InsideBU Issue 2

Inside

for staff & students The #BUproud issue

Issue 2 Spring 2013

W hat makes you #BUproud?

That I have made f riend s for life

I , U B t u o With n o e b t ’ n d l wou g in s a h c o t my way my dream

Because BU is so green!

News from around BU

Research

International Travel

BU research gets Royal seal of approval Page 4-5

Bringing direction to Poole Hospital’s maps Page 17

Following the life of Ryan Page 20-21

Download your Augmented Reality (AR) Reader You can view related videos on your mobile with the free Aurasma application. Just follow these simple instructions: • Download Aurasma Lite from the App Store or Google Play Store • Search for and subscribe to our channel ‘Bournemouth University’ • Click the Antenna icon on screen and flick across from the bottom of the screen to find the search icon • Register for free and then go back to the main screen • Whenever you see the Aurasma logo, hold your phone over the accompanying image and a video will play.

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Message from John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor

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elcome to the second edition of InsideBU – the new magazine to keep staff and students upto-date with what’s going on around the university.

I have made no secret of the fact that I’ve always been extremely proud of BU. Our academics are world class, and not only are they involved in ground breaking research, but they also work hard to inspire and engage our students.

They are ably supported by our Professional Services, who are nationally recognised for the excellent service that they provide.

Then there’s our students themselves – engaging in a truly collaborative educational

process; sharing their academics’ enthusiasm for their subject, as well as equipping themselves for future career success.

experience for all, and to make BU the benchmark of all that is good about university life.

I hope you enjoy the latest issue of InsideBU.

That’s why I was truly delighted to see that you clearly share my sense of pride in our great university.

Reading all your messages via the blackboard walls, tweets and Facebook posts as part of the #BUproud campaign has made me feel even more proud of BU. There are always improvements that can be made, and as we work towards our vision for BU2018 we will need to keep academic and service excellence at the very front of our minds.

We must strive to deliver a more personalised higher education

Contents

#InsideBU

Page 2

Augmented Reality

Page 4-5

News from around BU

Page 6-7

BU in the media

Page 8-9

The Vice-Chancellor‘s Staff Awards

Page 10-11

#BUproud

Page 12

sportBU in the community

Page 13

Student IT Ambassadors

Page 14-15

Fusion funding

Page 16

BU just keeps getting better

Page 17

Research: Eye tracking technology

Page 18

We meet…Sue Eccles and John Gusman

Page 19

Professional practice

Page 20-21

International travel diary

Page 22

By day… By night…

Page 23

Dates for your diary InsideBU | 3

SUBU Full time officer elections 2013/14

News from around BU

SUBU’s full time officer election campaigns kick off on 4 February to find the new President, VicePresident Education, VicePresident Communications and Vice-President Lansdowne for 2013/14.

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These full-time, paid positions offer the opportunity to work with senior management, local counsellors, staff and students. They help to improve the student experience for BU’s 17,000 students and influence decisions on how BU is run.

After a fortnight of nominations, starting on 4 February, the student body will vote on who they think are the best people for the job between 1 and 8 March.

BUnique BUnique is a week-long event that showcases student involvement in extra-curricular activities.

SUBU supports over 90 clubs and societies, many of which will be involved in BUnique. From dance to forensics, baking to cheerleading, BUnique is a great opportunity for students to share their wide-ranging hobbies with other students and staff.

From 18-22 February, visit Poole House Atrium… and you might just leave with a new interest!

Festival of Learning – showcasing our expertise Next summer, BU will host its biggest public engagement activity to date. For two weeks, from 3-14 June, the Festival of Learning will showcase the expertise of all six Schools as well as Professional Services by holding numerous events for the public.

Open to all, up to 5,000 members of the wider community are expected to get involved with the activities, which will include public lectures, debates, conferences, science cafes and networking events.

The Festival will take place on BU’s campuses and in the surrounding areas of Bournemouth.

To find out more please visit www. bournemouth.ac.uk/fol.

BU research gets Royal seal of approval HRH The Princess Royal heard first-hand about the groundbreaking research taking place in all Academic Schools at BU when she met with students and staff during a tour of the facilities at Talbot Campus at the end of last year.

The Princess Royal met with a number of students before taking part in a live panel discussion about the London

Games in The Media School’s HDTV studio.

“It was an honour to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal to Bournemouth University and demonstrate the fantastic work that our staff and students are doing,” said ViceChancellor John Vinney.

5,000 have BU On the Go Since the recent launch of iBU, the mobile student application, over 5,000 people have registered and now have essential university information at their fingertips.

If you haven’t yet downloaded the application, but want to check your academic timetable, bus times, staff directory, available PCs on both campuses and much more, simply head to the App Store, Google Play Store or Blackberry Store where you can download iBU for free.

Other mobile devices will also be able to access the web version of the application at https://bournemouth. ombiel.co.uk/chooseGrade.

We always welcome feedback, so if you have any suggestions for further functions, please email mobileappfeedback@ bournemouth.ac.uk.

Driving Service Excellence As part of the wider service excellence at BU initiative, the sportBU and askBU teams have been part of a mystery shopping exercise to help benchmark service levels and look for areas to develop and improve. Faceto-face, telephone and email queries have all been part of this pilot project, which ran in November and December last year.

Barry Squires, Head of Sports Development, believes the mystery shopping will improve the quality of service for users.

“When the pilot finishes in late January, feedback and results will be used by both departments to help improve our service to students and to our new group of customers from the local community,” he said.

SportBU and askBU also joined staff from across Schools and Professional Services who participated in a course run by the Institute of Customer Service, which has produced a wealth of work-based projects, all aimed at bringing service excellence to the student and staff experience at BU. BU Student Support Manager Amanda Stevens believes the programme has been beneficial for both staff and students who use the services.

She said: “The two staff from askBU Current Students team worked on a project, looking at how to embed the principles of service excellence within our team.”

InsideBU | 5

BU IN THE MEDIA

PRESS & PR COVERAGE Graduation B

U’s graduation ceremonies hit the headlines.

The honorary doctorate of Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin was featured in the Bournemouth Echo, BBC South Today and numerous regional radio stations, while ITV Meridian news spoke to students at the School of Tourism ceremony. It included Hospitality Management graduate Sophie Haskins, who has set up her own cake–making business.

Getting savvy with HE marketing @BUnewshound

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enior Lecturer in Marketing Chris Chapleo talked to Education Investor magazine about how universities are trying to sell themselves in the current climate, telling reporter Graham Clews that universities will have to be “clever, savvy and expedient” to succeed in attracting students.

Sleep Research S

enior Lecturer in Psychology Dr Andrew Mayers has captured the media’s interest with his research into children’s sleep patterns and how to improve them. Andrew, who runs sleep workshops with Winton Primary School, was featured on ITV’s Daybreak and in the Bournemouth Echo, as well as numerous BBC outlets, including BBC1 Breakfast News, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Solent.

BUDI in the spotlight P

rofessor Anthea Innes, director of the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) has offered expert comment on dementia on BBC Radio Solent.

She was interviewed live on the station about Dorset having the lowest rates of dementia diagnosis in the country, and also about government proposals to invest millions in dementia-friendly environments.

BU journalists and The Leveson Inquiry

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tudents and staff from The Media School provided live comment on the findings of The Leveson Inquiry into press standards. Lecturer in Online Journalism Liisa Rohumaa and BA (Hons) Multi-Media Journalism students Oscar Tollast and Charlotte Foot gave their thoughts live on BBC Solent’s afternoon and drive time programmes. Karen Fowler-Watt, Associate Dean (Journalism & Communication), spoke to The Independent about how BU’s journalism courses prepare students for today’s precarious media climate.

Wa r t i m e sinking ex p e r t

Piltdown Man hoax

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ith the 100th anniversary of the Piltdown Man discovery, Dr Miles Russell has been in demand to talk about the famous archaeological hoax. Miles, a Senior Lecturer in Prehistoric & Roman Archaeology, has recently released a book about who he thinks was responsible for the hoax, and has been interviewed for features on BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and BBC Radio Solent, as well as articles in the Huffington Post and the Telegraph on Sunday.

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arine archaeologist and BU postgraduate researcher Innes McCartney was part of a Channel 4 documentary exploring the sinking of British Navy ship the HMS Hood. The hour-long programme, How the Bismarck Sank HMS Hood, examined the circumstances behind the 1941 tragedy, in which 1,415 crew members were killed.

Counterfeits and consumerism

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r Jeff Bray, Senior Lecturer in Marketing & Retail Management, has been interviewed on BBC radio stations about the impact of counterfeit products on UK shoppers and retailers – and on the consumerism which now surrounds Halloween.

Helping BBC mark a milestone S

ean Street, BU’s Emeritus Professor of Radio, was interviewed on several radio stations about BBC radio broadcasting reaching its 90th year. Talking about the milestone anniversary, and the future of radio broadcasting, Sean was featured on Radio 4’s World at One, the BBC World Service’s Newshour and several local stations.

To read more details about all these features, please see www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/bu_in_the_media

InsideBU | 7

Winning Staff

The Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Awards Ceremony held in November provided an opportunity to recognise the achievements of shortlisted individuals and teams, and to celebrate with the winners of these prestigious Awards.

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he Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Awards Ceremony was an occasion to recognise and celebrate the achievements of staff who have achieved long service, qualifications aligned to their roles and professorial appointments. The Students’ Union announced the overall winner of the SUBU ‘You’re Brilliant!’

Award for 2011/12 and the winners of the National Union of Students (NUS) Awards were also recognised.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Vinney, said: “We are celebrating the achievement of people who have made an exceptional contribution to the university.

It is a real testament to the quality of people at BU that we had so many high quality candidates to choose from. Of course, the university is extremely proud of all its staff, but the people here really have shown something special and outstanding.

I’d like to extend my personal thanks and congratulations to them all. My thanks also to all those who were nominated, but who sadly didn’t make it through this extremely competitive field. I hope these awards will demonstrate how much I, and the university more widely, value and appreciate your efforts”.

Professional and Support Staff - Unsung Hero Award Award Winner - John Nicholson, the School of Health & Social Care

“John has made an outstanding contribution over a sustained period of time through his involvement with a number of key projects that have underpinned the development and success of the School, and notably by developing and sustaining NHS contract activity with commitment and professionalism.”

