The Hear It Podcast

Technology and the student experience with Mark Higginson and Guy Andrews

In our last episode on the theme of Technology and the Student Experience, we look at how our conversations with prospective students can begin at a very early stage and technology can enable how we can improve these very early impressions. 
We speak with Guy Andrews and Mark Higginson, experienced marketing and technology experts from Twenty Thousand Leagues and creators of Cues.ai. 
But importantly, we discuss why technology isn't an inevitable solution particularly when it comes to education, and why we need to remain focused on the experiences students get from education before jumping on the latest tech trend. 

Josh Akapo from Archtype on Youth Voice and Culture

This episode we speak with Josh Akapo, co-founder of creative agency Archtype, who facilitate impactful moments of culture for the likes of Lovebox Festival, Stormzy and DLT. Josh also delivers creative research and insights at Hype Collective, a student marketing agency and is part of a youth mentoring non-profit, Joined Up Thinking, helping curate projects particularly for young people of colour to stand out and reach their potential. 
About Josh https://joshakapo.com/ 
@archtypeUK  https://archtype.co.uk/ 
Josh shares his views on improving ethnic diversity in PR https://www.prmoment.com/blog/how-you-can-help-to-increase-ethnic-diversity-in-pr 
Josh's work with Hype Collective on attractive LGBTQ+ Talent 
https://hypecollective.co.uk/news/research/were-over-the-rainbows-how-employers-can-actually-support-lgbtq-students/ 
https://hypecollective.co.uk/news/research/pulse-check-recap-attracting-lgbtq-talent/ 
 
Josh's recommendations
Spotify https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-06-02/celebrate-your-unique-listening-style-with-spotifys-only-you-in-app-experience/ 
Big Zuu on Dave https://dave.uktv.co.uk/shows/big-zuus-big-eats/ 
Who We Be Talks Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2YissX4xRk9cU2r10620ol 
The Receipts Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-receipts-podcast/id1177040764 
Three Shots of Tequila Podcast https://thisis3shots.com/ 
Over the Bridge Podcast https://soundcloud.com/overthebridgeuk 
All About Love by Bell Hooks
The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good by Michael Sandel
A Short History of African Philosophy by Barry Hallen
 

Jamie McCracken from Protein New York on ”Influence”

We’re talking all about “influence” in this episode with Jamie McCracken, Head of Agency at Protein in New York. Jamie’s experience of customer attitudes, behaviours and motivations has informed a whole host of insight reports and strategies, working with a whole host of brands from Nike, YEEZY and Red Bull to Google, Apple and Alexander Wang. 
 
@protein  https://www.proteinagency.com/ 
Protein’s ‘Dirty Words’ Research - Influence https://www.proteinagency.com/reports/dirty-words-influence 
Protein’s Youth Report https://www.proteinagency.com/reports/the-youth-report 
 
Jamie’s recommendations
Vfiles https://www.vfiles.org/ the foundation investing in the next generation of creators through grants, mentorship and soft skills training. 
 
Red Bull’s Music Academy https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/ 
 
Protein Agency Supplement https://the-dots.com/pages/protein-71243 
 
Reply All podcast https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all
Economist Radio @EconomistRadio https://www.economist.com/podcasts 
 
Science of Secondary Magazine https://atelierhoko.com/category/science-of-the-secondary/
 
MacGuffin Magazine https://www.macguffinmagazine.com/ 
 
Trick Mirror, by Jia Tolentino https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567511/trick-mirror-by-jia-tolentino/ 

