Uh , reckon that was a bit hard because we could only discuss things in the meeting.

If we could just go up to somebody outside the meeting and have a quick talk with them , that would've been a lot easier.


If we could just go up to somebody outside the meeting and have a quick talk with them , that would've been a lot easier.


If we could just go up to somebody outside the meeting and have a quick talk with them , that would've been a lot easier.

I think you tried to use the common share folder to to to to communicate ,


I think you tried to use the common share folder to to to to communicate ,


I think you tried to use the common share folder to to to to communicate ,

but um it just comes back to us so slow in the email


but um it just comes back to us so slow in the email


but um it just comes back to us so slow in the email

um it it doesn't have a , you know , a messenger will go .


um it it doesn't have a , you know , a messenger will go .

Did uh did you guys get the email I sent you ?


Did uh did you guys get the email I sent you ?


Okay , um so um to s to to summarize the teamwork issue , saying that if we could communicate outside the meeting , you know just like quick questions , quick thoughts , whatever , it probably would be bit easier.


Okay , um so um to s to to summarize the teamwork issue , saying that if we could communicate outside the meeting , you know just like quick questions , quick thoughts , whatever , it probably would be bit easier.

I think the tools that they were given , the tool set that were given to us are fancy but they don't support collaboration , I think that's the word.


I think the tools that they were given , the tool set that were given to us are fancy but they don't support collaboration , I think that's the word.

They don't support the team working together , you know ,


They don't support the team working together , you know ,


Yeah , I mean sort of taking upon that idea , w the way I see this i is that it's uh the the s the structure in which we've we've approached this whole task is quite contrary to the p principle of teamwork because the the tasks were d d sort of um divided , and then the work went on in isolation


Yeah , I mean sort of taking upon that idea , w the way I see this i is that it's uh the the s the structure in which we've we've approached this whole task is quite contrary to the p principle of teamwork because the the tasks were d d sort of um divided , and then the work went on in isolation

I I don't know what you guys did while you were together , maybe that was a bit different ,


I I don't know what you guys did while you were together , maybe that was a bit different ,

but um yeah , but um but actually if you if you imagine not entire the completely same task given to us but us said okay , first thing we have to do is come up with um let's say um a design concept , and we sit here together and do it ,


but um yeah , but um but actually if you if you imagine not entire the completely same task given to us but us said okay , first thing we have to do is come up with um let's say um a design concept , and we sit here together and do it ,

well that's what teamwork is. To s to say okay go off and don't talk to each other , it's actually p sort of predisposes you to quite the contrary of teamwork.


well that's what teamwork is. To s to say okay go off and don't talk to each other , it's actually p sort of predisposes you to quite the contrary of teamwork.

Um not that we haven't done I think the best we could have done.


Um not that we haven't done I think the best we could have done.


Um not that we haven't done I think the best we could have done.

Right , uh anything else to say on teamwork at all ?


Right , uh anything else to say on teamwork at all ?


Right , uh anything else to say on teamwork at all ?

Okay , um what about the you know how we used the whiteboard , the digital pens , the projector , stuff like that ? Um did anybody think anything was like really useful ,


Okay , um what about the you know how we used the whiteboard , the digital pens , the projector , stuff like that ? Um did anybody think anything was like really useful ,

anything was pretty un f  unsupportive ?


Okay , um what about the you know how we used the whiteboard , the digital pens , the projector , stuff like that ? Um did anybody think anything was like really useful ,

anything was pretty un f  unsupportive ?

I think the whiteboard , for me , is the kind of thing I would use all the time , but it's um not quite as useful as to us as it could have been , maybe just in the way that we we use it , in the sense that once we have an idea out there or while work was going on in between meetings , that could have been up on a board uh you know as opposed to in like in text.


anything was pretty un f  unsupportive ?

I think the whiteboard , for me , is the kind of thing I would use all the time , but it's um not quite as useful as to us as it could have been , maybe just in the way that we we use it , in the sense that once we have an idea out there or while work was going on in between meetings , that could have been up on a board uh you know as opposed to in like in text.


anything was pretty un f  unsupportive ?

I think the whiteboard , for me , is the kind of thing I would use all the time , but it's um not quite as useful as to us as it could have been , maybe just in the way that we we use it , in the sense that once we have an idea out there or while work was going on in between meetings , that could have been up on a board uh you know as opposed to in like in text.

Um , and then we could then keep our ideas sort of building on that. I know that people who design cars and you know in aviation they quite often just have a simple like fibreglass prototype and it's completely you know um abs abstract from the final product , but they use it as a kind of a context to sort of walk around and puzzle and and point and discuss


I think the whiteboard , for me , is the kind of thing I would use all the time , but it's um not quite as useful as to us as it could have been , maybe just in the way that we we use it , in the sense that once we have an idea out there or while work was going on in between meetings , that could have been up on a board uh you know as opposed to in like in text.

Um , and then we could then keep our ideas sort of building on that. I know that people who design cars and you know in aviation they quite often just have a simple like fibreglass prototype and it's completely you know um abs abstract from the final product , but they use it as a kind of a context to sort of walk around and puzzle and and point and discuss


Um , and then we could then keep our ideas sort of building on that. I know that people who design cars and you know in aviation they quite often just have a simple like fibreglass prototype and it's completely you know um abs abstract from the final product , but they use it as a kind of a context to sort of walk around and puzzle and and point and discuss

and and and in a way everybody's  as we discuss things in the  in theoretically and out of our notebooks , we're just  we're actually just each of us discussing something that's in each of our own minds. It wasn't until we had this here , you know ,


and and and in a way everybody's  as we discuss things in the  in theoretically and out of our notebooks , we're just  we're actually just each of us discussing something that's in each of our own minds. It wasn't until we had this here , you know ,

like at one point I peeked across and looked at Craig's paper and I'm like , now I know what he's thinking 'cause I saw his book.


like at one point I peeked across and looked at Craig's paper and I'm like , now I know what he's thinking 'cause I saw his book.

But the b the b whiteboard could've actually been this kind of continuing um


like at one point I peeked across and looked at Craig's paper and I'm like , now I know what he's thinking 'cause I saw his book.

But the b the b whiteboard could've actually been this kind of continuing um

So do you think producing a prototype earlier in the process woulda been a good idea ?


But the b the b whiteboard could've actually been this kind of continuing um

So do you think producing a prototype earlier in the process woulda been a good idea ?


But the b the b whiteboard could've actually been this kind of continuing um

So do you think producing a prototype earlier in the process woulda been a good idea ?

I think um the the focus of it a lot was the PowerPoint as opposed to the to the whiteboard ,


So do you think producing a prototype earlier in the process woulda been a good idea ?

I think um the the focus of it a lot was the PowerPoint as opposed to the to the whiteboard ,


I think um the the focus of it a lot was the PowerPoint as opposed to the to the whiteboard ,


I think um the the focus of it a lot was the PowerPoint as opposed to the to the whiteboard ,

and I think that m um is also does you know hinder us and things I think.


and I think that m um is also does you know hinder us and things I think.


and I think that m um is also does you know hinder us and things I think.

It will be cooler to have the whiteboard rather than the the PowerPoint ,


It will be cooler to have the whiteboard rather than the the PowerPoint ,

or maybe the whiteboard and the PowerPoint in the same place ,


or maybe the whiteboard and the PowerPoint in the same place ,


Yeah , because the PowerPoint was provided to us while we had time to prepare , whereas I can imagine if I'd been encouraged to use Paintbrush , for example , or whatever , I would've actually used it ,


Yeah , because the PowerPoint was provided to us while we had time to prepare , whereas I can imagine if I'd been encouraged to use Paintbrush , for example , or whatever , I would've actually used it ,

um 'ca you know , just 'cause that's sorta how we  what we were set up to to use while we had our time.


um 'ca you know , just 'cause that's sorta how we  what we were set up to to use while we had our time.

I think that there were too many PowerPoints in the meetings . 'Cause the plug-in and the plugging spent  we spent a lot of time doing that.


I think that there were too many PowerPoints in the meetings . 'Cause the plug-in and the plugging spent  we spent a lot of time doing that.


And a lot of the information on the PowerPoints , I don't think , you know , we needed to actually  it could have , we could have gone through it  verbally ,


What about the digital pens , did you find them easy enough to use ?


Having to tick it before you go off was a bit hindering as well , 'cause you're half way through a thought , and then you run out of paper and then you have to jump.


Having to tick it before you go off was a bit hindering as well , 'cause you're half way through a thought , and then you run out of paper and then you have to jump.

I know , I think at the very start of today I like wrote a whole load of stuff , didn't click note on one ,


I know , I think at the very start of today I like wrote a whole load of stuff , didn't click note on one ,


I know , I think at the very start of today I like wrote a whole load of stuff , didn't click note on one ,

then went back and wrote one tiny wee thing on the another page , but then did click note , and so I'm quite worried that I've just written over the top of it or something ,


then went back and wrote one tiny wee thing on the another page , but then did click note , and so I'm quite worried that I've just written over the top of it or something ,

but they'll have my paper anyway um and haven't done that since.


but they'll have my paper anyway um and haven't done that since.

