AMBA & BGA EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
How did it feel to win this year’s AMBA & BGA award for Best Digital Transformation? “It was an amazing recognition of the skill and expertise of the team who have managed the SmartStage, from the original contracting through to its use as a sector‑leading facility used by many of our faculty and professional services team. It was also great to reflect on a journey that hasn’t always been straightforward and to celebrate our achievements. We knew we had a strong case to make to the judges, but we also knew that there would be some stiff competition on the night because there’s so much innovation in our sector. “There’s been a lot of positive feedback from students and staff about the SmartStage facility, so the team already knew they had been doing a great job, but this really was the icing on the cake. The award sits proudly in the facility for all to see when they visit for a recording.” Warwick Business School (WBS) won this award for its use of a bespoke learning environment in online programme delivery. The school has an established international reputation for its online programmes, so why was it felt necessary to transform their delivery? “Our values encompass curiosity, openness, restlessness and excellence, so we are always pursuing ways to improve and deliver engaging courses. Colleagues across the school
want to improve, enhance and evolve our content and the ways in which we interact with and engage students and others. Post-pandemic, we’re all used to watching someone deliver PowerPoint slides via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. However, the SmartStage enables a much more interactive environment in which we can deliver content. A lot of online programmes have launched in recent years, but we feel delivering via SmartStage marks us out from the crowd and provides our students with a unique and enhanced experience compared to competitors.” Why did the school opt for extended reality (XR) technology? “The school has always invested in leading edtech to support pedagogic innovation. The SmartStage is, therefore, an excellent addition to our light rooms, green room and recording studios, providing an opportunity for us to deliver a different type of high-quality media content for our students. “XR platforms enable a much richer environment than staring at a screen. It’s more stimulating than other delivery methods, both for the students and the individual delivering the content. It also enables us to do all the things we would via a platform like Zoom, plus much more besides. Student participants have reported higher engagement, that the experience is more immersive and that they feel part of a classroom, as opposed to just being ‘talked to’. Body language is a huge part of how someone presents in a traditional lecture theatre and you lose that on regular online platforms. However, when you see a presenter walking around the Stage, their energy and passion for their subject material can really shine through.” A dedicated team manages technical aspects to allow faculty to focus on the learning experience they provide. How many people are involved in this and what kind of work is going on behind the scenes? “We have a team of three people who are solely dedicated to SmartStage operations, but there are a whole host of colleagues who are involved in ensuring our delivery continues to evolve and be at the cutting edge. The team supports everything from co-ordinating the technical aspects of the systems and the platform itself, through to partnering with users to guide them through the process of using the Stage. “When we first launched SmartStage, we ran a series of open events to introduce faculty and professional services to the facility, help them understand how it could be used and
Ambition • ISSUE 4 • 2025 39
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