Topic: Learning Resources

Towards the ‘Research Education Space’ (RES)

As 2013 dawns, and with predictions from Cisco that by 2014, video will exceed 91% of global consumer traffic on the internet, it seems timely that a new Research Education Space from us at Jisc, the BBC and with our … Read more

How e-portfolios helped us to improve our college’s digital literacy

I am the learning zone and e-learning manager at Deeside College.  I work with an extremely dedicated group of people with a passion for taking the student forward and developing real world skills.  The students too are a wonderful group, … Read more

Harnessing new technologies to boost engagement for library instruction

Times have changed beyond recognition for college librarians: we are no longer thought of as softly-spoken, book stamping people with a bun and a cardigan, and our job titles have changed too: research/information specialists, learning resources tutors, e-librarians and more. … Read more

Supporting colleges to get the most from their technology

The September 2012 AoC Learning Technology Survey Report carries interesting messages for all of us working within further education and in particular for me and the team at JISC working to support the sector.  Although we will be considering the report in … Read more

Wikipedia in universities and colleges?

Here at JISC we are lucky enough to have a view across the education sectors in teaching, learning and research. I’m delighted to be at the EduWiki Conference this week, which is run by the Wikimedia UK Foundation and brings … Read more

No such thing as a free MOOC

In his recent JISC blog, David Kernohan asks: ‘Why bother paying inflated fees to attend university? …What if you could get it all for free, online?’ Of course, it is tongue in cheek, because as my title above suggests, you … Read more

Where there’s MOOC, there’s brass?

Why bother paying inflated fees to attend university? Why pay to spend three years living on a campus, attending seminars and tutorials, running up debts?  What if you could get it all for free, online? This is the compelling pitch … Read more

Blackboard’s new open source strategy: how virtual learning environments became commodities

Unthinkable a couple of years ago, and it still feels a bit April 1st: Blackboard has taken over two other virtual learning environment organisations: the Moodlerooms and NetSpot Moodle support companies in the US and Australia. Arguably as important is … Read more

Why “open education” matters

The first thing that has struck me about Open Education Week is how genuinely global it is. Scroll through the list of events and webinars and you’ll spot Brazil, Mexico, China, Korea, Africa, Spain, Europe. The big brand US universities … Read more

Open Education: becoming mainstream?

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.” Writing in Simulacra and Simulation in 1981, Jean Baudrillard could scarcely have predicted the way in which the growth of a global network … Read more

St David’s Day: Researching Wales or Welsh history? / Dydd Gŵyl Dewi: Ymchwilio i Gymru neu hanes Cymru?

One of the most enduring miracles attributed to St David is that while he was preaching, he caused the ground to rise under him so that his audience could see and hear him, according to the Museum of Wales. There … Read more

How important are open ebook standards to universities?

Ebook standards may lack the glamour that the technology attracts, but the arrival of ePub3 has the potential to transform how the academy creates and delivers its content to students and researchers. Just weeks into the New Year and already … Read more

Apple’s new iBooks: a force for good?

JISC has long been associated with licensing and exploring ebooks for education, and research by JISC Collections has shown increasing numbers of students enthusiastic about such resources as publishers and librarians seek to find suitable business models in a changing … Read more

Remembrance Day: an opportunity to revisit our cultural heritage around WW1

The legacy of World War One in terms of social, economic and political global change cannot be overstated; it changed the individual’s view of society and their place within it with far-reaching effects into their future and our past. In … Read more

OER in the field: institutions solving problems openly

Is your institution ‘open’? Open education resources are becoming an essential component of academic practice. With the uncertainties of a new funding model to deal with, it is becoming harder than ever to convince institutional managers to support nice-to-have projects. … Read more

What are the rewards for reusing other people’s resources?

Suddenly it seems as if everybody is waking up to the potential of open educational resources. People have been sharing digital teaching materials for years, but now creative commons licensing, increased familiarity with the web and increased attention from policy … Read more

UUK efficiency and modernisation – JISC’s existing work

On Friday I shared with you my thoughts on the recent UUK report and why it’s important for universities to engage with it at a strategic level. In the spirit of sharing work that JISC has undertaken or has underway … Read more

UUK efficiency and modernisation – sharing practice and solutions

Earlier this month Universities UK published its report on ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness in Higher Education’. Today and Monday I’ll be sharing my own views of the report – today, an overview of its strategic direction, and on Monday, a more detailed look at … Read more

Preparing for the future: a new guide on emerging practice in a digital age

The environment of further and higher education is changing in response to economic pressures, government policies and a cultural shift marked by an increasing emphasis on student satisfaction and concerns about the impact of rising student fees. In addition, the … Read more

Looking to transform your curriculum?

It is a challenging time to be educating the next generation of learners. As fees increase, so do the expectations of learners who need top-quality courses with a broad appeal that equip them effectively for future employment. Keeping the curriculum … Read more

Imagine Google without a search box

If you are looking for audiovisual content it is hard to know where to start. Google can search vast amounts but there is a whole section on the web that is only available to education, and Google by itself is … Read more

Engage students through blogging

Blogging is a well-established vehicle for personal reflection and commentary and can play an effective part in the delivery of formal curricula. But blogs and social networking sites also have the potential to engage students and improve the quality of … Read more

Why we can’t afford not to invest in technology

At JISC’s recent annual conference, both Professor Eric Thomas (Vice Chancellor of Bristol University) and I stressed that higher education cannot afford to slow down in its adoption of information and communications technology (ICT). Quite the contrary: the challenging financial … Read more

Using digital media to improve teaching and learning

Accessing freely available media digital content and tools can be an effective way to improve educational provision and maximize resources in difficult times. On the other hand, without support, a sharing of best practice and awareness what we’re getting into … Read more

Online Distance Learning: whose future?

To me, one of the enormous surprises regarding the Browne review of Higher Education funding was the complete absence of any mention of online or blended delivery. Here was a report about the future of the delivery of education at … Read more

NUS report on technology: a personal response

This report to the Higher Education Funding Council for England by the National Union of Students had the remit to ‘gain a broad overview of the level of demand from students – new and potential – for online learning provision … Read more

Isn’t Google digitising everything anyway?

Since Google embarked on its scanning of major world book libraries, there has been the assumption that there is little more to do in the field of digitisation. Yet this is far from the truth. Opinions vary, but it is … Read more

JISC on Air – new online broadcast explores student recruitment

Today, another round of UCAS applications gets underway with the first of the application deadlines. Meanwhile, new students are settling into universities up and down the country. But how many of them will have embarked upon the right course? Lord … Read more

Bookmark and Share