A survey of 122 strategic leads at further education (FE) colleges reveals that 89% are either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with Jisc – up 9% from previous findings.
Early findings of our third annual online survey of FE leaders paint a positive picture.
Targeting strategic leads within technology, library, organisational and finance roles, the Jisc survey seeks to measure members’ understanding of Jisc’s offer and identify how we can work to improve this.
Of the 122 strategic leads that responded to this years’ survey, 89% say they are either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with Jisc – an increase of 9% on our previous survey (2017), and up by 10% on the one before (2016).
Paul McKean, head of further education and skills, says:
“We’re grateful to all members who responded to the survey, and absolutely delighted with the positive feedback.
"We’re always working to strengthen our relationships with members, and the FE leaders’ survey results are invaluable to help us deliver the services and information you need, while also helping us to better understand members’ concerns.”
The report also reflects on challenges currently facing the sector, including areas as diverse as creating agile environments to partnering with local employers and more. Leaders say these issues are more important than ever. However, challenges are overwhelmingly seen as easier to achieve than they seemed in 2017.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, funding is the exception and remains the greatest challenge for strategic leaders, as Paul notes:
“The Department for Education’s edtech strategy highlighted the need for colleges to deliver technological solutions. We hope that the investment in FE recommended by the Augar review will be seriously considered by government to help colleges deliver on this aim.”
He concludes:
“Overall, the findings of the report are positive, suggesting that colleges leaders feel equipped to deal with the challenges that they view with high importance. We look forward to supporting members on this journey and thank all those that responded to our survey.”
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Jisc enterprise, OpenAthens, which is a world leader for single sign-on, has revealed its new, user-centred brand.
The brand embodies the software providers’ mission to make access to knowledge easy for its 2,600+ customers and millions of end users across the globe.
Committed to empowering library users spanning a wide range of industries, whether they are a PhD student, a hospital clinician or a research scientist, OpenAthens ensures people have quick and easy access to online resources, whenever and wherever they are.
In 2018, the software provider conducted research into the challenges faced by the modern librarian in which 99 per cent of respondents reported an increase in demand for remote access to library resources amongst students and researchers.
An increasingly flexible and mobile approach to studying and working means libraries have adapted to provide digital content that can be accessed and consumed from anywhere. Librarians now need far greater technical expertise than ever before in order to help users with authentication and access.
Jon Bentley, commercial director at OpenAthens, said:
“Our new brand is a result of a lot of conversations with our communities, and we’re proud to say the whole team has engaged with the entire process and wholeheartedly embraced our renewed values.
“We are a service provider at our core and we are committed to helping customers to use the technology to support learning and research and all the marvellous things that can lead to.”
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Learners and educators in Wales will now benefit from a nationally-agreed vision for post-16 digital skills up to 2030.
Developed with support from the UK’s edtech not-for-profit, Jisc, the Welsh government’s Digital 2030 initiative will help ensure that today’s learners - as the workforce of tomorrow - have the digital capabilities and confidence to succeed in everyday life and support the Welsh economy.
Digital skills are becoming increasingly important, and learners will need to develop their critical inquiry, communication and technical abilities to make the most of future opportunities.
As a starting point for the next year, further education institutions, work-based learning providers and adult learner providers are asked to:
It is acknowledged that most learning providers have already begun these processes and that many are already well advanced.
Supporting education and training providers to deliver the right skills, the Digital 2030 initiative has clear aims and objectives relating to key areas across education, including leadership and management, curriculum delivery and assessment and staff development.
Targeting all post-16 provision in Wales, the strategy offers diverse opportunities for individuals to engage or re-engage with learning throughout their lives. This includes those who wish to pursue new interests, who want to upskill and progress in their current career, or who hope to re-train and change direction.
The Digital 2030 initiative shares the vision of Jisc’s Education 4.0 project; both see further education and training as vital for reskilling the UK’s workforce to meet the needs of the fourth industrial revolution and its emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and robotics.
The Digital 2030 framework was built through collaboration across the Welsh further education, skills and adult learning sectors. Its construction involved input from 300 staff and learners, the contributions of 80 objective-building workshop participants, peer reviews by leadership members from 65 learning providers, all with the full backing of the Welsh government.
This initiative supports and extends the Digital Competence Framework, which is already available to schools throughout Wales, supporting cross-curricular digital skills delivery.
Jisc will remain a strategic delivery partner for the Welsh government. An interactive guide supports implementation of Digital 2030 and contains more than 100 useful resources to encourage the development and delivery of digital practices.
Alyson Nicholson, head of Jisc Wales, said:
“The Digital 2030 framework will help providers right across Wales realise the benefits and opportunities digital technologies bring to teaching, learning and employability.
“At Jisc, we are looking forward to working with our members to implement the framework and grow the Digital 2030 community through continued collaboration and sharing.”
Wales' minister for education, Kirsty Williams, said:
“The world is changing and we need to equip learners of all ages with the skills they need for the digital future. This means ensuring our classrooms and further education settings keep up with emerging technologies.
“I’d like to thank all our partners who’ve been involved in the creation of this plan and I look forward to continue working with you to transform post-16 digital learning in Wales.”
Economy minister, Ken Skates, said:
“Technology continues to play an increasingly central role in the modern workplace, and it’s essential that we equip our post-16 learners with the digital confidence and capability they need to thrive as part of Wales’ current and future workforce.
“Our Economic Action Plan highlights the importance of businesses harnessing the opportunities presented by new technologies in order to grow the Welsh economy and pursue our aim of prosperity for all, and Digital 2030 will help ensure we have the skills here in Wales to support that.”
To find out more about how Jisc can help you to take this framework forward, please contact wales@jisc.ac.uk.
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Speakers at the AoC/Jisc Technology Summit last week were asked to give their advice on how to encourage staff at all levels to be enthusiastic about using technology. Here’s what they said...
"We have held several immersive board meetings at inspiring tech companies’ offices and invite speakers from those organisations to share their experiences."
?Robin Ghurbhurun, CEO at Richmond-upon-Thames College and Jisc trustee
"It’s a great way to see the latest edtech practitioners sharing good practice and experience with peers."
?Robin Ghurbhurun
"I tweet regularly and produce vlogs for our website. I am constantly reviewing my online activity and asking for feedback to see if I can make improvements and to ensure I’m meeting objectives. It’s important that both the staff and students can see it’s OK to take risks and to sometimes fail. That’s how we learn."
Michelle Swithenbank, principal at Hull College
"Aim to embed tech across all areas and functions. "
Michelle Swithenbank
"Students and staff with good digital skills can show naysayers the benefits of a digital-first approach."
Steven Hope, head of independent learning at Leeds City College
"I always provide refreshments at the on-campus digital skills training sessions and we run a competition for the best users of technology in the college, with the winners enjoying a trip to Google offices."
Steven Hope
"Jisc can support colleges in their digital journey. A good place for colleges to start is to work through a list of priorities we think college leaders - and governors - should address if they are to make the best use of technology."
Paul McKean, head of FE and skills, Jisc
"We’re working with colleges to explore how artificial intelligence, robotics, mixed reality and the internet of things can help save time and money and enhance the student experience. We call this Education 4.0. "
Paul McKean
"Create a three- to five-year plan focused on improving teaching and learning as part of whole college technology implementation strategy."
Steve Frampton, Association of Colleges president
"Planning, implementing, design, training, and evaluation."
Steve Frampton
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The National Archives and Research Libraries UK are delighted to announce that Jisc will be joining them as a partner in the organisation and delivery of the Discovering Collections, Discovering Communities (DCDC) conference series.
In the spirit of collaboration which defines DCDC, all partners look forward to ensuring that the conference continues to break new ground, challenge assumptions, and share best practice across the library, archive, heritage and academic communities.
This conference series is one of the largest cross-sector heritage conferences in the UK. It brings together archivists, librarians, heritage professionals, and academics to explore ways of enhancing cross-sector collaboration between professional communities during a time of great change.
Attracting more than 400 delegates each year, individual DCDC conferences bring together speakers and delegates from across the UK, Europe, and internationally, to explore a range of issues, from the impact of collections to digital transformation.
Jisc CEO, Paul Feldman, said:
"The DCDC conference is unique in the way it brings together practitioners from universities, libraries, archives, museums and galleries to share their expertise and their enthusiasm for curating collections.
"All these sectors face evolving digital challenges and Jisc is delighted to now be working alongside RLUK and The National Archives to design and deliver the DCDC conference series. We will be looking to blend the strengths of all three organisations to ensure that the event continues to deliver maximum value to the community."
The 2019 DCDC Conference will be held on 12-14 November in Birmingham, on the theme of "navigating the digital shift: practices and possibilities".
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As Goldsmiths finalises plans for a major cloud implementation, head of infrastructure services Jamie Lee explains the importance of a clear vision.
It’s 18 months into the planning stage for a major cloud implementation at Goldsmiths, University of London, and head of infrastructure services Jamie Lee is sounding careful not to get carried away. Budgets are up for approval, targets identified and the benefits of cloud articulated. But it’s vital, he says, to make sure that this is seen as more than just an IT project.
“We have to keep asking ourselves: why are we doing cloud? Is it some cool IT thing or are there genuine strategic benefits? We have to keep reviewing those benefits. In our case, it means focusing our cloud adoption on what we can enable – creating a platform for innovation as part of our digital strategy.”
Many of the benefits Jamie anticipates will be familiar to Networkshop47 delegates: delivering IT services faster and with agility; resilience and availability; and reduced total cost. At Goldsmiths, there’s also the goal of building an efficient and effective infrastructure, an explicit part of the institution’s strategic planning.
But, Jamie says, the planned project is also about fostering a digital culture – which means bringing the benefits of the cloud to the wider business and developing self-service, automated tools that can help Goldsmiths to use connectivity and data in agile, innovative ways.
“For example, we could invest in HPC or AI capability on a pay-as-you-use model within public cloud, helping us to compete with institutions with bigger research budgets,” says Jamie.
“It could mean deepening our knowledge of student expectations by using business intelligence, where historically we’ve had disparate systems where it would be hard to make sense of data.
“We would also seek to allow a fail-fast approach to projects, encouraging dev ops in wider areas of the institution, not just in IT or a niche area of research.”
Of course, change like this can be challenging for a small IT team as it moves from a traditional, on-premise model.
“As an infrastructure team, we’re used to configuring hardware and software to provide services. In the public cloud, we don’t touch the physical infrastructure but we’re more involved in coding. Our skills have to move toward infrastructure as code – developing and envisioning services with less reliance on physical assets – which allows us to be more flexible.
“For example, we might make tools that will be used in a self-service way out in the business, so if a research team wants to spin up a disk or some compute, they have the skills to do that themselves.”
More widely, bringing stakeholders into the planning is also key. “If there are areas within the business using cloud, I recommend bringing them into the conversation, so we can develop platforms in collaboration with academic departments.”
Jamie is pragmatic about how the project will develop, going forward. Currently he has a five-year plan; within two to three years, he expects to have 80% of business systems within the public cloud. Simpler business functions will be migrated first, to develop skills and build confidence, while bigger moves will be outsourced.
He has also made a business case for a hybrid cloud approach:
“I see a wider evolution of the hybrid cloud, where we have the capability to adopt cloud-like services on-premise, develop the service and migrate once in a stable release. We could invest more in a modernised infrastructure on-premise to have some of that capability.”
To support the plan, he is seeking investment in skills, resilience and connectivity – providing an extension of the data centre and a platform for innovation.
Informing all of the above, he says, has been the “critical friend” that Jamie has in Jisc.
“We’ve been working really well together. We’ve been open in sharing papers for critical review and feedback – and holding workshops to support both planning and delivery.”
“Along the way, Jisc has helped us to form our vision – and to stay true to the vision we had when we began the journey. They’ve helped provide clarity with approaches – and having experts that have experienced cloud adoption, and migrations within the sector, has been a huge plus.”
Jamie says it will also help to have Jisc on board as he engages with commercial entities. “There’s a risk that you end up being sold a commercial company’s dream but not a dream that fully aligns to your goals as an organisation. That’s key for me.”
Jamie admits that Goldsmiths has not yet solved all the challenges it faces but looks forward to the future. “We have our vision, we have our approach and we’re at a stage now where we’re keen to start delivering.”
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Yesterday's publication of the government review into online learning and artificial intelligence education (AIEd) makes some welcome announcements.
It highlights the crucial role of technology in raising the quality of technical education, while also acknowledging the sector’s limited understanding of these emerging fields. The review therefore recommends that the Department for Education (DfE) funds ‘test beds’ to help FE providers gain a greater appreciation of the potential value and benefits of AIEd and online learning.
Jisc’s futurist, Martin Hamilton, comments:
“As the report notes, we are in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution driven by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. It's clear that the world is changing, and the jobs of the future need an education system to match - an Education 4.0 that complements Industry 4.0.
“We've been discussing what this might look like with Jisc members, and there are some fantastic examples of leading-edge practice at our colleges and universities. However, there is a lot more to do if we are to harness the potential of AI, and it's crucial that we place trust and ethics at the centre of any AI projects involving learners' sensitive personal data.
“We welcome the recommendations of this review and will continue to work with our members to help them deliver engaging, interactive AIEd and online learning.”
However, it’s critical that the tools that enter the market are high quality, able to deliver on their promise and build trust. Karla Youngs, Jisc’s head of digital content services for FE and skills, says:
“The online learning tools that are currently available vary wildly, and there has previously been a correlation between lower cost and poorer quality. Online education and AIEd must be affordable, and high-quality content must be the standard.”
To help deliver this, the DfE report recommends that products should be commissioned through Jisc ‘as they can bring to bear efficiencies through collective bargaining on behalf of the sector, while also having the technological knowledge to effectively appraise bids.’
Karla also stresses that colleges should assess their individual needs and aims before committing to investment:
“It’s about making considered, strategic decisions that will suit your offer and community.”
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Staffordshire University’s 2030 strategy aims to make it the UK’s leading digital university. It’s an ambitious goal and to achieve it the university is working on a large culture change project that has staff and student digital capabilities at its core. The aim is to make sure people are equipped with the skills they’ll need to make the most of all that Education 4.0 has to offer.
We asked vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Liz Barnes and director of digital services Andrew Proctor why their ‘digital champions’ hold the key to success, and to share their recommendations for a successful change process.
This is what they learned from their project to get people working with collaboration platform Microsoft Teams.
Often, IT departments keep hold of all the digital toys until they are ready to roll them out across their institution. Instead, try flipping the model. Recruit your digital champions, get the tools into their hands and don’t tell people how they should use them – ask what they think the possibilities might be.
At Staffordshire University, digital champions are people with a passion for digital and the enthusiasm to cascade what they know down to their peers. They may be students, academics or professional staff but they have traits in common: they’re happy to embrace change, they like trying new things and they’re keen to share their enthusiasm with others.
“They can take other people with them because they can translate digital opportunities into meaningful contexts in their local areas. Rather than the IT department trying to train every lecturer to use Microsoft Teams, for example, our digital champions take a peer-to-peer approach.”
Liz Barnes
For example: once you’ve got schools starting to explore how to use Microsoft Teams, that’s the time when IT can step in to identify what’s working well and offer some guidance, perhaps suggesting when people might want to use Teams rather than Outlook or SharePoint. So they’re offering a good template to start with, but always with the proviso that people should be able to choose how they use the tool, depending on what’s right for them in their role.
“It’s a balancing act. If you give too much flexibility without any sort of guidance, it can become a bit like the Wild West and suddenly there's so many different working practices that nobody can keep up, which results in a varying student experience across the university or college. But at the other end of the scale you can constrain things so much that you never move forward.”
Liz Barnes
At Staffordshire, digital champions can avoid any queues and circumvent the booking system when they need IT support with their new technology. They can simply turn up and get help to tweak settings or find a way to do something new. It removes potential stumbling blocks and lets them focus on being creative.
“It got to the stage where we connected some of our lecturers with the Teams’ development staff at Microsoft so they could feed back directly. Wouldn't it be great if they could help influence the roadmap of Microsoft Teams moving forward? For me, it's very much about connecting and enabling people, looking for good practice and then exploring how you can mainstream it.”
Andrew Proctor
Often, IT departments are focused on keeping the lights on. But at Staffordshire Andrew has led a project looking at how to minimise the effort spent on “business as usual” so his staff can focus on creativity and innovation. He says it’s created a whole new dynamic in the team. Now, IT people are engaging widely with teaching staff and students and finding out from them what they want from the IT team and from digital technologies, and why.
“I have a leadership board once a month and traditionally this would report on incredibly dull KPIs, how many incidents have been resolved this month and so on.
But instead, team managers come in and use real user stories to demonstrate the new things that the university can do because of the work they’ve enabled. And that helps shift the culture to focus on people and become outcome-focused. So, they’re thinking less about doing a system upgrade and more on why they’re doing it, and that helps them prioritise the right things.”
Andrew Proctor
“Get things out there quickly. Don't spend ages building them up and trying to come up with a gold-plated solution. Just very quickly get them out there and then adapt and change as you go along. You’ll get something that is useful to students or staff much quicker and you’ll also take away the fear element.”
Andrew Proctor
Moving quickly and getting things into people’s hands as soon as possible makes it easier to understand what works and what doesn't. It also helps people to feel more willing to try new things because there’s less riding on it – it’s not a big thing that everyone must do. It’s simply something to try; if it doesn’t work it can be fixed.
It’s hard for most organisations to make innovation and creativity mainstream, but you can make a start just by getting out and talking to people. With the Microsoft Teams project, Staffordshire’s champions began attending things like their senior management team meetings to get all the senior leaders in their school aware of Teams. They started to find some interesting, low-risk use cases for Teams and they introduced people to the concepts.
The university makes online training available to everyone but it doesn’t force the issue. It's there when people are ready for it.
Working with large organisations like Microsoft and Amazon gives you credibility – a meaningful qualification or badge gives staff and students a globally recognised qualification that employers understand.
What’s more, Liz Barnes says, working with these big companies has also helped her university to think big. The companies share what they're doing in other sectors and internationally, sparking new ideas about how that could be translated into an academic setting.
Because universities and colleges are such complex organisations, making big changes is challenging but tinkering around the edges doesn’t have the kind of impact that’s now needed. Staffordshire University say they’ve “almost ripped up the book” because they believe innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) will change curricula and even the nature of disciplines themselves.
“We're saying every subject will be interdisciplinary and we’re working out how you can get the opportunity for students to work across the institution. Students will choose if – and how much – they blend their learning, and whether they come to campus or they don't. And so this thinking has encouraged us to be much more agile.
We've generated some excitement about how you can think in a totally different way about higher education. Because, for sure, universities will not look like they do now by 2030.”
Liz Barnes
It’s all very well jumping feet first into all things digital but how do you show an employer that you’ve gained the skills they want? Microsoft badges offer an answer and they’re proving popular with staff and students at Staffordshire University as they compete between departments and schools to see who can get the most.
The badges provide secure, verifiable digital credentials in the form of an image and metadata that are unique to you, and you can share them on LinkedIn and other social media sites, embed them in your cv and add them to your website and your email address.
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Laura Power is a digital learning and skills developer and facilitator at Myerscough College, a 125-year-old land-based college of around 6,000 students across campuses in Croxteth, Blackburn and Preston. Working with her digital learning adviser colleague, Alexandra Nutter, she has pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) in innovative ways for teaching and assessment at Myerscough.
In land-based courses there’s a massive gap in immersive reality material because the resources need to offer a real life experience for our students and you don’t often find that with computer-generated content.
We decided to use 360 video with interaction overlaid on the top rather than solely computer-generated virtual reality, which meant we needed to be able to film in real working environments. The 360 version creates an authentic experience for the students, much more tailored to what they will see in employment afterwards, rather than it feeling like a game. Gamification is brilliant but our students needed the authentic experience for it to feel real and to achieve the deeper learning they need.
We were keen to get employers involved from the very beginning and then throughout the project to help develop the resources. The packages were co-designed and reviewed by employers, tutors and learners until they were perfected for industry and curriculum needs.
For the milking parlour resource we used Lodge Farm, the dairy farm at the college, and filmed different routines for a couple of weeks, almost like a day in the life of working in the milking parlour.
We made sure we filmed some problem cows so that students would experience all kinds of situations before going on to the farm. It means the students gain soft skills and curriculum value – from understanding health and safety and hygiene laws to gaining confidence in handling large animals – before experiencing what could be a dangerous environment. It’s also good for the cows and their welfare if the students are more confident with what they need to do.
