Explore : Futures?

1. Explore: Futures? • Dr. Ian Ground • Explore Membership Scheme Leader • ian.ground@sunderland.ac.uk Date

2. Can a university deliver higher education for the social good in the new funding climate?

3. "A little money can achieve a lot, particularly if we are prepared to innovate and to trust people at the front line to organise learning in ways that suit their needs rather than conforming to some centralised model.“ John Hayes Minister of state for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning  Queen’s Speech Forum: Skills Strategy 10 Jun 2010

4. "A little money can achieve a lot, particularly if we are prepared to innovate and to trust people at the front line to organise learning in ways that suit their needs rather than conforming to some centralised model.“ John Hayes Minister of state for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning  Queen’s Speech Forum: Skills Strategy 10 Jun 2010

5. Background • The Model • Finance • Programme Structure • Aspects of Explore • Member Behaviour • Feedback • Partners • Futures

6. Background A creative response to the ELQ crisis 80% of our students debarred from HEFCE funding Non-Negotiables of quality, affordability and sustainability

7. Background The key to innovation was reclaiming our focus on why lifelong learning matters. Individual Interrogative Interactive Interdisciplinary

8. The Model How can provision be small (and therefore cheap) on the inside Yet large (and therefore good value) on the outside?

9. The Model Make the entire (but smaller) programme all of it, available to all students all the time Finance it on the model of a gym membership.

10. The Model From the university’s point of view, it’s a much smaller programme and so cheaper to deliver But From the student’s point of view, it’s much bigger and therefore better value

11. Finance E = MF/C CC = Fixed Costs of Centre CO = Fixed (?) costs overhead required by University CV= Unit Venue Costs CT = Unit Teaching Costs CA = Unit Admin Costs.

12. Finance C = (CC+CO) + (ECV+ECT+ECA) CC= Fixed Costs of Centre CO= Fixed (?) costs overhead required by University CV= Unit Venue Costs CT= Unit Teaching Costs CA= Unit Admin Costs.

13. Programme Structure Start with 1600 hours of programme available across 4 seasons, all day, every day in 30 distinct academic subjects, 12 regular venues 50% Open/50% Bookable We guarantee the size of programme – no course cancellations. Priority Bookings

14. Programme Structure Member pays: Seasonal membership fee equivalent to 25% increase on 2008-9 fee for one 10 credit course Around a fiver a week or less  Membership buys: unlimited attendance at open courses one priority on a bookable 10 hr seminars unlimited spare places on ‘Berliners’ opportunity for feedback (£15) or accreditation at extra cost

15. Ethos Individual Interrogative Interactive Interdisciplinary

16. Seasonal Skewing Season One 35% Season Two 30% Season Three 26% Season Four 9%

17. Member Behaviour

18. Member Behaviour

19. Member Behaviour Members Distinct subjects

20. Member Behaviour I choose to come to talks where I know little or nothing, and have always come away stimulated to go and read more .. Also attend by Day - everything that day Venue Much less by subject Tutor still but we deliberately introduce variation in these open sessions

21. Feedback Systems Move from paper-based to e-system From terminal to continuous feedback (summative to formative?)

22. Feedback Systems Feedback Requests autosent to date: 5080 Responses to date: 1362 Response Rate: 31%

23. Partners • Newcastle - very busy cultural scene with some major players, serving a wider region, in a relatively compact city. • Work with partners to • Lower Costs • Access to marketing • Reputation and leveraging of reputation • The universities are ‘partners’ too! • The Engage! Project • Internal Politics

24. Partners • 2011 Explore Hours (ECT) • Tutor Hours: 1114 • Core Staff Hours: 390 • Cost Free Hours: 109 • Total Hours: 1613 • So tutor costs brought down to 70% of total hours

25. Partners “BALTIC was very pleased to work with the North East Centre for Lifelong Learning as part of Explore. The 6-week course looking at the Turner Prize 2011 was a fantastic way into contemporary art for many ... For BALTIC, the course helped us to attract a new audience who may have been hesitant about visiting the gallery and who felt that contemporary art wasn’t for them. Being given the opportunity to spend time looking at the exhibition in a supportive and open environment has, I believe, opened up contemporary art and BALTIC to a new audience.” Emma Thomas, Head of Learning and Engagement, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

26. Futures • Breaking through membership barriers • Penetration in traditional market • New Markets • 1100 throughput • 500 Max • Churn rate ofabout 15% • Simplifyingthemessage • Particularitiesofthe North-East • Large numberofculturalcompetitors. • The generaleconomicclimate • The Pizza Paradox • .

