Conclusions
• Sustainable – the digital nature of the resource allows it to be both environmentally and financially sustainable as international travel is not required ( Figure 5 ).
Recorded videos provide a flexible and inclusive learning environment by allowing individuals to access content in a number of ways including as audio-only to allow multi-tasking , with closed captions , in segments ( facilitated by hyperlinked chapters ), or at altered speed ( 0.25x – 2x ). The option to listen to the content as audio-only echoes the arguments laid out by Lowe-Calverley et al that podcasts enrich the learning experience and provide a ‘ low-stakes ’ learning environment ( 2022 ). The ability to access such resources on an individual time scale is a particularly important accommodation for people with dynamic disabilities or those with caring responsibilities who may need to access such extra-work resources outside of core hours .
Figure 12 – A presentation from Dr Amanda Meyer Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia on collaborative working was very well received with an education-focused academic based in Melbourne commenting ‘… this was very very helpful for an ed research newbie like me !’.
Conclusions
This resource effectively achieves all the objectives set out :
Covid-safe – Individuals who do not wish to attend large in-person conferences can share their scholarship with an international community of academics ( Figures 5 , 8 , 9 , 11 and 12 ).
• Accessible – Academics and students who cannot attend in-person conferences for a variety of reasons including , but not limited to , caring commitments and financial restrictions , can disseminate their scholarly work . In addition , recorded videos display a transcript of narration to improve accessibility ( Figures 5 and 10 ).
• Permanent – research shared at a conference has a permanent place that allows the researcher to give the community a guided tour through the scholarship ( Figure 1 ).
• Open-discussion – the comments section on Twitter and YouTube is open to encourage an ongoing dialogue around the scholarship ( Figure 9 ).
The benefits of this collaborative library of resources extend beyond those experienced by the audience . The researchers sharing their work now have the ability to link directly to the hosted videos from sites such as ResearchGate or LinkedIn , thereby supporting the construction of an enriched portfolio of work . This is particularly important for those educators applying for Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy ( SFHEA ) and since the adoption of the ‘ Narrative CV ’ by UK Research and Innovation ( UKRI ) and other funding bodies ( Acquaviva et al 2020 ).
Higher Education has made steps to move away from the tradition of academic ableism , however there is considerable work to be done . 22 % of the UK population have a disability , with 24.9 % of disabled people aged 21-64 reporting an undergraduate degree as their highest qualification compared to 42.7 % of those without a disability ( Kirk-Wade 2022 ). As such it is the responsibility of HE institutes to support those with disabilities wishing to enter , and work within , such institutes . Through these recordings and the establishment of a virtual community of researchers , steps are being made in the right direction . In addition , the creation of an open-access platform for the sharing of scholarship may work towards removing gendered inequalities ( Harvard Business Review 2023 ) and address the lack of diversity of invited speakers ( Breu and Cooper 2022 ).
The focus on an ongoing dialogue allows the audience to become active participants in the scholarship , shaping the sector and promoting collective action across HE . This also promotes action research which is fundamentally cyclical in nature by promoting the sharing of ideas at any stage and not just at an annual conference . With the current delays in publishing seen since the Covid-19 pandemic this is becoming increasingly necessary in order to keep up with the fast-paced changes occurring across HE .
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