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Student using a VR headset on a farm
The reaction from the students has been really positive and enthusiastic. They have asked for more resources like this and have been very engaged with the whole process. One group were still debating one of the scenarios in class with their tutor two weeks later, making him go into the VLE and re-watch the VR package to see who was correct. They have really embraced the learning experience and critically analyse it and reflect on the material in class.
For us it was crucial to create the resources in a way that benefits learning and not just as a shiny new toy. Technology needs to have a sound pedagogical reason behind it.
“I've been using the VR resource for introduction on how the Myerscough milking parlour works and the routine we have to follow. The VR also shows the pre-milking set up of the parlour and equipment. It's been good to have a visual of how the parlour works for when we have to do farm duties and our milking assessment."
Janine Ashworth, agriculture student (level 3 year 2)
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Deborah Millar is a highly experienced teacher with a passion for using digital technologies to improve learning experiences for all students. In 2016 she completed our digital leaders programme. She is now group director of digital learning technology at Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education and shares her vision for the college and ideas for the future.
What drives you?
I've been a teacher for 30 years now and I know what the challenges are with teaching different year groups and difficulty levels, and meeting the needs of people with disabilities of various kinds – one male in ten is colour blind, for example, and the same proportion of people are dyslexic. I, myself, have got dyslexia so I know how it feels to struggle in a classroom.
I also know the difference that technology can make for everyone. It can be as simple as giving people resources in formats that work for them. Technology can empower a learner to do something they've never done before, give them independence, or enable them to do something quicker, or a bit better, than they did before. I’ve seen those differences again and again. I was totally won over to the idea of using digital in teaching, so I became an ambassador for it. Technology can change so much for the better.
Now I work at a very large institution and we use the Microsoft Educator Community. There are thousands of courses on there, all badged up and all within a community where people work together and encourage each other. At Grimsby Institute there’s a hugely positive culture around technology and our principal believes in leading from the front on this. She does the courses and she's got more badges than I have.
We've got lots of free courses and we encourage our staff to do these to help them find smarter ways to work. So much so that we built something called Level Up, which won the AoC Beacon Award for digital staff development. When they do a course and achieve a pass, that’s one digital thrill, and then we photograph them with their pin badge and we’ll post it on Yammer so everyone can see their achievement. After that, they nominate two colleagues so my team know who to go to next to start training.
What were your ambitions coming into your role at Grimsby?
My ambitions have always been about consistency and equal opportunities for students. Sometimes colleges have their mavericks, their innovators, and a lot of colleges and institutions tell their stories based on those ten or 12 people who are doing phenomenal things with technology.
I want to make sure all our staff here at Grimsby have the skills to deliver at least one tool confidently in front of a group of students. Then, for the students, it's all about equal opportunity. No matter who you are, I want you to have the same opportunities for learning as any other student.
When I talk about opportunity, I believe that technology reduces barriers to learning. If you've broken your leg and can't make it into college, you should be able to continue learning. If you've got financial difficulties, you should be able to submit a piece of work online, without having to print it out.
For me, technology should empower and give learners independence to the point where they can lead their own learning. We shouldn't be the sage on the stage giving information; it's our role to facilitate learning. Digital technologies allow students to go on a collaborative learning journey. Today’s students can go home and still continue working in groups. When I was at school we had to wait till we could meet in class on a Wednesday afternoon.
How can an organisation foster or nurture that kind of collaborative environment?
You need ambassadors who lead by example. I've always tried to do this but it’s difficult if senior management don’t use technology and don’t understand it. It’s important to foster that positive culture about using technology at every level.
At Grimsby our senior managers all use technology and they use it confidently. When we introduced the Microsoft Innovative Educator, all the senior management team worked towards their award. They've all done the Level Up silver level and they’re working towards gold.
I’ve got my strategy for filtering skills training through the college. I have a tracker with the name of every single person in the college and all the badges they can do. Senior managers have this information too, and they use it in meetings to encourage people to keep up with their training. There’s clarity about who's achieved what and everyone’s really keen to keep an eye on progress. That’s how we keep the momentum.
My team just do the training where they need to. I've only got two members of staff for the whole of Grimsby Institute, yet we're making all this great progress. It's about using technology efficiently but support from senior managers is absolutely essential.
Looking back at the Jisc digital leaders programme, how would you assess its impact on you?
The fact that we were taken out for two full days away was the first benefit of that programme because you're removed from all the distractions. And second, I think any experience where you're surrounded by like-minded individuals who are actually having the same problems is valuable.
We all have things that we're doing great and others that we aren’t. On the programme you can share experiences and I always find that being surrounded by like-minded individuals is very positive. You can express your concerns and then, when 50% of the people are saying, “do you know what? We're struggling with that,” it's kind of reassuring. Then you start brainstorming and, because you've all got the same issue but different experiences, you have a richer conversation and generate new ideas– innovation often starts with connected minds!
I'm still very much aware of the impact that it had on me. For me the real benefit was all the brilliant minds in the room, including the people who presented. It was a very positive environment.
What are you excited about doing next?
I now manage teacher education at Grimsby. I can directly influence the teachers of tomorrow by getting them to embrace technologies and to see how to use technology in the classroom effectively. When you're seeing a teacher who's already teaching, you've only got ten or 20 minutes and then they've got to get back to class. When you're working with student teachers you've got several hours to embed that knowledge and to get them to demonstrate it.
I am very, very excited about changing teacher education. To inspire our future teachers, their own learning experience must be exciting – we are after all role modelling what outstanding teaching and learning looks like. It should be immersive. It should be virtual. We need to think more smartly about assessment. Everyone should be doing online submissions with online feedback. Formative work needs to receive automated feedback within the VLE, where possible. Then you can check on learning in the classroom and have face-to-face conversations where you can explore how to advance learning. I have so many ideas and I’m working with the team to change the way that teacher education is delivered.
Anything else to add?
Yes, and this is important. My job’s all to do with technology and it can change so much for the better, but I still believe in a healthy diet. I believe in using digital when appropriate but face-to-face conversation, activities where you're hands-on, practical exercises and role-play still have their place, too.
It is about people. It's about using the right tool in the right place at the right time. And do you know what? That tool doesn't have to be the same tool for everyone. As long as we get to the desired outcome or the same positive result and people enjoy their teaching and learning and are engaged by it, or find better and quicker ways of doing tasks essential to their job, then that's a good thing.
Build strong positive relationships with the team around you and make sure they understand what your job is and why you're doing it. Then sell it hard so they actually want to do it with you.
Don't buy for the sake of it. Review what resources are already there and stop the ones that you don't need, that aren't used effectively. Look at the ones that can do more than they already are – we buy applications and we turn some tokens off because nobody knows how to use it or what it's for but another department may be able to use it instead of buying something different that does the same job.