Dr. Josephine Perry on Teens, Psychology & Sport

This episode we’re joined by Dr Josephine Perry, Chartered Psychologist, Founder of Performance in Mind, journalist and author. Having worked across a breadth of communications roles, from lobbying to being Communications Director at Nuffield Health, her own sporting experience took her into performance psychology, where she has worked with a breadth of athletes and written several books, including her latest book about teenage athletes. 
https://performanceinmind.co.uk/about/ 
@Josephineperry
Her Books: Performing Under Pressure, The Psychology of Exercise, I Can: The Teenage Athlete’s Guide to Mental Fitness
On the episode we mention: 
The Self Determination Theory 
https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/ 
Tsundoku - the Japanese term for buying too many books! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundoku#:~:text=Tsundoku%20(Japanese%3A%20%E7%A9%8D%E3%82%93%E8%AA%AD),%E2%80%931912)%20as%20Japanese%20slang. 
Dr Perry’s recommendations: 
Barbie campaigns https://barbie.mattel.com/en-us/about/you-can-be-anything.html 
We talk about teenagers and why music is so important to them https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-teens-need-their-musi_b_9113178 
Her Spirit Podcast with BBC Presenter Louise Minchim and Triathlon Coach Annie Emmerson https://herspirit.buzzsprout.com/ 
Lockdown Parenting Hell Podcast with Josh Widdacombe and Rob Beckett https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rob-beckett-and-josh-widdicombes-lockdown-parenting-hell/id1510251497  
Doing it for the Kids Podcast with Frankie Tortora and Steve Folland http://www.doingitforthekids.net/diftk-podcast/ 
Caroline Criado Perez, author of Invisible Women’s newsletter https://carolinecriadoperez.com/ 
Alexander Preece, All Things Sport newsletter https://allthingssport.libsyn.com/ 
Sharn Meades-Williams newsletter https://www.sianmeadeswilliams.com/freelance-writing-jobs

Tanya Martin from Women in Sport on Teens vs Sport

This week we’re talking about the latest research into teen girls and sport with Tanya Martin, Insight Manager at Women in Sport, a national charity that works to give every woman and girl the opportunity to experience the transformational rewards of sport.
 
Tanya Martin
@Womeninsport_uk
Women in Sport: The Impact of COVID-19 on Girls Lives and Physical Activity, 2021 https://www.womeninsport.org/research-and-advice/our-publications/the-impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-teenage-girls-lives-and-physical-activity/                                                       
Women in Sport Reframing Sport for Teenage Girls 2019 https://www.womeninsport.org/research-and-advice/our-publications/reframing-sport-for-teenage-girls-building-strong-foundations-for-their-futures/ 
 
Tanya’s Recommendations
Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/en                                                         
Vans Off The Wall https://www.vans.co.uk/off-the-wall.html                       
Women In Sport Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-women-in-sport-podcast/id1477178369                                             
Girls Talk https://gurlstalk.libsyn.com/                                                       
The Psychology of Exercise by Josephine Perry

Nafisa Shafiq from the University of Leeds on Allyship in Student Communications

This week we’re joined by Nafisa Shafiq, Student Communications Manager at the University of Leeds. Nafisa’s experience across a breadth of sectors had always been driven by the desire for more inclusive communications, not just within her role in higher education, but in the wider sector and indeed her own career and this episode we talk about how student communications have faired over the past year and how she approaches tone of voice, communicating key messages and how to instill allyship as part of student communications. 
 
You can find Nafisa on Twitter here @NafisaShafiq and her blog https://nafisashafiq.com/ 
Nafisa’s blog on allyship on Comms2Point0 https://comms2point0.co.uk/comms2point0/2021/3/15/everyone-has-the-ability-to-be-an-ally 
 
Nafisa’s Recommendations 
Brands that really lived up to their discussion of Black Lives Matter, particularly to youth audiences that Nafisa references:  
Ben & Jerry’s https://www.benjerry.com/about-us/media-center/dismantle-white-supremacy 
Manchester United https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/mu-foundation-take-a-stand-with-support-for-kick-it-out-initiative# 
Nike’s Just Don’t Do It anti-racism campaign https://news.nike.com/news/nike-for-once-don-t-do-it-film 
 

Emma Leech from Nottingham Trent University on What’s Next for Higher Education

This week we’re joined by Emma Leech, Director of Marketing and Communications at Nottingham Trent University. Emma’s career spans a breadth of Higher Education Institutions, with her teams winning a multitude of awards for their work in engaging young people. A founding chartered PR Practitioner, Chartered Marketer and Chartered Manager, she has also held industry positions including CIPR President in 2019. We talk about how campaigns in higher education have to work harder to engage young people, why demonstrating the value of education is vital and what the challenges of the past year mean for marketing and communications over the coming months. 
 
