Phil Devine :: Feeds

Children play in burnt out vehicles, August 1971 In partnership, the BBC, British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC) and JISC today announce the launch of Chronicle, a project to make BBC Northern Ireland’s television news from the 1960s and 1970s available to the academic community online.

The audio-visual archives of the BBC contain a wealth of material gathered since it was founded in the 1920s, but they remain largely inaccessible, held on film or videotape and managed to serve the needs of programme-makers within the BBC.

Chronicle makes part of that archive available to UK higher and further education by digitising news and current affairs programmes from the BBC Northern Ireland’s vaults.

This gives teachers, students and researchers the chance to explore and immerse themselves in the events over an important period (1963-1976) of Northern Ireland’s history, delivering a rich and contextual experience from a political, historical and cultural perspective.

After several years of informal collaboration between the BBC and JISC, today also marks the start of a new partnership as the two organisations sign a Memorandum of Understanding, to support the promotion of their common purposes, especially with regard to education, learning and culture.

Signed by Caroline Thomson, BBC Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Secretary, Professor Martyn Harrow at the New Broadcasting House and managed by a joint steering committee, the MOU will enable the two organisations to develop their joint interest in encouraging the creation and use of a wide range of audio visual and cultural assets to support education, research and public use.

Chronicle will provide authenticated users with access to digitised copies of news and current affairs material covering Northern Ireland and ‘The Troubles’, along with web-based tools allowing them to be searched, viewed and annotated.

Other advantages of this project are considerable, not least as there exists very little audiovisual content, covering Northern Ireland historically, politically or culturally during the sixties and seventies in any depth, even though a number of organisations and academics have indicated a ‘significant need’ for such materials.

Additionally, there was a strong archival need to digitise the material from the period: between 1963 and 1981 news material was recorded on 16mm film and a significant proportion of this footage is now in need of preservation while coverage from 1981 onward was recorded on Beta or Digibeta tape and at much less risk of deterioration.

The project has also been shaped by an academic steering group made up of scholars from participating institutions (University of Westminster, Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Ulster, St Mary’s University College and Royal Holloway University of London) who are reviewing the academic value of the project as it runs.

Martin Doherty, Department of Social and Historical Studies, University of Westminster says: “The value of the BBC Northern Ireland News footage cannot be overstated. Access to this corpus of materials means that at the same time as fostering understanding and appreciation of ‘The Troubles’ within education, the academy is also given the opportunity to build on this through new avenues of research using innovative techniques.”

Caroline Thomson, chief operating officer of the BBC, says: “The BBC is committed to making the best possible use of its enormous archive, and this project is an important step forward in finding ways to use archive material to serve both the academic community and the BBC's broader public purposes. We are very excited to be able to share this significant collection, not only because of the light it will shed on recent history but because we will be able to apply the expertise gained to other archive-related activities across the BBC.”

Martyn Harrow, executive secretary of JISC, says: “Partnerships like this one with the BBC are extremely important to us. We are able to share our respective knowledge, skills and resources for the ‘common good’ of British creativity, ingenuity and economic growth. Working together shows how archive content can be ‘opened up’ for the benefit of higher and further education which in the case of this project means it provides the opportunity for rich content to be embedded into teaching, learning and research.”

Luís Carrasqueiro, chief executive of the British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC), says: “I am delighted that this unique collection – which has not been seen since broadcast – will be available for learning and research. Television news is arguably the most dominant medium informing and reflecting public opinion. This news coverage is essential in understanding the history of Northern Ireland: including the Troubles but also fashion, architecture, journalism, religion, sports, and daily life. The BUFVC has worked for more than 60 years in placing the moving image alongside text as a scholarly asset, this new resource is yet another step in that direction.”

Go to the Chronicle collection to view Northern Irish footage

I don't have a .ac.uk email address but I'd like to preview the Northern Irish footage

via JISC News Web Feed

A_L_T: Honorary Life Membership: ALT awards Honorary Life Membership to individuals whom ALT believes have made an ... http://t.co/R7bnDHbk

via Twitter / A_L_T

thanks for the PLE link, @mafrado - looks like a good one for #mscidel next time.

thanks for the PLE link, @mafrado - looks like a good one for #mscidel next time.

via #mscidel - Twitter Search

True cost of university FOI requests revealed

Freedom of Information and research data: Questions and answers The true cost to a university of processing a freedom of information (FOI) request has been revealed by JISC infoNet.

