Post-OU Annual Report

I left the OU a year ago, so have been reflecting on how that year has gone. Because I’ve been missing writing all those monthly, annual, random, reports, here is my Annual Report to be submitted to the funding council (ie me). With tongue a bit in cheek, I’ve adapted the format from an annual report that I used to prepare for a research funder for Post-OU Martin Inc.

Key Metrics

Activities and Outputs

Approach:

The initial phase of post-OU life adopted a weekly variety approach, with a different day assigned to different activities. These included:

• Setting up a Vinyl Instagram post and posting 3-4 pictures a week
• Setting up an ice hockey analytics blog, developing an understanding of this topic and posting weekly
• Writing a novel based
• Walking Teilo to the beach, castle or forest once a week.
• Visiting my parents
• Undertaking any work such as PhD supervision, keynotes, etc

Since January 2025 a more consolidated approach has developed focused much more around novel writing as the main activity. This approach has allowed for a stronger sense of identity as a writer and a more central activity. 

Outputs:

Novel. I have written my first novel, a psychological horror. It is 70,000 words and has been sent off to a number of agents. It is likely that self-publication will be the route taken.

IG account. I have established a vinyl Instagram account, with 1500 followers. Having this account, with its theme of album sleeves photographed out and about in Wales, encourages me to go for walks, and also has a distinctive aesthetic. The account is part of a supportive community and provides a good deal of pleasure.

Analytics blog. I established a hockey analytics blog, doing various pieces of analysis on the EIHL. I posted most weeks and manually entered all the data as no source was available. I have learnt the various statistics used in hockey, and data scraping. The blog did not get any form of readership or engagement but it served a useful, and interesting purpose as a vehicle for learning the topic. It is likely to be discontinued.

NTutorr report, own blog posts. I have maintained a professional identity by continuing to blog at my own domain. I completed a report, New Learning and Teaching Models through Digital Transformation, for the NDLN project. 

Activities

Running. Initial plans to build up to half (or even full) marathon distance were thwarted by interruptions and lack of motivation. A refocus in 2025 to purely the 10K distance has proven successful, with three races completed and a further three registered. Fitness has not reached the levels intended but it has developed in the last year.

Teilo walks. The intention was to take Teilo on a long walk to a different destination every week. This is usually accompanied by vinyl photography. We have visited some good locations, including Raglan castle, Saundersfoot, Little Haven, Rhossili, Talybont reservoir, etc. It has not been quite as regular as intended, often due to other commitments.

Work related. I continue to supervise two PhD students. I am an external examiner at Warwick University and a member of the NEC board. I blog on average once a week, although this has shifted to have less of an ed tech focus. I have examined one PhD and have another two to examine over the summer. I have been asked to assess the promotion case of two Professorial candidates and given two invited keynotes. I was invited to a meeting of experts at the UN to discuss the establishment of an online university.

Lessons Learned

Things that have gone well	Challenges so far and in the future
Focusing more centrally on fiction writing	Maintaining momentum
Writing retreat	Getting published
Developing specific aesthetic for IG account	Using IG more effectively
Buying vinyl	Storing vinyl
Being involved in interesting projects	Getting involvement with further projects

Conclusion

Coming out of review mode, what this year has once again reminded me is that, duh, everything is about identity. I was concerned that having worked at one institution for 30 years it formed a dangerously substantial part of my identity that could not be removed safely. My initial plan to try lots of different bits each week was effective for a while in that it kept me occupied, but it didn’t help in the development of a strong replacement identity. Since the start of this year, I’ve focused much more on fiction writing. This provides a central activity, which others then can be accommodated around.

Of course we all have multiple identities which are more pronounced in certain contexts (partner, father, son, vinyl enthusiast, Cardiff Devils fan, consultant, blogger, dog owner, etc), but in terms of finding one that can replace some of the “Martin from the OU” one then “Writer” has proved most fruitful. So, we’ll go with that for now.