Jisc welcomes the new DfES e-learning strategy

In support of this principle it sets out the means for achieving a "personalised education system" based on five principles of reform: greater personalisation and choice, a strong voice for learners, a commitment to leadership and staff development, and effective partnerships. Digital literacy will, it says, be the cornerstone of a highly-educated workforce and of a modern economy.

Supporting learners in transition between education sectors is a key concern of the strategy. Personalised online portfolios will, the strategy affirms, support the concept of "citizens as learners". Similarly, the development of the "e-enabled organisation" which supports internal and external "online communities of practice" will be one that adapts to changing technologies and the needs of learners, parents and employers.

Such principles are also key areas for Jisc's own activities: the development of e-portfolios, for example, which will support cross-sectoral progression routes for learners; the personalisation of the learning environment, which will provide mechanisms and tools to tailor the web for individual use; the creation and provision of high-quality e-content; the provision and development of the JANET network, providing high-speed connectivity to an ever-widening community of users, as well as the support of practitioners to make more effective use of e-learning. Underlying all is the commitment to excellence, to value for money, innovation and the needs of the further and higher education community.

While the strategy, delivered after extensive consultation with the education community, outlines a number of areas in which technology is not currently being used effectively, it also builds upon "the significant success of large-scale ICT implementation across all education sectors."

In outlining this foundation for future development, the strategy pays tribute to the national organisations: "With Becta and Jisc our two national e-learning agencies working across education in the UK, we have a powerful focus for modernising education and children's services with technology." Effective partnerships are key to the government's e-strategy, both within organisations and between them.  In partnership with Becta, Jisc works with a wide range of partners to ensure a strategic approach to the future development of ICT in education.

As a UK-wide organisation, spanning the further and higher education and research sectors, Jisc is well placed to play a vital role in ensuring the benefits of these partnerships impact upon all colleges and universities across the UK. As the Government's lead partner in the strategic development and delivery of the e-strategy in the schools and the learning and skills sectors, Becta provides insight into the developing use of ICT based on evidence and an understanding of
innovative technologies and practices.

Key areas of Jisc's activity, in line with the DfES's new e-learning strategy and of particular benefit to the higher education community, include its work to support the development of institutional repositories. These have the potential to link research, learning, teaching and administrative functions within institutions to provide mechanisms to share research and other outputs. The Digital Curation Centre and the UK Centre for Text Mining, jointly funded by Jisc and the Research Councils will, respectively, provide mechanisms to collect, preserve and make available digital information, and provide tools to help researchers deal with the growing amount of data held in electronic text format. Projects to develop 'virtual research environments' will help researchers manage increasingly complex and distributed research collaborations, while the planned SuperJANET 5, the next-generation high-speed network, will support all sectors but will facilitate the increasing need for sustained high-capacity data transfers needed for collaboration across education and research.

Professor Sir Ron Cooke, Chair of Jisc, welcomed the publication of the DfES strategy: "The strategy represents not only a powerful statement of the benefits of technology and of its importance to the education community, but also a means for bringing about its vision of 'excellence for everyone'. Working in partnership with other key organisations, Jisc looks forward to making its contribution to this exciting vision."

Dr Malcolm Read, Executive Secretary of Jisc, said: "The strategy's emphasis on personalised learner experiences, the e-enabled organisation and the vital importance of partnerships are also cornerstones of Jisc's own strategy. Jisc warmly welcomes the strategy and fully supports its commitment to excellence in education."

For further information please go to: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy/