At the beginning of September I attended the third partner meeting for the LAAR project. This is the project I’m working on which looks at using learning analytics and augmented reality to improve work-based learning. New to the project, this was my first opportunity to meet the team. It was really nice to finally meet everyone in person and see the full extent of the work produced. Video conferencing is a great way to stay in touch during a project but it always feels a little impersonal compared to face-to-face. In person ideas are easier to get across, conversations flow more naturally and people are more efficient, I believe.
The event was hosted by team members from the IT University of Copenhagen. What a great university in a beautiful city! The university building really impressed me, large modern open and made of glass. We meet in an open glass-box room with a view down of the whole campus. The building boasted some really fantastic hipster coffee which is apparently sometimes served by heads of departments – a way for them to connect with students and staff alike. The canteen food was also superb, I was spoilt compared to the UK.
In the evening we all ate out together. This was the point when I really understood why EU projects like this are a great thing. All the tensions from the days discussions, a good sign of intellectuals invested in their work, were now gone. To sit around and talk to these academics about news, the current politics climate, their individual countries, academia and beyond, was a treat. It was nice to hear about the similarities and little differences we have between countries (and ofcourse conversation always end up on Brexit at the moment).
I’m now really looking forward to the next meet in December, my chance to meet up with the team again and visit Brussels.