Learning content expert group
Supporting UK sector negotiations for learning and teaching content across further education and higher education.
This group supports the learning, teaching and assessment portfolio and will set and validate high-level strategies, provide tactical insights (including financial context) and advise on vendor offers and consultations.
The group will provide insight and input on both the higher education and further education context and settings, and identify both key challenges in the sector now, in addition to anticipating future needs for learning, teaching and assessment.
The group will consider select vendor negotiations. The focus for the coming 12 months will include vendors and solutions in employability and skills and assessment and feedback. Through this activity the group will refine proposals, identify best in class exemplar agreements and set criteria and standards.
Join the learning content expert group
We are looking for expressions of interest from members in both higher education (HE) and further education (FE) to join our learning content expert group.
Roles available:
- Three HE representative members
- Four FE representative members
The group meets three times per year and most meetings are online lasting for three hours. There may be a requirement to meet in person for a slightly longer meeting at a maximum of once a year.
The membership of the group ensures there is participation from a variety of roles across the sector, including curriculum leadership, curriculum quality and assurance, library, IT and technology enhanced learning.
Within these roles the group are looking to ensure that there are members with expertise to contribute to the discussions around solutions in areas of key priority, including but not limited to employability and digital skills; industry skills and resources; assessment and feedback; and adaptive and personalised learning. A member who has skills to support the identification of digital resources supporting students who require resits in maths and/or English would also be an asset to the group.
If you would like to express your interest, then please contact the governance manager for the group wendy.jupp@jisc.ac.uk by 5pm on Monday 14 April.
If there are more expressions of interest than available roles, we will arrange for a discussion with the group chairs to ascertain which applicants are best placed to support the group’s current work.
Members
Higher education
- Jo-Anne Watts, university librarian, University of Wolverhampton (Chair for HE)
- Phil Brabban, university librarian and group director of learning resources, University of Coventry
- Dominic Broadhurst, head of content and discovery, University of Salford
Further education
- Rob Wraith, head of learning technology and digital learning, NCG (Chair for FE)
- James Wells, director of digital innovation and support, Middlesbrough college
Professional bodies
- Robin Armstrong Viner, associate director: head of libraries, Swansea University (representing WHELF)
- Victoria Farmer, resource services librarian, Robert Gordon University (representing SHEDL)
- William Nixon, deputy executive director, RLUK
- Kerry Pinny, chief executive, ALT
- Adam Robinson, head of academic services, University of Derby (representing Sherif)
- Ann Rossiter, executive director, SCONUL
- Rachel Schulkins, acquisitions and document delivery manager, University of Liverpool (representing NAG)
- Keith Smyth, professor of pedagogy, chief executive, University of the Highlands and Islands (representing ALT)
- Jim Temple, library service manager, Aquinas College (representing CoLRiC)
Invited representative
- Gavin Phillips, category manager, academic services, SUPC (representing procurement consortia)
Membership information
The combined membership of the group will be representative of all UK universities and colleges and the diversity of size, income, approaches, ambitions, strategies, students, researchers and staff, etc., contained within those institutions. The membership should have wide geographical coverage.
Memberships of other Jisc groups will be taken into account when selecting institutions to reasonably avoid duplication of individuals and institutions. Exceptions to this approach include where chairs of the expert level groups should sit on the linked strategy group and members providing a link between expert level groups.
In addition there will be eight representative members as follows
- Four individuals from UK higher education institutions
- Four individuals from UK further education institutions
There will be eight members from professional bodies as follows
- SCONUL, RLUK, SHEDL, WHELF, Sherif user group, NAG, CoLRiC: one appointee from each
- Association of learning technologists (ALT): two appointees
In addition there will be one invited representative as follows
- Procurement bodies
The combined membership of the group will be representative of all UK universities and colleges and the diversity of size, income, approaches, ambitions, strategies, students, researchers and staff, etc., contained within those institutions. The membership should have wide geographical coverage.
Memberships of other Jisc groups will be taken into account when selecting institutions to reasonably avoid duplication of individuals and institutions. Exceptions to this approach include where chairs of the expert level groups should sit on the linked strategy group and members providing a link between expert level groups.
In addition there will be eight representative members as follows
- Four individuals from UK higher education institutions
- Four individuals from UK further education institutions
There will be eight members from professional bodies as follows
- SCONUL, RLUK, SHEDL, WHELF, Sherif user group, NAG, CoLRiC: one appointee from each
- Association of learning technologists (ALT): two appointees
In addition there will be one invited representative as follows
- Procurement bodies
Terms of office
The term of office for representative members is three years with the possibility of an additional term of up to three years upon expiry of the first term.
Extensions for a longer period of time are permissible as an exception where a member brings particular expertise that could not reasonably be replaced, or to provide continuity to the group by contributing to group memory where there are significant changes in membership taking place.
Any additional term of office will be considered if the member wishes to extend their term and will be decided by the chair of the group and Jisc/the chair of the group, UUK and Jisc. Their decision would take into account whether the member has normally been able to attend and contribute to meetings and ensure that terms of office ended at different times to prevent a large change in membership at any one time.