Work out whether resources are ones that people must, should or could use. For ones they must use, like the VLE, Office 365 and Turnitin, you’ll need to provide support. Then there are those that aren’t essential but you subscribe to them and people should think about using them. Again, you should be able to provide support. Then the ‘could’ is perhaps things that you don't subscribe to and you don't support, but you know they’re reliable and useful, like Twitter, Kahoot! and Instagram.
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Get yourself a network. Collaborate with people at other organisations to forge relationships where you can work together on projects, where you can share best practice and learn from each other.
Our next digital leaders programme takes place in October 2019 in Edinburgh. Find out more and book your place.
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A cyber criminal who tried to blackmail Jisc and committed a raft of other cyber crimes was today sentenced at the Old Bailey to four years in a young offender institution.
At an earlier hearing, Daniel Kelley, aged 22, from Llanelli in South Wales, admitted sending Jisc an email in 2015 threatening to disclose data he claimed to have stolen unless he was paid a sum in bitcoin. We reported the blackmail to Action Fraud and to the police.
Kelley had also admitted cyber attacks on a college where he was a student and was part of a gang involved in the huge, high-profile data breach of TalkTalk in the same year.
Jisc’s CEO Paul Feldman said:
“We will always look to support our members and law enforcement authorities involved in investigating crimes. In this case, we were able to help the police to identify Daniel Kelley.
“We encourage universities and colleges to report all instances of cyber crime to Action Fraud. This information helps the police in tackling and prioritising work to combat cyber crime. As in this case, reporting crime can pay dividends further down the line and our experience shows the benefits of working closely with the authorities.”
Members can access advice and support on dealing with cyber crime and attacks through our computer security incident response team (CSIRT).
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For the past two years, we’ve conducted a cyber security posture survey, which helps Jisc to gauge the security landscape in higher and further education and to steer future work.
This year’s cyber security posture survey is now live and we’d like to gather more responses than ever before.
The 2018 survey earned more engagements than in 2017, with responses from 118 different organisations, including 65 universities, 49 colleges, two research institutions and two arts and heritage organisations. Now we’re looking to exceed that total.
Author of the survey, the head of Jisc’s security operations centre, Dr John Chapman, explained:
“This questionnaire is aimed at security and IT staff and allows Jisc to be better informed about cyber security attitudes across UK education and to spot emerging trends.
“The feedback also helps us understand the needs of members, informing decisions about how to improve support for universities, colleges and research centres, while continuing to provide products and services to help preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the Janet Network.”
Data from the survey, which will take only about 15 minutes to fill in, will be collated and anonymised and a summary report will be reviewed by sector experts before it is published by Jisc later this summer.
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Neil Jacobs, head of open science and research lifecycle at Jisc, has been appointed as interim programme manager for the international consortium of research funders, cOAlition S.
Neil Jacobs will take forward the work of the consortium, Plan S, to help accelerate the transition to full and immediate open access (OA). Plan S requires that scientific publications that result from research funded by public grants must be published in compliant open access journals or platforms.
Commenting on his new role, he says:
“Jisc has enthusiastically agreed to a request from cOAlition S that it provide programme support for the remainder of 2019 in the first instance.
"Jisc has an international reputation for supporting open Access in a wide variety of ways for many years and is very aware of the challenges in a cost-effective and timely transition to open access. Jisc has publicly welcomed Plan S and continues to work hard to enable the research sector implement the principles.”
Neil has been actively supporting open access for more than 15 years, the majority of that time at Jisc, which supports UK universities and research centres in the use of digital technologies.
He has championed the UK programmes that led to the widespread take-up of repositories in the UK, and fostered the development of services such as SHERPA RoMEO, which gives a summary of publishers' open access archiving conditions for individual journals as well as OpenDOAR, the world’s authoritative and quality-assured directory of open access repositories.
Neil also actively advises Jisc in its negotiations with publishers on transformative deals such as the recent agreement with Springer Nature. Neil represents the UK rectors group on the European University Association open science expert group and is a member of the board of the Directory of OA Books.
Neil Jacobs will work three days a week in the cOAlition S role starting in early June and working through to the end of the calendar year.
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A competition has been launched to find the best ideas from the UK university community to support innovation for future research in the UK.
Run by the UK’s edtech not-for-profit, Jisc’s latest edtech challenge competition will reward the best ideas around innovating research with artificial intelligence (AI) and pioneering ways of applying mixed reality.
Ideas may include new technology, applications for existing equipment or any other clever combinations of technologies.
Hannah Kinley, senior co-design manager and moderator of the challenges comments:
“Sometimes the smallest ideas can create the biggest change and we’re asking staff and students in the higher education sector to help colleagues and peers of the future to make a difference. AI, machine learning and mixed reality are already supporting and changing research, and we want to hear how these technologies can be applied in a way that will support future research.
"Sometimes the smallest ideas can create the biggest change and we’re asking staff and students in the higher education sector to help colleagues and peers of the future to make a difference."
Entries into this challenge will inform Jisc’s work in promoting, supporting and innovating research practices for the benefit of UK higher education and research. Ideas will be assessed for their (a) benefits for researchers, (b) innovation, and (c) desirability.
The challenges will be open for submissions from 3 June 2019. Winners will be announced on the competition website in early September and invited to participate in a two-day design sprint with a dedicated team of technical experts to create a proof of concept for the winning idea. The deadline for ideas, which should be submitted online, is 09:00 on 31 July 2019.
For more information, visit the edtech challenges page or get in touch with the moderator for the challenges, Hannah Kinley (hannah.kinley@jisc.ac.uk)
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Being work ready involves more than simply achieving a qualification. Forward-looking providers are ensuring that their learners are equipped to meet employers’ needs – and using cutting edge technology to do it, affordably.
There’s a revolution brewing as providers turn to technology to make apprenticeship delivery more meaningful and inclusive, and to deliver the range of skills and capabilities that learners will need in their careers.
Until recently there were few alternatives to offer to learners who didn’t get on with a traditional chalk and talk approach. But now Grimsby Institute Group (GIG) is pioneering an approach to mixed reality for workforce training.
With funding from the Ufi Charitable Trust it is working with industry bodies and local employers in the seafood industry to develop a pilot project called Flavours of Reality (FoR), which uses mixed reality to replace classroom-based teaching and demonstrations for learners as they find out about food safety and hazard control.
Flavours of Reality uses Microsoft HoloLens technology, capturing film and audio from a real seafood processing line and overlaying it with 3D rendered holographic information to immerse learners in the manufacturing process from beginning to end. They can learn practical skills that call for manual dexterity and precision, and also experiment without having any impact on health and safety, quality assurance or productivity.
HoloLens technology is untethered so learners can use it anywhere, including at the employer’s premises. It’s engaging, and helping learners to develop hands-on and digital skills that local seafood processing employers need.
Deborah Millar, group director of digital learning technology at GIG, said:
“This technology provides 75% of the real experience, creating the confidence you need for skills acquisition.”