The research shows that in the seven institutions surveyed, a FOI request takes a university an average of 5 hours 2 minutes to respond, at a cost of £99 rising to £121 when employment overheads are taken into consideration.

However, the report suggests that there are factors influencing these costs including the size of the institution, the nature of the request and possibly the maturity of the institution’s records management system.

As Steve Bailey, the senior adviser at JISC infoNet who managed the research, explains: “From the data we have there appear to be certain elements responsible for influencing the costs involved in processing requests over which the institution has no control; its size, for example, where the bigger the institution the more complex and therefore more costly the process is likely to be. There will also always be an element of luck involved with a question which one institution might find relatively easy to answer proving difficult and vice versa, simply due to the exact wording of the request and the way in which each institution functions. However, a good records management system seems to have the potential to streamline the identification, location and access of required information; whilst ensuring staff at the most appropriate grade are engaged in each stage of the process may also help universities deal with requests more efficiently.”

The research tracked 36 different FOI requests in seven institutions during January 2012.

Now that the methodology underpinning this research has proved successful JISC infoNet plans to collect similar data for a further 140 requests over five months later this year. The work was inspired by discussions with UUK.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of UUK, said: “Universities are committed to openness and transparency and JISC research has shown that universities respond efficiently to the majority of FOI requests. But this latest research shows that the costs are considerable. We want the Government to look closely at how FOI affects universities and particularly at aspects such as the charging rules, and how FOI relates to unpublished research. Meanwhile, this research will help universities develop their capacity to deal with these requests.”

The JISC figures appear to be broadly in line with data released earlier this week from the Ministry of Justice study (PDF) into the costs associated with FOI. That study suggested an average response time of 5 hours 21 minutes at a cost of £164 for non-central government departments, rising to 6 hours 10 minutes and £184 for central government departments.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives anyone the right to access information held by public authorities, which includes most UK colleges and universities.

Read the report in full

For advice on how to deal with FOI requests, and the legal issues surrounding them, read JISC Legal’s guidance.

Read Steve Bailey’s blog post about the research

via JISC News Web Feed

A_L_T: Book now to attend: Large-scale curriculum redesign - @A_L_T @AoC_info conference in Birmingham on 21May #lscrd http://t.co/cNO9DK0t

via Twitter / A_L_T

How Generation 'C' will change Education...forever http://t.co/ieiJ6ysH #mscel #mscidel

How Generation 'C' will change Education...forever http://t.co/ieiJ6ysH #mscel #mscidel

via #mscidel - Twitter Search

University technology, A-level benefit

students listen in As Michael Gove calls for universities to play a greater role in the development of A-Levels a major new website is launched to help universities reach their prospective students and give those students a taste of university teaching.

Through The Faculties website, universities are already working to reach A-level students more effectively to improve recruitment and better retain students who understand what to expect from university.

The new site, funded by JISC and supported by the major exam boards, is providing free educational video podcasts by university lecturers on subjects taken directly from the A-level/IB curricula.

Professor Michael Arthur, vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “The Faculties provides an excellent platform for academics at UK universities to bring their expertise into the A-level classroom. Podcasts of short university lectures on topics from the A-level/IB curriculum should help prepare 16-18 year olds for university. There is great potential in the project.”

english faculties screenshot The Faculties contains over 360 video podcasts – over 80 hours of material – in English, Maths, History, Psychology, Biology and Chemistry. The material is keyword searchable and linked to exam board unit codes.

Professor Martyn Harrow, chief executive of JISC which is funding the website, said: “At JISC we are very conscious of the demands being placed on universities at the moment – what The Faculties shows is how smart use of technology can help universities minimise the expense of outreach and reach a range of prospective students at very low cost.”

The project was supported by the JISC Content and BCE programmes which helps universities to use digital content and technologies to engage with other institutions both inside and outside academia.

Students and teachers have already embraced the site. In less than three months, The Faculties has attracted over 134,000 pageviews from 32,000 unique users.

