Dr Ian C Elliott

Guest post – Ministers vs Civil Servants

Due to annual leave, sick leave and teaching prep over the last few weeks my blog has taken something of a backseat. I’ve drafted a number of posts but haven’t yet got them finished. So while I try to get my head above water again I am pleased to have another guest post from Professor Eddie Frizzell, Visiting Professor…

October 15, 2012
Guest Post – Public Sector Bonuses

I am taking some annual leave in August and so am delighted to have my first guest post! This post comes from Professor Eddie Frizzell, Visiting Professor in Public Service Management at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. —————————————————————————————————- Public Sector Bonuses – gone forever? Bonuses for public servants are a hot issue – so hot that…

August 6, 2012
What are Public ‘Services’

In a previous post I highlighted some of the challenges that are inherent in managing public services due to the nature of being ‘public’. However, there are also challenges that come with managing a ‘service’. These challenges apply across private and public services, and whether delivered by public, private or Third sectors. These issues are…

July 24, 2012
Graduation 2012

Last week I had the privilege of going to the QMU graduation ceremony. This is always a highlight of the year for me but this year was quite unique due to the presence of Susan Boyle who received an honorary degree. This was publicised across the world (see The Jamaica Observer and The Washington Post) and generated…

July 12, 2012
The ‘publicness’ of banks

Wake up to the latest Rhianna single playing on your iPod through a Bose docking station. Go to the bathroom and brush your teeth with a Phillips Sonic Rechargeable toothbrush. Have a shower using Molton Brown Shower wash. Moisturise. Then go to your kitchen and have some Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes with B Vitamins and Iron. Open The…

July 3, 2012
What are ‘Public’ Services

Public service organisations are highly complex for many reasons. As such it is important that any education or training for public service workers is tailored to the public service context. One particular aspect of this complexity is the nature of the ‘public’ who they serve. I was (along with others) really sorry when the excellent…

June 29, 2012
Twitter and Student Engagement

Yesterday I had one of those experiences that remind me why I love my job. I met a group of academics from King Saud University, one of the world’s top universities. I had been asked to speak about the use of Twitter as a way to promote student engagement. The response was really terrific. Lots…

June 22, 2012
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

One of the benefits of blogging, as I see it, is the instantaneousness of publishing. As an avid reader of many blogs that means instant access to lots of interesting analysis and comment on policy developments – often better than what can be found in more traditional media such as newspapers. A topic that has…

June 7, 2012
What is Blended Learning?

This vlog post is all about how I use blended learning in the delivery of my postgraduate teaching. I had intended the video to last 5 minutes but turns out to be closer to 10 minutes. Anyway, here it is…

May 24, 2012
The perils of social media

Previously I have blogged about why PhD students should use Twitter. This post has been motivated by a great post on spelling and grammar by Peter Matthews. One of the common criticisms of social media is that it encourages, or at least tolerates, poor spelling and grammar. As such universities should steer students away from…

May 16, 2012