27. The Pizza Paradox You want to buy a pizza and are happy to pay £4.00 for one. You have bought before at that price and are willing to do so again. Now as well as offering one pizza at £4.00, they offer 3 pizzas for a £10 But you don’t have room in the freezer for 3 pizzas And now you don‘t buy one £4.00 pizza either. Why? The original offer is perceived to be devalued by the better offer even though, objectively, you still want the former and dont, for reasons other than perceived value, want the latter. This is precisely parallel to the value psychology of some exiting Explore Members. “It was great but I could only do 20 hours a season and there was so much I couldn’t do, it wasn’t good value for me”

28. Explore • Explore remains financially fragile and dependent on the commitment of the host institution. • But the Explore model is conceptually and operationally a success. • provides a highly attractive student experience which reimagines the tradition • can work in any location with easy access for a learning population – certainly the major conurbations • fosters collaboration with regional cultural and community partners • operates as a platform for intelligent and sustained research dissemination • offers universities a way at minimal cost to engage with their regions and local populations, stimulate recruitment and challenge perceptions. • is flexible enough to be structured around the needs of each university

29. What have we learned? If adult learners are given what they want, in a context where the general quality is assured, they respond enthusiastically to have their own choices respected. There is a match between the best things about a customer model of service and traditional liberal adult virtues of ownership and inclusion. It is possible to develop new business models which have a chance of success in a sector without public funding.

30. UALL 2010 National Award for“creativity, innovation, sustainability, impact and transferability”

31. More Information? http://explore.sunderland.ac.uk/

32. thanks for your attention

33. Beacon and Research benefits “Beacon North East partnership with NECLL’s Explore is an excellent opportunity for academics to engage in two-way, mutually beneficial dialogue with members of the lifelong learning community to enhance access to research and academic expertise for wider society.” Beacon North East Team

34. Feedback - Members “Thank goodness for Explore. I was beginning to think continuing education was forbidden to anyone over 25! It’s a great scheme and I am so enjoying it.” Explore Member Rosie “I am really enjoying the mixture of drop-in and bookable sessions; they fit so well into a busy life!” Explore Member Mary

35. I have been attending Monday's 'Introduction to Philosophy' course. Last week I won at tribunal, in front of a judge and others, a successful appeal for ESA allowance on behalf of my son. In addition to a written submission, I used material taken directly from this course to argue his case. So the course does indeed help people, who as in my case have no background in philosophy, to solve real life dilemmas. I love the range of explore courses and only wish that I had enrolled earlier . Explore Member Barbara

36. Issues • challenging target to meet for critical mass • transitional strain (identity, operations, reduction in part-time teaching hours ….) • awkward fit of delivery model for rural areas and subjects requiring small groups, such as ‘hands-on’ workshops • naïve public perceptions of cost and value – especially in transitional era when unsustainable subsidized learning – e.g. Learning Revolution – is still intermittently available

37. Answering the Question • Q: Can a university deliver high quality public engagement in the form of lifelong learning in the new funding climate? • A: Yes. We believe we have found a new model of delivering lifelong learning that: • can be financially sustainable • values learners and their needs • re-imagines the lifelong learning ethos in a way that is transferable elsewhere

38. Answering the Question "A little money can achieve a lot, particularly if we are prepared to innovate and to trust people at the front line to organise learning in ways that suit their needs rather than conforming to some centralised model.“ John Hayes Minister of state for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning  Queen’s Speech Forum: Skills Strategy 10 Jun 2010

39. More Information? • Briefing Notes • NECLL Brochure 2011 • http://explore.sunderland.ac.uk/