As the use of technology becomes increasingly embedded across UK further and higher education, gaining a thorough understanding of the digital skills of both students and teachers can be extremely beneficial when considering pedagogy and curriculum planning.
This is especially true within vocational subjects that may not have traditionally included a digital element. Today's students will have to respond with agility to shifting market environments and fast-changing developments in technology. For education providers, this means building digital learning opportunities for students and staff at all levels and in all disciplines.
Activate Learning college group recognises its responsibility to develop staff and students’ digital competencies, and to meet this responsibility all staff must be supported to become digitally innovative.
College experts are talking about this work at Jics’s Digifest conference, 7-8 March.
In April 2022, the college implemented a digital competencies framework based on six Cs: creating, communicating, collaborating, curating, connecting and critical thinking.
The framework has been designed in such a way that it can be adapted for use by other learning and apprenticeships providers.
Sharmen Ibrahim, group digital director at Activate Learning, describes how it works:
“Staff and students are assessed via a digital competencies diagnostic tool, which is a skills and knowledge-based system focused on the six Cs. The diagnostic tool analyses skills rather than opinion, so rather than asking ‘Do you know how to use Microsoft Word?’, the question will be, for example, ‘How do you add a footnote on Microsoft Word?’
“To map the outcomes of the digital competencies' diagnostics, we have created a matrix that measures skill levels for each competency.
“Nobody who uses the tool will just be told they are a level one, or level four, it is more meaningful than that. Individuals learn and process skills in different ways, so it may be that some people receive a high score for creativity, but are marked lower for collaboration, which is absolutely fine.
“Most users will receive a ‘spiky’ profile of their digital competency. The point is understanding how these skills fit together, how that translates in the classroom and how these skills can be developed.”
Implementing contextualised digital competencies into vocational subjects can be really challenging. For an experienced teacher in a subject such as construction or health and social care, the introduction of digital technology not only changes what is taught, but also how it’s taught.
Marc Challans, group learning environments manager, says:
“We want to work with teachers to make introducing digital as easy as possible, but also to help them to think out of the box and be innovative when it comes to pedagogical design.
“To help, we have created activity idea cards for teachers that relate to specific subject areas, based on the digital competencies of each cohort.
“For example, when looking at the matrix profile of the digital competencies for a group of students studying a subject such as land management, activities can be tweaked and course planning adjusted accordingly, so lessons aren’t pitched too high or too low, digitally speaking, for their learners.
“Activity cards can also be targeted to draw out skills in areas that need developing, helping all students to get on an even playing field.”
It is envisaged that the digital competencies framework will be continually improved over time. The aim is that it can be adapted for each user group and the college is hoping to work with industry partners to roll it out to apprenticeship courses.
By using artificial intelligence (AI), and tools such as virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) when considering the digital capabilities' framework, and the production of the activity cards, this approach can be applied to most subjects and skills.
Kim Blanchard, group digital education development manager, explains:
“Let’s consider: at one end of the digital skills spectrum are activity cards that suggest ideas to help students create a budget using Excel formulas.
“At the other end, for those with a higher level of digital capability, there is an in-house virtual pack for a drone simulator with thermal imaging, which construction companies use to analyse inaccessible segments of land.
“Students can access our Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) space where they can try the simulator and learn how to interpret the data.”
Marc Challans continues:
“The one thing we want teachers and students to take away when considering this approach is that this is not just another piece of admin, or extra work. What we are doing is providing a different way to assess skills and plan curriculum which, once standardised, should be less time-consuming and more agile for both students and teachers.”
Sharmen Ibrahim concludes:
“We believe anyone can master any skill through practice. And that's why virtual and augmented reality and the use of digital tools such as AI fit with our learning philosophy.
“Once the upfront cost of the technology has been laid out, the digital capabilities' framework also has sustainability benefits, with little cost from infrastructure and materials.
“Our ultimate goal is to normalise the use of digital in the classroom. Encouraging teachers to really understand the tech available to them, and the concept of using what they have in new and innovative ways to engage students, is the first step in taking away a lot of that fear.”
To hear more about Activate Learning’s work on digital capabilities, visit the college’s experts at Jisc’s Digifest conference, 7-8 March. Focusing on innovation, this year’s event has more than 50 sessions, including eight keynote speeches and more than 25 hours of online content. Registration is now open.
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Fifteen champions and seven finalists have been chosen across UK education and research communities.
Jisc’s community champion awards celebrate the extraordinary individuals going above and beyond in further and higher education, and research.
Established in 2020, the awards bring together inspirational groups that provide a lifeline to help people and institutions adapt and learn. Since then, 44 people have been named a Jisc community champion.
This year’s champions and finalists gave up their time and worked tirelessly to support their cause. Whether they are a community's unsung hero, the technical whizz, the advocate, or pioneer, they have gone above and beyond.
The champions will receive a VIP experience at Digifest 2023, with travel, accommodation and celebratory evening meal included. The finalists (nominees that made it through to the last round of judging) will receive a written commendation for their outstanding community efforts.
Natasha Veenendaal, head of community engagement at Jisc, said:
“Celebrating the community champions is the highlight of my year. Many of our champions do not realise how much they are appreciated, and being able to share that news is a privilege.
“The champions, finalists, and nominees promote shared learning, collaborative problem solving, and a sense of togetherness; the value of which should not be underestimated.
“We have been amazed with the quality of nominations for 2023 and would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to submit.”
Alison Harvey, Cardiff University
Chris Banks, Imperial College London
Chris Price, Swansea University
Erika Neck, The College, Merthyr Tydfil
Dr Flavio Azevedo, University of Cambridge
Geena Vabulas, Karten Network and/ Policy Connect
Jo Fletcher-Saxon, Ashton Sixth Form College
Joy McLean, West College Scotland
Kelly Edwards, Harlow College
Lisa Charkiewicz, South Essex College of Further and Higher Education
Niamh Tumelty, The University of Cambridge
Rachel Öner, Öner Consultancy an advocate for the NATECLA community
Seima Mahmood, Bradford College
Susan Robbins, University of Sussex
Valerie McCutcheon, University of Glasgow
Alina Tasadaq, Leeds Trinity University
Monika Worthington, Bradford College
Sarah Waddington, Socially Mobile (CIC and PR Leadership School)
Kerry Heathcote, College of West Anglia
Jonathan Selvage, Chelmsford College
Dominik Lukes, University of Oxford
Stacy Vipas, Askham Bryan College
For more information about communities at Jisc, and to meet our champions (past and present) register for Digifest and visit us at the dedicated communities area. Attendance at Digifest counts towards the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation.