Meanwhile, at Solihull College and University Centre, which merged recently with Stratford-upon-Avon College, the college’s learning technology team asked teaching staff if they’d want to try virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) with their learners at levels two and three. Many teachers jumped at the chance and the learning technologists have sourced suitable technologies and trained teaching staff in their use.
According to Reza Mosavian, head of learning technologies at Solihull College and University Centre, “we see teachers here bringing the impossible into the classroom”, using the technologies in a variety of ways:
Despite the challenging financial times that learning providers operate within, deploying new technologies has been possible thanks to a rigorous approach to procurement.
Since the merger, Solihull College’s learning technology team has worked with colleagues in the network and IT departments to review infrastructure and make sure they’re getting the best use from products and services, as well as best value. Some have been replaced or removed as a result.
Wherever possible, they’ve looked first for technology that’s open source and compared it with commercial tools to judge what best meets the objectives of improving learning and teaching standards and developing digital skills. In this latest project, they’ve been able to pass over highly sophisticated (and costly) options in favour of affordable Google VR headsets and 360° video cameras from 360fly.
Our report, breaking through: stories of effective digital practice from UK further education (FE) and skills, explores innovation in the years since the influential FELTAG report.
It’s a resource for anyone in FE and skills with responsibility for transforming the student experience. You’ll find inspiration in a set of thought leader stories and case studies, celebrating innovative practice as providers focus on six key areas for improvement:
The report also signposts resources, guidance and services to help you put your good ideas into action.
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As education organisations increasingly realise the benefits of data-driven decisions, Jisc has secured a deal to give universities and colleges cost-effective access to world-leading data analytics software, Splunk.
Jisc’s security operations centre is already using Splunk to help detect and analyse security threats and vulnerabilities, but the software can be configured to appraise a range of data.
For example, it can help evaluate business or student data, monitor website traffic and also has huge potential for research, both in terms of data analytics and protection.
Among education organisations already employing Splunk is Russell Group institution Exeter University, which uses it to help improve cyber security protection of its research data, intellectual property and patents.
Working in the Jisc security division, product manager Mark Tysom explained:
“We know that Splunk is a respected supplier that many of our members would like to use. Now, by offering cost-effective access to Splunk, we have made it easier for more universities, colleges and research centres to benefit from its many potential applications, particularly in cyber security.
“Splunk can help turn large amounts of machine data into useful insights that organisations can use to strengthen cyber protection, manage business operations, inform investment decisions, benefit researchers and save time.
“Over time, we hope to gather information from Splunk users across the research and education sector on the many different ways the software helps to meet their needs and to share those experiences for the benefit of all.”
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New implementation guidelines for 'Plan S' embraces feedback from researchers, institutions, funders and publishers.
Jisc welcomes the release of the revised implementation guidance for ‘Plan S’ from the cOAlition S funders.
The guidance, to help form funders' policies on open access (OA) to their funded research, builds on its previous release and has taken note of extensive feedback from researchers, institutions, funders and publishers.
Bill Hubbard, deputy head of scholarly communications support and director of the centre for research communications, Jisc, said:
"This is a very welcome clarification to the original proposal. It has accepted a revised timescale for implementation through to 2021, and has re-emphasised the importance of OA repositories as a fundamental part of the OA landscape going forward.
"The three routes for OA compliance that it clearly lays out – OA repositories, OA publication, and accepting temporary transition arrangements for some publications – are a practical way forward that recognises the existing repository infrastructure and also lays the ground for the future publication landscape."
Bill continues:
"We welcome the continued focus on achieving full and immediate OA as swiftly and as cost-effectively as possible. We will continue to enhance our own services to support members in complying with Plan S-based OA policies."
Liam Earney, director of licensing, Jisc, notes the commitment to time-limited, affordable and sustainable transformative agreements as a tool to effect this swift transition to full and immediate OA.
Liam adds:
“Building on our existing work in these areas, we look forward to working with cOAlition S and continuing our work with all publishers to put affordable, sustainable and transparent transformative agreements in place. We welcome the support for a diversity of business models, which we see as crucial to supporting a well-functioning market."
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At a time when there is immense pressure on budgets and finite resources, delivering your digital strategy and supporting students and staff as they develop the skills needed for an increasingly digital workplace can be challenging. So how can you ensure that your money is well spent and achieves the impact you need?
Colleges spend on average £1m per year on IT, whereas universities spend on average 3.81% of their total spend on IT.
Some of you are already embracing the technological innovations of the fourth industrial revolution and are responding by building ‘Education 4.0’. Emerging technologies like cloud computing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) can add excitement and enhance teaching and learning – providing valuable experience of industry practice.
Staff and students need support to develop the digital skills that will enable them to make the most of these opportunities and boost their employability prospects.
Sarah Knight, our head of change – student experience, explains:
“With 65% of today’s students destined for jobs that don’t yet exist, and a well-publicised technical skills gap in the UK, it’s vital to invest in developing the digital capability of your staff, so they can support students in being better prepared for a digital workplace
“Knowing the digital strengths and gaps in capability of staff and students is key. A combination of our building digital capability service and our digital experience insights service can provide valuable data to inform your digital strategy.
“When it comes to investment decisions, understanding how students and staff use the digital environment you provide and what makes a difference to them is essential - it’s about providing the digital learning experience that students need and expect.”
Recognising the importance of technology now and for his future, and welcoming the chance to be consulted on how it’s used at his campus, Josh, a student at City of Wolverhampton College, says:
“I think it is really important that other students can get involved with the conversation around digital technologies because technology is so widely used everywhere in every job role”.
Two of our members show how they are using data to make evidence-informed decisions and empower students and staff:
“The discovery tool is stimulating debate at the University of Westminster – at a senior level and among staff and students. Taking part in the 2018 pilot has helped to secure investment for a £1m, two-year project to advance digital capability, transform the way people work and improve the student experience.”
“Staff have endorsed the tool, acknowledging its utility, value and potential benefits. They have found the personalised reports useful and the signposted resources interesting.
“In addition, 7,000 students have registered for a new suite of online digital development courses aligned to our digital capability framework. Successful completion is rewarded by Westminster digital capability badges - 150 have been awarded so far.
“Previously when promoting the need to embrace a digital agenda, people listened, but having a nationally recognised framework to discuss and a diagnostic tool that can help individuals and institutions has added credibility to the debate.”
Professor Gunter Saunders, associate director digital engagement and library services, University of Westminster
The university also participated in the 2018 pilot and the 2019 digital experience insights surveys for both students and staff. Data from both services is now being used to mature and develop its digital strategy.
“With a substantial portion of learning taking place via digital channels, the skills and confidence of students and staff is a prime consideration for Gloucestershire College.
“The college has more than 500 staff to support, so the data obtained from both the discovery tool and the digital experience insights surveys is helping us to target resources where they can be most effective. The discovery tool also provides a focused way for digital learning coaches to start conversations with staff and ensure they get the support they need.