Affiliated Staff - Unsung Hero Award Award Winner – Canon Dr Bill Merrington, Chaplaincy

“Bill contributes directly to BU’s strategic aspiration of being ‘an excellent place to work’ through the provision to staff of a broad range of invaluable pastoral care activities that might otherwise go unrecognised.”

The overall winners of the VC Staff Awards 2012 were:

Collaborative Team Award

Academic Staff – Individual Achievement Award

Award Winner – The Energy and Environment Team

Award Winner - Dr Anita Diaz, School of Applied Sciences

Amanda Williams, Dave Archer, Emma Sadiwskyj-Frewer, Gareth Williams and former member of the team, Matt Owen

“Anita brings personal energy and drive to a rich portfolio of activity that demonstrates a ‘fused’ approach to integrating research and professional practice into the student experience at the highest level.”

Professional and Support Staff Individual Achievement Award Award Winner – Diana Leggott, IT Services

“Diana has become a service excellence champion within IT Services, ensuring that her team shares this ethos and thereby making quantifiable improvements to service quality.”

Academic Staff - Unsung Hero Award Award Winner – Professor Ahmed Khattab, the School of Health & Social Care

“Ahmed creates an outstanding personalised PhD supervision experience that inspires students to grow and develop throughout the process.”

“This team’s passion and commitment is reflected in its achievements, significant among which is BU’s recognition as one of the leading Higher Education Institutions for environmental performance in the UK.” Sue Sutherland, Chair of the University Board, said “The university would not be the success that it is without the contribution made by all of its staff. I cannot emphasise enough the extent to which those different contributions really do make a difference to the quality of both the staff and student experience. On behalf of the Board, I want to say how extremely proud we are of all Award Winners, those shortlisted and those nominated and to extend our thanks and warmest congratulations to them on what has been a really memorable occasion.”

InsideBU | 9

BUProud –

chalk it up AS another success!

There’s a lot to be proud of here at BU – and we know that because you told us in your hundreds. Corporate Communications Officer Toby Horner charts the #BUproud campaign – and is still beaming with pride at the results.

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ou could be forgiven for thinking it was fraught with risk.

With no prior warning, you give a group of highly intelligent, free thinking and forthright individuals access to a chalk board to share their thoughts on ‘What makes you proud of BU?’ Had we just lit the blue touch paper on what history would look back on as the biggest PR disaster in the history of higher educational student and staff engagement?

Well, what do you think?

In truth, the response was quite simply fantastic – and perhaps, more importantly, overwhelmingly positive.

Within minutes of the two giant chalkboards going up in Talbot Campus Atrium and the Studland House coffee shop, staff and students were grabbing chalk from the pots, eager to share their thoughts on their pride in BU and what makes the experience here so special.

#BUproud

From inspirational academics and top class facilities, to high achieving sports teams and successful graduates, the sense of pride everyone has in BU shone through.

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Some contributions were just a single word, or even a drawing, whilst others took the opportunity to share something a bit more heartfelt.

The board at Talbot Campus even had to have the content rubbed off after just two weeks, to allow room for more contributions! Don’t worry though; every comment was recorded.

Progress on the chalkboards was captured on video and streamed live on the Internet. The accompanying Twitter #BUproud was created

to track the digital discussion and share images of the chalkboard as it developed.

But what is it that makes us so proud of BU and what it has to offer?

Common themes included School and cohort identity, and reputation as a key factor for choosing to study or work at BU. The people; academics, students, friends, colleagues and the cleaning team were mentioned, whilst extracurricular communities, such as those created in halls of residence and clubs and societies frequently featured too.

The graduation ceremonies also allowed for a hive of #BUproud activity.

Applied Science graduate Nina Ball commented: “Without BU I wouldn’t have had the confidence, skills and experience to get my ideal job” whilst School of Tourism graduate Sophie Haskins revealed “Without BU I would not have developed the motivation and key skills to achieve success in the early stages of my business start-up.”

Nursing graduate Kimberley Thomas commented “I am most proud of graduating from a university which I feel is passionate about healthcare.”

Media School graduate Tanisha Barnaby was full of pride too. “What makes me most proud of being a BU graduate is that I feel it has been my stepping stone to something great,” she said.

But the great thing about #BUproud is that it is for the whole BU community, not just students.

Caretaker Chris Lunt shared that he is most proud of “being treated as an equal by staff and students” and Debbie Payne in the Students’ Union is most proud that “we celebrate student success.”

Kevin Welford who has worked in Finance and Performance for 25 years shared “The vibrant university life and diverse activities has made working at BU for so many years an easy choice to make.”

Professor Jim Roach, Dean of the School of Design, Engineering and Computing commented that after 28 years at BU he’s proud “to meet students who have gone on to do great things… and whose own children are now coming to BU!” It is a campaign that will live long in the memory, not least as some of the best comments will now feature in and around campus on mugs, coasters and wall vinyls.

They will also be used in future marketing materials, such as the Undergraduate Prospectus 2014.

>> Thank you to everyone for sharing

your comments. Please keep using #BUproud on Twitter or the email address proud@bournemouth.ac.uk to give us your proud stories and thoughts.