Members from professional organisations and observer members do not have a formal term of office but these roles will be reviewed annually by Jisc and the chairs to consider whether there is the right representation of organisations and roles.
The term of office for representative members is three years with the possibility of an additional term of up to three years upon expiry of the first term.
Extensions for a longer period of time are permissible as an exception where a member brings particular expertise that could not reasonably be replaced, or to provide continuity to the group by contributing to group memory where there are significant changes in membership taking place.
Any additional term of office will be considered if the member wishes to extend their term and will be decided by the chair of the group and Jisc/the chair of the group, UUK and Jisc. Their decision would take into account whether the member has normally been able to attend and contribute to meetings and ensure that terms of office ended at different times to prevent a large change in membership at any one time.
Members from professional organisations and observer members do not have a formal term of office but these roles will be reviewed annually by Jisc and the chairs to consider whether there is the right representation of organisations and roles.
Meeting papers
The papers for meetings should be shared with the members one week prior to the relevant meeting.
The agenda will identify which papers are confidential to the group, which are confidential across the groups (ie will be available to the other strategic groups within Jisc Licensing) and which are confidential to the sector. If the content of the paper can be shared with the sector but the paper itself should not be shared then this will be specified on the agenda.
Subject to the paragraph above, members may share papers, or the information set out in these, within the sector where there is strategic benefit, for example to update and gain insight from their networks and to obtain the views of colleagues in different roles.
Where it is permitted to share a paper within the sector this must be done securely, for example within an institutions Microsoft Teams or similar system. Papers should not be shared using e-mail unless the paper is password protected and the password is shared by separate means (eg text, in person, phone call). Password protected papers can be provided if required.
Please advise colleagues who are being given sight of any papers that they must not share these further. To support meeting preparations and sharing with colleagues in the sector, Jisc will aim to produce summaries of papers where the information can be condensed but still provide enough insight for a constructive response.
The papers for meetings should be shared with the members one week prior to the relevant meeting.
The agenda will identify which papers are confidential to the group, which are confidential across the groups (ie will be available to the other strategic groups within Jisc Licensing) and which are confidential to the sector. If the content of the paper can be shared with the sector but the paper itself should not be shared then this will be specified on the agenda.
Subject to the paragraph above, members may share papers, or the information set out in these, within the sector where there is strategic benefit, for example to update and gain insight from their networks and to obtain the views of colleagues in different roles.
Where it is permitted to share a paper within the sector this must be done securely, for example within an institutions Microsoft Teams or similar system. Papers should not be shared using e-mail unless the paper is password protected and the password is shared by separate means (eg text, in person, phone call). Password protected papers can be provided if required.
Please advise colleagues who are being given sight of any papers that they must not share these further. To support meeting preparations and sharing with colleagues in the sector, Jisc will aim to produce summaries of papers where the information can be condensed but still provide enough insight for a constructive response.
Recruitment
When a vacancy for an observer member arises, the relevant organisation will be invited to provide details of their observer who will join the group.
When a vacancy for a professional organisation arises, the relevant organisation will be invited to provide details of their appointee to Jisc. This appointment would go ahead unless it would provide a duplication of institutional representation on the group. In which case another appointee will be sought.
When a vacancy for a representative member arises a new member will be recruited by selection process to ensure selected individuals will bring the right expertise and knowledge, maintaining the representation of the group across the diversity of institutions it represents, including wide geographical coverage.
Recruitment of individuals should ensure participation from a variety of roles across the sector, including curriculum leadership, curriculum quality and assurance, library, IT and technology enhanced learning.
When a vacancy for an observer member arises, the relevant organisation will be invited to provide details of their observer who will join the group.
When a vacancy for a professional organisation arises, the relevant organisation will be invited to provide details of their appointee to Jisc. This appointment would go ahead unless it would provide a duplication of institutional representation on the group. In which case another appointee will be sought.
When a vacancy for a representative member arises a new member will be recruited by selection process to ensure selected individuals will bring the right expertise and knowledge, maintaining the representation of the group across the diversity of institutions it represents, including wide geographical coverage.
Recruitment of individuals should ensure participation from a variety of roles across the sector, including curriculum leadership, curriculum quality and assurance, library, IT and technology enhanced learning.
Review and time period
The group will run while there is work appropriate to its remit to undertake or continue with.
Jisc and group members will reflect on the group's role and progress with the matters within its remit regularly (at least annually) in order to plan any changes.
The group’s main tasks may be completed, no longer required or change significantly and in these scenarios the group would close.
The group’s remit may need to shift in order to reflect any changes in the landscape and the support required from Jisc licensing as a result.
Where it is appropriate for the group to continue any required changes will be incorporated into the group’s remit.
The group will run while there is work appropriate to its remit to undertake or continue with.
Jisc and group members will reflect on the group's role and progress with the matters within its remit regularly (at least annually) in order to plan any changes.
The group’s main tasks may be completed, no longer required or change significantly and in these scenarios the group would close.
The group’s remit may need to shift in order to reflect any changes in the landscape and the support required from Jisc licensing as a result.
Where it is appropriate for the group to continue any required changes will be incorporated into the group’s remit.