Table of Contents
Comments
Commenters1
JISC funds through thematic areas of investment that match the main concerns of the post-compulsory education sector, the funding councils and government. Its strategies are also influenced by global issues and concerns.
JISC funds through thematic areas of investment that match the main concerns of the post-compulsory education sector, the funding councils and government. Its strategies are also influenced by global issues and concerns.2
JISC recognises that educational institutions are at different stages in their evolution and their uptake of technology to support their strategic priorities, which are in general education, research and business and community engagement activity.
JISC recognises that educational institutions are at different stages in their evolution and their uptake of technology to support their strategic priorities, which are in general education, research and business and community engagement activity.3
It also recognises that there is a complex picture of activity in the sector and varied levels of adoption: some institutions are making a mature and embedded use of technology in particular areas, such as administrative systems, whilst not yet engaging in a sophisticated way with using technology to support learning, teaching or research.
It also recognises that there is a complex picture of activity in the sector and varied levels of adoption: some institutions are making a mature and embedded use of technology in particular areas, such as administrative systems, whilst not yet engaging in a sophisticated way with using technology to support learning, teaching or research.6
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2. on the horizon (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)
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2. on the horizon (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)8
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The aim of this approach is to provide services, advice and targeted funding at the right time to meet the needs of each institution and to move the sector forward as a whole system. JISC consults continuously with the sector in order to refresh its understanding of sectoral needs and re-focus funding as necessary.
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The aim of this approach is to provide services, advice and targeted funding at the right time to meet the needs of each institution and to move the sector forward as a whole system. JISC consults continuously with the sector in order to refresh its understanding of sectoral needs and re-focus funding as necessary.9
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JISC Strategy 2010-2012 will make increased investment in work that will demonstrate benefits in the ‘here and now’, that will achieve short term impact for the sector and areas that will promote efficiency and effectiveness in institutions. This will include the development of more environmental approaches to ICT which also achieve financial savings for the sector.
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JISC Strategy 2010-2012 will make increased investment in work that will demonstrate benefits in the ‘here and now’, that will achieve short term impact for the sector and areas that will promote efficiency and effectiveness in institutions. This will include the development of more environmental approaches to ICT which also achieve financial savings for the sector.10
JISC will prioritise investment in areas that will offer significant benefits to the sector, in particular, helping institutions in four areas: how to offering an enhanced learning experience; more productive, efficient and globally- recognised research; more efficient business systems; and cost-effective shared national services.
JISC will prioritise investment in areas that will offer significant benefits to the sector, in particular, helping institutions in four areas: how to offering an enhanced learning experience; more productive, efficient and globally- recognised research; more efficient business systems; and cost-effective shared national services.12
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JISC will work through its services and others to provide expert guidance to teachers and to institutions on how to provide an effective e-learning experience to students. This will be supported by evidence of current and predicted future needs of learners, looking at diverse groups with varied requirements, including discipline differences. JISC’s advice will include the online experience, online support to students and on learning spaces.
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JISC will work through its services and others to provide expert guidance to teachers and to institutions on how to provide an effective e-learning experience to students. This will be supported by evidence of current and predicted future needs of learners, looking at diverse groups with varied requirements, including discipline differences. JISC’s advice will include the online experience, online support to students and on learning spaces.13
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JISC will advise on support for lifelong learners. It will create guidance on tools to support online learning and innovative approaches to the provision of these tools in order to provide a flexible, customised offering. JISC will advise on processes for the development of curriculum that includes e-learning as a major component. It will put in place national programmes to provide quality online learning resources. It will continue to invest in the development of technical standards to support exchange of content between systems.
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JISC will advise on support for lifelong learners. It will create guidance on tools to support online learning and innovative approaches to the provision of these tools in order to provide a flexible, customised offering. JISC will advise on processes for the development of curriculum that includes e-learning as a major component. It will put in place national programmes to provide quality online learning resources. It will continue to invest in the development of technical standards to support exchange of content between systems.15
JISC will develop programmes and services that will support an increase of the quantity of research in the UK. It will support the improvement of the quality of such research and appropriate quality measurement. It will develop an approach to research data management that is integrated with those of the research councils and others. It will develop technical standards that support sharing of research data and facilitate collaborative research. It will invest in key collections that underpin the UK’s knowledge economy and work with international partners in order to get best access to key resources for the UK research community. It will provide a high quality, reliable research network and key services such as access management.