>> You can watch an impressive time lapse video of the chalkboards coming to life by scanning the Aurasma logo below.

InsideBU | 11

GIVING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY A GREATER SPORTING CHANCE A £1.3 million investment is transforming sportBU’s facilities, but it’s not just staff and students who are benefitting – others are getting in on the sporting action too.

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hen BU student Tom Belcher isn’t turning up for lectures and seminars, you will find him in the starting line-up for local rugby club Oakmedians.

An ex-BU rugby player, it was no surprise Tom soon spotted the opportunity for a sporting collaboration that would surely bring benefits for both his sides.

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To find out more about the different sporting opportunities available both on and off campus, visit sportBU today.

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“We can now offer local sports clubs access to our new and improved facilities and in return, we have access to theirs.”

In 2012 sportBU was awarded a three year Sport England funded project called Free Your Fitness and these funds have helped to create further ties with the community. Oakmead Boxing Club is one club to have benefitted.

A partnership between BU and Oakmedians Rugby Club was born, Head coach at Oakmead John one that goes Hamerson said: from strength to “It’s a good deal “The partnership between strength and is a - we got extra BU and Oakmedians prime example of equipment that rugby club goes is a the way sportBU we needed and prime example of the way is making even in return we now that sportBU is making greater sporting have 25 students connections training with welleven greater sporting with the wider connections with the wider seasoned amateur Bournemouth Bournemouth community” boxers.” community.

Andrew Callaway, “Having played for both BU and Lecturer in Sports Performance at BU Oakmedians, I thought it would be a also heads up a recently established fantastic opportunity to set up a link archery club, which was set up between the two. This partnership through Free Your Fitness. provides Oakmedians players with “We now have 20 members joining great training facilities while there us in the New Year. We want to is now an established professional continually develop the club, so next link for the BU rugby team to develop year we’re looking at how we can its own players,” said Tom, a bring in more members from the second year student studying Sports community,” said Andrew.

Development & Coaching Sciences.

These partnerships are only the With the recent investment in the beginning and many other clubs university’s sporting facilities, there have also benefited from shared was an opportunity to reinforce facilities within the community. links and engage even further with the community.

Ian Jones said: “There are so many success stories surrounding Ian Jones, Community Culture individual sports teams and this and Sports Manager said: “When is integral to pride at BU; working we made all of the improvements alongside the community and to sportBU, one of our aims achieving fantastic results really was to strengthen our ties with shows that we’re more than the sum the community. of our parts.”

sportBU goes global!

It’s not just the local community benefiting from sportBU – next year Barry Squires, Head of Sports Development, will lead a group of 24 BU students to Kenya.

With support from the Global Horizons Fund and through the Camps International Programme, Barry and his team will work with a number of primary schools to develop their sports facilities and coach the students.

“This is a massive opportunity to build international relationships and offer our skills and experience to those who may not get a chance otherwise.

In particular we’re looking forward to passing on our knowledge to the teenagers, so that they are then prepared to train the next generation,” said Barry.

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Global Horizons Fund helps scriptwriting student Oliver: see pages 14 and 15

IT crowd that’s more CHIC THAN GEEK Meet the IT Ambassadors! It might sound a bit posh, but this is an IT crowd that doesn’t have ideas above its work station – and as InsideBU found out, it’s not all binary code and megabytes either.

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t all started with a simple advert on MyCareerHub, the website dedicated to BU students and graduates searching for careers and placements.

In return for their skills, Ambassadors get the opportunity to build relationships and their confidence, while meeting new people from around the university.

Jake Skeates, who is studying Internet Communications Systems and the current IT Ambassadors Society President, jumped at the chance to join.

“IT had just showcased a lot of their technology and new projects in a special guest lecture and it all looked fascinating. It’s one thing sitting in lectures talking about all these things, but to see them in action, being used in a live environment, was something entirely new.”

“Wanted: Student IT Ambassadors. We’re looking for Jet Gander, a second year student studying Network enthusiastic, creative and reliable individuals with Systems and Management, knows excellent communication and that being an IT Ambassador now technical skills to help us “It’s one thing sitting in could already give him a great career provide a great IT experience boost in the future. lectures talking about all for everyone at BU.” “It gives me an opportunity to build these things, but to see it It was enough to create a spark connections with big businesses and among those students who them action, being used develop my skills and knowledge were not only interested in within an industry I want to work in. in a live environment, was computers, but looking to get This will hopefully put me ahead of something entirely new” more out of university life. the game when it comes to applying for jobs when I graduate.”

Fourteen months on and it’s a firmly established group with 67 members. Most hail from Now the IT Ambassadors plan to extend their services to the School of Design, Engineering and Computing or The the wider community too.

Media School.

Joe Meneghini-Relf, a second year studying Networks It was Claire Wilkinson, Platform Development Manager Management and Web Development said: “It’s a common in Estates and IT Services who first thought of utilising feeling that the GCSE IT courses we studied at school students when Windows 7 began to be implemented weren’t that great. Hopefully next year the Ambassadors throughout the university. will be able to visit both primary and secondary schools to inspire confidence in children and give them the “At the start of the project I talked to a number of staff and opportunity to learn more about the subject.” students and I got the feeling that we had some highly technical students, but we simply weren’t engaging with The IT Ambassadors want to add to their ever-growing them enough. These are, after all, the peole who know team and welcome members from all Academic Schools. what they want from IT and have brilliantly creative Even if you’re not particularly IT-minded, they want ideas,” said Claire. to hear from you, to get a feel for how you think IT is working.

