Top 5 tips for improving your e-safety
Advantages offered by the internet and current technologies are widely recognised and actively adopted in education. Students, for example, will often choose and be expected to use their own devices to share ideas, problem solve and carry out research. Despite the opportunities on offer, risks such as internet safety must be managed appropriately. Colleges and universities are legally obliged to... >>
Should universities care about APIs?
So why should universities devote effort to caring about application programming interfaces (APIs)? I work at Jisc as a programme manager and have recently been involved in work that could provide some answers as to the benefits of APIs. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are nothing new. In fact, Google web trends show searches for the term API have been on... >>
Manage your Freedom of Information requests
The amount of requests received by universities and colleges under the Freedom of Information ( FOI ) Act, Data Protection Act and Environmental Information Regulations continues to increase year on year. And so, as a consequence, do the costs and time associated with responding to these requests. I know that many larger universities and colleges, and those who have found... >>
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 colleagues at the British Universities Film and Video Council ( BUFVC ) is also starting to form. There is... >>
Ten years of digital preservation recognised
On 3 December 2012 at the prestigious annual awards ceremony, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) recognised initiatives from researchers around the world that have made an outstanding contribution to safeguarding digital resources for the future. The DPC is dedicated to developing the skills, knowledge and solutions to preserve and ensure access to digital information. 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of... >>
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Many of us are aware of the potential benefits mobile learning can offer. It can allow learners to communicate with tutors and peers, as well as providing access to learning resources whenever needed. However, utilising technology to offer such a flexible environment can provide a number of challenges that need to be met. The AoC Annual Conference is taking place... >>
Match-make your students with local employers
With a very competitive business market and unemployability at high levels for young people, I believe it is important that we try to maximise educational opportunities and match learners' skills with business needs as best as possible. We need to ensure learners have the best possible chance of securing a job in the current marketplace and to do this I... >>
Who's afraid of the big bad Wolf? - Advice on curriculum planning for further education management
I was working late in my office the other night, at Chesterfield College when there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer in strolled a furry looking chap who put the kettle on and settled himself down at my conference table. “Who are you?” I asked puzzled. “I’m curriculum,” he said with a toothy smile. “No... >>
Is embedding digital literacy in your curriculum working for you?
I believe that developing digital literacies within your organization is key to providing a dynamic and engaging experience for every learner, but we all know that co-ordinating this across the whole college can sometimes be a challenge, so what’s the answer? Part of my role at Jisc’s Regional Support Centre in Yorkshire & Humber has been to work in partnership... >>
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, with varying needs and abilities – they have a real sense of fun and enjoyment whilst learning and many are... >>