JISC will develop programmes and services that will support an increase of the quantity of research in the UK. It will support the improvement of the quality of such research and appropriate quality measurement. It will develop an approach to research data management that is integrated with those of the research councils and others. It will develop technical standards that support sharing of research data and facilitate collaborative research. It will invest in key collections that underpin the UK’s knowledge economy and work with international partners in order to get best access to key resources for the UK research community. It will provide a high quality, reliable research network and key services such as access management.17
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JISC will work with the sector and suppliers to develop approaches to more efficient business systems. This will include work to explore strategic approaches to technology planning, management and also implementation using approaches such as Service-Oriented Architectures. JISC recognises that changes in technology and evolving business models will allow institutions to collaborate more effectively through out-sourcing and shared services, including the potential of Cloud Computing and Software as a Service. This includes making effective use of the range of offerings including commercial offerings as well as services offered by institutions in the sector.
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JISC will work with the sector and suppliers to develop approaches to more efficient business systems. This will include work to explore strategic approaches to technology planning, management and also implementation using approaches such as Service-Oriented Architectures. JISC recognises that changes in technology and evolving business models will allow institutions to collaborate more effectively through out-sourcing and shared services, including the potential of Cloud Computing and Software as a Service. This includes making effective use of the range of offerings including commercial offerings as well as services offered by institutions in the sector.18
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More flexibility in systems will allow institutions to respond more readily to future requirements and changes in institutional priorities and to open up formerly internal services to accommodate new, remote users. JISC will help institutions to share good practice and to pool efforts including engagement with systems’ suppliers and open source solutions as appropriate.
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More flexibility in systems will allow institutions to respond more readily to future requirements and changes in institutional priorities and to open up formerly internal services to accommodate new, remote users. JISC will help institutions to share good practice and to pool efforts including engagement with systems’ suppliers and open source solutions as appropriate.20
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JISC has a long history of developing shared national services, such as the JANET network and its range of services. JISC will continue to invest in the ongoing development and updating of its current service provision in order to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. On going investment in JISC’s infrastructure (or Information Environment) will continue and work such as the Open Educational Resources programme will help to establish priorities for large-scale, national infrastructure with multiple content and service providers.
2
JISC has a long history of developing shared national services, such as the JANET network and its range of services. JISC will continue to invest in the ongoing development and updating of its current service provision in order to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. On going investment in JISC’s infrastructure (or Information Environment) will continue and work such as the Open Educational Resources programme will help to establish priorities for large-scale, national infrastructure with multiple content and service providers.21
The table below gives an overview of the main priority investment areas for JISC in 2010-12. Each will be planned through a combination of the mechanisms outlined above in order to achieve maximum impact in the sector – through programmes, services, community engagement, and so on. Each investment area has objectives that will deliver against the objectives of this Strategy.
The table below gives an overview of the main priority investment areas for JISC in 2010-12. Each will be planned through a combination of the mechanisms outlined above in order to achieve maximum impact in the sector – through programmes, services, community engagement, and so on. Each investment area has objectives that will deliver against the objectives of this Strategy.22
Investment area one: effective, creative approaches to teaching and an enhanced learning experience
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ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)
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ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)40
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)47
Provision of technology that can change the way in which research is done and thus enable new research
Provision of technology that can change the way in which research is done and thus enable new research54
Case studies and guidance on ICT-supported relationship management (students and other ‘customers’)
Case studies and guidance on ICT-supported relationship management (students and other ‘customers’)55
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)58
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Extension of JISC activities to support business and community engagement (employer engagement, open collaboration, relationship management, etc.)
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Extension of JISC activities to support business and community engagement (employer engagement, open collaboration, relationship management, etc.)61
New models for institutional provision of learning, teaching, research and third stream using technology as an enabler for improved processes and increased efficiency
New models for institutional provision of learning, teaching, research and third stream using technology as an enabler for improved processes and increased efficiency65
Provision of a critical mass of Digital Content through Digitisation of content in the community and licensing research and learning resources
Provision of a critical mass of Digital Content through Digitisation of content in the community and licensing research and learning resources69
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)
ON THE HORIZON (work that will be of most interest to innovators and early adopters with more general take up in 2-5 years)71
A populated infrastructure to support the open sharing of all kinds of content generated by JISC Community
A populated infrastructure to support the open sharing of all kinds of content generated by JISC Community76
Technologies and policies to support distributed approaches to services and resources including Grid, Cloud, Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, Shared Services
Technologies and policies to support distributed approaches to services and resources including Grid, Cloud, Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, Shared ServicesTags: A.O.G. Air Support Inc, access management, business systems, Business_Finance, data management, distributed approaches to services, e-learning, e-learning systems, Education in the United Kingdom, information management, internal services, Internet, JISC, JISC Collections, JISC infoNet, Joint Information Systems Committee, library systems, New, NewTree S.A., online experience, online learning, Open Educational Resources, open source solutions, programmes and services, relationship management, research data management, research network, semantic web technologies, semantic web technologies Technologies, shared national services, speed networks, stream using technology, Support, Technology, third stream using technology, United Kingdom
I would be tempted to move this into the On the Horizon section. (Note: it’s not overly clear whether investment in the Beyond the Horizon section is intended to start now with expected returns being 3 years away, or whether investment isn’t expected to happen for 3 years. If the former, then current positioning may be OK).