Emma on Twitter @EmmaJ70
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/senior-management-team/emma-leech 
 
Emma’s Recommendations 
Brené Brown Dare to Lead book, her podcast of the same name is here https://brenebrown.com/dtl-podcast/ 
David Olusoga, Black and British, a Forgotten History book, and his show for BBC can be found here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b082x0h6 
Calm Edged Rebels Podcast 
https://calmedgedrebels.com/ 
Disrupting the Degree podcast with Stephen Cleary  https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disrupting-the-degree/id1529940932  
Insight Timer app https://insighttimer.com/ 
https://www.allthingsic.com/ 
https://wonkhe.com/

Jim Dickinson from WONKHE on What’s Next for Higher Education

This week we’re joined by Jim Dickinson, Associate Editor of WONKHE, where he explores the latest research, analysis and policy making impacting students and higher education. A former long-standing director at the National Union of Students, Jim has also worked as CEO at the Students’ Union at UEA in Norwich and is also a fellow at the Royal Society of the Arts. In this episode we discuss some of the issues the pandemic has brought upon students and what the future may hold for the sector. 
 
Jim Dickinson @jim_dickinson 
Wonkhe https://wonkhe.com/
https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-pandemic-has-decimated-the-university-experience-how-can-we-put-that-right/ 
Airport culture and Gen Z from Vice https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3gy5k/gen-z-airport-culture 
Jim's Recommendations 
What Adults Don't Tell You Before You Adult podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/what-adults-dont-tell-you-before-you-adult/id1462211932 

Dr Thomas Curran from the London School of Economics on Perfectionism and Mental Health

This week we speak with Dr Thomas Curran, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. His research into the personality characteristics of perfectionism and cultural influences upon it have highlighted the growing impact of perfectionism on young people’s mental health, as well as what society needs to do to address it. 
 
Dr Curran’s research and articles https://www.lse.ac.uk/PBS/People/Dr-Tom-Curran
TED Talk on our obsession with Perfectionism https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_curran_our_dangerous_obsession_with_perfectionism_is_getting_worse?language=en 
 
Book recommendations 
Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection 
TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en 
Karen Horney, Neurosis and Human Growth
More about Karen Horney and her work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Horney 
Susan Cain, Quiet
TED talk, the Power of Introverts, Susan Cain https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en
Contact us @hearitpodcast or info@threadandfable.com 

Sue Jones from Ditch the Label on Online Life and Bullying

We explore online life, pressure and perfectionism and its impact on bullying and mental health. Speaking to Sue Jones, Deputy CEO of global youth charity Ditch the Label. Its annual bullying report highlighted the 25% rise in bullying, attributing social media as a major cause, with 47% of young people saying they believe they were bullied based on their appearance. We explore what impact the pandemic has had on this and what we should consider as we build campaigns and initiatives engaging young people moving forward. 
 
Sue Jones @DtLSue 
Ditch the Label https://www.ditchthelabel.org @DitchtheLabel 
Annual Bullying Survey 2020: https://www.ditchthelabel.org/research-papers/the-annual-bullying-survey-2020/ 
Ditch the Label on Twitter https://twitter.com/DitchtheLabel 
Section 28: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_28 
Boo Hoo Ditch the Label Video Insta Life vs Reality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EFHbruKEmw 
United Nations - Digital Rights https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1088182 
Online Harms White Paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper/online-harms-white-paper 
Sue's Recommendations
The Washington Post on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@washingtonpost?lang=en 
Fearless, by Ditch the Label CEO Liam Hackett https://www.ditchthelabel.org/how-to-be-fearless-an-interview-with-ditch-the-label-ceo-liam-hackett/
 
Contact us @hearitpodcast or info@threadandfable.com