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Experts and senior leaders will explore creating world-class research and development in the UK and how the community can increase collaboration and reduce bureaucracy.
Jisc’s annual event, Digifest, will feature sessions, keynote speakers and panel discussions for the research community, creating a space to debate and promote digital innovation within higher education, reflecting its increasingly pivotal role.
Digifest will feature a series of sessions celebrating and exploring the innovation and impact of research in the UK today. Focussing on topics vital to the research and higher education communities, the programme aims to bring these topics to the fore, share important knowledge and inspire debate.
Keynote speakers on the first day of the event will feature Professor Will Drury, interim executive director at InnovateUK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), discussing how research can inspire world-class research and development growth across the UK.
Day one will also feature the launch of a report that outlines how the UK’s university research assets can be leveraged in more innovative ways to encourage collaboration, enhance sustainability and reduce bureaucracy. These assets include equipment, facilities, instruments and research laboratories.
A discussion group will explore the implications of the report. It will be led by Jisc’s director of higher education and research, Victoria Moody, and feature Willoughby Werner, sustainability lead at UKRI; Lewis Dean, director at the Wales Innovation Network; and Luke Davis, joint head of research infrastructure, EPSRC.
Joshua Mitchum, CEO and co-founder of audio research platform Audemic, will give a presentation on day two discussing how AI and the innovative use of open research can make research more accessible and easier to use.
Across Digifest’s two days, there will also be a showcase of Jisc’s new research products and services that have been developed with the community, a case study from the University of Manchester outlining how it used software prototyping for research proposals, and presentations on Jisc’s work enabling the digital humanities.
Victoria Moody said:
“We are delighted to be bringing research sessions to Digifest. Research creates opportunities for institutions, students and businesses to collaborate for the benefit of our economy and communities, in the UK and internationally. It is wonderful to be at this event where experts from our sector come to share knowledge and be inspired by their peers.”
Digifest aims to outline how technology can help the education sector and will be held in Birmingham’s ICC on March 7 and 8. Many of the sessions will be live-streamed, and registrations are open now.
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Jisc is sponsoring this year's Black Leadership Group conference, where prominent thinkers and campaigners in the fight to eradicate racism in the UK will meet to showcase new initiatives and launch an organisation to promote leadership from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
The Black Leadership Group’s (BLG) third annual conference, called Make the path by walking it, will take place online on 21 March and conclude with the launch of the Institute of Black Leadership, a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO).
The programme will open with a keynote address on The Race to the Top – an ambitious blueprint to unlock Britain’s potential, by Nazir Afzal OBE, who chaired the independent culture review of the London Fire Brigade.
The event is sponsored by Jisc, the UK’s digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research and innovation. It will include insights into:
Stella Ngozi Mbubaegbu CBE, BLG co-founder and director, said:
“Over the past two years, I have been inspired by the fresh thinking and innovations that are influencing the practice of anti-racism. Our allies, partners and affiliates are creating and trying out new pathways to the whole organisational sustainable change that is required for the long haul.
“We still have a long way to go, however. We are under no illusions and our conference will also highlight areas where more action is needed urgently and suggest solutions. We will question the impact of the Equality Act 2010 over the last decade and explore the implications of the Ethnic Representation Index, which is a new appraisal of the progress made by universities in England to become anti-racist institutions.
“We want our conference to be a springboard for continued sustainable change and collaborative learning, inspiring ideas for stepping into new - albeit tough - terrain, making the path to an anti-racist society by walking it at pace.
“The need for an anti-racist society is an urgent one.”
BLG says the conference is targeted at all levels of leadership in the Further and Higher Education system, schools, voluntary/community and public and private sector, and will be of special interest to decision-makers, thought leaders and all who have an interest in creating and sustaining an anti-racist society.
Robin Ghurbhurun, managing director of further education and skills at Jisc, said:
“Jisc is delighted to be the sponsor for this year’s BLG annual conference. As the first non-education affiliated BLG organisation, our commitment to anti-racism strengthens year on year through the support of the BLG and key stakeholders.
“Through raising awareness and positive action we are seeing real cultural transformation across many aspects of our working practices and employee engagement. We are proud to support the work of the BLG in tackling racism across education and aligned sectors.
“This conference showcases success while exploring opportunities to innovate, influence and debate the key challenges and actions for unlocking the black dividend.”
Book tickets for the conference.
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Jisc’s annual event celebrating digital transformation in learning, teaching and research will take place on 7-8 March 2023.
Digifest 2023 will deliver more than 50 sessions, eight keynote speeches and over 25 hours of online event content including panel discussions, workshops and immersive sessions focused on this year’s theme: “Hello Innovator”.
View the programme for Digifest 2023.
Digifest is open to those looking to bring back inspiration, insight, and innovation to their workplace, including:
Jisc CEO, Heidi Fraser-Krauss said:
“Alongside resilience, innovation has been the thing that kept us all going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Being able to reimagine the ways we have always done things and develop processes at pace that fit with the new normal has been extremely difficult, but I believe the UK education and research sectors should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved.
“Our theme “Hello Innovator” celebrates this success and shines a light on those leading the way in digital innovation. We have some great speakers lined up, as well as some immersive sessions that will provide a deeper dive into digital transformation.
“Day two of our event also falls on International Women’s Day and I am excited to hear from our keynote speaker, champion for women in computing Professor Sue Black OBE, one of the top 50 women in tech in Europe and a true inspiration.
“I hope many of you can make what will most certainly be an action-packed and fun event, and I look forward to seeing you there.”
Visit our Digifest pages for in-person and online tickets and booking information, or speak to your relationship manager.
Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook for the latest speaker and event announcements.
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As more and more UK colleges and universities realise the benefits of adding esports to the curriculum, the cyber security threat exposure that comes with it increases too.
There are many potential pitfalls:
The consequences can be severe, ranging from loss of an individual player’s money to IT failure across the entire institution.
Without a doubt, the best way to protect an esports network is to segregate it from the outset.
