Welcome to my blended learning solutions website 16/11/2012
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Hello and welcome –
I am Dr Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel, a blended learning solutions thought leader. Through this website I aim to share my eLearning knowledge, experience and capability with you, the visitor, and your professional social network. The new web address is: https://abasiel.uk
This website contains a wide range of my eLearning research and development work with real-world project examples. Please do contact me (abasiel@gmail.com) if you are interested in discussing or collaborating on any topics presented here.
I have added some personal items as well to give an insight into my background.
Please do pass on this website to anyone you think may be interested and keep this dialog going. You can also use https://tinyurl.com/BlendedLearningSolutions
Yours, 
My Routledge Press eLearning Book is at:
http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415528573/
See my thesis about eLearning pedagogy at
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KLqvTlq0dzuGZ2xosUSxiglx2GDiCpaV/view?usp=sharing
And see my VLE toolkit to measure interactivity for eContent, eCommunication, Management and Learning Design (ePedagogy and ‘Telepistemology’)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5KEPSFKjo5OOXFKYlplRjBBZjQ/view?usp=sharing
and my MSc/MPhil about applied formative evaluation in eLearning at
https://tinyurl.com/MScOnlinePedagogy
An example of my teaching at the Oxford/Cambridge Summer Courses (2017) can be see at:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5KEPSFKjo5OM1B3SURMTkdkY3M
This website has been given a Google Mobility rating:
AI as a research tool 30/11/2025
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic that is finding its way in every industry and knowledge domain. We can use it to create content or as a knowledge partner. One example is to use AI as a research tool. I was asked by GLG to provide expert consultancy for this use case. “When leaders need to make informed decisions, GLG provides meaningful connections through a network of experts, the world’s most varied and qualified source of first-hand expertise, with hundreds of experts recruited daily to tackle tomorrow’s questions.” (GLG 2025)
AI for Computing User Experience Testing
Currently I am a UK university Tutor facilitating courses in computing science user experience (UX) design. We are exploring the use of AI in the research – design – development – and evaluation process of making a website design that is accessible to a diverse profile of users. This limitation can include physical limitations, languages and cultures. For example, AI can help with the design or evaluation of UX surveys to get profile data or testing responses to a prototype design. Another area of UX-AI use is to give the AI-bot a user persona identity created from real-human data. This AI persona can then respond to questions. An interview can be simulated using a digital twin. AI responses can be compared to the human-generated data.
If you are interested in this research, please email abasiel@gmail.com . I am happy to collaborate on research to lead to publications.
AI – UX SIM
Gemini prompt:
Respond to the question below as if you were a teacher in a UK primary school. You are a 55 year old woman who needs glasses to read text. You are not confident with using computers or software. You goal is to find an AI tool that will help you make a lesson plan for Year 2 maths to do division. You are using the Teachermatic website at https://teachermatic.com/ The interview question is: How easy was it to read the text on the Teachermatic website with a 1 to 5 scale, 1 being poor or hard to read and 5 being very easy to read. Then explain why in 500 words of less.
Response script
How easy was it to read the text on the Teachermatic website with a 1 to 5 scale, 1 being poor or hard to read and 5 being very easy to read. Then explain why in 500 words of less.
Well, hello there.
My name is Mrs. Gable, and I’ve been teaching for nearly thirty years now—mostly with the little ones in Year 1 and 2. I’ve come to rely on my reading glasses for everything these days, especially with all the fine print that seems to be everywhere!
I was asked to use this website, the Teachermatic.com one, to see if it could help me plan a simple maths lesson for my Year 2 class about dividing things equally. The question you want me to answer is how easy I found the text to read on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is awful and 5 is very easy.
I would say it was a 3.
It wasn’t impossible, mind you, but I certainly wouldn’t call it ‘easy’. The main problem for me was the size of the font. It all just seems so small! You modern websites seem to love tiny writing and making everything quite busy on the screen.
When I first opened the page, I spent a good minute just trying to focus my eyes. Even with my glasses on, the main navigation bar at the top, the ‘home’, ‘pricing’, ‘login’ buttons—they were all very neat, but the letters were so thin and a bit grey, not a strong black colour, which makes a big difference when your eyes aren’t as sharp as they used to be. It’s the same problem I have with those new utility bills they send out.
I did eventually find a button for ‘Lesson Plans’ and another for ‘Maths’, but I had to hold my face quite close to the screen to be sure I wasn’t clicking the wrong thing. It felt very fiddly. The general explanations about what the tool does were in the same small print. I had to get my cup of tea and sit down properly before I could digest any of it.
I suppose it’s clear and tidy in a way—not too many bright, flashing adverts, thank goodness—but the lack of bold, big text for the important bits makes it a bit of a strain. They use a lot of white space, which I understand is meant to look nice, but it doesn’t help me read any faster. I can manage, but I kept wishing I could somehow just make the whole page bigger, which I think my granddaughter showed me how to do once, but I’ve forgotten how.
So, 3 is where I land. It’s readable, but it takes effort and a certain amount of peering that leaves my eyes tired after a while. I imagine a younger person might not have any trouble at all, but for someone like me who needs proper glasses to read the register, it’s just a little bit too much of a challenge. I just want to make my lesson plan and get on with teaching the children, not struggle with the computer!
Multimedia Technology course 24/11/2025
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The task for this module is to design a 3-part multimedia webpage that has:
a) introduction page – with whatever media is appropriate e.g. text, animation, video
b) instruction page – where to find the fire extinguisher in the building. Find the correct one for an electrical fire. Give instructions on using it. This may include the use of video, augmented reality, QR codes for links to web resources such as the quiz, or AI such as digital twins, avatars with closed caption text that can also present the script in multiple languages.
c) Make an online Multiple Choice Quiz (MCQ) with 3 possible answers. Identify the correct answer and provide a weblink to the reference(s). When the learner passes the quiz they can download the certificate of completion.
IEMA response 15/11/2025
Posted by abasiel in Uncategorized.Tags: education, higher-education, learning, teaching, writing
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| Thanks to (Prof Dr) Mike Moulder for the response below about my recent IEMA posting. I am happy to discuss any research project collaboration by email abasiel@gmail.com Yours, Anthony ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/ Dr Moulder says: ‘I attend the IEMA sessions and find them very informative. I found your article (University of the Future: What learning designs and systems can support next-generation higher education stakeholders? ) very stimulating. I agree with many of your views and give below my thoughts/ some practical examples of why I agree with your approach. My experience is mainly in the real world as a CFO in multinationals, SMEs and nfp e.g. European Commission plus part time Professor fitting into this career, see my linked in page https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-moulder-56b84810/?originalSubdomain=uk. I also am now interested in startups and SMEs and deliver workshops e.g. Skills4Startups® Global Business Roadshows (next is in London on 17th November 2025) Since 2010, I have taught in France and the Netherlands and on line to other countries, using workshops where I am a guide on the side rather then a sage on the stage. I say to students that my workshops are not a tick in the degree box but are designed to help them in their careers. I use a workshop approach and keep my applied finance/business strategy to solve real world issues. BUT also, I do not deliver ‘toolkits’ but aim that students adopt a logical, well researched approach to unknown challenges (we have many in the real world!), i.e. as Dawson (2019) suggests: “expert thinking,” meaning “the ability to solve new problems that cannot be solved by rules,” I also think that guidance on research is important – the ability to target relevant information from the tsunami available within a short timeframe, that is what is needed in the real world. My observation is that promotion in many universities hinges on having publications in moribund academic journals (three stars preferred), which from memory Harvard stated as having a readership often of <20. This is not the type of real world research that I am talking about…. I specialise in sharing knowledge inter alia on finance for normal (not financial) people, Applied Finance, Strategic/Business Planning with a financial model, (I have developed a generic financial model to integrate in any business plan). I have used my real world experience to create short case studies that cover most of the applied finance syllabus. I only use workshops as a medium, not lectures: Confucius and later Dale 1954 etc. show that lectures have a poor absorption rate (15%) and retention, just of the title of the lecture, is lost after a few weeks. Workshops, on the other hand, can have absorption rates of 60%+ and long retention times. How? In teams of two, students create a Strategic Plan and financial model from an idea which they have chosen. In a ‘cafetaria’ layout, in groups of four