had hoped that the arrival of the internet and search engines would revolutionise assessment and pedagogy. Instead, we’re still clinging to outdated frameworks while fearing that AI might “eat our content.”

Here is a summary of other sessions I got along to

One of the most inspiring initiatives I encountered was the Learning with AI PressBook project, where students create resources to help peers and faculty navigate AI tools. It’s a brilliant example of co-creation and learner-led innovation.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands continues to lead the way in open education. The NPULS platform encourages content sharing across tertiary institutions, a model that Scottish agencies like the SFC and QAA Scotland are only beginning to consider. We’re still stuck at shared services, never mind shared learning content.

The Open Textbook Library workshop was another highlight. Years ago, we worked to ingest open textbooks into our college library catalogue, and it’s heartening to see that momentum continue. The emerging Community of Practice for the UK and Ireland is a promising space for collaboration.

A standout session from Catherine Cronin, Louise Drumm, and Helen Beetham explored alternatives to AI through their “Generating AI Alternatives” workshop. It is a thoughtful and provocative way to spark debate around AI and OER. As is the  Scottish Tertiary Education statement on the use of generative artificial intelligence

David Callaghan's illustration summed up nicely some of audiences fears around AI 

Kate Molloy and Claire Thompson ran a super session on Adapt/Resist and Go Rogue Out on the edge demoed https://www.napkin.ai/ and other tools to help us reimagine the future. 

A wonderful over view of EDM122: Digital Literacies and Open Practice an open course. For teachers to reflect on their practice and become open practitioners https://blogs.city.ac.uk/dilop/sample-page/  

Amazing and a very practical workshop from Tim Fransen looking at how much energy and what the processes are that Stable Diffusion uses to generate an image output and tips for teachers and students on how to use these tools efficiently.

To quote Tim ' the workshop invites educators to move beyond binary narratives of ‘AI as threat’ or ‘AI as saviour’ and toward a more nuanced, informed, and open educational approach to understanding and engaging with these technologies responsibly' 

Really gave an accessible and reflective entry point into the inner workings of generative AI systems and how it works to create images not just text. I can see graphics , gaming and even computer lecturers interested in this deep dive.  Also great use of https://mmm.page/ a useful tool for OER creation. 

Reminded again of all the great work that Global OER Graduate Network does https://go-gn.net/

Attended two thought provoking sessions from Dominik Luks - one around how AI is supporting minority languages around the world and one seriously debunking some of the AI myths around its use of energy and water.  He even quickly used AI to create a more flexible programme App for #oer25 on the fly. 

An amazing Ukrainian librarian Dr Tetiana Kolesnykova spoke from the Scientific Library and the network supporting the University libraries of Ukraine with OER.  The University library has been bombed flat but learning carries on. Truly humbling. If you have a moment send Tetiana a message of support. Slava Ukraine !

Gratitude and Grounding

As ever, there were too many great sessions, great chats  and too little time. Hats off to co-chairs Sheila MacNeil and Louise Drumm and the entire organising committee for curating such a rich programme.  Well done too to ALT for continuing to keep the fires of open education burning in the UK. This community of change makers remains one of the most inspiring in UK around innovation in learning and teaching.  

Someone called me a “legend” on social media, caused much hilarity at home, but for now, I’m just grateful to have shared space, ideas, and optimism with so many passionate advocates for openness.

Looking Ahead

I’ll post my slides here , and I hope others will share theirs too. The conversations we started at OER25 need to continue, especially as AI reshapes the landscape of education. We must ensure that open practice doesn’t get pushed into the shadows. Instead, let’s use this moment to reimagine what openness can mean in an AI-driven world. I am looking forward to pushing the discussion on later in September and at OERGlobal Camp in November.

There are some other great blogs from #oer25 that capture much more than I can here. Love to all old friends and new.

We do really need to take back the commons we are missing better use of social media all round. To change things and have a common front we need better solidarity. 