“Without a clear picture of how staff and students make use of technology in our organisation it is hard to know where to focus investment. Jisc has helped us to identify areas where we needed more training as well as recognising how we can share the digital knowledge already available within our departments.”
“Students said they wished they had been able to use the discovery tool at the beginning of their courses. They liked the formats, the charts and the personalised feedback.
Amina Begum, digital learning coach, Gloucestershire College
Practitioners interested in developing their digital capabilities can attend Jisc’s Connect More events around the UK, 4 June – 4 July 2019.
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CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has been provided with an assessment by Jisc of its ability to protect information and data processing infrastructure against a new British Standard for cyber risk and resilience.
Jisc is an early adopter of auditing against the new standard, which specifically looks at executive management’s strategic understanding of the risks associated with IT activities from a governance point of view.
As one of the world's largest and most respected centres for scientific research, CERN has ensured the stable and secure operation of particle accelerators, physics experiments and computing resources. Its enormous computing resources as well as its valuable data shared by researchers in many different countries, including the UK, could well be a target for abuse or manipulation.
As the number and sophistication of cyber security threats increases, it has become ever more important for business leaders to understand and implement processes that help manage and protect against cyber incidents.
CERN’s spokesperson said:
“Jisc’s audit has given us a valuable insight into the overall risk profile of CERN by increasing our capability across the organisation to deliver appropriate governance, risk management processes and investment decisions aimed at increasing our resilience to cyber attacks.”
Frances Burton, head of cyber security services at Jisc, said:
“The audit at CERN shows the importance that its leadership places on integrating robust cyber security measures throughout the organisation. Too often, cyber risk is managed solely by the information technology departments or cyber security groups.
"Our audit at CERN gives strategic insight and guidance to ensure that cyber resilience is built in across all levels and functions of the organisation, informed by, but not driven by, IT.”
Jisc's BS 31111 audit and assessment is based on the British Standard 31111:2018 - cyber risk and resilience which was published last March. The standard emphasises that cyber risk cannot be delegated away from the governing body and that the executive management will be held accountable for ensuring that informed, appropriate decisions are being made which meet, or exceed, the expectations of the organisation's stakeholders, including regulators.
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Launched at today’s digital experience insights community of practice event, the Jisc NUS roadmap (pdf) supports students, course representatives, and union and guild representatives to work with their institution on improving student digital experiences.
Informed by extensive research into learners’ experiences and expectations of technology, the roadmap has been updated following over 77,500 student responses to Jisc’s digital experience insights survey, gathered over three years.
The roadmap - which has been updated from a benchmarking tool Jisc previously developed with the National Union of Students (NUS) and The Student Engagement Partnership (TSEP) - is now freely available online. It enables institutions to identify gaps in their digital provision, while allowing students to compare their digital experiences to others’.
Reflecting on the digital insights survey that informs the roadmap, Sarah Knight, Jisc’s head of change in the student experience team, notes:
“Student partnerships are key to driving innovation. Our digital experience insights surveys and the roadmap help universities and colleges to inform their digital strategy and practice, engaging students and staff in productive discussions to create the best outcomes for all.”
The digital experience staff insights survey is open until the end of June 2019. Universities and colleges can also sign up now to participate in 2019-2020 surveys.
Practitioners interested in developing their digital capabilities and finding out more about the roadmap can attend Jisc’s Connect More events around the UK, 4 June – 4 July 2019.
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A committee of MPs has urged education institutions to use data analytics to benefit students as well as for administrative efficiency, in a report published today.
The Trust, Transparency and Tech report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Data Analytics said that the full benefits of data analytics could only be realised if data is used to improve education outcomes.
The report, which followed a six-month inquiry supported by Jisc and Deloitte, also called for an informed balance to be achieved between privacy and innovation.
The inquiry was co-chaired by Lee Rowley MP and Darren Jones MP, who said on launching the report that together, parliament, government, industry and the public can define the acceptable boundaries of data use.
“The UK has the opportunity to seize the agenda and become a world leader in the ethical use of data as a means of innovation in technology and services,” the two MPs added.
With fast-evolving ‘Industry 4.0’ technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) or quantum computing relying on data to reach their potential, a debate has started around how data should be used ethically to benefit society. This is true in education as much as other policy areas, with the sector needing to grasp some of the complexities of data ethics as it works towards the vision for Education 4.0.
Jisc’s involvement in data-intensive technologies such as learning analytics has led to the development of its own code of practice to make sure that students’ privacy is protected adequately and that they benefit from the service.
The report notes that practices across the higher education (HE) sector are inconsistent and there should be better learning and consistency of approach. It suggests an independent educational data ethics advisory board to ensure the use of data and technology delivers common good, while addressing issues of ethics and privacy.
The report also recommends a transparent code of ethics that is consistent across education establishments, with students involved throughout its development.
In addition to education, the inquiry covered three other areas: heathcare, policing and connected and automated vehicles. Recommendations that cut across the sectors included a call for providers of public services to address ethics as part of their ‘licence to operate’ and a proposal for a badge to identify where a decision has been taken by machine intelligence rather than a human.
Phil Richards, chief innovation officer at Jisc and a member of the inquiry steering group, welcomed the report, saying that its recommendations would increase people's confidence in artificial intelligence products and systems.
“As an organisation exploring the possibilities for AI and data analysis in education, Jisc particularly welcomes the recommendations designed to improve the transparency around the use of data in organisations providing services to the public. Jisc has its own code of practice for data analytics and agrees that high standards of transparency and information sharing should be a requirement for any organisation providing such services.
“We support the proposal for Independent data ethics advisory boards for all key policy areas and offer our expertise to help develop a consistent ethics framework for the education sector.”
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Jisc and Emerge Education today launched a programme to give good edtech startups the recognition they deserve.
Step up assesses emerging startups against key sector requirements, awarding the 'assessed by Jisc' badge to those that can be trusted to deliver technological innovations and sustain a high level of service for as long as customers need it.
The step up programme supports the ambitions of the government’s edtech strategy to help create a vibrant edtech business sector in the UK and provide “proven, high-quality products that meet the needs of educators and foster a pipeline of fresh ideas”. The universities minister, Chris Skidmore MP, joined university vice-chancellors, college principals and industry experts at today’s launch event.
Asked about the digital strategy's perceived focus on schools, the minister said:
"Edtech is absolutely critical to our education strategy. HE is already really successful in it's own right, and that's partly thanks to the undertakings of Jisc and the Janet Network."
Among the first nine edtech startups to complete the programme is Unitu, a digital platform that enables students and staff to discuss issues privately and transparently. This helps institutions improve student satisfaction and lets students give feedback in real time.
Unitu founder, Anish Bagga said:
“Creating a transparent environment for students to have their voice heard is increasingly important in the student-institution dynamic.
"Jisc's health check gives that extra reassurance to institutions looking to work with us, helping Unitu support universities to improve the relationship between students and staff.
"My hope is that the step up programme will open doors. It's one document that shows that we're reliable and credible so we can start productive conversations."