But I think the pen is v is very intuitive , everybody knows how to use it , we don't  have to worry.


But I think the pen is v is very intuitive , everybody knows how to use it , we don't  have to worry.


And o on the topic of the technology , it just occurred to me that we actually didn't need to move our computers because each computer has all of the files.


If there had been a fifth , that coulda just been sitting there ready to go the whole time.


If there had been a fifth , that coulda just been sitting there ready to go the whole time.

And the computer may not um be conducive to a meeting because um you tend to look at your computer and wanna have the urge to check something , you know ,


And the computer may not um be conducive to a meeting because um you tend to look at your computer and wanna have the urge to check something , you know ,


Do you think the computers just provide distraction in a meeting ?


Do you think the computers just provide distraction in a meeting ?

I think too many computers are just distracting.


I think too many computers are just distracting.

Okay. I know I I like to have things written down in front of me actually , like a lot of the stuff that was emailed to me I ended up you know like writing down there or something so I could look at it really quickly and not have the distraction of all of that ,


Okay. I know I I like to have things written down in front of me actually , like a lot of the stuff that was emailed to me I ended up you know like writing down there or something so I could look at it really quickly and not have the distraction of all of that ,


Um  what else uh any wh I do I'm not really sure what they're looking for when they say new ideas found. Um I don't know is


Um  what else uh any wh I do I'm not really sure what they're looking for when they say new ideas found. Um I don't know is

could you think of like anything else that would have been helpful today at all ?


Um  what else uh any wh I do I'm not really sure what they're looking for when they say new ideas found. Um I don't know is

could you think of like anything else that would have been helpful today at all ?

Well , the w main one for me is that uh the process na in a natural f context would not have been interrupted by this necessity to discommunicate ourselves from each other.


could you think of like anything else that would have been helpful today at all ?

Well , the w main one for me is that uh the process na in a natural f context would not have been interrupted by this necessity to discommunicate ourselves from each other.


could you think of like anything else that would have been helpful today at all ?

Well , the w main one for me is that uh the process na in a natural f context would not have been interrupted by this necessity to discommunicate ourselves from each other.

So , that's kind of a new idea for me is like just sort of that idea , well you know it's kind of s hard to keep f working forward on a team a team based project when when you're told you must now work away from your team.


Well , the w main one for me is that uh the process na in a natural f context would not have been interrupted by this necessity to discommunicate ourselves from each other.

So , that's kind of a new idea for me is like just sort of that idea , well you know it's kind of s hard to keep f working forward on a team a team based project when when you're told you must now work away from your team.

Mm-hmm.  Yeah I I dunno I think it was quite good that we had time limits on the meetings because they really could have run on and like my experience with meetings is that they really do , and you can spend a lot of time talking about


So , that's kind of a new idea for me is like just sort of that idea , well you know it's kind of s hard to keep f working forward on a team a team based project when when you're told you must now work away from your team.

Mm-hmm.  Yeah I I dunno I think it was quite good that we had time limits on the meetings because they really could have run on and like my experience with meetings is that they really do , and you can spend a lot of time talking about


So , that's kind of a new idea for me is like just sort of that idea , well you know it's kind of s hard to keep f working forward on a team a team based project when when you're told you must now work away from your team.

Mm-hmm.  Yeah I I dunno I think it was quite good that we had time limits on the meetings because they really could have run on and like my experience with meetings is that they really do , and you can spend a lot of time talking about

The only thing is though like when we had our meeting about the conceptual design , I thought there  maybe another fifteen minutes would have been useful there but um  yeah.


Mm-hmm.  Yeah I I dunno I think it was quite good that we had time limits on the meetings because they really could have run on and like my experience with meetings is that they really do , and you can spend a lot of time talking about

The only thing is though like when we had our meeting about the conceptual design , I thought there  maybe another fifteen minutes would have been useful there but um  yeah.


The only thing is though like when we had our meeting about the conceptual design , I thought there  maybe another fifteen minutes would have been useful there but um  yeah.

I really thi i I think maybe if we'd like all been working in the one room , and they just said you know like every hour or something everybody make sure yo you know just have a have a short meeting and then just c


I really thi i I think maybe if we'd like all been working in the one room , and they just said you know like every hour or something everybody make sure yo you know just have a have a short meeting and then just c

just to have like something written down , just like you know a a milestone if you like um rather than having meetings , but


just to have like something written down , just like you know a a milestone if you like um rather than having meetings , but


I haven't got my five minutes to go. Thin Oh there it i Five minutes to go.


I haven't got my five minutes to go. Thin Oh there it i Five minutes to go.

Wonderful. Okay um are the costs within the budget , yes they are. And is the project evaluated , yes it is. So now celebrate .


Wonderful. Okay um are the costs within the budget , yes they are. And is the project evaluated , yes it is. So now celebrate .


Well apparently now I write the final report. What are you guys doing now ?


Ninja Homer. See it looks like Homer Simpson


Ninja Homer. See it looks like Homer Simpson

but it's electronic so it's made in Japan.


Ninja Homer. See it looks like Homer Simpson

but it's electronic so it's made in Japan.

So is that j is that just is that just a logo or does it do anything ?


but it's electronic so it's made in Japan.

So is that j is that just is that just a logo or does it do anything ?


So is that j is that just is that just a logo or does it do anything ?


The the red is supposed to represent the whatever else you wanna print on the side of it.


you can throw Homer when you're frustrated , doh.


you can throw Homer when you're frustrated , doh.

Oh no , that's cool , it's got  I'm kind of


Oh no , that's cool , it's got  I'm kind of


Oh no , that's cool , it's got  I'm kind of

I'm slightly gutted that we couldn't get plastic and rubber , I think that would have been nice.


I'm slightly gutted that we couldn't get plastic and rubber , I think that would have been nice.


I'm slightly gutted that we couldn't get plastic and rubber , I think that would have been nice.

Ah well , maybe from now on real reaction should give us more money.


Ah well , maybe from now on real reaction should give us more money.

Oh , I did learn something new , Play-Doh is useful.


Oh , I did learn something new , Play-Doh is useful.


It is useful and in in in in in in in um conceptualizing , in being creative.


It is useful and in in in in in in in um conceptualizing , in being creative.

'Cause like you say , it's something you can put your hands on and feel and touch and get a sense for.


'Cause like you say , it's something you can put your hands on and feel and touch and get a sense for.


Like we were playing with the Play-Doh and the ideas came with the Play-Doh rather than with everything else.


Like we were playing with the Play-Doh and the ideas came with the Play-Doh rather than with everything else.

You might wanna write that down. It's just , I'm just fiddling with the Play-Doh , and I'm going yeah yeah it's kinda cool.


You might wanna write that down. It's just , I'm just fiddling with the Play-Doh , and I'm going yeah yeah it's kinda cool.


Guess I'd forgot how good s Play-Doh smells.


Guess I'd forgot how good s Play-Doh smells.

Hmm. And some Play-Dohs are actually I think edible aren't they ?


Hmm. And some Play-Dohs are actually I think edible aren't they ?


Hmm. And some Play-Dohs are actually I think edible aren't they ?

I think they're all non-toxic 'cause it's aimed for like two-year-olds.


I think they're all non-toxic 'cause it's aimed for like two-year-olds.


I think they're all non-toxic 'cause it's aimed for like two-year-olds.

It's just wheat , it's the stuff that your mom could make with preservatives and uh


It's just wheat , it's the stuff that your mom could make with preservatives and uh


It's just wheat , it's the stuff that your mom could make with preservatives and uh

wha what are your summarising words about Play-Doh ?


wha what are your summarising words about Play-Doh ?


wha what are your summarising words about Play-Doh ?

Um it engages all your senses not just your sight , but your sense of feel your sense of touch.


Um it engages all your senses not just your sight , but your sense of feel your sense of touch.


dimension as well. I think that that's very helpful because it it starts to pop up ,


dimension as well. I think that that's very helpful because it it starts to pop up ,

whereas on a piece of paper , on a computer , on a board , um even with a three D_ graphic thing it still , it requires a lot of


whereas on a piece of paper , on a computer , on a board , um even with a three D_ graphic thing it still , it requires a lot of


Mm. I don't know if there's anything else we needed to discuss.


Mm. I don't know if there's anything else we needed to discuss.

That that's about it really. Just sit still I guess for a little while.


That that's about it really. Just sit still I guess for a little while.

I think we could probably do it here as long as we don't collaborate.


I think we could probably do it here as long as we don't collaborate.


I think we could probably do it here as long as we don't collaborate.

Well I dunno. Um I'm sure the little uh the little thing'll pop up any minute now.


Well I dunno. Um I'm sure the little uh the little thing'll pop up any minute now.


Well I dunno. Um I'm sure the little uh the little thing'll pop up any minute now.

Yeah , yeah if the meeting's over then yeah I guess so.


Okay.  Je croix que c'est dommage de le  it will be sad to destroy this prototype. It really looks like a banana.


It is the essence of bananas. I would be confused with this thing.


So we are here for the detailed design meeting.