It is the start of session. How will your institution lead out an open educational initiative this year ? and how will you support and encourage teaching staff to become open practitioners ?   

https://catherinecronin.net/conferences/oer25-speaking-truth-to-power/

https://howsheilaseesit.net/oer/oer25-our-silence-will-not-save-us/

One Year Over the Top ; Reflections. The Joy of Not Being There: A September Without the Start of Term

I've been feeling a bit guilty. I've done a bit of work over summer but mainly I've just chilled.  It was strange coming back from a foreign holiday and not having to check lots of work emails - but it is a really nice sensation. 

This September, for the first time in thirty nine years , I am not preparing for the start of term. No staff briefings. No last-minute system tweaks. No wondering whether staff will be more engaged, more challenging, more everything - and what budget cuts are coming down the line etc and mainly wondering if the students will cope and will staff actually step them through induction or leave them to sink or swim. And or the dreaded moment when we discover that something promised to support induction hasn't actually happened - but it's included in all our start of session materials. 

As I push on I am bringing opportunities back to the College sector and the folks I know will be receptive to new ideas.  

Time to for a quick reflection on what I said I would do and what I've actually achieved and what I have to catch up on - I am due a post both on ALT Scotland SIG meeting at end of June and on #OER25 which I keynoted at before heading off on leave. That will be my next tasks.

When I said my farewells I promised I would keep pushing on a number of fronts.  Here is a potted update and a report card. 

• UNESCO - Continue shaping bid for project around better understanding of the open source code available for creation and management of Open Badges in support of Micro credentials. Bid completed and I anticipate publication appearing before Christmas.  This from work in Bilbao 
• Continue work with UK Digital Badging Commission - input completed and work now published. Tied in well with UNESCO work and my fellowship with RSA. Led to some comms and  work with 1Edtech.  Scottish education seems miles away from adopting these approaches. 
• Hopefully continue to support work of QAA around Scottish Tertiary Quality framework. Delighted to say I now have a part-time role as a Quality Assurance Specialist for QAA.
• Champion Teachermatic and other AI approaches to changing learning paradigm. This is still work in progress have delivered a number of sessions and keynotes.
• Champion Canvas by Instructure . I am still due to do a bigger deeper blog on Canvas and why it should be platform of choice. But enjoyed working with Martin Bean in Scotland and enjoyed my time in Barcelona at #CanvasCon 
• Continue to support Open Scotland following Dubai Summit to encourage more Open practice in Scotland. I keynoted #oer25 in London in June ( post to follow) I've presented to Once for Scotland to see if we can re-engage policy makers across Scotland and hoping to pick up conversation with Lee Dunn in the current administration. I am presenting OERGlobal25 in November. 
• Encourage better understanding of Adaptive Comparative Judgement - this probably one area where I haven't really pushed on. 
• Offer informed input on shape and future of tertiary sector in Scotland.  I keep knocking on relevant doors. There really needs to be a wholesale change in approach. 
• Continue as Chair of Association of Learning Technology special interest group in Scotland and do a bit more community building for ALT. Held two meetings this year. Summary of online conference April  - report on June Stirling Conference to come and I am co-chair of UK ALTC Conference coming to Glasgow for first time in October. 
• Continue to offer support to  suppliers , institutions and staff who want to digitally transform their practice and the experience of learners. Some notable successes with Smart Technologies really down to quality of product and support available in Scotland and in dialogue with a number of other suppliers. I continue to work with lots of old friends from @Bett Conferences  and my network. 
•  I've run a couple of College sessions but sector could do with a few more - still not really seeing blended learning to the fore.  I think I could do more on that front. (if anyone wants a short workshop on digital transformation for managers or teaching staff - please just reach out) 
• FRSA - Support Glasgow branch around organising a series of events this and next year. Making progress civic reception at City Chambers and event at Citizens Theatre in planning - reaching out to Education contacts for RSA.
• Continue as Chair of IWasGonnae and Old Hall Scout Group. - both organisations thriving - really down to the energy and skills of the teams there. 

I've done lots of travelling over the year for business and fun and hosted some guests in Glasgow. 

Here are two happy snaps of 

Kim William Gordon, PhD from EdTech Research Labs St Louis USA

Maria Soledad Ramirez Montoya, UNESCO Chair Open Educational Movement for Latin America