Realising the potential of using students as IT Ambassadors, Claire published the advert, held mock job interviews and gave feedback on CVs. It gave those who applied a taste of experiencing the job application process in its entirety.

The role of an Ambassador is hugely varied, challenging and rewarding. They co-ordinate technology days, support Field Service Engineers, offer technical support to lecturers and help with design and development, as well as fulfilling numerous other roles.

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To find out more about becoming an Ambassador, email wilkinsonc@bournemouth.ac.uk or Jake Skeates at i7906796@bournemouth.ac.uk.

InsideBU | 13

FUSION FUNDING PLANS CREATE A REAL BUZZ AROUND BU!

Charting a course towards the bold vision of BU2018 has not been without its challenges. Since the Board approved the Vision and Values, as well as the new ethos of Fusion that lies at its core, much work has been done to communicate its key benefits across the university to all our staff - and our student community.

I am delighted to say that all that initial hard work is paying off and the interest in BU2018, Fusion and the predominant themes of Creating, Sharing and Inspiring are starting to create a bit of a buzz around our great university.

That has to be good news for everyone and particularly our students, who trust in us to deliver a higher educational experience that is unparalleled and always at the cutting edge.

But it’s also important to remember that Fusion and our vision aren’t just words on a page, a mission statement – they are a tangible force for an even more dynamic educational experience where students and staff are engaged in a continual collaborative process of education, research and professional practice.

We are funding this force for change too through the £3 million Fusion Investment Fund (FIF) helping our highly skilled staff deliver projects and initiatives that stimulate the whole Fusion process.

This is supported by the brand new Global Horizons Fund, which is empowering students to gain experience and employment skills in countries across the world.

Professor Matthew Bennett, Pro-Vice Chancellor 14| InsideBU

Interest in BU’s £3 million funding to help staff deliver on Fusion is gaining momentum.

InsideBU asked Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Matthew Bennett to explain why the funding is so important to BU’s future – and finds a student Mexico-bound thanks to a new BU fund.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico

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tudent scriptwriter Oliver Williams made the most of the chance of lifetime, participating in a major festival in Mexico thanks to support from the new Global Horizons Fund at BU. It enabled Oliver, a second year studying BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film & Television, to attend the Oaxaca Film Festival, where his feature length screenplay had been officially selected.

The fund supports students to participate in an international activity relevant to their studies or professional development, allowing them to experience another culture and gain a competitive edge in the job market.

Oliver was able to pitch to investors from around the globe at the festival and the trip proved very successful.

“The world of film is about getting yourself out there and showing off your talents and hard work,” said Oliver.

“Since participating in the festival I am now in discussions with a producer who is interested in my work and I have also had an influx of visitors to my website, an important part of any business or service today.

“I hope these increased numbers will draw in further visitors and lead to potential work in the future. Many thanks to BU for supporting me in this careerboosting opportunity.”

>>

If you would like to find out more about the Global Horizons Fund, visit the webpage at: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ globalhorizons or email studyabroad@bournemouth. ac.uk.

Global Horizons Fund sends 24 BU students on a Kenyan expedition – see page 12

InsideBU | 15

BU just keeps getting better InsideBU puts the spotlight on some of the improvements in facilities and services that are benefitting staff and the student community alike.

urtyard was Talbot Campus’ new co a central social space re-landscaped to create

mpus is on Talbot Ca e g n u o L le ay to The Purp 24 hours a d ts n e d tu s space available to extra study s a e s u r o e socialis

New computer labs in DEC have provided more creative learning space for students

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t is something for all of us to celebrate, as we look forward to the rest of 2013 - and the challenges ahead.

“We know BU is the best place to study, but we want to make it even

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The BOHO Lounge in Bournemouth House, a new student space where students can relax and study

sportBU now boasts a refurbished reception area and online booking for classes and memberships

better in the years to come,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney.

“That’s why we have a six year, £140 million investment programme that is quite simply

transformational, not only for our campuses and our IT facilities, but in terms of the whole BU experience for our staff and students too.”

From Frankfurt to Poole, Jan is ALWAYS on the right track...

BU academic Jan Wiener is using cutting-edge eye tracking technology to help design better maps and signage that should help us all get around a bit easier.

InsideBU took a quick guided tour of his research.

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n an age of Global Positioning Satellites, when even the most basic mobile phones are home to Sat Nav capability, getting from A to B has, in theory, never been easier.

But in the absence of a guiding hand from technology, where even GPS can’t show the way, we have to put our trust in our own sense of direction, as well as more traditional aids like maps and signs. Suddenly, all the pressure is on the individual to successfully navigate in an unfamiliar environment.

But how do we use our cognitive skills to find the right way – and how can maps and signs be improved to help in that process?

That’s where Dr Jan Wiener and his Wayfinding Research Group come in.

Jan’s research is two-fold.