So we are here for the detailed design meeting.

we will uh  I will first present what we are going to do in this meeting. Then uh I've  I will also take notes during this meeting and I will send you uh a summary then as usual. We will then look at the evaluation criteria of the prototype presented by uh our two colleagues that make good work.


we will uh  I will first present what we are going to do in this meeting. Then uh I've  I will also take notes during this meeting and I will send you uh a summary then as usual. We will then look at the evaluation criteria of the prototype presented by uh our two colleagues that make good work.

And uh then we will see the financial aspects and the cost of the product. Then we will uh evaluate the product. And uh end with the conclusion of this project and see whether it fits with  it fulf if it fulfil the requirement or not. So


we will uh  I will first present what we are going to do in this meeting. Then uh I've  I will also take notes during this meeting and I will send you uh a summary then as usual. We will then look at the evaluation criteria of the prototype presented by uh our two colleagues that make good work.

And uh then we will see the financial aspects and the cost of the product. Then we will uh evaluate the product. And uh end with the conclusion of this project and see whether it fits with  it fulf if it fulfil the requirement or not. So

d let's start with the cost aspect so so I look at the aspect discussed last time , that is to say uh to have a standard battery ,  to have a yellow banana shaped uh case with uh a rubber material around it


And uh then we will see the financial aspects and the cost of the product. Then we will uh evaluate the product. And uh end with the conclusion of this project and see whether it fits with  it fulf if it fulfil the requirement or not. So

d let's start with the cost aspect so so I look at the aspect discussed last time , that is to say uh to have a standard battery ,  to have a yellow banana shaped uh case with uh a rubber material around it


d let's start with the cost aspect so so I look at the aspect discussed last time , that is to say uh to have a standard battery ,  to have a yellow banana shaped uh case with uh a rubber material around it


d let's start with the cost aspect so so I look at the aspect discussed last time , that is to say uh to have a standard battery ,  to have a yellow banana shaped uh case with uh a rubber material around it

and uh also at the different aspect like having a wheel etcetera.


and uh also at the different aspect like having a wheel etcetera.


and uh also at the different aspect like having a wheel etcetera.

And the cost ended to be ten point seven Euros. So which is uh good , because we had a price gap of twelve point five Euros.


And the cost ended to be ten point seven Euros. So which is uh good , because we had a price gap of twelve point five Euros.

So for the financial aspect it's okay , we can uh  we can continue with this product uh as if ,


And the cost ended to be ten point seven Euros. So which is uh good , because we had a price gap of twelve point five Euros.

So for the financial aspect it's okay , we can uh  we can continue with this product uh as if ,

and we are now going to see the project evaluation with uh our marketing expert.


So for the financial aspect it's okay , we can uh  we can continue with this product uh as if ,

and we are now going to see the project evaluation with uh our marketing expert.

Yeah. Okay. So uh you can have my project in


and we are now going to see the project evaluation with uh our marketing expert.

Yeah. Okay. So uh you can have my project in


Yeah. Okay. So uh you can have my project in


So I made an evaluation and the the evaluation criteria is made according to  the users' requirements and the market trends we talked about uh during the previous uh meetings. So you can go through and


So I made an evaluation and the the evaluation criteria is made according to  the users' requirements and the market trends we talked about uh during the previous uh meetings. So you can go through and

okay so uh we have uh six points. We we talked about before.


okay so uh we have uh six points. We we talked about before.

So we we want to have a product fancy look and feel , technologically innovative , easy to use , fashion ,  easy to find in a room , and robust ,


So we we want to have a product fancy look and feel , technologically innovative , easy to use , fashion ,  easy to find in a room , and robust ,


So we we want to have a product fancy look and feel , technologically innovative , easy to use , fashion ,  easy to find in a room , and robust ,

uh and uh uh I have a scale of uh seven points.


uh and uh uh I have a scale of uh seven points.


uh and uh uh I have a scale of uh seven points.

Okay. So I go through all the uh all the points here ,


Okay. So I go through all the uh all the points here ,

and uh according to what you think about the this project you can uh mm make a one point , two point or seven point. Okay ?


and uh according to what you think about the this project you can uh mm make a one point , two point or seven point. Okay ?

And after we ha we have an an average , and uh we see.


And after we ha we have an an average , and uh we see.


And after we ha we have an an average , and uh we see.

The  okay ?  Uh so uh fancy look and feel , what do you think ?


The  okay ?  Uh so uh fancy look and feel , what do you think ?


So I think it's uh very uh very nice. What do you think ?


So I think it's uh very uh very nice. What do you think ?

Yeah. So it's between one and seven ? Seven is the highest uh ?


Yeah. So it's between one and seven ? Seven is the highest uh ?


uh I don't know if you  we ha we have to put uh one uh f If it's better or


Okay , let's say that seven is the best.


Okay , let's say that seven is the best.

Or maybe we can say s seven is the best mm .


Okay , let's say that seven is the best.

Or maybe we can say s seven is the best mm .

Okay. So so do note the grade we have five , six for me ,


Or maybe we can say s seven is the best mm .

Okay. So so do note the grade we have five , six for me ,


Okay. So so do note the grade we have five , six for me ,


How much would you give on the fancy aspect , on the fashionable aspect ?


How much would you give on the fancy aspect , on the fashionable aspect ?

How much would you  you don't answer to this uh questionnaire ?


How much would you give on the fancy aspect , on the fashionable aspect ?

How much would you  you don't answer to this uh questionnaire ?

Oh yes I mm I dunno mm , I think six , it's a good uh


How much would you  you don't answer to this uh questionnaire ?

Oh yes I mm I dunno mm , I think six , it's a good uh

So it will have five point five average.


Oh yes I mm I dunno mm , I think six , it's a good uh

So it will have five point five average.


So it will have five point five average.


Okay. So after , the technological aspect ?


Okay. So after , the technological aspect ?

So we we said uh we have uh a new technological uh thing with a wheel.


Okay. So after , the technological aspect ?

So we we said uh we have uh a new technological uh thing with a wheel.

Yeah , we have the wheel. We also have the rubber material ,


So we we said uh we have uh a new technological uh thing with a wheel.

Yeah , we have the wheel. We also have the rubber material ,


So we we said uh we have uh a new technological uh thing with a wheel.

Yeah , we have the wheel. We also have the rubber material ,

which make it uh like new also. I think I would give a five.


Yeah , we have the wheel. We also have the rubber material ,

which make it uh like new also. I think I would give a five.


which make it uh like new also. I think I would give a five.


which make it uh like new also. I think I would give a five.

A four also , because , except for the wheel , we don't have so much innovation.


A four also , because , except for the wheel , we don't have so much innovation.


D are we including the voice  are you glu are we including the voice in the end or not ? Huh ?


Four ? So we have four , four f and five ?


Four ? So we have four , four f and five ?

Yeah , four. Four , yeah , let's put four.


Yeah , four. Four , yeah , let's put four.


Very easy to use. Do you think it's easy to use ?


I would give a  I would give a seven as well. It's very easy to use.


I would say seven. And is very very nice design.


I would say seven. And is very very nice design.

Yeah it's fashion , because it's a fruit ,


Yeah it's fashion , because it's a fruit ,


Yeah , I think it's cool. I think we can put a six here.


we don't sesh especially have the lightning


I would say seven. It's hard to miss it.


I think it's m it's uh more rubber than uh other remote control.


I think it's m it's uh more rubber than uh other remote control.

Yeah the only problem there might be  which  know , i if it's very sensitive ,


Yeah the only problem there might be  which  know , i if it's very sensitive ,


But it is uh  it is surrounded by rubber material.


Thirteen uh , twenty , twenty six point five , uh seven , thirty two , thirty six .


Good. Uh if we say that seven it's uh it's the better ,


Good. Uh if we say that seven it's uh it's the better ,

and when uh s six sit six are good  it's a good uh p product , I think.


and when uh s six sit six are good  it's a good uh p product , I think.


and when uh s six sit six are good  it's a good uh p product , I think.

So it's a good evaluation , I think. It's very promising.


So it's a good evaluation , I think. It's very promising.


Because I saw uh some phones that were banana shaped , uh wireless phones not mobile ones , wireless for the house ,


Because I saw uh some phones that were banana shaped , uh wireless phones not mobile ones , wireless for the house ,

and they were selling  something like a hundred Euros , two hundred Euros.


and they were selling  something like a hundred Euros , two hundred Euros.


and they were selling  something like a hundred Euros , two hundred Euros.

So having this at twenty five Euros is uh quite attractive , I think.


So having this at twenty five Euros is uh quite attractive , I think.


But almo also the complexity between a phone and a remote control is not  cannot compare.


So , I think , we can summarise. So we have seen the prototype. It's very nice according to the work of our two designer.


So , I think , we can summarise. So we have seen the prototype. It's very nice according to the work of our two designer.

The the the financial aspect were okay. We we have the cost below uh our threshold and so we could sell at twenty five Euros and make i make profit. The the evaluation give satisfying result as well. So I think we can move to the last part of the meeting.


So , I think , we can summarise. So we have seen the prototype. It's very nice according to the work of our two designer.

