Dr Nick Halafihi

The framework that we are developing makes the student experience a priority, linked closely to subject development and research, knowledge transfer and third-stream income generation, and value added. It is based on the principle that we can tap into the latent potential of our staff and students more fully if we stay close to what we do best, think clearly about our priorities and focus on strengths. Students and staff are a resource that is often underestimated. There is a need to be even more resourceful in the present climate than we have been to date. This requires the careful use of time, which is the most important but limited of resources. Our students need to be more enterprising, and as staff members we need to create even stronger links with industry and be even more creative and innovative in how this is done. The Business Enterprise Unit is a ‘bottom-up’ example of trying to connect these important themes in our work to the mutual benefit of our students, staff and the wider University. Even if projects do not succeed in a financial sense the learning that we hope is generated will still be worth the effort and time for all concerned. The case study outlined below is one of a number of projects generated by the Business Enterprise Unit in its early stages of development. As a form of action research this provides a very useful learning opportunity at a time when this is needed to align the work we do on the course with the wider community and employers.

In an age of increased demands regarding ‘value for money’ from Higher Education institutions-the students of today and their families are more likely to seek academic courses that offer a new and widening variety of provision. This increased provision includes elements of Employability, E-Learning, Globalization, Enterprise and especially high levels of Student Engagement. This emphasis demonstrates a shift in the needs and demands of potential students with a focus on what Nothedge (2003) describes as a learning process, which is initiated and accomplished by the student. Students will no longer select University education from a location and course name perspective and will instead have a more focused approach in regard to what the university can do for them. Indeed Northedge (2003:169) demonstrates a greater insight into this theory when he states, “the teacher’s role is to ‘facilitate’ this learning”. Nicol (2006) links ‘student engagement’ with a quality first year experience as a key contributing factor in the students enjoyment of their chosen course and ultimately it’s completion-something that all funding opportunities insist on prior to any University re-imbursement from the Higher Education Funding Council

Coaching in this academic sense of the word has taken some of its influence from the visible aspects of today’s sports coaches who have helped to shape the ‘thinking and approaches to applying coaching in the workplace’ (Parsloe and Leedham 2009:5) or in our case academic life. We have embedded a coaching ethos throughout the new academic curriculum, where staff, coach students through critical personal development scenarios. These scenarios are always linked to assessments and vary in evidence from electronic resources/podcasts, social network conversations where the coaching content is captured and MP3 recordings. Each element of this work is also captured on the students’ personal e-portfolio.

The framework that we would like to develop is based on a hierarchy that places the student experience as a priority linked closely to subject development and research, knowledge transfer and third stream income generation and value added in this priority order. It is based on the principle that we can tap into the latent potential of our staff and students more fully if we stay close to what we do best and think clearly about our priorities and focus on strengths. This process is supported by Drucker (2002:123) who states that ‘Purposeful, systematic innovation begins with the analysis of the opportunities’ and it is the various modular opportunities that have parallel learning themes (finance, marketing and enterprise) that will support the relevance of this scheme and enhance its relevance and understanding to students. We would like to engage students in the ‘real-world’ and enhance their appreciation and learning of business, marketing and enterprise the BAHSBM students would like to develop a new initiative. This initiative would be focused on the development of a real ‘live’ business. This would be facilitated, directed, and managed by the course team and their students. Its sole purpose would be to act as an Enterprise and Business Unit, which would assist students to plan, develop and implement funding and pursue enterprise ventures and business ideas and. E.G: The launch of the ‘Academic Team Wear’ initiative for the BAHSBM students and staff. In fact, students are also encouraged to develop their personal business and enterprise skills such as; Skills: Problem solving, Creativity, Persuasiveness, Planning, Negotiating and Decision Making (Bill, 2009:128)

In Polynesian culture stories which may be generations old are told via tattoo art: the Tahitian word ‘tatu’ or ‘ta-tu’ means to strike something and links directly to the ancient art of tattooing to preserve an ancestral lineage and/or record a particular event or story that has been handed down from generation to generation via the same method (Villequette, 1998). Some scholars such as Gell (1993), and Schrader (2000) and Jones (2000) in Schildkrout (2004), write of tattoos being associated with “subsidiary selves, spirits, ancestors, rulers and victims” that are resident within the tattooed individual, while some write of ethnographic work being inscribed on bodies (Sparkes, 2000, p. 21 and Schildkrout, 2004, p. 322). Auto-ethnographic study (the study of ourselves) is a relatively new field and is often associated with qualitative analysis; as such it has stimulated the author to introduce the term ‘internal’ reflection. I believe that this may describe a ‘personal’ or ‘internal’ reflection that is transmitted to the outside world in the form of a tattoo. Drawing on the work of Sparkes, an auto-ethnography is a narrative of self, although this research offers tattoos as a viable alternative to narrative and suggests that auto-ethnographic tattoos are not only commonplace but that they can also be very real transcripts of the narrative equivalent. Further, this research shows that different cultures reflect in different ways and that the tattoo is a popular and essential method of ethnographic capture

Coaching in this academic sense of the word has taken some of it’s influence from the visible aspects of today’s sports coaches who have helped to shape the ‘thinking and approaches to applying coaching in the workplace’ (Parsloe and Leedham 2009:5) or in our case academic life. We have embedded a coaching ethos throughout the new academic curriculum, where staff, coach students through critical personal development scenarios. These scenarios are always linked to assessments and vary in evidence from electronic resources/podcasts, social network conversations where the coaching content is captured and mp3 recordings. Each element of this work is also captured on the students’ personal e-portfolio.

When students enter Level 6 of ther BAHSBM course they are encouraged to become an, ‘Academic ‘buddy’ of a Level 4 student where they can further hone their coaching skills. This develops the interpersonal skills of each student and genuinely puts the student first (Palmer and McDowall, 2010), this mirrors the student-centered focus of the course.

This paper explores the evolution and contemporary significance of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, focusing on its integration in the retail sector. It synthesizes theoretical foundations, practical insights, and future projections to provide a holistic understanding of RFID's implications for retailers, with a structured analysis of key components and case studies.