#ResearchBU

Firstly, he is trying to establish what the relation is between what we look at in trying to find the right route in unfamiliar surroundings. Secondly, it’s about how the ageing process impacts on our cognitive skills in terms of our ability to navigate.

“Little thought is given to how effectively current static signage directs someone or if it is easy to comprehend. It’s more about designers deciding what looks good and that it has a corporate identity, rather than what’s effective,” said Jan, Senior Lecturer in Psychology.

“If you’re in an airport and you need to catch a connecting flight, you may feel under pressure; in hospital for an appointment you might be quite anxious. All this puts pressure on your orientation in an unfamiliar environment, so you need signs that are what we call cognitively appropriate.”

It is exactly these two environments where Jan’s research is already having a major impact. Using undergraduate students wearing special eye tracking technology, Jan has been able to determine what typical environmental information we process in tackling navigation tasks – and this element of the research has had practical applications in two very diverse locations, Frankfurt Airport and Poole Hospital.

Signage systems in the airport have been improved by various changes, including better grouping of information. In Poole Hospital, maps have been made easier to interpret through better presentation of the actual map image and grouping of relevant information, particularly around the hospital’s individual units.

“All the old maps at Poole Hospital were basically the same and you didn’t know where you were, as there was no point of orientation. We changed the map and reorganised information about the units and this now goes hand in hand with appointment letters, which have not only the unit name, but the hospital building name too,” said Jan. The next stage of Jan’s research is to look at the effects of ageing on our ability to navigate effectively, particularly in the case of dementia sufferers. He will be working with care homes to develop design guidelines that could minimise the impact of so called spatial disorientation among dementia sufferers.

While spatial disorientation is among the earliest indicators of dementia and a primary reason for institutionalisation, Jan has discovered that very little is known about how typical and atypical ageing impacts on our ability to effectively orientate ourselves.

InsideBU | 17

Fusing two sides of our media talent Academics at the pinnacle of their skills and students with a passion to succeed, it’s the collaborative nature of the educational process that makes The Media School so special.

John Gusman

Sue Eccles Head of Education, The Media School I feel BU is a bit like me in that we both have a ‘never say never’ attitude.

The university is always striving to do better and sees opportunities for individuals, as well as the institution as a whole.

I think that’s something to be really proud of.

We meet...

It was after doing my first degree that I fell in love with Higher Education and the notion that you could be paid to do something that you enjoyed, like learning. I moved to Bournemouth from Lancaster in 2006 and was attracted to BU as it was clearly an institution going places.

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I look out for, and represent, the staff in the School and feed back to a range of committees, including the Education and Student Experience Committee so there’s a greater understanding and synergy between the two.

I would argue that you can’t have a fantastic student experience unless you’ve got good staff, so working collaboratively is essential.

It’s very much part of my role to insist qualities and standards are understood and adhered to, ensuring that the student experience is as robust as it could and should be.

Final Year Media & Communications Student and Executive Officer at SUBU I’d always liked the look of the Media & Communication course at BU, but it wasn’t until I joined that I realised it was one of the best in the country for media and I was incredibly lucky to be here. The School’s idea of blending research, industry and teaching really sets it apart – and gives its students enormous opportunities.

After feeling that perhaps I wasn’t making the most of university life, I joined SUBU and worked my way up to Executive Officer. I founded the Rep Society, which gives Student Reps the chance to discuss the issues they face and helps them to engage more with students.

It contributed to BU becoming much better at representation and when I won Student Rep of the Year 2012, it was very much a reflection of the hard work that the brilliant SUBU team do.

We’re so lucky that BU offers such great opportunities for engagement between staff, students and the Union. I really feel BU is my home, as well as a place for work and study.

>>

On Saturdays you’ll find me in the North Stand at the Cherries football ground, joining in with the shouting and cheering – it’s such a fantastic stress buster. The rest of my weekends are spent studying for an MA in Education, which definitely helps me to relate to our students here at BU…!

>>

I love food and cooking so it’s probably a good thing that I also enjoy running. It’s slightly hard to get motivated during the dark winter mornings, but it’s all worth it once I’ve reached my goal!

Professional practice is part of a perfect blend From dirty lunchboxes to e-marketing campaigns, BU academics and students are working together to bring major benefits to cross-sector organisations beyond the campus boundary. InsideBU looks at some examples of professional practice in action.

“We discovered that there were basically good mums and bad mums in equal measure, those who keep the lunchbox clean and those, like me, who don’t,” said Philippa.

“The interesting thing about the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is that it doesn’t grow at less than 10 degrees centigrade so if you can keep a lunchbox cold it is not a problem.

“Manufacturers could look to supply decent sized ice packs with lunchboxes, not the small ones currently supplied in some boxes – and they could possibly improve the insulation of boxes too.”

T

he way Bournemouth University connects with industry is fundamental to the educational process for our students – and a key element of the Fusion ethos.

It is a process that is constantly evolving, benefitting staff, students and industry alike.

Everyone is a winner in this perfect blend of both research and teaching, with professional practice.

Across BU, academics and students are working collaboratively on research projects that are significantly impacting on a variety of businesses and organisations.

Harmful bacteria Philippa Hudson’s research into the presence of bacteria on children’s lunchboxes could have an impact on future lunchbox design after she found that 99 per cent of the boxes at a Hampshire school were kept at unsafe temperatures, encouraging potentially harmful Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to grow.