Paul Feldman, chief executive at Jisc, commented:
“At Jisc, we want to help transform education by making the technologies that are shaping the fourth industrial revolution more accessible to the sector. A key step toward this is contributing to the government’s edtech strategy by supporting startups that can help education institutions access products bespoke to their needs, for example platforms that collect real-time feedback on courses.
"Our step up programme is a vital development in giving universities and colleges the confidence to engage with innovators offering some fantastic solutions that can make real change in the sector.”
Nic Newman, partner, Emerge Education, said:
“We are delighted to have helped lead this cross-sector higher and further education collaboration that has resulted in the development of the step up programme, co-created by Jisc and Emerge Education. The UK is a global leader for edtech start-ups but they face significant barriers in piloting and procurement, as highlighted by the government’s recently published strategy.
“This important programme of change will provide senior leaders and startup founders with the information and tools they need to work together to unlock the strategic benefits of innovative edtech products for colleges and universities.”
"When I mention step up, the mood immediately changes. When universities hear we've gone through this process with Jisc, they relax."
- David Shull, Handshake
"For us, step up is a way of showing universities that we have thought every aspect of our business through and have answered the questions they will care about."
- Hayley McCarthy, Aula
"Having this approval from Jisc gives institutions confidence but it also saves them time. Having that tick from Jisc makes a huge difference to helping us work towards our goals."
- Vivi Friedgut , Blackbullion
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A total of 4,000 public sector buildings are now connected to the rapidly expanding govroam service, which enables connectivity across public sector organisations.
Govroam allows public sector staff to connect to the internet in multiple locations while giving access to resources at their home organisation using any device – whether they’re managers, members of the emergency services, or people in multidisciplinary teams.
Head of network access at Jisc, Mark O’Leary, explains:
“Anyone who has to travel to different offices and buildings regularly as part of their job will understand what a pain it can be to swap to different wi-fi networks at every new destination. Identifying the correct network, sourcing the password, and actually logging on all takes time and effort. With the roll-out of govroam, we can remove these difficulties and help public sector staff to work more efficiently.”
Venues connected to the govroam network include St James's University Hospital in Leeds, Camden Council in London, Tonbridge Castle in Kent and the Welsh Pembrokeshire Command, fire and rescue.
Mark adds:
“Since the launch, we have been pleased to see enthusiastic uptake of govroam, particularly by the NHS, but also by local authorities and the emergency services. The 4,000th public services venue to join the network is a bit of a landmark – and one we have reached sooner than expected.”
This capability meets a number of needs, including:
Launched in July 2017, govroam was created by Jisc specifically for the public sector. It supports the trend towards multi-disciplinary activities, such as the convergence of health and social care and the need for greater connectivity across public services such as the NHS, government and blue light services.
Since its introduction, govroam has been adopted across England, notably the Public Services Network (PSN) for Kent and the Yorkshire and Humberside region, and parts of London, and en masse in Scotland and Wales, where national networks SWAN and PSBA respectively have adopted govroam on behalf of their members.
The govroam service creates savings and efficiencies, providing public sector employees with a hassle-free way to securely access the internet. Visitors enjoys a ‘zero touch’ experience using their own device, joining the govroam network automatically, without needing to go through registration. Meanwhile, employers have the added benefit of being able to monitor the roaming behaviour of staff.
The identity of visitors is authenticated by their home organisation and, as a result, the visited site doesn’t have to manage processes around creating and rescinding guest accounts and is reassured that the status of their visitor has undergone a real-time check by their employer. This is achieved without requiring additional infrastructure or mandating changes to guest network design or user authentication regimes.
Govroam evolved from its sister service eduroam – the established wi-fi service used by the further and higher education and research sector around the world, the UK instance of which runs on Jisc’s national research and education network, Janet, and nationally supports the roaming of up to three million unique devices each month. Jisc has produced a podcast, a film and an animation about govroam. For more information, please email govroam@jisc.ac.uk.
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We delve into the world of web accessibility and discuss the new regulations for websites and mobile applications for public sector bodies
Accessible websites are better for everyone. Focusing on usability will maximise the return on your digital investments and help avoid risk.
Earlier this year Julia Taylor, subject specialist (accessibility and inclusion) at Jisc, and Robert McLaren from Policy Connect, met to discuss the new UK accessibility legislation which sets requirements for public sector websites to comply with by September 2019.
Visit our accessibility page to find out how Jisc has been working with the Government Digital Service and our members to make the most of the opportunity for the education sector.
Take this opportunity to review your digital practice and begin to identify what needs fixing.
Jisc can help further with a full accessibility audit, online training and drop-in clinics, and tailored advice. Visit the consultancy page or contact your Jisc account manager.
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Imagine the campus of 2030. Will we arrive at campus on hoverboards? Will our lecturers appear as a hologram? Will we even have lectures?
Jisc’s edtech challenge competition, which opens challenge four today, is asking UK students and apprentices to gaze into their crystal ball and imagine how student life will be in 2030.
Jisc is looking for anyone studying at a school or college in the UK to contribute ideas about how their needs may be better met with emerging or future technology.
For inspiration, let’s hear about some of the ideas explored at Jisc’s Networkshop47 event earlier this month, where a panel of students, staff and education technology experts offered their visions for the future.
They included a vision of an education experience where students will be more connected, using immersive technology and gamification, outlined by Simon Wilson, chief technology officer at technology company Aruba.
While students’ motivations and aspirations are unlikely to transform significantly in the next 11 years, Wilson said, the tools universities and colleges use to meet them will evolve.
“Ten years is a lifetime in technology,” he told delegates.
Undergraduate Jake Forecast joined Simon in imagining the digitally-enhanced campus of 2030. Placing inclusion and creativity at the heart of his vision, the 19-year-old predicted a change in classroom structure, seeing the end of the ‘teacher talks, students listen’ format and moving to a more collaborative, interactive environment.
Sue Beckingham, principal lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, felt that every student might have an “intelligent device”, which becomes their personal, interconnected virtual learning hub. This will hold a profile of their academic and personal life, syncing all their work to their tutors, connecting to university services, and linking to their extra-curricular life and their peers. Students will also submit work and get feedback on this device, she said.
Anyone inspired by those visions can contribute their own to the challenge, with the winners to receive a cash prize of £500 and the runners up £50 each.
Sue Attewell, Jisc's head of change for further education and skills, explains:
“We’re looking for ideas that could improve the student experience, finding out what matters to young people and where they feel university and college priorities should lie. Participating students and apprentices’ edtech concepts may be innovative and revolutionary, or they may offer practical solutions to help young people study in more flexible, agile ways.”
And there are more opportunities to innovate with Jisc with the launch of edtech challenge five, which is looking for ideas of how to stop students cheating and handing in assignments that are not their own work. But this challenge is open to staff, as well as students, from universities and colleges in the UK.
Find out more information about the challenges and details of how to enter. Entries close on 31 July 2019.
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