Kylie Kendrick, technical specialist for esports at Durham University, is in the process of setting up the esports lab there and does not yet have a dedicated space. She says:
"Currently, our students play from their university halls and on-campus accommodation. Ethernet was removed from those spaces in an effort to eliminate any danger of the network being affected negatively. All play is now done over wifi."
An institution with an established esports lab should ensure it is completely segregated from its Janet Network connection. Neil Shewry, Jisc’s director of service, explains:
"Ideally, an esports lab should have its own hardware and rule set, and its own firewall, so if an attack gets through to one machine it’s contained there. In commercial tournaments, it’s best to use physically segregated networks and separate virtual local area networks (VLANs) to ensure quality of service.
"It's also a good idea to look into getting a virtual private network (VPN) as an additional layer of security. It can reduce the risk by blocking malicious URLs and encrypting all connections, even over public wifi."
As part of standard business operations, patches should be checked daily and game updates scheduled to run at times when they will not adversely affect play. Policy controls can help avoid a single person bringing down the network, and bandwidth throttle will ensure that concurrently running events don’t affect performance.
Managing students’ devices when they are all different and there is no single point of control over platforms can present problems. Players expect to be able to use their own kit, which increases the threat: even keyboards can be affected by malware.
The greatest risk here is distributed denials of service (DDoS) attacks, which can cause outages, loss of important data and even complete failure of an institution’s IT systems.
Having a clear overview of network traffic is a useful part of any DDoS mitigation strategy. If you’re connected to the Janet Network, you can view traffic on your connection by accessing Jisc’s cyber security portal. The portal also gives details of alerts or DDoS mitigations, whether in the past or currently in progress.
Kylie Kendrick says:
"DDoS can’t be completely eliminated, but the DDOS protection built into Jisc’s Janet Network helps mitigate the effects. At Durham the only thing we noticed as a result of a recent attack was slower web browsing.”
As Alex Postbechild, penetration tester at Jisc, points out:
"Esports might be a game, but it has inherent real-world risks with severe implications. Everyone should have the opportunity to learn about that in some way before they learn it by experience. Frankly, basic cyber security should be taught in primary schools."
Until then, however, cyber security awareness remains a challenge, even among students and gamers.
Kylie Kendrick says:
"I’d like to see a first-year cyber security module for all students, either instructor-led or put on a virtual learning environment (VLE) for self-paced learning, that leads to a recognised addition towards their course. And that should apply to all courses, not just computer science or esports."
Gamers need to be aware that, while their college or university has a requirement to protect user data, they also need to know how to protect their own accounts, says Alex Postbechild.
“There are simple things that it’s okay to do online and things it’s not. For example, mods for games usually come from community-driven coding and the average player has no clue what’s happening in something they pull off the internet. This can lead to things like the transfer of in-game currency, which can cost esports professionals their livelihood.
“Another basic rule is never to sign T&Cs when you don’t know what they contain. Some T&Cs even allow permission for the software to scrape IP addresses, home addresses, credit card details and everything in between. It’s easy to click ‘agree’ and unwittingly give permission for your data to be harvested without your knowledge.”
He also advises enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible and always keeping software up to date: it's important to allow all updates because these often contain security patches.
Jisc provides the advanced security and capacity needed to keep an institution’s network and systems available when running esports. When it comes to setting up an esports course with cyber security built in from the offset, Jisc can advise on best practices and share experiences across the sector.
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Access to new dashboard will help Jisc members streamline open access publication
Jisc has announced a new agreement with Copernicus Publications, a fully open access, not-for-profit publisher, whose portfolio of journals covers engineering, geosciences, humanities and life sciences.
The agreement helps institutions streamline administering open access publication, making it quicker and easier.
Copernicus uses simple, fair and reasonable article processing charges (APCs) and created one of the first public and fully transparent peer-review processes for academic journals.
Jisc members can now set up a prepayment account or choose to be invoiced for several papers on a single invoice.
Anna Vernon, Jisc’s head of portfolio for content licensing, said:
“This new agreement with Copernicus Publications will provide administrative efficiencies for our members. We’re pleased that, with new features that allow open access teams to choose which papers they want to pay for from centrally managed funds, we can finally add Copernicus to our portfolio and further increase our partnerships with small open access publishers.”
Dr Johannes Wagner, business development publications manager for Copernicus Publications, said:
“Copernicus Publications is delighted to sign this agreement with Jisc offering streamlined settlement schemes to all members in the UK, many of which we have been working with successfully for many years. Working with Jisc greatly helps overcome the administrative challenges involved in signing agreements with individual institutions and thereby clearly benefits both researchers and the learned societies we serve.”
The University of Exeter is already seeing the benefits of a membership agreement with Copernicus, having previously signed up independently. Its centralised billing options enable better financial planning and minimise time-consuming administration for the university library.
It found that a more streamlined and seamless publishing process encourages authors to submit their research to smaller, non-profit, fully open access publishers, supporting a healthy and diverse scholarly communications marketplace.
Imogen Ward-Smith, open access publications officer at the University of Exeter said:
“To be able to offer a workflow with Copernicus Publications that is as simple for authors as the workflow of transitional agreements with big for-profit publishers is really important. They can choose to submit to whichever journal is most appropriate for their research without being put off by having to deal with invoicing.”
For more information about the new agreement with Copernicus Publications and to sign up for it, visit the dedicated page on the Jisc subscription manager.
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As awareness of government regulations around digital accessibility continues to grow and evolve, it’s important for education leaders and learning providers to understand how best to use assistive technology (AT).
While AT is an essential tool in creating an inclusive experience, opportunities for awareness-raising and on-going peer support can be scarce. To support the sector, Jisc is running a series of short courses to provide advice and guidance around AT decision making. Participants with all levels of experience will work together to reflect on themes including:
Kellie Mote, accessibility specialist at Jisc, said:
“Interest in digital accessibility in education since the introduction of public sector accessibility regulations has led many in the sector to question whether they are making the most of AT.
“AT supports independence and achievement for disabled students and those with diverse needs. A proactive, strategic approach to deploying AT has benefits for many students, as not all who benefit from these tools may have, or have disclosed, an additional support need. Many students use features of AT to boost their productivity or language understanding.
