Newsletter #46: Uni of British Columbia proves consistency is king; YikYak is back; AI now makes it possible to chat with the dead. Sort of.
đź“° HE news
In a remarkable yet strangely quiet move, the government will work with universities to trial the first-ever “flexible” student loan arrangements for short courses. I’m a big fan of this. For those who can’t get support through an employer for professional development this is a massive win, plus it allows for a more “responsive” approach to education. 3 years is a long time to pivot! If you’re a professional and find yourself lacking a new skill, a few months of study may be all you need to set yourself back on track. Read
The UK media blew up this week with Russell Group Universities chartering flights for Chinese students. I love the language of these articles - “university bosses” are only putting effort into “helping students from abroad because of the fees they generate”. What’s the story here? Shock: British Universities (businesses!) help students (customers!) complete transactions? It’s just another day in international student recruitment. Read
đź’» Digital marketing news
Facebook published its “most widely viewed content” report and I’m not sure how it made it out the door. Why would you want to promote that your most popular content is from Daily Mail, LADbible and Yahoo? The company has also unveiled its metaverse for work which is as horrific as you imagine. You’re sitting in a VR space around an oak table staring at a screen with an active Teams call. Again, why? Why would people be on a Teams call in VR? Are they dialling into Facebook Workrooms? Please stop. Content Report | FB VR Workrooms
In a better take on the metaverse, Snapchat has developed a camera app that can scan your surroundings. This is cooler than it sounds. You can point it at a dog and it will tell you the breed, where to buy one and how to take care of it. There’s also the option to add AR filters over the area you’ve scanned. The latter feels like a gimmick but it’s all part of Snap’s drive to be a leader in AR tech, especially with wearables. I’d choose to wear a pair of Spectacles over jacking into Zuckerberg’s Workrooms any day. Look
YikYak is making a return, only this time with a strategy to deal with hate speech and bullying. If you missed it the first time, YikYak was a staple of campus universities in 2013, allowing everyone within a five-mile radius to connect and post anonymously. Sounds terrifying (and it was) but at its best it was an unfiltered stream of student feedback. Its comeback may not see 2013 levels of adoption, but 2021’s privacy concerns may give it the foothold it needs to find a new audience. Read
🏫 What unis are doing
University of British Columbia publishes a new video every Sunday about the week ahead on campus. Absolutely love this. You are more likely to gain YouTube subscribers by adding value or entertaining consistently over time, rather than by having a few viral hits. A weekly “what’s happening” video is easy to replicate and may finally give your students a reason to visit your YouTube channel regularly. Look
Cardiff University dropped its new hero video This is Cardiff, dyma Caerdydd. I usually cringe at spoken word pieces but this is actually written by an award-winning Welsh poet and performed by a Cardiff student. It feels true to itself. Expect to see this rolled out as part of the uni’s recruitment campaigns this autumn. Look
London Southbank University has a glossy playlist filled with flagship student stories, but at the bottom is Media Production student Laurajane Watson’s day in the life. Why is this special? Some students show you Instagram-quality food and socials; Laurajane shows you her dusty laptop and awkwardly trying to film herself on the Tube. It’s 47-seconds of honesty - more could be made of this format. Look
🧑‍🎓 What students are saying
“I was confused and angry when I saw my results. Initially I thought it was a mistake. I don’t know what to do if this isn’t resolved. I’m lost.” Student Keir Adeleke speaks for the thousands of students who were the “near misses” of Clearing 2021. Read
đź‘ľ Culture shock
AI now makes it possible to have a conversation with the dead, providing there’s enough social media content to go on. Read
Nestflix is a Netflix from an alternate reality where in-show movies actually made it to the big screen. Look
The best internet stock images from the early 2000s. Look
