TCEP Introduction
The aim of The Chaucer Education Project is the founding and management of Chaucer University as an Open Technical University, developing as a modern Mechanics Institute capable of helping to overcome dyslexia and dyscalculia, including through teaching course units online and with seminars and tutorials. Creative students from Level Zero upwards should be able to achieve their full potential and flourish, with essential skills in Arithmetic and English included in courses.
The concept model for The Chaucer Education Project evolved from evaluation of the difficulties encountered in understanding the theoretical concepts in Chemical Physics, where theoretical principles have traditionally been taught before demonstrating applications in projects. This approach subsequently led to considering how best to research and develop discovery based teaching methods, to innovatively raise enthusiasm and academic achievement from Entry to Postgraduate, preferably imminently leading to the founding of Chaucer University as an open and distant learning University of Technology improving basic skills. The Chaucer Education Project website includes examples of real-time data sampling teaching methods. (See the Question System Demonstration.)
The Memorandum and Articles of Association for the charitable company were drafted entirely by me from first principles, using examples of best practice. I subsequently conducted the negotiation of specific equity investment provisions with The Charity Commission, obtaining their non objection to charitable status. I drafted revised Articles of Association for the subsidiary commercial company, which I had originally incorporated in 1984 to research, develop and market own brand starter kits suitable for beginning piloting micro business employment. The charitable parent company of the group structure, originally envisaged being established in 1986, was not able to be incorporated with its unique constitutional status until 1990, due to the detailed design needed for the charitable group.The absence of continuous professional assistance, to maintain core compliance with statutory audit requirements, highlighted the type of vulnerability of this charitable group able to occur, delaying progress with furthering its objectives. Preparation to restore the charitable group and then achieve the long envisaged Independent Research Organisation status eligibility to apply for and receive research council grants, is progressing but ought to be faster for the reasons the project is needed.
The Chaucer Education Project has an entry in the United Kingdom Space Directory 2012 published by the Technology Strategy Board’s Space Special Interest Group. In the Access To Space Working Group of the National Space Road Mapping Strategy Consultation held at the University of Surrey, I recommended that a micro reusable launch vehicle be included in its own right and not only as a potential prototype for a larger project.
The question system on The Chaucer Education Project website is a demonstration example of the capability already developed for interactive teaching and learning methods suitable for introductory, national curriculum and higher qualification levels. The third stage of question input development, following on from initially static, then dynamic random, numbers is the inclusion of real-time telemetry. Question graphics handling has now been included, enabling photographs, videos and a real-time International Space Station orbital tracker to be utilised. Advanced multiple choice questions, with multiple or single correct answers, can also be handled and integrated with the virtual learning environment under development. (See also the Animation Demonstration Games being developed.)
My thesis, “The Chaucer Foundation – Management In Action”, has still to be academically validated, as it was researched and written without prior registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The thesis outlined the innovative global concept model proposed for The Chaucer Education Project. I am pleased that many of the business management, teaching and other concepts proposed in that 1986 thesis have increasingly been successfully introduced successfully and evaluated to date.
My Business Recovery Clinic concept specialising in micro businesses, together with Chaucer Television, has considerable potential for innovative Apprenticeship research and development as part of The Chaucer Education Project, at all nine academic levels. My research project provides a unique opportunity for demonstrating acquired professional business management skills in a work environment. It is also not everyday that the opportunity to conduct the conversion from private to public limited companies exist; or to design and market a debenture for the bond issues to provide the equity and loan finance for the charitable group’s business franchises funded by micro equity rather than only loan investment. (The Grameen Bank achieves ninety eight percent voluntary repayment.)
“The Chaucer Foundation: Degrees of Change” was published in 1991, with a copy subsequently requested for each of the statutory deposit libraries in the British Isles. The book outlines how honours degree level emergency service education could be provided from initial recruit training through to higher levels. There are three appendices in the book: The Chaucer Education Project; The Chaucer Foundation; and Response to the Modular General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Consultation, which was subsequently implemented within the Qualification and Curriculum Authority requirements.
Richard West, Research Project Founder, Canterbury, Kent, England.
Copyright Richard West. Page updated 15 July 2013.