“Findings of the 2022 Jisc digital experience insights HE student survey found 47% of respondents used at least one of the most popular assistive learning technologies. However, of those, only 30% had received support to use the tools. This highlights a need for greater knowledge around AT, not only to provide equal opportunities for all, but to improve students’ overall digital experience.”
Delivered online via Zoom, the workshops will provide an overview of available technology, but more importantly, highlight how it can be best used for and by students.
The first of these two-hour sessions takes place on Thursday 9 February 2023, and Jisc is offering one free place per member institution (until courses are full).
To access a free place, use code "ONEFREE" when booking.? ?
To join the conversation around AT, sign up to the Jisc Assistive Technology network, or register to attend Digifest 2023, where Jisc accessibility specialists will be providing an AT update in collaboration with Techability.
Read the 2022 Jisc digital experience insights HE student survey (pdf).
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Jisc’s managing director for further education and skills to join national awarding organisation’s board.
Robin Ghurbhurun, managing director for further education (FE) and skills at Jisc, has been appointed trustee and director of the education charity and national awarding body NCFE.
NCFE works with FE colleges, training providers and schools to promote and advance learning to help create a fairer society. The organisation is the UK’s longest established, and third largest, awarding body.
Robin brings with him more than four decades of experience serving the FE and skills sector, in roles such as college CEO, trustee and non-executive director. Robin is also a board member and chair of the curriculum and standards committee at West London College; a board member of the national association of licensed paralegals and chair of the Welsh Government’s anti-racism FE steering group.
Chair of NCFE’s board of trustees, Deborah Jenkins MBE DL, and CEO, David Gallagher said:
“On behalf of the NCFE Board of Trustees and Executive Team we’re delighted to announce Robin’s appointment to the board. Robin’s blend of experience and expertise within the sector and the different vantage points from which he has added value to education over his career will enable him to make a hugely positive impact at NCFE.
“Robin clearly has a huge passion for delivering high-quality, transformational learning experiences for all, which aligns perfectly with NCFE’s mission.”
Robin Ghurbhurun said:
“I am delighted to be appointed as a trustee and director of NCFE. It will be a real privilege to work with fellow board members, a dynamic executive and committed staff in continuing to strengthen and evolve this progressive, inclusive, and socially impactful awarding organisation.
“NCFE’s ethos of shaping smarter learning to build a farer society aligns strongly with my own beliefs, and I look forward to supporting NCFE as it continues to deliver high quality qualifications to meet the technical and vocational needs of learners and employers.”
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Jisc advocates a balanced and fully informed approach to AI-generated content
ChatGPT and its ability to produce high quality essays with minimal human input has created a flurry in the UK education sector and many are questioning whether this signals the end of the essay as a primary mode of assessing learners.
Jisc advises the sector not to view AI-generated content as simply a threat and highlights the need to work towards integrating these tools into education rather than legislating against them.
Michael Webb, Jisc’s director of technology and analytics, explains:
“While assistive computation tools like ChatGPT can undoubtedly be seen as presenting a challenge to the sector, they also have the potential to change it in really positive ways – by cutting staff workloads, for example, or enabling new assessment models.
“The fact that ChatGPT can generate properly structured, grammatically correct pieces means that students could well use it to produce essays. Equally, though, it could be used by educators to help them generate course content, reports and feedback.
“The knee-jerk reaction might be to block these tools in order to stop students cheating, but that’s neither feasible nor advisable. We should really regard them as simply the next step up from spelling or grammar checkers: technology that can make everyone’s life easier.
“Like it or not, AI-powered computation tools for written content, image generation and coding are here to stay. Aspects of them will soon be integrated into apps like Microsoft Office. The key is to understand their shortcomings and weak points as well as their strengths. We should all be aware, for example, that ChatGPT’s output can be poorly argued, out of date and factually inaccurate.
“We don’t need to revert to in-person exams: this is a great opportunity for the sector to explore new assessment techniques that measure learners on critical thinking, problem-solving and reasoning skills rather than essay-writing abilities. Factual knowledge can be assessed during the learning process, while the application of that knowledge could be tested in project work.
“At Jisc’s national centre for AI we’ve been looking at this area for some time and we think the most important thing right now is to make sure that institutions – and the sector as a whole – have a clear understanding of what the technology can really do. Then we can start to have a meaningful conversation about how we use it to improve the experience of staff and students.”
Jisc’s national centre for AI is keen to work with lecturers and teaching staff to explore use cases in more detail. Get in touch directly by emailing NCAI@jisc.ac.uk.
For regular updates sign up to the NCAI mailing list. Find out more by joining events and discover what AI has to offer through a range of interactive online demos.
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Jisc is a key delivery partner for the Digital 2030: strategic framework.
In December 2022 the Welsh Government issued a call to action to the post-16 sector outlining the next steps in the Digital 2030 strategic framework for 2022–2025.
To support this, Jisc is hosting a webinar on 26 January for education leaders and learning providers across Wales to highlight the resources available to those developing Digital 2030 strategies for their organisations.
The Digital 2030 strategic framework is designed to provide today’s learners with the digital skills and experiences needed by the future workforce.
Digital 2030 is based on eight nationally agreed aims to enable learners and staff to meet industry, private and public sector requirements; they are:
Head of Jisc Wales, Alyson Nicholson said:
“To align with the Welsh Government’s aim of ensuring students possess the digital skills to support the economy in Wales, Jisc is committed to helping tertiary education leaders and learning providers develop their digital strategies.
“We have already worked with the post-16 education sector in Wales, through the use of our digital experience insights tool, to benchmark progress against Digital 2030.
“The next step is using these outputs to create strategies that support the individual needs of each institution.
“We look forward to welcoming them to the upcoming Jisc webinar, where our advice and guidance experts will provide information on Jisc resources and services, such as the digital elevation tool.”
Marian Jebb, head of post-16 quality at the Welsh Government, said:
“We have asked FE institutions to consider how they can develop a more strategic and sustainable approach to digital learning, building on the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic and tailored to their local priorities.
“Over the next six months, institutions will be preparing individual digital strategic plans, which will unlock capital investment of at least £8m over a three-year period.
“We are keen to ensure institutions use all the support and resources available to develop their strategic plans.
“I’d encourage all institutions to engage with Jisc, our Digital 2030 delivery partners, to help them meet the objectives set out in the minister for education and Welsh language’s call to action.”
