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Performing in a blend of real and virtual worlds
Professor David Chiddick

Andrew has provided food for thought this all the experiences that wrap around learning.
evening about what is really a silent revolution The climate in higher education now is one in
in education, which has been going on in the which institutions are having to learn about the
background for some time and is now having impact of the introduction of fees. Some courses
profound effects on the way we live, work this year have already taken an enormous hit and,
and play. Andrew’s talk has also inadvertently as a consequence, higher education institutions
proved a point I wanted to make, which is are realising that they need to address the whole
that performance, whether in a lecture theatre education experience.
environment such as this or in a group of half
The experience of chairing a CABE steering group
a dozen people, remains a very important aspect
that researched into the impact of design on
of the educational experience.
institutional performance was a tremendous eye-
I find myself in a rather interesting situation opener for me. Working with the late and much
this evening, because quite often my role is missed Richard Feilden, we found that the ‘wow
to persuade highly practical people to engage factor’ of a university’s buildings influences staff
in a visionary approach to the development of and students’ decisions to apply there, perhaps
the university estate. I will do my best to invert as much as other factors such as a charismatic
my devil’s advocate role on this occasion. As vice chancellor or the quality of the academic
someone who became involved in design staff. The design of the higher education
from a planning and development perspective environment is extremely important in sustaining
– from the philistine’s end of investment and the an institution’s success; if you ask people to
economics of building – I soon discovered that describe their university, they won’t generally
design can put value into urban areas. Since describe a lecturer but they will describe
then, I have become more and more interested buildings, community, environment, and city.
in architecture and have worked with quite a
The learning experience in higher education
number of architects, some of whom are sitting
is changing very rapidly, but academics aren’t
in the audience.
changing as fast as the students. A few years
The capacity of design to regenerate communities ago academics were leading the change – when
is, I think, something that is particularly relevant I worked at De Montford University we built a light
to higher education at a time when students are, load extension to the library in which we put 700
in effect, purchasing the whole education fixed-cathode screen workstations. We later
experience and not just the academic offering. changed those to flat screen fixed workstations.
Students are customers now, and part of what But the extension and the 700 workstations are
they are paying for is an environment. When effectively redundant now because students use
they choose a university course, as well as being their laptops throughout the campus, which is
concerned with academic standards, they’re wireless. And we’re finding that students are
thinking about other factors such as the city the turning up to see their lecturers with their laptops,
university is in and the quality of social facilities – which is good because for a long time, in fact

22 Performing in a blend of real and virtual worlds