Report on timetabling and resource scheduling
The final report on timetabling and resource scheduling undertaken by Oakleigh Consulting Ltd is now available.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearningcapital/timetablingandresourceschedulingreport.pdf
The study was commissioned to produce scenarios and process models describing timetabling and resource scheduling processes, looking at where these interacted with other administrative process in an institution. It was also expected to summarise how well these processes are supported by currently available technology and to identify any problems or issues.
In addition JISC were looking for ways in which these processes could be improved and better supported by technology and to inform the future work of the JISC.
The study has been informed by wide consultation and a series of 8 regional consultative workshops, with representation from 59 institutions across further and higher education
sectors.
The report identified common approaches to timetabling and resource allocation; requirements identification, scheduling of activity, and location allocation. The report identifies and describes four model approaches to timetabling in institutions and examines the technical processes and requirements associated with each of these models.
The importance of the link between timetabling and curriculum design as well as its
importance in relation to work based learning and employer engagement are explored. It offers issues which could be relevant to be addressed by existing JISC projects in the Curriculum Design and Delivery Programmes and the Institutional Innovations Programmes.
The report “offers a useful profile of current practice, challenges, use of technology, and innovation throughout the HE and FE sectors, which can be used as a benchmark summary and act as a ‘menu’ of approaches and possible use of policy, technology, process, and people ‘levers’ to develop current practice”
The report provides a set of building blocks for successful practice and suggests that these could be refined into guidance materials for institutions and suggests the need for a community to share practice and issues around timetabling and resource scheduling. We’d welcome your opinion as to the benefits of guidance materials and a community of practice to institutions.
JISC encourages you to download and read this report and welcomes comments or questions relating to this report.
Report on Identity management for lifelong learning
The final report on Identity management for lifelong learning in UK higher and further education undertaken by Oakleigh Consulting Ltd is now available.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearningcapital/imdfinalreport.doc
The study was intended to describe current practices, envision future processes in identity management and explore identity management issues within the context of lifelong learning.
The study set out to detail the identity management lifecycle in a series of episodes within the educational journey of a lifelong learner, both in an ideal world and also as they are currently. It also looked at how far existing initiatives were meeting these requirements and to map the differences between the ideal world and what happens currently.
The use cases in the study were expected to cover provisioning of identity, maintenance of identity, deprovisioning of identity and provision of authenticated information about learners to other organisations.
The study was commissioned to aid understanding of the challenges facing the education sector in identity management for lifelong learning, and to support JISC in future planning in this area.
The report makes several recommendations for JISC
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to work more closely with MIAP to make use of the learner registration service and unique learner number. To look at working with the UK AM Federation
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to look at how a multi-tier model of access and information sharing can be addressed, undertaking pilots with selected consortia that are facing these issues in practice and at an operational level
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to build upon work on e-Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (e-APEL) to understand how identity management can contribute to the recording of APEL to build up a record of lifelong learning.
The JISC welcomes comments or questions to further clarify the issues and needs raised in this report.