they assign their management roles (chair, scribe researcher etc changed each session) to devise approaches to the real world challenges which I have set them via the case studies. My approach encourages students to work as teams, another real world requirement…getting on with colleagues. When I deliver on line, students are also teamed in groups of four, assigned with roles. I think it is a logical step to go from a cafeteria style workshop to an on line delivery, or working in small groups in remote locations. Issues? I think that the first one is cost. I cannot deliver a workshop to >28 participants, which could be twice the cost of a lecture to 60 students. Cafeteria layouts are also expensive. Second, reluctantly I think that many Professors/Lecturers prefer to be a sage on the stage, they want to be centre stage, and would find it frustrating to have students actively involved in the learning process. I call my students ‘participants’ to emphasise that they are actively involved and to remind me that they pay my salary. I feel that today ‘student’ has a rather negative connotation. Thirdly, unlike in France or Germany for example, Professors/Lecturers often see their career path as being solely within the university. Frankly, this ridiculous. Part of the experience of being a guide on the side is that you have real world experience. I am often in the UK, happy to have a coffee with you, if timetables permit Best regards, (Prof Dr) Mike Moulder’ ~~~~~/ Looking forward to hearing from you. – Anthony |
4th IEMA Global Event 30/10/2025
Posted by abasiel in Uncategorized.Tags: education, informal-learning, teaching, technology, webinar
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“Global Education Forum 2025: From Tradition to Transformation – Reimagining Relevance, Value, and Skills to Build Adaptive, Purpose-Driven Education Systems that Truly Empower the Future”
Event Concept Note: https://iema.org.uk/IEMA_Event_4_GLOBAL_EDUCATION_FORUM_Concept_Note_30-10-2025.pdf
As a member of the Webinar Keynote Speaker’s Expert Panel I was asked about government or organisational policy with respect to the university of the future.
I will add a weblink to the recording of the session for my full response, but a summary is below:
- The University of the Future will see a shift from the current formal instructional model to embrace informal learning opportunities. My book chapter in the ACPI publication, ‘The University of the Future’ is entitled:
‘What learning designs and systems
can support next-generation higher education stakeholders?‘
You can download the full draft at: https://tinyurl.com/FutureUniversityDesign
or see the video presentation at https://youtube.com/watch?v=poOKnkIPNH8&feature=shared - Government policy and organisational procedures will need to shift from the current top-down model (e.g. Management to Learner) to a bottom-up (Learner-informed curriculum development approach) or Web 2.0 structure.
- This paradigm shift in higher education will recognise the value of informal learning as identified by Lombardo, et al. (1996) with the 70:20:10 Learning Design:
70% challenging (informal) assignments
20% developmental relationships
10% formal learning and development training - The 70:20:10 Webinar design ( See https://abasiel.uk/2020/05/24/702010-webinar-design/ ) is my adaptation of informal learning to an interactive immersive web video conference. The figure below highlights the key elements:
This diagram shows the 3 stages of the 70% (Informal), 20% (Social) and 10% (formal training) being linked to examples of an instructional model. Training may be a ‘talking head’ video lecture. A breakout room discussion can be seen as social learning, while informal learning can happen in an open-ended role-play or online simulation where there is no single ‘correct’ solution to a problem. In each learning design there is a mix of theory related to the topic and how the principles are applied to form a conclusion. This is known as ‘Praxis’ (See https://abasiel.uk/?s=Praxis&searchbutton=go%21 ).
Guest Speakers
One example of informal learning in higher education is seen with the use of guest speakers from industry. There is no set curriculum or learning outcomes to be tested. Rather the ‘Industry Experts’ share real-life experiences from work projects to state lessons learnt or ‘tips to success’. I have successfully hosted monthly podcasts in the past getting positive feedback from stakeholders. You can see a ‘Guest Speaker Proposal’ document at https://tinyurl.com/InformalGuestSpeaker. A sample of my monthly webinar informal interviews with guest speakers can be seen at: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YOT_piG54as&feature=shared for the Learning Zone Talks series.
Please do email abasiel@gmail.com if you are interested in exploring these topics in more detail or if you would like to discuss hosting a webinar workshop for your organisation.
Yours, Dr Anthony Basiel
L&T CHATSHOW: October 2025 15/10/2025
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Roger.Saunders@DMU.ac.uk has invited me back to speak on his L&T CHATSHOW for October 2025. The topic is, ‘AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Teaching’.