To register for the webinar, or for more information on how Jisc can support the development of your Digital 2030 strategy, contact your relationship manager.
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All UK tertiary education providers and research centres will soon benefit from an extra layer of cyber security protection against ransomware attacks.
At least 50% of major ransomware incidents experienced by the sector since August 2020 have been caused by attackers exploiting the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), a common way for users to access their computers or servers remotely from another device.
Following consultation with the sector during summer 2021, Jisc will automatically block access from outside the UK to RDP (port 3389) from 28 March 2023. Only inbound traffic from known UK IP addresses will be allowed to proceed to port 3389. Existing restrictions will shift from an opt-in control to being on by default.
This change follows updates to the policies that guide the use of the national research and education network, Janet, to which all UK colleges, universities and research centres are connected.
Jisc’s director of information security policy and governance, Dr John Chapman, explains why the move is important:
“The use of ransomware against our sector and globally has ramped up over the past couple of years and some attacks against colleges and universities have been devastating.
“Organisations can still opt out of restrictions to specific IP addresses if they wish to, but they must accept the greater risk of a serious cyber security incident.
“Controlling access to a known attack vector will help protect the sector as a whole against this type of attack.”
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Jisc is working with an independent sustainability expert to hold a series of member workshops to support colleges and universities on their sustainability journey.
The workshops, entitled 'vision for sustainable change', will be available from January 2023.
They will be delivered in collaboration with technology analyst Scott Stonham, who authored Jisc's recent exploring digital carbon footprints report, and is the founder of Well, That’s Interesting Tech!
Each workshop will encourage collaboration between leaders and senior managers to spark fresh thinking and debate around all sustainability issues such as climate action, poverty, inequality, and health, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They will challenge common perceptions and assumptions around what it means to be sustainable and will help promote positive change both on and off campus.
By re-evaluating their approach towards sustainability, colleges and universities can reduce their carbon impact, improve efficiencies, create more inclusive learning environments, and potentially make cost savings.
Scott Stonham said:
“I am excited to be working with Jisc again to help the UK tertiary education sector improve its understanding of sustainability and the benefits for institutions, educators, learners, and wider society.
“Following the publication of the exploring digital carbon footprints report, it became clear there was an appetite among education leaders to learn more about sustainability.
“From improving operational efficiencies to enhancing equality and reducing energy bills, I look forward to helping colleges and universities achieve the most from their sustainability journey.”
Steve Bailey, head of advice at Jisc, said:
“Jisc is committed to helping further and higher education organisations become more digitally sustainable.
“Through conversations with our members we know that sustainability is a concern for many colleges and universities across the UK, but a lack of understanding is holding some back from making meaningful change.
“By introducing the vision for sustainable change workshops, we are bridging that gap, by providing the space and support needed to make more sustainable choices.”
For more information, or to organise a workshop, contact your Jisc relationship manager.
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Registration is now open for OpenAthens’ Access Lab 2023, a free annual conference for librarians and publishers taking place online, 20-23 March 2023.
Attracting more than 400 librarians, publishers, content providers and IT professionals worldwide, the event provides a platform for discussion around challenges facing the information industry.
Access Lab explores developments, provides best-practice case studies and holds topical panel discussions, where attendees are encouraged to ask questions.
Registration is free and affords delegates the opportunity to watch sessions on demand during and after the event.
The full programme will be announced in the new year and, as a global conference, it will include sessions at times to suit everyone.
All the content will also be available online on Tuesday and Wednesday, 21 and 22 March, for a month after the event, and thereafter on YouTube.
There will also be several in-person regional forums, which will be announced early in 2023.
During the online conference, OpenAthens will announce the winner of its 2023 best publisher user experience award. The award puts the spotlight on publishers which put users at the heart of their service design, with the simple aim of providing easy access to content.
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A new Jisc digital experience insights survey shows higher education teaching staff satisfaction dropped by 6 percentage points, although majority support blended teaching.
Higher education teaching staff want more support to teach effectively online, according to a new survey from Jisc.
The digital experience insights survey of higher education (HE) teaching staff found less than half (48%) of survey respondents rated the support they received to teach effectively online as ‘above average’, down from 54% last year and a fall of 6%.
The drop comes as more than half of respondents said they preferred a blended mode of teaching:
Only 14% of teaching staff said they had received an assessment of their digital skills and training needs, and 73% of teaching staff reported going to colleagues for help with digital problems, compared to 48% contacting IT staff.
Just 6% of teaching staff agreed that they are rewarded or recognised for their digital skills.
The survey also revealed that staff are facing challenges caused by digital inequality: 42% reported difficulty with wifi connections, 16% reported no suitable computer or device to deliver the digital elements of their courses and 14% reported having no safe, private place to work.
Generally, staff were positive about the teaching platforms their organisations used. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents rated the online teaching environment they used as “above average”, and just 11% rated it as below average.
Asked where they wanted universities to invest for the future, 37% wanted to upgrade platforms and systems, 32% wanted better IT support, 16% wanted more computers or devices, and 14% wanted specialist software.
The survey was completed by more than 3,500 staff from 30 universities between November 2021 and July 2022, the first academic year not disturbed by lockdowns since 2018/19.
The survey, released today, features a foreword by Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE. In it, she calls for better support for teaching staff in training and equipment provision, and more rewards for using digital technologies in their teaching practice:
“At this moment, when expectations are rightly high and digital transformation is touching every part of modern life, it is both critical and timely that higher education institutions support their educators, review their teaching and learning strategies, and consider the extent to which the level of digital competence needed is reflected in staff and student development and support.
“They also need to ensure the right equipment is available to individual teaching staff and consider how reward and recognition strategies reflect the pressing demand to up our game in the digital teaching and learning space.”
via Jisc news
Cyber security is a strategic priority at an increasing number of UK colleges and universities, as evidenced by data from Jisc’s cyber security posture surveys over the past six years.
However, not all technical teams have found it easy to convince senior leaders of the importance of continued investment in cyber security.
Ulster University’s Elaine Hartin, chief strategy and finance officer, and Mark Taglietti, chief digital and information officer, explain how they engage their board members, students and staff in cyber security.
Mark:
When I started at Ulster University we were in a good, but not a great place; we were quite good on technical controls, not too bad on admin controls, but there was not enough rigor around governance, compliance and accountability – and I was losing sleep over it.
