Metrics vs Optics (cycle lanes and Education)

 Metrics: this is a car speedometer: it measures the speed.

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 In front of us, here, it's Shannon Bridge, Limerick, as we approach the city centre.
There are two cycle lanes, one going towards the city, one outwards. Probably the first cycle lanes in Europe that are designed like that. Contra flow so near each other. My friends in Paris, Milan, Amsterdam...well...they haven't seen anything like that, anything designed in such an inefficient way...
I call this photo : Optics (I)

The photo on the right is Optics (II).
If you cycle outwards the Limerick City Centre, you have crossed the Shannon Bridge and here you are...the cycle lane ends here...look what you have in front of you. Wall of cars! Do you expect a young kid to be able to cope with this?

Can you see now the Optics?
Limerick City Council wants to show us that it cares and it created cycle lanes but what about if these lanes are NOT fit for purpose?

Shut up Yanni! This is OPTICS.

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Metrics vs Optics
In any job, in any activity, in any procedure, we need to be able to evaluate certain things, productivity, efficiency, customer satisfaction, etc.
In Managerial terms, we call them KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Here are the KPIs fundamental concepts: for a KPI to be effective, it needs to have:

1. a measure
2. a target (over a time period, i.e. a month? a year? a century?)
3. a reliable data source (to avoid grey areas on how it's measured and tracked)
4. a reporting frequency (in relation to point 2 above)

Two case studies:

1. Let's revisit Optics I and Optics II as presented above.
Let's think of KPIs.
For example, how many kilometers of cycle lanes have they been created in a city since March 2020? Barcelona?
Milan?
Athens?
Dublin?
...Limerick???

2. Education 
Which KPIs should be used there?
Student satisfaction?
Student employability?
Number of students per class?
Amount of € invested in an education unit per student per year?
Number of new courses/modules created in a year?
How can we reliably measure innovation?
These should be the metrics (see photo at the top of this blogpost).

And about the optics?
Here they are...Minister of Higher Education,  Simon Harris, announced yesterday a €168 million package of supports for further and higher education, which includes funding for digital devices for students, mental health supports and research.

Here is the breakdown:

• €14m to institutions to recognise the personal protective equipment they provided
• €34m online investment
• €48m  to deal with disruption to research
• €1.2m for additional research
• €15m for student access technology such as laptops
• €3m  for student mental health and well-being
• The student assistance fund will be doubled from €8m to €16m
• There will be an additional €2m funding for students with disabilities

The optics.

The metrics...will come later, if ever...

Yannis Zabetakis
Head, Biological Sciences
UL