Knowledge Centre blogs

By: Dan Sutch
On: 24th November 2011

- exploring the potential of digital tech around young people's mental health

Understanding how digital technology can best support young people around issues of mental health is a challenging area of study, and equally so when it becomes the centre of a design process to create new resources and tools – but that’s what the Innovation Labs are aiming to do with support from Comic Relief, Right Here and Nominet Trust.

The Innovation Labs are an attempt to create a process for supporting the co-design of new digital resources to help young people around issues of mental health. Facilitated by Cernis, the series of labs aim to create the conditions for innovation to allow young people, mental health service providers and tech experts to work together to create new ideas for digital technologies in this important area. Lots more details about the labs can be found here and here. It’s the process of innovation that I’m particularly interested in as a subject for this post. more >

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The Digital Era Heralds a New Dawn for Charities

By: Dan Sutch
On: 14th November 2011

Why should the internet and social media matter for charities? Giving to a charity or getting support from one has been going on for hundreds of years. However, there are some distinct opportunities for third sector organisations to get online and further their work towards their charitable objectives.

A new report from Nominet Trust, Charities' use of the internet, was released on Thursday, 10 Nov, revealing that the internet presents significant opportunities for charities, but also significant challenges if they are offline whilst their donor-base (and indeed service users) require others ways of communicating.

How 'traditional' organisations present themselves online is key in order to resonate with modern donors and volunteers. This is becoming increasingly important in relation to the 'next generation users' identified by the latest research survey from Oxford Internet Institute. more >

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Networks and workforce development the answer to ICT challenges not Westminster

By: Bob Harrison
On: 8th November 2011

The landscape for ICT in education has seen significant changes in the last year. Schools, Colleges and Universities are coming to terms with a very different economic, political and technological climate and environment.

Gone or reformed are the big state quangos, ring fenced funding, a harnessing technology strategy, research funding and the capacity and capability of local authority interventions has been significantly diminished.

The advances in technology, however, including bigger and faster broadband, cheaper and more sophisticated portable devices, more robust wireless networks and longer battery life has been welcomed by some teachers and lecturers as they believe it will help them engage and motivate learners in a variety of different learning environments. more >

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£250k Challenge for Digital Entrepreneurs Over 55

By: Dan Sutch
On: 4th November 2011

There are about 9.7 million people, 16% of the entire UK population, aged 65 and over. This figure is set to rise by 2033 to about 16.4 million people, or 23% of the population. And for those interested in longer term predictions, it is projected that by 2083, one in three people in the UK will be over the age of 60.

These descriptions represent a significant number of people and although it is useful to use terms like 'ageing population' or even 'older people' to represent the shift in the demographic make-up of the UK (and indeed the wider world), it belies an incredibly diverse group. The over-55 population can describe a difference of up to 50 years' life experience between those in early older age and those in late old age; it can describe people in good health and poor health; those who are physically or socially isolated or those living with, or supported by families; those who are digitally connected, and those who are digitally excluded. more >

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Ofcom Media Use and Attitudes Seminar

By: Grant.Blank
On: 2nd June 2011

Ofcom reported on the results from two media use surveys on 2 June 2011. (You will, naturally, want to reflect on the fact that this is an auspicious day: the 59th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.) There were two reports from Ofcom.

Alison Preston (Senior Research Associate) reported on the UK Adults Media Literacy survey which was fielded in Spring and Autumn 2010. The two waves were combined for a sample size of 2,117 adults age 16+. There were three main points to take away from her report.

First, Internet use (called “take-up” in Ofcom jargon) is increasing and has reached 74% of all individuals. This is consistent with the OxIS 2011 survey, which shows 73%. It remains skewed by age and social grade, with younger people and people in higher social grades using the Internet more. This is true of both simple use and amount (hours) of use. more >