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This paper discusses a university-wide pilot designed to encourage academics to creatively explore learner-centred applications for digital audio. Participation in the pilot was diverse in terms of technical competence, confidence and contextual requirements and there was little prior experience of working with digital audio. Many innovative approaches were taken to using audio in a blended context including student-generated vox pops, audio feedback models, audio conversations and task-setting. A podcast was central to the pilot itself, providing a common space for the 25 participants, who were also supported by materials in several other formats. An analysis of podcast interviews involving pilot participants provided the data informing this case study. This paper concludes that audio has the potential to promote academic creativity in engaging students through media intervention. However, institutional scalability is dependent upon the availability of suitable timely support mechanisms that can address the lack of technical confidence evident in many staff. If that is in place, audio can be widely adopted by anyone seeking to add a new layer of presence and connectivity through the use of voice.

This paper proposes an inter-disciplinary simulation model for authentic learning that bridges the gap between short group-based simulations within the classroom and longer individual placements in professional working contexts. Dissemination of the model is expected to widen the use of authentic learning approaches in higher education.The model is based on an inter-disciplinary project in which UK higher education students acted as professional developers to produce prototype educational games for academic clients from other subject areas. Perceptions about the project were obtained from interviews with project participants. The stakeholders believed the inter-disciplinary simulation to be a motivating learning experience, whilst identifying possible improvements.To evaluate whether the authenticity of the student-client relationship could be improved, the interview data were compared to four themes for authentic learning described by Rule (2006).The data supported Rule's themes, whilst highlighting the added value gained from metaawareness of the simulation as a learning opportunity.

Studies into the output of R&D generally take a qualitative view of case histories and do not provide a quantitative template for the analysis of 'cause and effect' suited to investment management. This study describes the development of a quantitative model of the relationship between defence R&D and equipment capability. Using open source data, the military equipment quality of 10 nations has been evaluated from 1971 to 2005 and time-dependent correlation with R&D investment back to 1951 analysed. We find that the nations studied 'got what they paid for', with their R&D expenditure positively correlated with equipment capability. The observed variability in equipment quality was most highly correlated with R&D spend 10-25 years earlier.Defence R&D, Military equipment quality,

A blended approach to learning, teaching and assessment has been part of curriculum design in the teaching of software engineering at Sheffield Hallam University since 2003 when the Blackboard virtual learning environment (VLE) was first used alongside lectures and laboratorybased assignments. In seeking a greater degree of integration between physical and virtual learning spaces we have been keen to explore how digital audio can be used to engage and develop students. Digital audio has shown itself to be a simple medium to work with and distribute. Its essential value has proven to be in how it supports access to the disparate voices available in education. We have developed several ideas, including audio notes to support lectures, educational podcasting and audio feedback to bridge the virtual and physical environments in order to offer a richer, more meaningful and formative learning experience. Our recent work has shown that digital audio is generally accessible to, and valued by, students and that it can lead to greater ongoing engagement in the module. This paper focuses on the formative feed forward potential of this flexible medium and illustrates how we have built upon initial successes by improving the design and integration of audio feedback. It describes how the techniques have been used to promote an holistic blended learning environment and how this has affected both the student and the tutor.