The the the financial aspect were okay. We we have the cost below uh our threshold and so we could sell at twenty five Euros and make i make profit. The the evaluation give satisfying result as well. So I think we can move to the last part of the meeting.

So the cost is in the budget , the evaluation is okay , so I th I think we can now uh open champagne and make a huge party.


The the the financial aspect were okay. We we have the cost below uh our threshold and so we could sell at twenty five Euros and make i make profit. The the evaluation give satisfying result as well. So I think we can move to the last part of the meeting.

So the cost is in the budget , the evaluation is okay , so I th I think we can now uh open champagne and make a huge party.

I don't know if it's provided by uh by the meeting staff.


So the cost is in the budget , the evaluation is okay , so I th I think we can now uh open champagne and make a huge party.

I don't know if it's provided by uh by the meeting staff.


I don't know if it's provided by uh by the meeting staff.


Congratulations to the team. Uh very well , we worked together fantastically.


Congratulations to the team. Uh very well , we worked together fantastically.

I think it was a good collaboration uh. Aspect.


I think it was a good collaboration uh. Aspect.


I think we will have um much bigger project next time and a much bigger salary as well.


I think we will have um much bigger project next time and a much bigger salary as well.

All it depends on who watch this meeting.


All it depends on who watch this meeting.


so see you for next uh successful project.


Good morning, everyone, and welcome to today's meeting of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. We've received no apologies for absence. Can I ask Members whether there are any declarations of interest, please?

Yes, I have a declaration of interest, Chair. I understand that my daughter features in one of the videos that is going to be used to contribute evidence to this inquiry. And, in addition, I'm a governor of one of the schools that features in the video.

Thank you, Darren. So, item 2, then, today is our first session on the provision of textbooks and learning resources for pupils, which is a video of interviews with young people and teachers. The committee team has been out to take video evidence around Wales, and we're now going to watch the results of that on the screen. Okay. Well, I'm sure that the committee would want me to place on record our thanks to the young people and the teachers who took part in that very helpful and informative video. We'll move on now then to our evidence session, and I'm very pleased to welcome Gareth Pierce, chief executive of the WJEC, Mike Ebbsworth, assistant director educational support, WJEC, Philip Blaker, chief executive of Qualifications Wales, and Emyr George, associate director general qualifications at Qualifications Wales. So, thank you all of you for attending and thank you for the papers that you provided in advance as well. If you're happy, we'll go straight into questions now, and if I can just start by asking you to outline what you see as your role in ensuring that students and teachers in Wales have the resources that they need to pass general qualifications and what you think the role of commercial publishers and Welsh Government is.


Yes, I have a declaration of interest, Chair. I understand that my daughter features in one of the videos that is going to be used to contribute evidence to this inquiry. And, in addition, I'm a governor of one of the schools that features in the video.

Thank you, Darren. So, item 2, then, today is our first session on the provision of textbooks and learning resources for pupils, which is a video of interviews with young people and teachers. The committee team has been out to take video evidence around Wales, and we're now going to watch the results of that on the screen. Okay. Well, I'm sure that the committee would want me to place on record our thanks to the young people and the teachers who took part in that very helpful and informative video. We'll move on now then to our evidence session, and I'm very pleased to welcome Gareth Pierce, chief executive of the WJEC, Mike Ebbsworth, assistant director educational support, WJEC, Philip Blaker, chief executive of Qualifications Wales, and Emyr George, associate director general qualifications at Qualifications Wales. So, thank you all of you for attending and thank you for the papers that you provided in advance as well. If you're happy, we'll go straight into questions now, and if I can just start by asking you to outline what you see as your role in ensuring that students and teachers in Wales have the resources that they need to pass general qualifications and what you think the role of commercial publishers and Welsh Government is.

Shall I start? So, Qualifications Wales is the regulator of the awarding bodies, so we regulate awarding bodies. Our powers are structured around the regulating of awarding bodies. We don't regulate commercial publishers nor the provision of textbooks within that. In regulating the awarding body, our primary focus is also on the design of the qualifications and then the delivery of the assessment. So, it's much more around the assessment side than teaching resources. That said, when we are going through the design of the qualifications, we go through an approval process, so we develop approval criteria and we ask WJEC to submit their specifications against those approval criteria and sample assessment materials as well. So, our focus is very much on making sure that teachers are able, through the sample assessment materials and the specifications, to have a good understanding of what is going to be expected of them in the examinations and of their pupils in the examinations. So, that's setting out the knowledge, skills and understandings that will be assessed by WJEC when those exams are sat. We have in the past pulled together groups of people to look at issues like resources. So, during the last round of approvals, we pulled together interested parties in Welsh Government, regional consortia and WJEC to look at resources that would be available with a view to facilitating the discussion about who would be best placed to fill the gaps where there may be perceived to be gaps in resources. Our other primary role is in maintaining standards. So, as the regulator of qualifications, what we want to do is we want to make that the awards of qualifications—so, the grades that people get—are fair. One of the things we do is set out the way in which the awarding bodies will set grades—so, the awarding process, the methods that will be used—and then we monitor WJEC's award of grades against those processes. During a period of change, we prescribe the use of comparable outcomes as the primary approach, largely because comparable outcomes are designed for circumstances like this, where there's a change in a specification particularly, because there are any number of reasons, including resources, why performance may be different from one year to the next, but comparable outcomes is there to ensure that, all things being equal, if the cohorts have the same ability, the same grade should be awarded from one year to the next. We do recognise that there have been delays in textbooks. Much of that has been related to the timelines that we've all had to deliver new specifications against, which have been far from ideal for everybody involved. We think that particularly our role moving forward will be looking at the timelines for reforms that will be necessary for the new curriculum to make sure that this situation isn't repeated and that there is sufficient time in future reforms to allow for greater system readiness. In terms of the roles of others, Welsh Government have a role at the moment in terms of grant funding of translation of materials into Welsh medium. And there is, through the common model at the moment—and this is a model that is common between England and Wales—a reliance on commercial publishers to provide textbooks. Now, that's something that probably needs to be looked at in the future in terms of potential different models for how that might be achieved and also, potentially, around a paradigm shift in what's expected of those materials. So, I think that sets out Qualification Wales's position in particular.


Thank you, Darren. So, item 2, then, today is our first session on the provision of textbooks and learning resources for pupils, which is a video of interviews with young people and teachers. The committee team has been out to take video evidence around Wales, and we're now going to watch the results of that on the screen. Okay. Well, I'm sure that the committee would want me to place on record our thanks to the young people and the teachers who took part in that very helpful and informative video. We'll move on now then to our evidence session, and I'm very pleased to welcome Gareth Pierce, chief executive of the WJEC, Mike Ebbsworth, assistant director educational support, WJEC, Philip Blaker, chief executive of Qualifications Wales, and Emyr George, associate director general qualifications at Qualifications Wales. So, thank you all of you for attending and thank you for the papers that you provided in advance as well. If you're happy, we'll go straight into questions now, and if I can just start by asking you to outline what you see as your role in ensuring that students and teachers in Wales have the resources that they need to pass general qualifications and what you think the role of commercial publishers and Welsh Government is.

Shall I start? So, Qualifications Wales is the regulator of the awarding bodies, so we regulate awarding bodies. Our powers are structured around the regulating of awarding bodies. We don't regulate commercial publishers nor the provision of textbooks within that. In regulating the awarding body, our primary focus is also on the design of the qualifications and then the delivery of the assessment. So, it's much more around the assessment side than teaching resources. That said, when we are going through the design of the qualifications, we go through an approval process, so we develop approval criteria and we ask WJEC to submit their specifications against those approval criteria and sample assessment materials as well. So, our focus is very much on making sure that teachers are able, through the sample assessment materials and the specifications, to have a good understanding of what is going to be expected of them in the examinations and of their pupils in the examinations. So, that's setting out the knowledge, skills and understandings that will be assessed by WJEC when those exams are sat. We have in the past pulled together groups of people to look at issues like resources. So, during the last round of approvals, we pulled together interested parties in Welsh Government, regional consortia and WJEC to look at resources that would be available with a view to facilitating the discussion about who would be best placed to fill the gaps where there may be perceived to be gaps in resources. Our other primary role is in maintaining standards. So, as the regulator of qualifications, what we want to do is we want to make that the awards of qualifications—so, the grades that people get—are fair. One of the things we do is set out the way in which the awarding bodies will set grades—so, the awarding process, the methods that will be used—and then we monitor WJEC's award of grades against those processes. During a period of change, we prescribe the use of comparable outcomes as the primary approach, largely because comparable outcomes are designed for circumstances like this, where there's a change in a specification particularly, because there are any number of reasons, including resources, why performance may be different from one year to the next, but comparable outcomes is there to ensure that, all things being equal, if the cohorts have the same ability, the same grade should be awarded from one year to the next. We do recognise that there have been delays in textbooks. Much of that has been related to the timelines that we've all had to deliver new specifications against, which have been far from ideal for everybody involved. We think that particularly our role moving forward will be looking at the timelines for reforms that will be necessary for the new curriculum to make sure that this situation isn't repeated and that there is sufficient time in future reforms to allow for greater system readiness. In terms of the roles of others, Welsh Government have a role at the moment in terms of grant funding of translation of materials into Welsh medium. And there is, through the common model at the moment—and this is a model that is common between England and Wales—a reliance on commercial publishers to provide textbooks. Now, that's something that probably needs to be looked at in the future in terms of potential different models for how that might be achieved and also, potentially, around a paradigm shift in what's expected of those materials. So, I think that sets out Qualification Wales's position in particular.