Our approach was to assess the threat landscape, work with sector partners – including Jisc, UCISA, Queens University in Belfast and suppliers – to leverage those partnerships and share learning.
The real key, however, was engagement with the Ulster senior leadership team (SLT), the audit and risk committee, and university council.
I remember sitting down with the SLT and saying, ‘If you don’t take this seriously and invest in a cyber response, not only could you lose all the university systems, but you’ll also lose the network, data, reputation and financial standing.’
We were very straight talking and had to assess the risk and clearly communicate that risk in easy-to-understand terms. It worked: we got buy-in from SLT and secured the business case for funding a large cyber security programme, which enables us to deploy enhanced technical and administrative controls to protect the entire institution.
It’s not just about senior leaders, though. I think the key to success is winning hearts and minds and that’s about how you communicate across the board. Everybody must understand that cyber security is everybody’s issue, in their personal and professional lives.
Building a good engagement strategy was key. It included emails, podcasts, videos, town halls, one-to-one discussions, and mandatory learning modules. We threw the kitchen sink at it, so that everyone understands that responsibility for security is business-as-usual and it’s continual, and that not for one moment can any of us take our eye off the ball.
Elaine:
I’ve been at Ulster University for a year, and I was delighted that I came into an organisation that was taking cyber security seriously. I was pleased at the level of investment and the support that was in place, particularly the success that Mark and his team have had putting cyber security as a standing agenda item with the audit and risk committee and SLT.
The committee is ready and willing, and has, in fact, called out parts of the business where we have had cyber-control issues. Parts of the business have to explain why they are not progressing things at pace so we can understand what support they need and how we work it through.
We also have good relationships across the institution. Some of our academics have in the past seen cyber security as a blocker to their jobs as teachers and researchers, but now they see it as a facilitator and they recognise it’s everyone’s responsibility.
There’s also an awareness that cyber security is being scrutinised from the top.
There is certainly a difference, but that may be down to the size and scale of Ulster University and where we are in our maturity of knowledge and awareness around cyber security compared to my experience in further education (FE).
I was in FE for 10 years and cyber security was in its infancy when I joined. I recall some quite challenging discussions in the early stages, for example bringing forward a proposal for a new role – an IT security officer – and being turned down. I was told it was unnecessary and would only block delivery to students.
This was a common view then, and thankfully the college quickly moved on from this view and made the necessary investment in security. I don’t believe I would encounter this problem today, given the knowledge and understanding of cyber.
The issues for HE and FE are similar, though, and I think the biggest challenge is bringing colleagues with us on the cyber security journey.
Mark:
Keep it simple, to the point, concise and not overly technical. Be careful not to over communicate because people get fatigued, for example with too many emails.
We vary our communication and embed it into the culture of the university, so it becomes habitual.
For example, we have deployed multi-factor authentication (MFA) and initially people didn’t like that, but now we have number matching and location tracking, so it makes MFA easier for staff and for students to log on. And that’s important for all the measures we put in place for cyber security – they have to make things easier, not harder.
We are always open and honest. One of the approaches we’ve taken with our researchers and academics is access control, so they get only basic network access if their device doesn’t meet those controls, i.e. security posture checks.
Nobody really wants to be the person who allows in a cyber-attack that brings down the entire university, so we make them think about the consequences of their actions, without catastrophising.
Elaine:
Largely that’s been done through risk management. The approach has been to identify the potential impact of a cyber-attack on the university. It’s been easy to do that through our own experience, for example of phishing attacks, which demonstrates just how easy it is for an attack to occur. That risk approach focuses minds and moves cyber security high up the list of priorities.
We are lucky in Northern Ireland in that we can access some capital funds and we’ve been able to make successful business cases internally too, so over the last three years, we’ve had a solid cyber investment plan. There is also an expectation now that we will continually have a cyber programme in play.
Mark:
Over the last three-and-a-half years we have secured more than £3.5m for technical funding and we’ve been able to almost entirely rebuild cyber-related aspects of our technical architecture.
That investment – achieved through good risk assessment and management, impact planning and business case development – sounds like a lot of money, but it’s really not compared to what it would cost if we lost the entire digital estate.
So, it’s a good investment, but it’s a continual process and nobody should be under any illusion that’s it, because at some point we’re going to get attacked. The trick is how well prepared we are to respond and recover.
via Jisc news
How Nigel Francis uses the Star Wars universe to explain complicated topics like immunology.
We speak with Dr Nigel Francis, senior lecturer at Cardiff University, about his project, immunology wars, which is a series of videos and illustrations that describes the basic functions of the immune system through the Star Wars movies.
Nigel explains how he first came up with the idea to explain immunology in this way and shares how he worked directly with the students to develop the concept.
By linking the cells of the immune system with the characters from Star Wars, Nigel and his students have created a unique and creative way to help students remember these different cells and their roles in the immune response.
Dr Nigel Francis
Senior lecturer at Cardiff University
View Nigel's profile
Georgie Myers
Senior media and content officer, Jisc
Mark Lennon
Senior digital communications officer, Jisc
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Edinburgh College has won the 2022 College Development Network (CDN) award for digital learning for its innovative use of virtual reality (VR) to provide students studying health and social care with the skills and experience to care for patients suffering with dementia.
The college has partnered with technology experts at local Edinburgh business, Cadpeople, to develop and implement the programme of virtual learning. Edinburgh College says the use of VR can enhance training and address skills shortages within health and social care.
Jason Miles-Campbell, director of Scotland and Northern Ireland at Jisc, said:
“Jisc is proud to have been a sponsor of the CDN awards since 2016, helping to recognise talent, innovation, and digital skill across the Scottish college sector.
“As the 2022 winner of the Digital Learning award, Edinburgh College has shown how collaborative working between education and industry can provide a tangible benefit to both learners and their communities.
“The use of simulated realities to enhance training within health and social care is a great example of technology for good, and the benefits will be felt by some of the most vulnerable in our society.
“A very worthy winner.”
CDN is the national agency in Scotland that supports sector development across Scottish colleges. Jisc has been a proud sponsor of its digital learning award since 2016.
This year’s winners were announced at the annual awards ceremony on 25 November 2022 attended by more than 280 guests, making it the biggest in its history.
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Jisc chief executive officer Heidi Fraser-Krauss has been voted on to the board of GÉANT, the umbrella organisation for 39 national research and education networks (NRENs) in Europe.
