Motivations for My Sabbatical

I can’t remember exactly what it says on my sabbatical application, but as far as I am concerned, the objectives are Work, Rest and Play.

Work:

1. There are a few papers I really want to find the time to write. I don’t often get the chance to do first authored papers.
2. I’d like to develop a new key-note talk.
3. I badly need to get more involved in the European TEL community, and to get some EU grants. These need not be framework grants – there are many other channels – but I need time to develop one or two good applications, and friends who are more experienced.
4. At the same time both Su and I are very much interested in the developing Web Science area – and its curriculum. Stefano’s group are keen to become involved and lead the way for France. So a good outcome will be some shared teaching and curriculum development in addition to the research.

Of course, while I am doing this I will not be able to ignore Southampton entirely – I still have the Southampton Learning Environment to be concerned about, two JISC projects that need to be nurtured, and two PhD students (I had tried to get the timing right so that all my PhD students would have finished or be writing up – but things are never that perfect!).

Rest:
I have worked my ass off since around 1992 when Microcosm first started taking off, and have never stopped since. I have lived on adrenaline for too long, and although I am pleased with what I have achieved, in the last couple of years I have started to notice that in my latter 50’s I can’t do what I could do before: I can’t work right through the night and then go and teach in the morning any more – and I can’t answer the quantity of email I get every day. Consequently I go to bed every night feeling guilty about what I have failed to do. This sabbatical will be a chance for me to stand back from this, reflect on what I can reasonably do (and how to do it well) and what I can’t do (and how to stop doing it!). Of course, a period of absence from the university is always a good way of getting things to work without you.

Play:
Su and I have always loved France. It has been our main destination for our camping van holidays. We love the weather, we love the food, we love the wine, we love the open spaces and we rather admire the people for their national independence, principles and self respect. (How come France is not falling to bits financially? People have been saying for *years* that they cannot go on the way they do – but they are still doing it).

So on this sabbatical I want to learn French (my French has never got past asking directions and ordering a meal). And I want to get a feel for what it is like to actually live in a Mediterranean city. And I want to explore parts of the country that are too crowded and too hot when I normally visit the area in my summer holiday.