Thank you very much. The WJEC does provide what's required in a regulatory sense, and there are two things there—the specification, which tends to be very comprehensive in providing guidance in terms of drawing up a programme of teaching, and also exemplar assessments, which include marking, and those go to the regulator before they are published. So, those samples go to the regulator. The WJEC also do invest a great deal in resources that we produce digitally in both languages simultaneously. Each new course has substantial teaching guidance, which includes a great deal of useful information for teachers and pupils. And we run a professional development programme for teachers that is free of charge when courses are new, and then annually there is some charge for those events. They are face-to-face events, or, increasingly, they are webinars. The WJEC also encourages publishers to take an interest in providing textbooks. We don't have a commercial agreement with publishers. Indeed, the regulations as they stand in Wales, Northern Ireland and England preclude examination bodies from having commercial links with providers of textbooks, but that is something that emerges from the three-nation regime that existed in terms of qualifications. So, that is one point that we noted as something that needs to be considered for Wales as we move forward, whether it would be possible—. As we are not talking about examination boards competing with each other in Wales for GCSE and A-levels, in passing, that is something that I would want to suggest may deserve review. We encourage publishers to take an interest. At the moment, these tend to be England-based—Hodder Education and Illuminate Education, for example—and then the Welsh Government does provide funding to the WJEC to support the process of providing Welsh-language versions for those textbooks. So, we use that funding to provide editorial support to the process, and also to pay for translation costs, and we give significant guidance in terms of terminology. We have a language services team including excellent editors and translators within the WJEC, and we work closely with external translators too, and we use translation technology increasingly, which facilitates a great many things. Beyond that, I think the WJEC does see the need for flexibility, particularly when difficulties arise, and you heard there of some of the methods used by Mike and others to get digital resources available earlier than the print versions. And I should also note perhaps that, as the WJEC is very much involved with stakeholders, we feel that we do have a contribution to make in terms of ideas for the future.


Shall I start? So, Qualifications Wales is the regulator of the awarding bodies, so we regulate awarding bodies. Our powers are structured around the regulating of awarding bodies. We don't regulate commercial publishers nor the provision of textbooks within that. In regulating the awarding body, our primary focus is also on the design of the qualifications and then the delivery of the assessment. So, it's much more around the assessment side than teaching resources. That said, when we are going through the design of the qualifications, we go through an approval process, so we develop approval criteria and we ask WJEC to submit their specifications against those approval criteria and sample assessment materials as well. So, our focus is very much on making sure that teachers are able, through the sample assessment materials and the specifications, to have a good understanding of what is going to be expected of them in the examinations and of their pupils in the examinations. So, that's setting out the knowledge, skills and understandings that will be assessed by WJEC when those exams are sat. We have in the past pulled together groups of people to look at issues like resources. So, during the last round of approvals, we pulled together interested parties in Welsh Government, regional consortia and WJEC to look at resources that would be available with a view to facilitating the discussion about who would be best placed to fill the gaps where there may be perceived to be gaps in resources. Our other primary role is in maintaining standards. So, as the regulator of qualifications, what we want to do is we want to make that the awards of qualifications—so, the grades that people get—are fair. One of the things we do is set out the way in which the awarding bodies will set grades—so, the awarding process, the methods that will be used—and then we monitor WJEC's award of grades against those processes. During a period of change, we prescribe the use of comparable outcomes as the primary approach, largely because comparable outcomes are designed for circumstances like this, where there's a change in a specification particularly, because there are any number of reasons, including resources, why performance may be different from one year to the next, but comparable outcomes is there to ensure that, all things being equal, if the cohorts have the same ability, the same grade should be awarded from one year to the next. We do recognise that there have been delays in textbooks. Much of that has been related to the timelines that we've all had to deliver new specifications against, which have been far from ideal for everybody involved. We think that particularly our role moving forward will be looking at the timelines for reforms that will be necessary for the new curriculum to make sure that this situation isn't repeated and that there is sufficient time in future reforms to allow for greater system readiness. In terms of the roles of others, Welsh Government have a role at the moment in terms of grant funding of translation of materials into Welsh medium. And there is, through the common model at the moment—and this is a model that is common between England and Wales—a reliance on commercial publishers to provide textbooks. Now, that's something that probably needs to be looked at in the future in terms of potential different models for how that might be achieved and also, potentially, around a paradigm shift in what's expected of those materials. So, I think that sets out Qualification Wales's position in particular.

Thank you very much. The WJEC does provide what's required in a regulatory sense, and there are two things there—the specification, which tends to be very comprehensive in providing guidance in terms of drawing up a programme of teaching, and also exemplar assessments, which include marking, and those go to the regulator before they are published. So, those samples go to the regulator. The WJEC also do invest a great deal in resources that we produce digitally in both languages simultaneously. Each new course has substantial teaching guidance, which includes a great deal of useful information for teachers and pupils. And we run a professional development programme for teachers that is free of charge when courses are new, and then annually there is some charge for those events. They are face-to-face events, or, increasingly, they are webinars. The WJEC also encourages publishers to take an interest in providing textbooks. We don't have a commercial agreement with publishers. Indeed, the regulations as they stand in Wales, Northern Ireland and England preclude examination bodies from having commercial links with providers of textbooks, but that is something that emerges from the three-nation regime that existed in terms of qualifications. So, that is one point that we noted as something that needs to be considered for Wales as we move forward, whether it would be possible—. As we are not talking about examination boards competing with each other in Wales for GCSE and A-levels, in passing, that is something that I would want to suggest may deserve review. We encourage publishers to take an interest. At the moment, these tend to be England-based—Hodder Education and Illuminate Education, for example—and then the Welsh Government does provide funding to the WJEC to support the process of providing Welsh-language versions for those textbooks. So, we use that funding to provide editorial support to the process, and also to pay for translation costs, and we give significant guidance in terms of terminology. We have a language services team including excellent editors and translators within the WJEC, and we work closely with external translators too, and we use translation technology increasingly, which facilitates a great many things. Beyond that, I think the WJEC does see the need for flexibility, particularly when difficulties arise, and you heard there of some of the methods used by Mike and others to get digital resources available earlier than the print versions. And I should also note perhaps that, as the WJEC is very much involved with stakeholders, we feel that we do have a contribution to make in terms of ideas for the future.

Thank you. We heard in the video that teachers are spending a lot of their time actually translating materials. What is your view on that as a good use of teachers' time in Wales?


Thank you very much. The WJEC does provide what's required in a regulatory sense, and there are two things there—the specification, which tends to be very comprehensive in providing guidance in terms of drawing up a programme of teaching, and also exemplar assessments, which include marking, and those go to the regulator before they are published. So, those samples go to the regulator. The WJEC also do invest a great deal in resources that we produce digitally in both languages simultaneously. Each new course has substantial teaching guidance, which includes a great deal of useful information for teachers and pupils. And we run a professional development programme for teachers that is free of charge when courses are new, and then annually there is some charge for those events. They are face-to-face events, or, increasingly, they are webinars. The WJEC also encourages publishers to take an interest in providing textbooks. We don't have a commercial agreement with publishers. Indeed, the regulations as they stand in Wales, Northern Ireland and England preclude examination bodies from having commercial links with providers of textbooks, but that is something that emerges from the three-nation regime that existed in terms of qualifications. So, that is one point that we noted as something that needs to be considered for Wales as we move forward, whether it would be possible—. As we are not talking about examination boards competing with each other in Wales for GCSE and A-levels, in passing, that is something that I would want to suggest may deserve review. We encourage publishers to take an interest. At the moment, these tend to be England-based—Hodder Education and Illuminate Education, for example—and then the Welsh Government does provide funding to the WJEC to support the process of providing Welsh-language versions for those textbooks. So, we use that funding to provide editorial support to the process, and also to pay for translation costs, and we give significant guidance in terms of terminology. We have a language services team including excellent editors and translators within the WJEC, and we work closely with external translators too, and we use translation technology increasingly, which facilitates a great many things. Beyond that, I think the WJEC does see the need for flexibility, particularly when difficulties arise, and you heard there of some of the methods used by Mike and others to get digital resources available earlier than the print versions. And I should also note perhaps that, as the WJEC is very much involved with stakeholders, we feel that we do have a contribution to make in terms of ideas for the future.

Thank you. We heard in the video that teachers are spending a lot of their time actually translating materials. What is your view on that as a good use of teachers' time in Wales?

