It starts with an armoured pterichthyodes, swimming through shallow waters 400 million years ago, scavenging for organic detritus, sweeping up decay. Some time later, an amateur geologist cracks open a block of sandstone and discovers the clear outline of a fish, which is later confirmed as a Devonian fossil. Then, a group of scientists and […]

We hosted our first internal unconference last week, attended by about 50 colleagues. The experience was overwhelmingly positive with great feedback and lots of thought-provoking discussion. Jul 4, 2025

June is here and it’s time to celebrate! We’ve been hearing about lots of fantastic Pride events and activities happening throughout the month in and around Edinburgh. Whether you’re into sports, community engagement, or cultural events, there’s something for everyone. Here’s what we know about so far – please let us know if we’ve missed […]

Welcome to the July’s Hot Topic: Navigating complexity through interdisciplinary learning and teaching Universities today stand at a crossroads; they are caught between tradition and transformation. As we confront rapid societal shifts, technological advancements, and increasingly complex global challenges, how can higher education evolve to remain relevant, impactful, and empowering for students? This month’s Hot […]

Chalkface to touchscreen: Convivial learning with Socrates  The past is strange, and we are all someone’s past. Mostly states and institutions are technology solutionists at heart. All our incentives lead that way. If only we could get just the right amount of leverage, tweak inputs  in just the right way … they muse …then people […]

This is another blog resurrected and refreshed from my old consultancy site. I’ve temporarily resurrected it but it won’t be around for long… This post is from November 2015 prompted by an event I ran at Glasgow University. You know that moment when you walk away from someone at a conference feeling that you’ve made […]