A senior lecturer in Food Safety in the School of Tourism and

Hospitality, Philippa freely admits the research project with hospitality student Hannah Walley was partially born out her being a ‘bad mother’ whose work commitments meant 10-year-old son Adam was responsible for his own lunchbox on a daily basis.

Sadly, this responsibility did not extend to cleaning his lunchbox, as Philippa was horrified to discover.

“In fairness to Adam I wasn’t cleaning it either, which may explain why it had turned black and it stank. It was then the microbiologist in me kicked in and I wondered if there was a risk here too,” said mother of three Philippa, who has worked at BU for 25 years.

Temperature sensor Throughout the next term Adam was equipped with a second lunchbox fitted with a temperature sensor that took readings every ten minutes across the school day.

Then Philippa and Hannah spent one day in the school testing all the pupils’lunchboxes, focusing on the presence of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is frequently found in the human respiratory tract and on the skin.

Increased web traffic Also in the School Tourism and Hospitality, Senior Lecturer Dr Philip Alford, is a strong advocate of blending both research and professional practice as part of the learning process for students.

His undergraduate marketing students have worked on a live Google-sponsored Adwords challenge with small businesses – and delivered positive impacts, increasing traffic to websites and encouraging businesses to revaluate their keywords strategy.

“Students respond very well if you bring your research and your experiences, as well as your case studies into the classroom and this e-marketing project has been no exception,” said Dr Alford.

Freelance journalist The Media School’s Cathryn Greeves, a lecturer in Radio Journalism, is a prime example of professional practice in action. She teaches students two days a week before swapping the classroom for the studio, working as a freelance broadcast journalist for Heart, Fire, Jack FM and The Breeze.

InsideBU | 19

International travel diary:

Ryan Miles, International Officer for South East Asia Our International Marketing and Student Recruitment Team (IMSRT) make regular trips abroad to build relationships and encourage growing numbers of international students to choose BU. But what are these trips really like? International Officer Ryan Miles shares his experiences of a visit to South East Asia.

Day 1 & 2 10 & 11 October 2012 London Heathrow Bangkok - Hanoi Leave Bournemouth on Wednesday morning and arrive in Vietnam on Thursday afternoon. After a short rest I head out to sample some of the delicious Vietnamese cuisine and local favourite Bia Hà Nôi with some of our alumni.

Day 3 & 4 Name: Ryan Miles Job title: International Officer, South East Asia Trip: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia Objective: Meet students applying for BU courses starting in 2013, and those who have already applied; build on and develop new partnerships in the region.

12 & 13 October Hanoi It’s straight into interviews with prospective BU students, followed by a meeting with the international school at Vietnam National University, where Dr Alex Tattersall from The Business School joins me.

All the International Officers work very closely with academics and will often be accompanied by at least one during an international trip.

It also gives prospective students the opportunity to ask in-depth questions about specific courses.

Days 5 to 7 14, 15 & 16 October Ho Chi Minh City Alex and I fly to Ho Chi Minh City and spend three days interviewing

20| InsideBU

prospective BU students and exhibiting at a higher education fair.

All student interviews are prearranged and are an excellent opportunity to talk to international students about courses and much more.

For many international students, choosing to study in the UK is very daunting so they really appreciate meeting someone from BU face-to-face. I buy a few local souvenirs at the world famous Ben Thanh market.

Days 8 to 11 17 - 20 October Hanoi Alex heads to China but it’s back to Hanoi for me, where I’m interviewing more potential BU students and hosting an exhibition stand.

Day 12 & 13 21 & 22 October Ho Chi Minh City Back to Ho Chi Minh City and over to the Education UK Exhibition. I manage to squeeze in a few extra meetings the following day before catching the 6pm flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Meet Huyen Pham “I’d been looking for a UK university to pursue my Masters in Tourism and heard that the course at BU was one of the best. I wanted to find out more and the perfect opportunity presented itself when the BU International Team visited the UK Education Fair in Ho Chi Minh City.

“We talked about what BU could offer me, what the course involved and that I could be eligible for the scholarship scheme. BU is now my dream university and I know it’s going to be one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.”

Days 14 to 16

Days 23 to 26

23, 24 & 25 October Phnom Penh

2 - 5 November Jakarta

It’s IMSRT’s first visit to Cambodia and it’s a really important part of the trip.

I meet with the British Council to discuss potential areas of collaboration, attend a HE fair and interview prospective students.

I visit three international schools in the city, attend a market briefing from the British Council and a reception dinner hosted by the British Ambassador, a great way to meet some potential representatives in the country.

Chris Hall, Associate Dean (Postgraduate Students), joins me to explore opportunities for the School of Tourism.

Days 17 to 22 26 October - 1 November Bangkok I take a day to wade through emails and admin. Over the next three days I host a stand at student exhibitions with Mark Ridolfo, Associate Dean in The Business School, who flew in for the Thailand and Indonesia leg.

Days 27 & 28 6 & 7 November Medan After boarding the 9am flight to Medan from Jakarta, it’s a quick stop at the hotel before heading to a HE exhibition.