I think the question of translation is an interesting one. There was talk about pupils translating and teachers translating. I think perhaps we need to understand what causes the need for that because, as I mentioned earlier, there are so many resources available digitally in both languages at the same time. Perhaps an interesting question is: is that source useful for teachers, being able to draw resources from two sources? Another interesting question, I think, is—. The Welsh language, of course, is a language that is used in an educational context, but we are in a big world that's an English language world. I'm very aware that many of the websites we refer to in our resources and many of the case studies, as was mentioned in that video—they are available in English only. Therefore, I think another interesting question is: can we discover what those additional resources are that are worth translating? And, certainly, it would be very unfortunate if there were a dozen Welsh-medium schools, for example, translating material from the same website independently of each other. If there are a few websites, or a few case studies, in this big external digital world that are worth translating, shouldn't we able to source those early? Because I don't think it's a good use of teachers' time. But I also think that the use of both languages is an interesting one. What is the vision in terms of teaching in a Welsh-medium class, in particular, perhaps, in the A-level classes? I'm sure that some teachers feel that there is a way of enriching the teaching by referring to terms in both languages, as well as explaining those terms in their own language. But the impression I got from the video was that there was quite a lot of mechanical translating happening, and perhaps there is a need to understand more of the context.


Thank you. We heard in the video that teachers are spending a lot of their time actually translating materials. What is your view on that as a good use of teachers' time in Wales?

I think the question of translation is an interesting one. There was talk about pupils translating and teachers translating. I think perhaps we need to understand what causes the need for that because, as I mentioned earlier, there are so many resources available digitally in both languages at the same time. Perhaps an interesting question is: is that source useful for teachers, being able to draw resources from two sources? Another interesting question, I think, is—. The Welsh language, of course, is a language that is used in an educational context, but we are in a big world that's an English language world. I'm very aware that many of the websites we refer to in our resources and many of the case studies, as was mentioned in that video—they are available in English only. Therefore, I think another interesting question is: can we discover what those additional resources are that are worth translating? And, certainly, it would be very unfortunate if there were a dozen Welsh-medium schools, for example, translating material from the same website independently of each other. If there are a few websites, or a few case studies, in this big external digital world that are worth translating, shouldn't we able to source those early? Because I don't think it's a good use of teachers' time. But I also think that the use of both languages is an interesting one. What is the vision in terms of teaching in a Welsh-medium class, in particular, perhaps, in the A-level classes? I'm sure that some teachers feel that there is a way of enriching the teaching by referring to terms in both languages, as well as explaining those terms in their own language. But the impression I got from the video was that there was quite a lot of mechanical translating happening, and perhaps there is a need to understand more of the context.

Just to pick up on your point on the additional materials, whose role would it be to asses this or to take that overview, and then to respond to the demand?


I think the question of translation is an interesting one. There was talk about pupils translating and teachers translating. I think perhaps we need to understand what causes the need for that because, as I mentioned earlier, there are so many resources available digitally in both languages at the same time. Perhaps an interesting question is: is that source useful for teachers, being able to draw resources from two sources? Another interesting question, I think, is—. The Welsh language, of course, is a language that is used in an educational context, but we are in a big world that's an English language world. I'm very aware that many of the websites we refer to in our resources and many of the case studies, as was mentioned in that video—they are available in English only. Therefore, I think another interesting question is: can we discover what those additional resources are that are worth translating? And, certainly, it would be very unfortunate if there were a dozen Welsh-medium schools, for example, translating material from the same website independently of each other. If there are a few websites, or a few case studies, in this big external digital world that are worth translating, shouldn't we able to source those early? Because I don't think it's a good use of teachers' time. But I also think that the use of both languages is an interesting one. What is the vision in terms of teaching in a Welsh-medium class, in particular, perhaps, in the A-level classes? I'm sure that some teachers feel that there is a way of enriching the teaching by referring to terms in both languages, as well as explaining those terms in their own language. But the impression I got from the video was that there was quite a lot of mechanical translating happening, and perhaps there is a need to understand more of the context.

Just to pick up on your point on the additional materials, whose role would it be to asses this or to take that overview, and then to respond to the demand?

Mike, in the WJEC, has conversations about resources in the team he's part of.


Just to pick up on your point on the additional materials, whose role would it be to asses this or to take that overview, and then to respond to the demand?

Mike, in the WJEC, has conversations about resources in the team he's part of.

Yes. That is extremely important—to identify, as Gareth has just said, those materials that need to be translated, and not everything needs to. We've made a lot of use recently of speaking with teachers and the consortia, and ensuring then that we are focusing on those things that need that attention.


Just to pick up on your point on the additional materials, whose role would it be to asses this or to take that overview, and then to respond to the demand?

Mike, in the WJEC, has conversations about resources in the team he's part of.

Yes. That is extremely important—to identify, as Gareth has just said, those materials that need to be translated, and not everything needs to. We've made a lot of use recently of speaking with teachers and the consortia, and ensuring then that we are focusing on those things that need that attention.

But would you—? The question I'm asking is: would you still see that as a core part of your work, although it's not necessarily essential in terms of the provision that you're required to provide?


Mike, in the WJEC, has conversations about resources in the team he's part of.

Yes. That is extremely important—to identify, as Gareth has just said, those materials that need to be translated, and not everything needs to. We've made a lot of use recently of speaking with teachers and the consortia, and ensuring then that we are focusing on those things that need that attention.

But would you—? The question I'm asking is: would you still see that as a core part of your work, although it's not necessarily essential in terms of the provision that you're required to provide?

Yes, we invest substantially from the WJEC budget into digital resources. So, through the types of conversations that Mike mentioned, in terms of identifying needs, deciding on priorities with teachers in individual subject areas, that can provide very useful information for us in terms of prioritisation. Of course, the digital packages that we create are already based on conversations with teachers.


Yes. That is extremely important—to identify, as Gareth has just said, those materials that need to be translated, and not everything needs to. We've made a lot of use recently of speaking with teachers and the consortia, and ensuring then that we are focusing on those things that need that attention.

But would you—? The question I'm asking is: would you still see that as a core part of your work, although it's not necessarily essential in terms of the provision that you're required to provide?

Yes, we invest substantially from the WJEC budget into digital resources. So, through the types of conversations that Mike mentioned, in terms of identifying needs, deciding on priorities with teachers in individual subject areas, that can provide very useful information for us in terms of prioritisation. Of course, the digital packages that we create are already based on conversations with teachers.

So, it's already happening to a certain extent.


But would you—? The question I'm asking is: would you still see that as a core part of your work, although it's not necessarily essential in terms of the provision that you're required to provide?

Yes, we invest substantially from the WJEC budget into digital resources. So, through the types of conversations that Mike mentioned, in terms of identifying needs, deciding on priorities with teachers in individual subject areas, that can provide very useful information for us in terms of prioritisation. Of course, the digital packages that we create are already based on conversations with teachers.

So, it's already happening to a certain extent.

Well, yes, but we could always go a step further.


Yes, we invest substantially from the WJEC budget into digital resources. So, through the types of conversations that Mike mentioned, in terms of identifying needs, deciding on priorities with teachers in individual subject areas, that can provide very useful information for us in terms of prioritisation. Of course, the digital packages that we create are already based on conversations with teachers.

So, it's already happening to a certain extent.

Well, yes, but we could always go a step further.

And do we need further resources for that?


So, it's already happening to a certain extent.

Well, yes, but we could always go a step further.

And do we need further resources for that?

Well, it's an interesting question. The WJEC is doing as much as we can—


Well, yes, but we could always go a step further.

And do we need further resources for that?

Well, it's an interesting question. The WJEC is doing as much as we can—

Why isn't it happening to the extent that it needs to happen, then?


And do we need further resources for that?

Well, it's an interesting question. The WJEC is doing as much as we can—

Why isn't it happening to the extent that it needs to happen, then?

One can always do more, of course. The WJEC is trying to use its budget prudently, and most of our funding comes from payments made by schools and colleges in terms of taking assessments. So, we do have a budget, but it's not a bottomless pit. So, we do need to make choices within the substantial budget we have in terms of the work that Mike is undertaking.


Well, it's an interesting question. The WJEC is doing as much as we can—

Why isn't it happening to the extent that it needs to happen, then?

One can always do more, of course. The WJEC is trying to use its budget prudently, and most of our funding comes from payments made by schools and colleges in terms of taking assessments. So, we do have a budget, but it's not a bottomless pit. So, we do need to make choices within the substantial budget we have in terms of the work that Mike is undertaking.

There is a need to be careful as well in identifying resources and needs, and that those are suited towards the requirements. Quite often a teacher—and I've been a teacher myself—has this idea that there is a need to have everything. But, certainly, that's not always the case. Quite often, the focus is on different things. There has been a move towards different means of assessment over recent years, and we've moved our resources towards that to meet the needs of teachers on how to undertake that sort of assessment.


Why isn't it happening to the extent that it needs to happen, then?

One can always do more, of course. The WJEC is trying to use its budget prudently, and most of our funding comes from payments made by schools and colleges in terms of taking assessments. So, we do have a budget, but it's not a bottomless pit. So, we do need to make choices within the substantial budget we have in terms of the work that Mike is undertaking.