Heidi, who has been elected for a three-year term, joins the former Jisc CEO Paul Feldman, who remains an independent member of the board.
Explaining why her appointment is important to the UK education and research sector, Heidi said:
“GÉANT supports and convenes NRENs across Europe and connects them to more than 100 other countries. As a major player in this community and the provider of the UK’s NREN, Janet, Jisc supports the UK’s position as a global enabler of education and international research collaboration.
“My appointment allows Jisc to continue to support, advise and influence GÉANT’s direction for the benefit of researchers students, staff and the economies they serve.”
Alongside Heidi’s appointment, GÉANT’s general assembly has appointed a new chair. Andreas Dudler of SWITCH, who stands down after the maximum term of six years, the last two as chair, has been succeeded by Gilles Massen, CEO of Restena, Luxembourg.
via Jisc news
Institutions save more every time one buys from the scheme, which is relaunched this week.
Jisc’s digital archival group purchasing scheme has saved higher education institutions (HEIs) more than £1million off the cost of primary source collections since it launched in 2017.
The scheme, which relaunches this week, helps institutions reduce the cost of buying digital collections and archives from publishers by using a community-based model, meaning the more members buy from each publisher, the greater the savings across that publisher's products.
Fifty-six Jisc-affiliated HEIs have purchased and saved a combined £1million to date on perpetual purchases of digital archival collections since its first pilot five years ago.
The scheme was created to respond to the challenges faced by Jisc member organisations when buying digital archival collections (DACs) to complement the library resources held for researchers. Institutions would ‘purchase’ a DAC but often face a yearly ‘hosting’ or ‘admin’ fee.
Running from November to July each academic year, the scheme guarantees at least a 20% saving on DACs for participating members, potentially increasing to 30% depending on the uptake, and no additional yearly hosting or admin fees.
Each year, different publishers make their collections available. In 2022 the scheme is launching with three publishers: Microform (British Online Archives), De Gruyter and East View.
Twenty-nine collections will be part of the initial release, including a selection of British government information and propaganda, an archive from the British high society magazine Tatler, and details of British and American secret service collaboration in World War 2. More publishers will be added to the scheme in the coming weeks.
Karen Colbron, digital content manager at Jisc, says:
“This fantastic £1million milestone illustrates the real savings the group publishing scheme achieves for our members. Our model benefits all members, and every purchase boosts the savings for all. The scheme gives them transparency and clarity around pricing and saves universities potentially up to 30% on DACs.
“Our model licence also gives them a consistent and standard approach to buying from multiple publishers. It helps give members access to better value resources, benefitting research across the UK."
Find out more about the digital archival collections group publishing scheme.
via Jisc news
Three out of four of our survey participants were concerned about high workloads, and nearly two-thirds about investment in staff development.
A new report from Jisc reveals that higher education (HE) staff are reviewing course design to consolidate pandemic lessons around online teaching and enhance the on-campus experience for students.
However, it showed staff that were worried about resourcing for curriculum design work. 74% of respondents were concerned about staff workload allocation and reward structures, and 62% had concerns about investment in staff development.
The report, approaches to curriculum and learning design across UK higher education, was launched today at the 50th student experience experts group meeting in Birmingham.
Commissioned by Jisc and written by independent consultants Sheila MacNeill and Helen Beetham, the report uses interviews, a review of current literature and active research, and a survey of leaders and teaching staff to reach its findings.
75 of 163 UK universities took part in the study. This makes it the most comprehensive review of curriculum and learning design in the UK HE sector to date.
It reveals that there is widespread use of sophisticated frameworks and models in the curriculum and learning design process. 64% of respondents said they had access to learning design resources.
The study also found evidence that across the sector, courses and curricula were being reviewed to integrate digital elements more effectively.
Students are yet to be fully integrated into the curriculum and learning design process, the report found, with respondents indicating ambitions and plans to involve them more in the design process.
Sheila MacNeill said:
“If universities are to meet the challenges of flexibility around space, place and modes of delivery, then strategic consideration needs to be given to providing updated workload models that recognise and reward the changing needs of staff.
"This will help them engage with design activities, evaluate their practice and provide support for innovation and changes of practice that will engage learners.”
Helen Beetham said:
“Our report indicates a need for a shared vocabulary and understanding around modes of participation to aid collaboration and sharing best practices.
“Evidence of different student experiences and outcomes could be shared more effectively. This is also true of examples of different ways of organising time, space, independent and collaborative working, and synchronous and asynchronous interactions.”
Download the report (pdf) to read it in full, along with its recommendations for the sector, or listen to an interview with Sheila and Helen about the report's findings on Jisc’s Beyond Technology podcast.
via Jisc news
The Association of Colleges award celebrates leading lights in the further education (FE) sector effectively using digital technology to improve the learner experience.
Jisc and the Association of Colleges (AoC) are proud to announce Heart of Worcestershire College, USP College and Activate Learning as the finalists for the Jisc-sponsored ‘effective use of digital technology in FE’ Beacon Award.
This year’s finalists have been tasked with developing innovative solutions to real world problems affecting the FE and skills sector. These solutions include:
Education Partnership North East (EPNE) and Barnsley College have also been commended in this category for their use of immersive spaces and digital environments.
Paul McKean, head of FE and skills at Jisc, said:
“Jisc is proud to sponsor this award and champion the innovative use of digital technology across the FE and skills sector. It is inspiring to see how this year’s finalists are using digital solutions to help solve real-world problems impacting learners, communities, and the wider world of work.
“Colleges are at the heart of communities and have a profound understanding of the issues impacting society and their learners. I look forward to hearing how the digital solutions proposed by these finalists bring about positive change to learning experiences.”
Mark White OBE DL, Chair of AoC’s Charitable Trust, said:
“The AoC Beacon Awards showcase exactly why colleges are so important to every community and why people value them. This award recognises and celebrates examples of colleges who champion and practice inclusive leadership.
“This is emerging as a unique and critical capability and the work of the finalists showcases how colleges can adapt to diverse and changing markets and nurture ideas and talent.”
Finalists will be assessed by sector specialists over the next few months to see how their solutions develop before a winner is announced in Spring 2023.
via Jisc news
Five monographs from UK authors on medicine, technology, sexuality studies and environmental studies will be available through the pilot project.