I discuss a fundamental perspective of using AI in learning. Is the AI generating content or is it a ‘thought partner‘. What are the issues in using AI to promote learning? Is this technology different than when the World Wide Web first came out? You are invited to listen to our podcast discussion: See https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Y9XDBpfNwXhJ3CW5MN01i
Please email abasiel@gmail.com with any questions or comments. See my research at https://abasiel.uk
University of Winchester – Key Skills Module: Microsoft Word for a job cover letter & CV 22/09/2025
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Hello Everyone – CALL FOR ANY HR, CAREERS TEAMS or JOB RECRUITERS?
Soon I will be starting to teach a Key Skills Module for Microsoft Word at University of Winchester. The assessment is for the students to identify a company they want to work at in the future. Since this module is for students in a range of subject areas from Business to Healthcare to Creative Arts, there will be quite a range of organisations they propose. Next, they use AI (Copilot) to write the job description and person specifications. Then, part one-of-two is to compose a 1-page cover letter. And to finish off the assessment they design a CV for the job. The students-as-researchers will also make a LinkedIN account to upload the files. I plan to tap into real-world HR Teams, Job Recruiters, University Careers Teams, etc. So, if you work in this area and have any tips-to-success for CVs leading to employment – PLEASE DO EMAIL abasiel@gmail.com or WhatsApp +44(0)7771998799
L&T Chat Show Podcast 01/09/2025
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I was invited to be a return speaker on the L&T Chat Show podcast hosted by Roger Saunders. See https://tinyurl.com/LnTpodcast-1Sept25 (to be aired soon).
You can download the PDF file ( https://tinyurl.com/Podcast1Sept2025 ) associated with the talk about using AI to design and deliver:
a) a pre-test quiz to establish prior knowledge where the students make the MCQs and solutions.
b) AI generated learning simulation / role-play
c) Debriefing the simulation with human and AI facilitators
d) Getting the AI to map the learning outcomes and assessment rubrics to generate a second marking to compare to the human assessor.
2nd IEMA Global Event 30/08/2025
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“Building the Next Generation Standards: Ensuring Quality Education & Student Success at Scale”
I was invited to be a guest speaker at this international webinar that saw experts in Higher Education from America, the UK, Australia and the Philippines. Questions were sent in to the host with the panel having a few minutes to respond. Below are my two questions and my script notes response. The event was recorded so we may be able to add the video at a later date. Please do email me at abasiel@gmail.com with any questions or comments. – Yours, Anthony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IEMA Webinar questions and script:
- Why current education system is unable to meet the requirements of industry at large?
- Assessment methods are too abstract with focus on recall.
- Industry needs people who can apply knowledge and skills. Transferable skills such as leadership, communication, project management, time management, and human qualities such as empathy are needed.
- The next generation of Higher Education will be blended learning simulations through webinars using augmented reality (360* immersive video) and Socratic discussion circles.
See https://abasiel.uk/elearning-r-d/ - AI can be used to help with generating simulations with digital twins / avatars
https://abasiel.uk/2025/04/21/schores-icssh-2025/ - AI can also be used to review the simulation recording and debriefing scripts to map the learning objectives to the evidence.
- We can also bring in industry guest speakers. See https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyBasiel
- How can AI be responsibly integrated into global education standards to enhance student success while safeguarding equity, ethics, and human (Question from Prof Dr Nadeem Malik participants with similar questions)
AI
Follow the model of how we adopted the web.
- Use a modular approach.
- Generate content: must be reviewed by human
AI is good for lesson plans, schemes of work, etc.
But, AI can also be a ‘thought partner’: help to formulate ideas for innovation and creative designs
In the summary of my segment the webinar facilitator highlighted the idea of using AI as a study partner to bounce ideas off of to promote innovation and creative development.
PDF Event Summary – Download the notes on the session.
Qualities and strategies of a good online Tutor 07/08/2025
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This video looks at the factors to be successful as an online Tutor:
> Before teaching starts for Non-Traditional Learners
> Ice breaker
> Teacher qualities
> Strategies to enhance engagement and Learning Outcomes
> Webinar design
> Summary
Dissertation Practice Video Recording 01/08/2025
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If you are doing a university Dissertation you may be asked to do an oral viva or presentation. This video is a generic guide to help you structure a practice video recording. This resource may be useful to produce a sample you can evaluate and improve upon. You are invited to email me at abasiel@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.
Dr Anthony 'Skip' Basiel - Blended Learning Solutions 