*** Everyone Welcome! No need to book in advance ***
Date: Thursday 6th October
Time: 16:00-17:00
Room: Town Hall Committee Room 2
Dr Nicola Pitchford (University of Nottingham)
"Unlocking Talent
Through Technology: Evidence base for effectiveness and successful
implementation from Malawi, Tanzania and the UK"
Dr Nicola Pitchford is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at
The University of Nottingham, UK. Her research expertise lies in the field of
developmental neuropsychology, more specifically how the cognitive processes
that underpin scholastic progression develop over childhood. She works with
specialist populations of children with acquired neurological disorders. Her
clinical research centres on discovering how stroke, preterm birth, and brain
tumour impact on scholastic and neuronal development and wellbeing. Nicola works at the interface of theory and practice. She collaborates with
academics from different disciplines (e.g. psychology, medicine, education) and
works with practitioners and professionals from a diverse range of fields (e.g.
neurologists, neonatologists, oncologists, nurses, educators, companies,
charities, non-government organisations, and government officials) to ensure
that her research secures maximum benefits for key users and stakeholders. Nicola is also Guest Editor for the internationally renowned, scientific,
open access journal, Frontiers in Psychology.
Abstract:
In this talk I will describe the “Unlocking
Talent Project”, which is based on a new and innovative technology
intervention, developed by the UK charity onebillion, to raise numeracy and
literacy standards in marginalised children around the globe. The project is
being implemented by VSO, an international charity that aims to alleviate
poverty in the world. Within their Global Education Programme, VSO have
established a Community of Practice for the Unlocking Talent Project, which
includes teachers, education policy makers, government officials, and
international development funders.
My team of research psychologists
are collaborating with colleagues from the School of Education at the
University of Nottingham and the University of Malawi, VSO, and onebillion to
evaluate the Unlocking Talent Project. We are leading an ambitious,
international, research programme investigating the effectiveness of this new
technology intervention in supporting early child development. Our current
research is centred in Malawi, Tanzania and the UK and will soon extend to
other countries, including South Africa and Brazil.
In this presentation I will 1) describe the
Unlocking Talent Project, 2) present the research approach and current evidence
base from Malawi, Tanzania and the UK, and 3) introduce a new method of using
touch-screen technology to assess core cognitive and fine motor skills that are
known to influence scholastic progression.
Further information about this project can be accessed at the
following links:
The discussion was quite wide ranging on
resilience in everyday life and in relation to vulnerable populations. Issues
of childhood adversity, different attachment styles and responses to stress
were outlined. Its application to stress in the workplace was also discussed.
Toni Bifulco drew on research into resilience across the lifespan.
Resilience factors include secure attachment style, good support and effective
coping strategies. She also outlined her team's latest
ESRC project 'Stress Online' a computerised assessment of life events
which provides a relatively objective assessment of recent stressful
experience. This is to be offered to different agencies in assessing stress,
vulnerability and resilience, including organisations in relation to worker stress,
and voluntary agencies in relation to client stress.