There is a need to be careful as well in identifying resources and needs, and that those are suited towards the requirements. Quite often a teacher—and I've been a teacher myself—has this idea that there is a need to have everything. But, certainly, that's not always the case. Quite often, the focus is on different things. There has been a move towards different means of assessment over recent years, and we've moved our resources towards that to meet the needs of teachers on how to undertake that sort of assessment.


One can always do more, of course. The WJEC is trying to use its budget prudently, and most of our funding comes from payments made by schools and colleges in terms of taking assessments. So, we do have a budget, but it's not a bottomless pit. So, we do need to make choices within the substantial budget we have in terms of the work that Mike is undertaking.

There is a need to be careful as well in identifying resources and needs, and that those are suited towards the requirements. Quite often a teacher—and I've been a teacher myself—has this idea that there is a need to have everything. But, certainly, that's not always the case. Quite often, the focus is on different things. There has been a move towards different means of assessment over recent years, and we've moved our resources towards that to meet the needs of teachers on how to undertake that sort of assessment.


There is a need to be careful as well in identifying resources and needs, and that those are suited towards the requirements. Quite often a teacher—and I've been a teacher myself—has this idea that there is a need to have everything. But, certainly, that's not always the case. Quite often, the focus is on different things. There has been a move towards different means of assessment over recent years, and we've moved our resources towards that to meet the needs of teachers on how to undertake that sort of assessment.

I'm just going to say one thing. Teachers will want to be creative in the use of resources, and, in doing that, they'll potentially want to adapt resources from either language. I think one of the things that we would be quite keen to try and establish moving forward is what is the common core that should by default be available bilingually, and then what sits around that that would be for schools to use creatively and adapt. And what I wouldn't want to see is a default position where all materials were bilingual—a wide range of resources that might be created from all sorts of diverse, different channels—because that may inhibit the creation of some of those materials that may be more creative, which could then be used by teachers as they see appropriate. But I think it is reasonable to expect for that core, common body of knowledge to be available bilingually by default, and for teachers not to have to spend time translating that.


I'm just going to say one thing. Teachers will want to be creative in the use of resources, and, in doing that, they'll potentially want to adapt resources from either language. I think one of the things that we would be quite keen to try and establish moving forward is what is the common core that should by default be available bilingually, and then what sits around that that would be for schools to use creatively and adapt. And what I wouldn't want to see is a default position where all materials were bilingual—a wide range of resources that might be created from all sorts of diverse, different channels—because that may inhibit the creation of some of those materials that may be more creative, which could then be used by teachers as they see appropriate. But I think it is reasonable to expect for that core, common body of knowledge to be available bilingually by default, and for teachers not to have to spend time translating that.

Okay. Thank you. A final question from me, then. The £500,000 funding for Welsh-medium educational resource that's in the budget for 2018-19—are you able to share any information with the committee as to how that's going to be spent?


I'm just going to say one thing. Teachers will want to be creative in the use of resources, and, in doing that, they'll potentially want to adapt resources from either language. I think one of the things that we would be quite keen to try and establish moving forward is what is the common core that should by default be available bilingually, and then what sits around that that would be for schools to use creatively and adapt. And what I wouldn't want to see is a default position where all materials were bilingual—a wide range of resources that might be created from all sorts of diverse, different channels—because that may inhibit the creation of some of those materials that may be more creative, which could then be used by teachers as they see appropriate. But I think it is reasonable to expect for that core, common body of knowledge to be available bilingually by default, and for teachers not to have to spend time translating that.

Okay. Thank you. A final question from me, then. The £500,000 funding for Welsh-medium educational resource that's in the budget for 2018-19—are you able to share any information with the committee as to how that's going to be spent?

Tthe WJEC has some information in terms of that budget. It is a Welsh Government budget, and they have annual discussions with us as to what resources we are likely to be working on along with publishers, and where we would like to make a claim against that grant to pay for the editorial and translation costs that we will have incurred. Now, there have been conversations recently about possible support from that grant for some research work into the use of various materials and resources, and also, although this would be a very small part, a contribution towards seminars for publishers. But that isn't a full picture of the £500,000; I think you would have to ask the Welsh Government about the exact allocation of that total fund. But there may be some flexibility. We've just started this financial year; I'm sure there is some flexibility in their thinking in terms of the use of some of this resource. Do you want to add anything, Mike?


I'm just going to say one thing. Teachers will want to be creative in the use of resources, and, in doing that, they'll potentially want to adapt resources from either language. I think one of the things that we would be quite keen to try and establish moving forward is what is the common core that should by default be available bilingually, and then what sits around that that would be for schools to use creatively and adapt. And what I wouldn't want to see is a default position where all materials were bilingual—a wide range of resources that might be created from all sorts of diverse, different channels—because that may inhibit the creation of some of those materials that may be more creative, which could then be used by teachers as they see appropriate. But I think it is reasonable to expect for that core, common body of knowledge to be available bilingually by default, and for teachers not to have to spend time translating that.

Okay. Thank you. A final question from me, then. The £500,000 funding for Welsh-medium educational resource that's in the budget for 2018-19—are you able to share any information with the committee as to how that's going to be spent?

Tthe WJEC has some information in terms of that budget. It is a Welsh Government budget, and they have annual discussions with us as to what resources we are likely to be working on along with publishers, and where we would like to make a claim against that grant to pay for the editorial and translation costs that we will have incurred. Now, there have been conversations recently about possible support from that grant for some research work into the use of various materials and resources, and also, although this would be a very small part, a contribution towards seminars for publishers. But that isn't a full picture of the £500,000; I think you would have to ask the Welsh Government about the exact allocation of that total fund. But there may be some flexibility. We've just started this financial year; I'm sure there is some flexibility in their thinking in terms of the use of some of this resource. Do you want to add anything, Mike?

Certainly. We have contributed a list of publications, for example, that are ongoing, and they're aware of that, and a percentage of that funding then will go towards ensuring that those are there through the medium of Welsh.


Okay. Thank you. A final question from me, then. The £500,000 funding for Welsh-medium educational resource that's in the budget for 2018-19—are you able to share any information with the committee as to how that's going to be spent?

Tthe WJEC has some information in terms of that budget. It is a Welsh Government budget, and they have annual discussions with us as to what resources we are likely to be working on along with publishers, and where we would like to make a claim against that grant to pay for the editorial and translation costs that we will have incurred. Now, there have been conversations recently about possible support from that grant for some research work into the use of various materials and resources, and also, although this would be a very small part, a contribution towards seminars for publishers. But that isn't a full picture of the £500,000; I think you would have to ask the Welsh Government about the exact allocation of that total fund. But there may be some flexibility. We've just started this financial year; I'm sure there is some flexibility in their thinking in terms of the use of some of this resource. Do you want to add anything, Mike?

Certainly. We have contributed a list of publications, for example, that are ongoing, and they're aware of that, and a percentage of that funding then will go towards ensuring that those are there through the medium of Welsh.


Tthe WJEC has some information in terms of that budget. It is a Welsh Government budget, and they have annual discussions with us as to what resources we are likely to be working on along with publishers, and where we would like to make a claim against that grant to pay for the editorial and translation costs that we will have incurred. Now, there have been conversations recently about possible support from that grant for some research work into the use of various materials and resources, and also, although this would be a very small part, a contribution towards seminars for publishers. But that isn't a full picture of the £500,000; I think you would have to ask the Welsh Government about the exact allocation of that total fund. But there may be some flexibility. We've just started this financial year; I'm sure there is some flexibility in their thinking in terms of the use of some of this resource. Do you want to add anything, Mike?

Certainly. We have contributed a list of publications, for example, that are ongoing, and they're aware of that, and a percentage of that funding then will go towards ensuring that those are there through the medium of Welsh.

This is a huge mess, isn't it? It's a huge mess, which is causing lots of pressure and extra work for teachers, lots of pressure and extra work for learners, and is affecting the well-being of students, at a time when they need to be mentally fit, in order to go through the general stress that learners face when they have exams coming up. We know that the problems are not confined to Welsh-medium resources; they're also being experienced in English language resources as well, particularly in terms of the availability of textbooks. You've both mentioned—both of your organisations have mentioned that there needs to be some sort of common core of resources available for learners and teachers, and I would agree with you on that front. But isn't a textbook a pretty basic element of anybody's toolkit for supporting a child getting through the information that they need to learn, and swot up on, in advance of exams?


Certainly. We have contributed a list of publications, for example, that are ongoing, and they're aware of that, and a percentage of that funding then will go towards ensuring that those are there through the medium of Welsh.

This is a huge mess, isn't it? It's a huge mess, which is causing lots of pressure and extra work for teachers, lots of pressure and extra work for learners, and is affecting the well-being of students, at a time when they need to be mentally fit, in order to go through the general stress that learners face when they have exams coming up. We know that the problems are not confined to Welsh-medium resources; they're also being experienced in English language resources as well, particularly in terms of the availability of textbooks. You've both mentioned—both of your organisations have mentioned that there needs to be some sort of common core of resources available for learners and teachers, and I would agree with you on that front. But isn't a textbook a pretty basic element of anybody's toolkit for supporting a child getting through the information that they need to learn, and swot up on, in advance of exams?

