We are taking an in-depth look at some of the major trends in digital technology. Our horizon scan activity will help us to identify the implications for institutions and inform Jisc strategy.
Key topic areas and reports
The areas that we're currently looking at are:
Blockchain
There’s a lot of hype right now about blockchain, the technology that underpins the Bitcoin virtual currency, with speculation that it could transform just about every aspect of our lives.
Read our report: blockchain in education and research.
Cloud computing
What will it take to make cloud computing truly a utility for institutions, reducing the friction of switching suppliers?
How can we exploit cloud to improve productivity and deliver efficiency savings?
Read our report: the future of cloud computing.
Data-driven decision making
How do we move from business intelligence to the sort of data-led culture that internet-native firms like Google and Amazon have built their decision-making processes around?
How can we improve our approach to data gathering and sharing both internally and externally?
Read our report: the future of data-driven decision making.
Open by default
With funder mandates requiring open access publications and open data for research projects, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) driving interest in open educational resources, what do we need to do to make open practices the new normal?
What will need to change for these open working practices to become the norm in our institutions, and what support is needed?
Read our report: open by default?
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are used extensively by Internet services to help us find and classify information. How could we use these technologies in our institutions?
Read our report: deep dreaming of AI in education.
The intelligent campus
How could we use Internet of Things devices to help us make our campuses intelligent, and what are the potential perils and pitfalls?
Read our report: building the intelligent campus – the Internet of Things
Project outcomes
We will issue a series of discussion papers on these areas starting in Autumn 2015. Each paper will provide a brief overview of the trend, note some examples of innovative activity and success stories, and identify some possible strategic directions that Jisc could take to help the community to respond to the trend.
Each of these will be followed up with an online event to discuss the recommendations and an invitation-only "think tank" for experts and thought leaders from the sector and beyond.
How will the results be used?
The results of this work will inform Jisc's own strategy development, leading to new R&D projects and potential future services and solutions.
They will also help digital leaders in universities and colleges in planning their own IT strategies and implementation plans.
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