JISC

The JISC-funded Erewhon project will today be putting its work in geolocation services and improving access to information on mobile devices to a slightly different use - to fundraise for Comic Relief.

The team, based at Oxford University Computing Services, aim to visit all 44 colleges and halls in the shortest amount of time while tracking and plotting their 8.7 mile route using mobile technologies.  

As part of the Erewhon project, the team seeks to improve mobile access to information on handheld devices and to deliver a full database of Oxford locations. Today’s run will help achieve this goal.   
 
‘We're attempting to raise money along the way by being paid to do silly things, dress in as silly a way as possible, and we're also selling space on our T-shirts to anyone willing to write a message. We want to raise as much money as possible for Comic Relief and we're also hoping to establish a new Oxford tradition,’ said Sebastian Rahtz, Information Manager at Oxford University Computing Services.

The runners have already attracted nearly £1000 worth of sponsorship, in a project that demonstrates how learning and technology can be creatively mixed. 

Google Map overview of the route
The Erewhon project website at the University of Oxford
The Erewhon project - part of JISC's Institutional Innovation Programme