Find the perfect platform

27 July 2012

By Maisie Gibson.

‘Find the perfect platform’ was the title of Russ Thorne’s article on the digital media ‘revolution’ in classrooms and its affect in Higher Education. Thorne listed many ways in which social media is affecting education and the arts, from broadcasting Shakespeare to 9,000 students and bringing Victorian Gothic Literature to life with a Dr Jekyll twitter account, to helping students in that leap from Futher to Higher Education.

When highlighting the future potential of digital media, Russ Thorne hit on Bournemouth University’s new and unique approach to support during the daunting process of Clearing: BU’s very own 1940’s Wing Commander Talbot-Lansdowne. Proclaiming the project a “light-hearted digital media campaign” aiming to “provide prospective students with all the information they need,” the Wing Commander’s nascent impact into all corners of the ‘interweb’ seems to have met The Independent’s approval.

In the article, Thorne asks Digital Campaign Officer Kris Stevens about the success of the retro character: “Our Wing Commander can pop into places where universities might not normally go, which then draws attention to the help and advice we’re giving.” But once students’ eyes have been directed to Bournemouth University’s resources, our senior marketing manager Nicola Murray-Fagan, explains that it’s not good enough anymore to “force-feed” students information. In fact, the most effective way for the university to get its message across is to “create a dialogue” between them and the university, which is where the interactive nature of the Wing Commander’s digital media outlets is perfect. Murray-Fagan summarizes the article, “It’s about finding what students need and deciding on the best way to deliver that to them.”

More information on Clearing and to meet the Wing Commander.

Maisie Gibson, 17, is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. She joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from her college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer. For further details about the scholarship can be seen online.