It would be useful to include a reference to a review document which illustrates how previous investment over the last 2-5 years is now achieving more general take-up.
Likewise, a reference to evidence that investment during 1999-2005 has resulted in widespread benefits now, would be useful.
In the longer term, energy efficiency is likely to be of even greater significance. JISC’s entire vision and mission is based on the premise of available and affordable energy. Within the next 10 years, it is quite possible that the UK will be experiencing power shortages (http://bit.ly/YlxUB) and rising energy costs (http://bit.ly/IaW3B). JISC’s own work on ‘scenario planning’ could be used here to advise institutions and government on the effects this would have on the delivery of their strategic priorities. I don’t think that your proposal for ‘New models for institutional provision…’ does justice to the fundamental disruption to JISC’s vision and mission that an ongoing energy crisis might incur.
Does this section only deal with National grouping and preclude development of regional shared services between collaborating institutions?
The regional model is complicated due to VAT regulations – this makes it less cost effective than either local solutions or national shared services
How is the investment balanced/weighted, e.g. in terms of relative duration/funding level of programmes and projects in each category? Is the desired balance/weighting stated anywhere?
(I wonder – if a timeframe metadata element were associated with each project, would it be straightforward to chart the balance of projects/programmes in the current portfolio?)
Welcome this if it also implies a move towards accepting that Open Standards is a better strategy than Open Source. However, care needs to be taken in the approach suggested here.
I think everything that JISC has published in the past 12 months (CLEX etc) points to the need to embrace a new super-set IL NOW (including reference to the new user-centric world of computing), not later. If this is not done then, the university will lag far behind the cloud and what goes on there, and the university will begin to lose its position in the knowledge business.
Could say much more here. It’s all about cultural change, and the change that has to come to make universities more relevant going forward.
Think it’s more than a “community of support”. I think you need to explicitly mention collaborative environments for research, much more than VRE, which may (just like VLE) be a behemoth that will stultify innovative use of the cloud, rather than foster true collaboration.
Plus … I’d be delighted to see the user requirement for a VRE or a MRE for that matter, that a sizeable community of researchers and research administrators could sign up to. These are often best engineered as local solutions using locval tools and an SOA approach.
Would like a reference to Identity Management even “Federated Identity Management” here. This is a big strategic issue for institutions – they may not realise it now, but it will be!!
I agree with Joss Winn’s observations here. And have some suggestions: the elib programme, programmes which supported early exploration of VLEs (which are now in use in secondary education, HE & FE and workplace learning), and the early support for repository work at Southampton.
The language here suggests that only one activity has already happened (“… continue to invest in development…”) Yet surely some other areas here, such as guidance on tools, has already taken place ? The language should imply building on previous successes, not starting from scratch – except where that’s true.
Also add:
It will continue to support the development of tools that allow existing learning environments to be extended and enhanced by exploiting the huge potential of new developments in online technologies
Surely the point is to provide an effective learning experience to students, and the role of JISC is to provide guidance on using technology to do this? The idea of ‘e-learning’ separate to ‘learning’ feels slightly dated to me now
I’d like to see this given more precedence ideally – IT uses substantial energy and there is clearly an opportunity to be much much more efficient. I also feel that although this is something for ‘immediate use’ surely it is also something that needs longer term investment with impact over the 3-10 year period – we aren’t going to solve these problems overnight, and longer term investment is needed to look really sustainable solutions. Even something as simple as upgrading existing equipment to more energy efficient models would take at least a 3 year investment in most universities.
Ah – what he said!
Whether or not JISC should get involved in the IT/Systems related issues for the long term other than suggesting or mandating that projects should be Carbon Aware is debatable. There’s far more significant issues in the ‘social engineering’ side of things that would impact on the energy (or lack of it). Is this something that JISC has with it’s remit?
