What is JISC doing?
Mission: To provide world-class leadership in the innovative use of Information and Communications Technology to support education and research.
Strategy 2004 – 2006
JISC’s five strategic aims reflect and support government objectives and the needs of the education and research communities.
- develop solutions that help enable the UK education and research communities to keep their activities world-class through the innovative use of Information and Communications Technology
- provide advice to institutions to enable them to make economic, efficient and legally compliant use of ICT respecting the individual’s and corporate rights and responsibilities
- help the sector provide positive, personalised user learning experiences and to aid student progression
- develop mutually advantageous partnerships with organisations in the UK and abroad
- advise, inform and help implement the strategies of government, funding councils and research councils
JISC strategy
A. Network
| To maintain a world-class network infrastructure |
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Aid technological developments with the:
- Introduction of SuperJANET 5
- Extension of JANET to Adult & Community Learning education sector
Develop advice and guidance on:
- The impact of the misuse of the Internet
- Wireless computing
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B. Online content
| Create and maintain sustainable procurement and delivery services for online content |
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Aid technological developments by:
- Establishing a set of agreed requirements for digital preservation
Support institutions by:
- Establishing a content procurement company
- Investigating improvements to the efficiency of scholarly communications
Develop advice and guidance on:
- Best practice in Records Management
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C. Information and communications environment
| Develop a common, integrated information and communications environment |
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Aid technological developments by:
- Developing learning materials repositories
- Defining interoperability standards acrossstakeholders
Develop advice and guidance on:
- The deployment of portals
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D. Interoperability framework
| Develop and evaluate a framework to facilitate integration across learning, teaching, research |
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Aid technological development by:
- Identifying the common needs of researchers, learners and teachers
- The creation of systems, standards and specifications that support research, learning and teaching
- Integration of online information management applications across e-Research, e-Learning and digital libraries
Support institutions by:
- Developing a middleware service
Develop advice and guidance on:
- The development of cross-institutional, regional e-Learning systems
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E. Advisory services
| Continue to provide cost-effective and user-led advisory services |
- By implementing consistent customer satisfactionmonitoring
- By investigating the sustainability of advisory services
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F. Communication
| Improve communication mechanisms between JISC and its audiences |
- By continuing to deliver a targeted, appropriate and consistent set of communications and marketing activities
- By establishing a feedback mechanism to inform JISC activities
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G. Embedding ICT
| In partnership with others (Becta and the HEAcademy), ensure ICT is embedded within post-16 and higher education |
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By helping to define relevant skills and training for staff, so they are equipped and skilled to use ICT, where appropriate, in their work environment
Aid technological development by:
- Developing a standards framework
- Promoting flexibility and diversity through the useof open standards
Develop advice and guidance on:
- Identifying effective e-Learning practice
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H. National and international
| Engage with appropriate national and international activities where strategic partnerships are beneficial to Information and Communications Technology for UK education and research |
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In particular, Becta and the HE Academy are key partners to support the delivery of JISC’s five strategic aims
- By working with European partners, such as SURF and TERENA to develop the Knowledge Exchange and share strategic vision
- By working with US partners, such as National Science Federation (NSF), Internet 2 and Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) to remain at the forefront of international technical developments
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I. e-Research
| Develop e-Research infrastructure and use |
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Aid technological development by:
- Establishing a UK high-speed optical network test bed (UK Light) connected to equivalent overseas networks
- Continuing to aid the development of Grid technologies
Develop advice and guidance on:
- Encouraging the embedding of new models of collaborative working in the UK academic community, in partnership with the e-Science Core Programme
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J. Managing information communications technology investment
| Help institutions manage investments in Information and Communications Technology |
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Develop advice and guidance:
- About the changing patterns of use of Information Communications Technology, e-Resources and e-Research
- To enable institutions to understand, plan for and manage their investment in Information Communications Technology
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K. Technology observation
| Provide a technology observatory role and robust evidence base of the benefits of ICT |
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Develop advice and guidance:
- By establishing a service which will provide tailored information to education about appropriate blue sky technologies
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L. Contributing to widening participation
| Enhance JISC’s role to support widening participation |
- By developing Managed Learning Environments to promote student progression within regions
- To encourage a greater interest in science by funding e-Science demonstrator projects in schools
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