Day 29 & 30 8 & 9 November Jakarta – Bangkok – London Heathrow It’s been a mammoth, but worthwhile trip. I managed to exhibit at eight fairs and speak to around 500 prospective students and 20 BU representatives.

Met some fantastic people and continued to build ties in the region.

International team facts & figures: • 1,500 international students from 130 countries are studying at BU • 53 trips were undertaken by international team during 2012 • 4,517 full-time applications were received from international students in 2012 • 41 countries are regularly visited by the team • We saw a 4.1% increase in full-time undergraduate applications by international students this year • MSc Management Framework in The Business School is the most popular course for international students.

InsideBU | 21

Picture courtesy of Martin Walter

As BU’s Digital Screens Content Editor, he’s no stranger to the big screen. Little wonder then that Stuart Claw has also rubbed shoulders with a whole host of celebrities – including a dream gig with Dr Who.

By day, by night awford

y of Juliette Cr

Picture courtes

By day...

I

t’s my job to create the signage you see on all the TV screens around the university, and I work with both students and staff to get the right messages across.

Picture courtesy of Charlie Read

They contact me about events and then it’s down to me to produce creative signs, making sure those messages hit the target audience.

By night...

I love the creative freedom and the fact there are so many diverse events going on around BU. Obviously you have events that happen every year, but you can always put a new, creative twist on them and work from a different angle to keep the audience interested.

W

People want to do things differently each time and it really keeps me on my toes!

What I really love is creating memorable graphics.

My imagination is always ticking over as I look for new inspiration. One of my favourites was creating the signage for the iBU mobile app as I was able to use some new techniques that I had developed and the end result received great feedback.

It can be challenging making something look appealing to such a huge audience, but I love that challenge. Whatever I’m creating, I always want to make people feel as enthusiastic about it as I do.

ould you believe I’ve met close to 500 celebrities?

Away from BU I work as a Stage Manager and Presenter for the MCM Expo Group, a company that hosts events all over the country for fans of films, comics, gaming and TV series.

I’m up on stage with a microphone interacting with both the audience and the celebrity guests, making sure that everyone’s having a good time.

When I started doing this, six or seven years ago, we’d get about 15,000 people turning up to events.

However in October at the MCM Expo London Comic Con event at ExCeL, over 70,000 people attended and at points people we’re queuing around the block – it was unbelievable!

I’ve met so many famous people like David Hasslehoff, Henry Winkler, Danny De Vito and stars from cult TV shows like Stargate SG1.

Recently, I ran a Dr Who panel and met the current Doctor, Matt Smith. Working with the BBC and being part of an event streamed live to the Dr Who fan base, it was quite simply a dream come true.

I’ve never been more nervous, but it was incredible.

Stuart Claw 22| InsideBU

Anything can happen at these events though. Once, a guest was unable to go onstage at the last minute and suddenly I was faced with a packed audience and an hour to fill. I jumped on stage and started giving away prizes. Thankfully, everyone had a great time and most barely noticed the guest hadn’t turned up!

Dates for your diary Annual Art Loan Collection Exhibition

SUBU Full Time Officers Elections

From 31 January, Talbot Campus

1 March - 8 March

‘The Art of Making: Handcrafted and Traditional Skills’

Vote for your new full-time officers in the Students’ Union

Design, Engineering and Computing Careers Fair

Speak Week

Wednesday 13 February, noon 3pm, Kimmeridge House

An opportunity for students to have their say on local and national education matters that affect their student experience

An opportunity for students to network with employers and gain valuable information to help guide placement and career planning

Undergraduate Recruitment Event 13 February, Bournemouth House Mini open day for prospective students

How to Network with Academics, Business & Industry 20 February, Studland House

Dr Martin Pickard of Grantcraft will deliver two workshops on networking

Corporate and Marketing Communications Careers Fair Wednesday 20 February, noon 3pm, Kimmeridge House

An opportunity for students to network with employers and gain valuable information to help guide placement and career planning

Fairtrade Fortnight

18 - 23 March

Postgraduate Information Session 27 March, 9am - 4pm, Talbot Campus 27 March, 9am - 4pm, EBC, Lansdowne Campus An event for those interested in studying for a Master’s degree at BU

Nursing Careers Fair Wednesday 27 March, noon - 3pm, Kimmeridge House

An opportunity for students to network with employers and gain valuable information to help guide placement and career planning

Easter Bank Holiday 29 March - 1 April inclusive

Dorset UCAS Fair

19 April, Talbot Campus

BU is hosting the annual Dorset UCAS Fair, inviting prospective students to find out more about Higher Education

25 February - 10 March

Numerous events will be held across BU in support of Fairtrade

How to submit If you would like to submit a story for the next issue of InsideBU, please email insidebu@bournemouth.ac.uk by Monday 4 March 2013.

We reserve the right to edit your copy and the editor’s decision is final.

Photographs for print must be 300dpi.

InsideBU | 23

Because I e m e b n a c Amazing guest lecturers

The beach, th e people, the

nig htlife

, e c a l p l Co o e l p o e p clever Get ting on ith people I w never thought possible

Produced by Bournemouth University on recycled paper.

Bournemouth University has Fairtrade status.

Alternative formats are available on request: formats@bournemouth.ac.uk

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We are number 1 for research into fish biology!