For me this is very significant. From a life long learning perspective and education while working, professional development through to collaborative research and development and follow on exploitation. JISC needs to understand and perhaps be very creative and innovative to ensure corporate engagement is a mutually beneficial thing.
I agree with Andy on both points here. Clarify whether ‘Beyond the Horizon’ means investment now or in 3 years, and that investment in semantic web technologies is probably something that needs to happen in a shorter timescales. Specifically I personally feel that to give guidance on the future of the library and library systems should have a relation to semantic web technologies, and if the future of library systems includes semantic web or linked data approaches to have the former happen before the latter will create problems of viability and acceptance.
The final strategy might consider the outcomes of the HEFCE-funded Learning Landscapes project: http://j.mp/3mccj
I seems odd to place this within the 2-5 year time frame. Isn’t Information Literacy something that spans the entire 0-10 year strategic period?
This is really important, though I wonder to what extent JISC’s funding in this area is being used by central IT services in universities. My view is that this work on advocacy of open source and open standards is not reaching the business systems staff who work with commercial suppliers and are ultimately responsible for large purchases of hardware and software.
JISC has previously taken the position that it takes risks on behalf of the sector in the exploration of technological opportunities – effectively acting as the technology strategy and planning body for the whole of UK HE and some FE. By moving the focus on the here and now over the future, it changes this at precisely the moment that we need to exploring innovation with more energy. In the future UK institutions will face more competition and will need to make sure that they can continue to enhance their offering to attract students, exploiting new technologies wherever possible. This is not a time when funding should be diverted to bailing out the present.
The objective of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of business systems in education is extremely important, as one of the major factors that has prevented innovation in areas such as teaching and learning has been the inflexibility of many enterprise systems. Innovations such as XCRI and the HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report) have in particular highlighted this issue for institutions.
Advice, targeted funding, and services are only effective when based on experience from actively engaging in innovation. If these are not backed with serious RTD activity, there will be no evidence base for giving such advice.
The development of new frameworks (e.g. Rails, Django), platforms (e.g. Widgets), and infrastructure services (e.g. cloud storage and processing) has significantly reduced the costs of developing new applications and services, and JISC should be able to take advantage of this in its innovation programmes. By balancing higher risks against lowered costs, JISC should find it cost effective to continue to invest in exploratory work in learning and teaching and other areas.
I think this is about more than just being ‘carbon aware’. There is a clear link between energy use and cost as well as the environmental concerns. JISC invest in things that move technology forward and are interested in efficiency and value for money. For me this suggests it is well within JISC’s remit to invest in areas that make our IT infrastructure and use more energy efficient – whether this is seen as part of a ‘green’ agenda or not.
In learning and teaching we are at the beginning of a new phase of learning platform development, with a “next generation” of VLEs under active development, and being informed by innovations in the wider technology environment. JISC should play a role in shaping this next generation of platforms through active engagement with next-generation open source VLEs (e.g. Sakai, Moodle) and distributed tools and services that can support next-generation VLEs (e.g. Widgets, HTML 5 drag and drop interoperability, RSSCloud/PUSHH real-time services, integration with linked data and semantic technologies).
If its “beyond the horizon” then the logical approach is to explore as many possibilities as can be reasonably funded, as only some will turn out to be applicable. Focussing on just one broad objective – which itself doesn’t seem very forward looking – risks not spreading risk widely enough to recoup rewards.
If JISC fails to invest significantly “beyond the horizon”, then it risks becoming irrelevant within a very short timeframe (only 3 years!)
Semantic technologies and linked data in general is something that JISC should be exploring now in terms of admin/library and teaching and learning systems. It’s not just relevant to the library sector (but Owen’s points are relevant). Developing effective ways to share data within and between institutions should play a major part of JISCs immediate and longer term plans. (see the road map from the SemTec project http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/semantictechnologies.aspx)
Agree with the comments above. JISC should consider investing in this area sooner rather than later. Semantic technologies and linked data are likely to have much to offer to the domain of teaching and learning.
Think it’s a bit premature to promise examples of effective practice. Would prefer something like: “Explore issues relating to opening access to educational resources with a view to identifying effective practice.”
Suggest rephrasing to: “Aggregation of distributed open educational resouces.”
This bit stands out as something perhaps for the “Here and Now”. Don’t get why it’s slated as on the horizon.
I am thinking that there needs to be more explicit mention of accessibility and inclusion. I know that it should be inherent in the ethos of the organisation, but perhaps a specific mention at this point would be appropriate?