Scenario 3 Learner profile: Tayla Özdemir, born 1999

  • In 2026, Tayla is living in Chichester, with temporary refugee status. She fled from the war in the former republic of Turkey in 2024, like four million others, to the safe haven of the UK.
  • As a trained and certified child psychologist from Ankara University, she had eight years of practical experience and, before the crisis started, had been promised promotion to head of unit.
  • All Tayla's documentation was destroyed when her former apartment in Istanbul was burned to the ground. There is limited access to all electronic data from former Turkey in order to prevent terrorist attacks like those that took place in Tampere in 2025. So Tayla has no formal evidence of either her education or her work experience.
  • Tayla would like to start working as a social worker in Chicester, but she has failed several English language tests, and does not have the Positive Evidence Of Good Conduct status with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) that would allow her to work with children.
  • If she got the new PlayStation 9 and Integrated Smart Chip Functionality (ISCF) left-brain implant, Tayla could have an app that can automatically translate thoughts into English, but the implant and app would cost her the equivalent of two months’ income.

Discussion: How could we apply digital innovation at the OU to improve learning and teaching in this scenario, or using ideas inspired by this scenario?

Scenario 3 Employer profile: Sean Wigans, born 1980

  • In 2026, almost half of European adults have taken the government-sponsored option to have the Playstation 9 and Integrated Smart Chip Functionality (ISCF) left-brain implant.
  • The implant has also been applied as standard for all European children at age two for the past three years – although this decision has been associated with a reported increase in the number of young children across Europe who struggle with social interaction and communication.
  • Demand for social work and community mental health support to help with stress, tensions, and crises has tripled since 2021.
  • Sean Wigans is an experienced recruiter for social support organisations. By combining his expertise with outcomes of the Integrated Smart Chip data and brain scans, Sean is able to place 87% of social support workers effectively within social support organisations. (Applicants without the implant are far less likely to obtain jobs these days because recruiters know so little about their behaviour and aptitudes.)
  • More importantly, 81% of children supported by these social support workers have increased their positive behaviour and learning outcomes, according to analytics data from ISCF.
  • With an increased demand for social support workers, while at the same time having fewer financial resources due to the collapse of community mental health services and the social care system under the former Farage government, Sean has to make tough decisions about some recent recruits.

Discussion: How could we apply digital innovation at the OU to improve learning and teaching in this scenario, or using ideas inspired by this scenario?