Dr Anthony 'Skip' Basiel – Blended Learning Solutions

It’s the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend! 23/01/2026

Can you name the birds?
Hello UK – ECO supporters.
Here are some birds you may see below. Please post your guesses in the comments below! Compare to other guesses. Good luck!
It’s that time of year again! Please go to the RSPB website via https://tinyurl.com/UKbirdwatch2026 so you can record you bird sightings this weekend.
Happy bird watching and please help save the planet.

I saw 5 Common Gulls, 4 Brown Finches and 2 Crows.
– Cheers, Dr Anthony ‘Skip’ Basiel

Case Study Challenge 14/01/2026

I have been tasked with writing a 10-step lesson plan for the case study below. Please do review this challenge and let me know how you may solve it differently. – Yours, Anthony

TASK: The student has 10 hours of mentorship time left to meet their goals. Prepare a one-page plan showing:

1. What realistic goals you’d set for this student
2. How you’d structure your remaining 10 sessions to help them enhance their competition and achieve these goals

Your response should be practical, creative, and demonstrate your mentorship approach in this limited timeframe.

Scenario:
The student developed MindMesh, a Chrome extension to help neurodiverse students visually organize academic research. They built a clickable prototype in Figma and a basic code repository on GitHub, which they shared with 5 classmates for feedback. While the idea received positive interest, users found the interface confusing. The student has not launched a live version, has no onboarding experience, and lacks a clear user acquisition or feedback strategy.

The 10-session 0ne-page plan:
Session 1 -2: There are 2 ways to approach the next 10 sessions: a) Traditional – Tutor-set learning outcomes. This top-down approach is a content driven lecture style b) Learner-generated content model. This bottom-up approach sees you as the UX Research Consultant. I will outline Plan B.

Debrief: Discuss what has happened to-date. Through this brainstorming we can identify any issues and trends. We need to establish prior knowledge of the theories and software resources related to the case study. If a summative assessment was required we would use a pre/post-test approach.
Mind map: This can be done as a text table of contents design or a graphical flow chart to identify the human and technical materials / resources and system components required.
SMART Objectives: Through a guided discussion a small set of SMART aims and objectives are established. This serves as the criteria to measure success of the case study. Note: The Tutor can guide in the use of appropriate terms used in the objectives e.g.  Bloom’s Taxonomy and AACSB (Business) Learning Assurance.

Session 3 – 4: Project management: Introduction to www.projectmanagement.com . We establish a Gantt chart to identify the key milestones and develop the stages of the study. These sessions are linked to our User Experience strategy based on the work by Nielsen (https://www.nngroup.com/) . This helps us to identify our 5-part Sprint UX methodology.
Map current work: The existing work is mapped to the new UX strategy to identify the data that can be used and what gaps we have to do the next part of our sessions.

Session 5 -6: Persona work: The short case study description lacked a key stage in UX design. These sessions help the student to develop a better understanding of the user(s) profile. This includes a) research, design, development and evaluation of an online survey of possible stakeholders to establish user needs b) persona diagrams c) empathy maps d) user journey map

Session 7 – 8: Addressing the gaps: It was established from the pilot study that the prototype: ‘has no onboarding experience, and lacks a clear user acquisition or feedback strategy.’ These elements will be addressed in the Gantt chart over these sessions. Using AI tools, onboarding experience will be developed and evaluated. The UX testing of the previous prototype and related code will be developed through additional research to incorporate user-centred (UCD) and task-centred design (TCD) testing with the 5 classmates. Additional research respondents can be explored through online communities and forums with a focus on the neurodiverse sector.

Session 9 – 10: UX Testing and Conclusions: Based on the new UX testing strategy and the Sprint methodology the prototype is subjected to several UCD & TCD tests. This is matched to the original SMART objectives or agreed Learning Objectives. A short web video presentation to demonstrate the prototype and application of UX design can be posted on social media for feedback. Reflection on the experience: An oral debrief or essay can be a good way to unpack lessons learnt and what might be done differently next time.

Social Media Marketing Course: Guest Speakers & Expert Panel Members Invited 05/01/2026

Hello Colleagues.
Welcome to the New Year and a new opportunity to help shape the careers of university Business School students.

I am teaching a new university undergraduate Social Media Marketing (SMM) course in February and March 2026. One aim is to link theory with practise in developing SMM resources and strategies. To that end the students will have a live webinar demonstration on Teams Monday 16 March 2026. This will be held from 3pm – 5pm GMT.

We are looking for people interested in either or both of these roles to participate in person (Central London, UK) or online:

• Guest Speaker – If you have professional experience in Digital or Social Media Marketing please email Dr Anthony Basiel abasiel@gmail.com . This is an informal web video session 20 minutes of less where you share you lessons learnt on a work project or tips to success. Live webinars would be on a Monday in February or March 2026 between 10am-1pm or 2-5pm. Alternatively we can do a recording to share with the students.
• Expert Panel – I am also looking for professionals who would sit on the online expert panel to listen to several 20 minute Social Media Marketing Teams presentations. You can then ask the speakers any questions to help them improve. Please email Dr Anthony Basiel abasiel@gmail.com if you would be available live on Monday 16 March between 2:30pm and 4:30pm GMT by Teams.

I hope these opportunities appeal to professionals in Digital / Social Media Marketing. This is a unique opportunity to network within Higher Education to apply for research grants and to publish internationally.

I am happy to meet online to go into more detail.
Yours, Dr Anthony Basiel
(e) abasiel@gmail.com (WhatsApp) +44(0)7771998799

AI as a research tool  30/11/2025

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

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.

L&T CHATSHOW: October 2025 15/10/2025

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

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