“We’re only just beginning,” says Faculties director and history lecturer Dr James Harris. “University departments have a strong interest in contributing lectures not only because they better prepare students for university but also because they make a powerful tool for outreach and recruitment. We also encourage companies that recruiter UK graduates to sponsor podcasts. Companies help defray the cost of production and we show 16-18 year olds what job opportunities will open to them if they continue their studies. Given that they’re looking at paying up to £27,000 for their degrees, it something they want to know.”

The podcasts are so-called ‘stretch and challenge’ resources that explore the richness and complexity of the topics and help students prepare for post-secondary education.

Colin McCausland, ICT development manager at Ashfield Girls’ High School in Belfast, said: “Thanks for such a brilliant resource. It is going to be of real benefit now when pupils need that little bit of extra revision, which the Faculties have done in a very engaging way.”

The Faculties is already being used in around 20% of classrooms across the UK and the site has received hundreds of requests for new titles and for similar resources in other fields.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said: “I think the concept of theFaculties is brilliant. For years I have been pleading for better sources of information to help students choose the right universities and degree courses. This new website goes a long way towards helping students make informed decisions. With the increasing financial commitment that students make, the site’s appearance is timely as well as welcome.”

All the resources are licensed under creative commons so other universities and colleges can set up similar sites or reuse the podcasts as they wish.

Find out more about the JISC project

Watch lecturers in action on The Faculties

via JISC News Web Feed

the e-learning skills gap: http://t.co/iD0XZLcO #mscidel #mscel

the e-learning skills gap: http://t.co/iD0XZLcO #mscidel #mscel

via #mscidel - Twitter Search

Turkle at TED http://t.co/sSpdWP7a #mscel #mscidel thanks @Kalipizzaro for sending :-)

Turkle at TED http://t.co/sSpdWP7a #mscel #mscidel thanks @Kalipizzaro for sending :-)

via #mscidel - Twitter Search

International research to speak one language

Universities and researchers will be able to improve the efficiencies of their research and remove obstacles in their collaborations, thanks to a new strategic partnership between the UK and Canada.

The Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information (CASRAI), a community-driven membership organisation founded in Canada, has invited JISC to be its first UK member. The two organisations will work together to advance a standard data dictionary for research and to advance a common global approach to research interoperability.

CASRAI’s vision is for all research teams around the world to have a single authoritative and reusable 'file' on themselves and their projects and be able to quickly produce and exchange any information needed, without retyping.

David Baker, CASRAI Executive Director, explains, “The research community in every country captures largely the same types of data. But three obstacles divide us: meaning, structure and format. These include the classic 'lift vs. elevator' problem - same concept with different labels - and the persistent problems of clashing data elements and software systems that can't speak to each other. A standard dictionary implemented in our systems and exchanges removes these obstacles while keeping freedom of choice in implementation.

"Thanks to this leadership from JISC, we look forward to bringing UK subject-matter expertise and perspective to this evolving international dictionary. In Canada, leading organisations (funders, universities, vendors) have come together to collaboratively advance this mandate. We hope to mirror this broad representation within the UK community.”

In both Canada and the UK research has shown much time is spent administrating rather than conducting research. This was confirmed by an American survey in 2009 that found an average of 42% of research time was spent on administration.

Josh Brown, JISC programme manager, adds, “JISC has a strong history of working with UK universities to deliver time and cost savings within the research administration process and contribute towards making research accessible, discoverable and easier to share.

“We know that one way to increase the visibility of research internationally and increase efficiencies in the research process is to establish a common language for research. This is so researchers, funders and universities have the opportunity to reduce their research administration and concentrate on the job of delivering their work. In just one example, imagine a universal 'auto-correct' that resolves terminologies between countries and disciplines and frees the researchers to focus on the concepts. We are delighted to be invited to be part of CASRAI to see how we can help to make this happen.”

The first areas of focus for this partnership will be research impact and research datasets. CASRAI is already an active participant in the JISC-funded DESCRIBE project on research impacts and the partnership will build on that collaboration.

For datasets, JISC and CASRAI will work together to form a joint UK/Canada committee (with associated review circle) to explore how we can incorporate the discovery and accessibility of scientific datasets into the standard dictionary.

Find out more about CASRAI, which is a non-profit organisation, and was founded in 2006 in response to a growing frustration expressed by key Canadian government funding agencies: there is too much duplication forced on research teams and no sustainable way to share and reuse information.

View the CASRAI dictionary.

via JISC News Web Feed