Jisc and Peter Lang Group AG have announced a pilot project for a new collective purchase model.
Greenlight from Peter Lang Open will publish and sell a licence for a selected group of monographs to institutions via Jisc’s subscriptions manager. The publisher will then make the eBooks freely available once it has met a revenue target.
The new model allows institutions to grow their open access (OA) monograph lists and support OA publication.
The pilot aims to give readers access to content more easily, help researchers by removing processing charges that cover the cost of publishing open access, and increase the impact and reach of their research by removing the paywall.
The model also allows authors to comply with all major funder policies, removing barriers to innovative new research. Institutions pay a one-off fee to receive perpetual, unlimited multi-user access to the five titles, which are planned for publication over the course of 2023.
Five academic authors have monographs included in the trial, covering a range of areas such as feminist representations of identity, the portrayal of artificial intelligence in popular culture and attitudes to vaccination. They are:
Peter Lang Group AG aim to release the selected titles for free at least one year after publication. The publisher said that Greenlight is a clear example of its pledge to increase the strength of its partnerships with academic libraries.
It also said it was pleased to support researchers, especially emerging scholars, to facilitate equitable publishing in open access and to collaborate closely with Jisc.
Anna Vernon, Jisc’s head of portfolio, content licensing, said:
“We are delighted to work with Peter Lang on its Greenlight pilot, highlighting and promoting alternatives to the book processing charge model for OA Books.
“As the collection is focused on UK-based, mainly female authors, we believe this will interest UK institutions in supporting their academics and open-access publishing.
“Jisc wishes to explore and evaluate alternative licensing models with academic book publishers to provide an equitable, inclusive, fair and affordable open access environment.”
Arnaud Béglé, CEO of Peter Lang Group AG, said the company was delighted to support open access:
“Peter Lang is a strong advocate for open access publication, with over 2,000 open access books in social sciences and humanities and a strong commitment to continue offering relevant OA models.
“We are convinced that to make open access work, we need to facilitate constructive communication between researchers, libraries, funding bodies and publishers and to experiment with new approaches and business models.”
Dr Vanderslott said:
“This initiative encourages more books to become open access, which I am very supportive of. It increases the reach of the monographs and helps people read research without a charge.
“It is particularly important for academic books, where costs may be prohibitive for students, academics and the wider public.”
For more details on the open access pilot Greenlight, visit the Jisc licence subscriptions manager.
via Jisc news
Nominations are now open.
Jisc has opened nominations for its annual community champions awards, which recognise and thank the extraordinary individuals going above and beyond in further and higher education (FE and HE), and research.
Launched in 2020, the Jisc community champions awards encourage collaboration across FE, HE, and research communities throughout the UK, supporting members who expand learning, solve problems and improve the lives of others.
Nomination categories include:
Winners will receive a VIP experience at Digifest 2023, with travel, accommodation and celebratory evening meal included.
Malvika Sharan, a senior researcher for open research at the Alan Turing Institute, and co-lead of The Turing Way, received a community champions award in 2022 for her work in building a community of open science contributors, she said:
“Throughout my career as a researcher and community facilitator, I have strived to create an inclusive and collaborative space that empowers people to develop and practice computational skills and openness.
“Being recognised by Jisc and having the opportunity to meet other community managers at Digifest was quite humbling. Seeing how the role works in different contexts and having external examples of how things happen beyond my own ecosystem is an incredible opportunity to learn new things."
To nominate your community champion, complete the form before 16 December 2022.
Good luck to all nominees.
via Jisc news
Cyber security remains a high priority for senior leaders at UK colleges, universities and research centres, according to Jisc’s sixth annual survey of the sector.
However, Dr John Chapman, Jisc’s director of information security policy and governance, who runs the annual survey, warns the threat environment remains challenging and there’s no room for complacency.
Carried out in June 2022 and receiving 123 responses from UK institutions, the survey shows almost all 97% of higher education and 94% of further education providers have cyber security on their risk register, a rise of two and five percentage points respectively when compared to 2021.
High numbers also regularly report on cyber risks and resilience to their executive board; 87% of HE and 79% of FE organisations.
Dr Chapman explains why this is important:
“A robust cyber security posture is only possible with strong leadership and we cannot emphasise that enough: board members must be accountable and responsible for cyber security governance and risk management.
“Organisations where senior teams don’t understand that cyber security is a strategic priority are less likely to have the kind of investment, robust processes and technical measures in place to defend well against the growing number of threats.”
The stats also suggest that creating a strong cyber security posture remains a challenge. When asked: ‘How well do you feel your organisation is protected?’, HE organisations are cautious, with only 16% (10 out of 62 institutions) scoring themselves eight or more (where 10 is best protected).
Perceptions are more positive in FE, with 39% scoring their organisation eight or more.
Comments around this question suggest that organisations rating themselves five to seven have controls in place but understand there is always more to be done to keep up with threats.
For those scoring eight to 10, the importance of robust systems and processes were key themes, along with audits, certification and external support.
Dr Chapman continues:
“Colleges and universities are right to be circumspect about cyber security. Certainly, there remains a minority of tertiary education providers that are not as well protected as they should be – and this is where Jisc can support. Member organisations can access our expertise and range of services to help assess and strengthen their cyber security posture.”
Ransomware/malware is named in the survey as the top threat for higher education (HE) organisations, with phishing /social engineering the number one threat for further education (FE). Unpatched vulnerabilities take third place for both HE and FE.
Compulsory security awareness training is more common for staff than students, with 84% of HE and 77% of FE organisations implementing this. As in previous years, FE organisations (21%), are more likely to run compulsory student training than HE (5%).
Dr Chapman continues:
“Top threats identified by colleges and universities are similar to 2021, which is unsurprising given the persistence of ransomware attackers targeting the sector over the past two years. In 2020 there were 15 serious ransomware attacks on HE and FE providers in the UK, with 18 in 2021 and at least 11 so far this year.
“Accidental data breaches rank fourth on the list of threats, so I’m pleased to see an upwards trend in security awareness training, although ideally, mandatory training for students would be more widespread.”
Jisc is launching a campaign, ‘defend as one’, to unite higher and further education in a common cause - to build robust defences across the sector. Members can sign up to receive personalised instructions on how to improve cyber security posture across their organisation.
via Jisc news