I think that the evidence is that different learners see their requirements differently. And I agree that a textbook is part of the picture that should be available. But I think the evidence also shows that not every young person will use them; perhaps the teacher uses them. There is an emphasis, for example, from one pupil there, on that traditional model of revision, namely class notes and his own revision notes, but that he personally also wanted a textbook. So, certainly, the content of a textbook is going to be important, and that that's available in some form or other. It was very interesting to know, for example, that when he was describing the traditional model of revision, he felt that he'd had quite a lot of the content of the textbook through the classroom notes. Much of that digital content, of course, corresponds to the content areas of a textbook, but it's just in a different form. But, in general, there should be a textbook. And some of our frustration as well is that the timetables of some individual publishers don't always get us to the point where there is a textbook available in time. That doesn't happen so often in English medium, but we know about that gap in time in the Welsh provision.


This is a huge mess, isn't it? It's a huge mess, which is causing lots of pressure and extra work for teachers, lots of pressure and extra work for learners, and is affecting the well-being of students, at a time when they need to be mentally fit, in order to go through the general stress that learners face when they have exams coming up. We know that the problems are not confined to Welsh-medium resources; they're also being experienced in English language resources as well, particularly in terms of the availability of textbooks. You've both mentioned—both of your organisations have mentioned that there needs to be some sort of common core of resources available for learners and teachers, and I would agree with you on that front. But isn't a textbook a pretty basic element of anybody's toolkit for supporting a child getting through the information that they need to learn, and swot up on, in advance of exams?

I think that the evidence is that different learners see their requirements differently. And I agree that a textbook is part of the picture that should be available. But I think the evidence also shows that not every young person will use them; perhaps the teacher uses them. There is an emphasis, for example, from one pupil there, on that traditional model of revision, namely class notes and his own revision notes, but that he personally also wanted a textbook. So, certainly, the content of a textbook is going to be important, and that that's available in some form or other. It was very interesting to know, for example, that when he was describing the traditional model of revision, he felt that he'd had quite a lot of the content of the textbook through the classroom notes. Much of that digital content, of course, corresponds to the content areas of a textbook, but it's just in a different form. But, in general, there should be a textbook. And some of our frustration as well is that the timetables of some individual publishers don't always get us to the point where there is a textbook available in time. That doesn't happen so often in English medium, but we know about that gap in time in the Welsh provision.

Well, it's happened fairly regularly in the English-medium textbook world, hasn't it? My daughter—she featured in that video—has got her RS qualifications coming up, and she only had a textbook over the Easter period. I mean, it's completely unacceptable. And many others in that video are also being affected. You mentioned digital resources; not everybody's got access to digital resources in their own homes, even, in Wales. So, aren't we giving a significant disadvantage to those learners who might need the traditional 'swotting up from a textbook' method of revision and benefit from that?


This is a huge mess, isn't it? It's a huge mess, which is causing lots of pressure and extra work for teachers, lots of pressure and extra work for learners, and is affecting the well-being of students, at a time when they need to be mentally fit, in order to go through the general stress that learners face when they have exams coming up. We know that the problems are not confined to Welsh-medium resources; they're also being experienced in English language resources as well, particularly in terms of the availability of textbooks. You've both mentioned—both of your organisations have mentioned that there needs to be some sort of common core of resources available for learners and teachers, and I would agree with you on that front. But isn't a textbook a pretty basic element of anybody's toolkit for supporting a child getting through the information that they need to learn, and swot up on, in advance of exams?

I think that the evidence is that different learners see their requirements differently. And I agree that a textbook is part of the picture that should be available. But I think the evidence also shows that not every young person will use them; perhaps the teacher uses them. There is an emphasis, for example, from one pupil there, on that traditional model of revision, namely class notes and his own revision notes, but that he personally also wanted a textbook. So, certainly, the content of a textbook is going to be important, and that that's available in some form or other. It was very interesting to know, for example, that when he was describing the traditional model of revision, he felt that he'd had quite a lot of the content of the textbook through the classroom notes. Much of that digital content, of course, corresponds to the content areas of a textbook, but it's just in a different form. But, in general, there should be a textbook. And some of our frustration as well is that the timetables of some individual publishers don't always get us to the point where there is a textbook available in time. That doesn't happen so often in English medium, but we know about that gap in time in the Welsh provision.

Well, it's happened fairly regularly in the English-medium textbook world, hasn't it? My daughter—she featured in that video—has got her RS qualifications coming up, and she only had a textbook over the Easter period. I mean, it's completely unacceptable. And many others in that video are also being affected. You mentioned digital resources; not everybody's got access to digital resources in their own homes, even, in Wales. So, aren't we giving a significant disadvantage to those learners who might need the traditional 'swotting up from a textbook' method of revision and benefit from that?

We do ensure that those digital resources include things that the teachers can also print. Most of these are resources for teachers so that the teachers can adapt them for their own use, to suit the learners who are in front of them at any given time. But certainly there are materials there. If there are activities, then those activities can be printed off and handed to pupils so that they can take them home. So, I would be sceptical about that comment. We are thinking of the totality, ultimately.


I think that the evidence is that different learners see their requirements differently. And I agree that a textbook is part of the picture that should be available. But I think the evidence also shows that not every young person will use them; perhaps the teacher uses them. There is an emphasis, for example, from one pupil there, on that traditional model of revision, namely class notes and his own revision notes, but that he personally also wanted a textbook. So, certainly, the content of a textbook is going to be important, and that that's available in some form or other. It was very interesting to know, for example, that when he was describing the traditional model of revision, he felt that he'd had quite a lot of the content of the textbook through the classroom notes. Much of that digital content, of course, corresponds to the content areas of a textbook, but it's just in a different form. But, in general, there should be a textbook. And some of our frustration as well is that the timetables of some individual publishers don't always get us to the point where there is a textbook available in time. That doesn't happen so often in English medium, but we know about that gap in time in the Welsh provision.

Well, it's happened fairly regularly in the English-medium textbook world, hasn't it? My daughter—she featured in that video—has got her RS qualifications coming up, and she only had a textbook over the Easter period. I mean, it's completely unacceptable. And many others in that video are also being affected. You mentioned digital resources; not everybody's got access to digital resources in their own homes, even, in Wales. So, aren't we giving a significant disadvantage to those learners who might need the traditional 'swotting up from a textbook' method of revision and benefit from that?

We do ensure that those digital resources include things that the teachers can also print. Most of these are resources for teachers so that the teachers can adapt them for their own use, to suit the learners who are in front of them at any given time. But certainly there are materials there. If there are activities, then those activities can be printed off and handed to pupils so that they can take them home. So, I would be sceptical about that comment. We are thinking of the totality, ultimately.

I think you're right that the availability of technology is an important part of this big picture. The young people talk about websites and blogs, and we're talking about digital resources, so being able to reach those resources, I think, is vital in Wales. It's interesting to note two contradictory remarks from the teaching associations in the letters. One praises what's available digitally, whereas another teaching organisation sees this as more work for teachers. As Mike said, we've created those resources that can be adapted. One teaching organisation says that it just creates more work, while another organisation says that the digital resource is something that's very valuable. Of course, the headteacher at the end was praising the fact that, in a situation of crisis or unacceptable timetables, we have succeeded in creating some resources that will be in the textbook later, but available digitally at an early stage. But I agree with your core comment that technology is vital, and access to that, and also the content of a textbook in some form is vital as well.


Well, it's happened fairly regularly in the English-medium textbook world, hasn't it? My daughter—she featured in that video—has got her RS qualifications coming up, and she only had a textbook over the Easter period. I mean, it's completely unacceptable. And many others in that video are also being affected. You mentioned digital resources; not everybody's got access to digital resources in their own homes, even, in Wales. So, aren't we giving a significant disadvantage to those learners who might need the traditional 'swotting up from a textbook' method of revision and benefit from that?

We do ensure that those digital resources include things that the teachers can also print. Most of these are resources for teachers so that the teachers can adapt them for their own use, to suit the learners who are in front of them at any given time. But certainly there are materials there. If there are activities, then those activities can be printed off and handed to pupils so that they can take them home. So, I would be sceptical about that comment. We are thinking of the totality, ultimately.

I think you're right that the availability of technology is an important part of this big picture. The young people talk about websites and blogs, and we're talking about digital resources, so being able to reach those resources, I think, is vital in Wales. It's interesting to note two contradictory remarks from the teaching associations in the letters. One praises what's available digitally, whereas another teaching organisation sees this as more work for teachers. As Mike said, we've created those resources that can be adapted. One teaching organisation says that it just creates more work, while another organisation says that the digital resource is something that's very valuable. Of course, the headteacher at the end was praising the fact that, in a situation of crisis or unacceptable timetables, we have succeeded in creating some resources that will be in the textbook later, but available digitally at an early stage. But I agree with your core comment that technology is vital, and access to that, and also the content of a textbook in some form is vital as well.

Mr Blaker, you would agree that a textbook should be an essential core piece of the resource pack available for each qualification.