This area focuses on the less visible but essential area of administrative technologies to support learning and learners. The role of data administration in transition and progression, in the provision of learner services and in learners’ access to learning opportunities mean there is a significant cross-over between this area and Technology-enhanced learning environments. There are many ways in which learner-related data can be useful during teaching or learning support, and these need to be explored further. Institutions also need to know they are getting value for money from their investment in ICT systems.
JISC’s aims in this area are to:
- help institutions use administrative technology more effectively
- offer more flexible, seamless, high-quality learning opportunities for lifelong learner
- lessen the administrative burden on staff
Some key issues and challenges we have identified in this area are:
- Need to align institutional business processes with ICT processes (enterprise architectures)
- Need to lower administrative barriers to progression, transfer and multi-location learning
- Need to deal fairly with increasingly diverse applications to HE and meet demands of flexible provision
- Need to use administrative data effectively within institutions to support retention and personal (academic) development
- Need for coherence across institutions in provision of course-related information, and in access, authorisation and identity management
Some priorities for project funding that we have provisionally identified are:
- Demonstrator project in the provision of feedback to UCAS applicants
- Scoping study into effective uses of administrative data for student support, progression and retention
- Scoping study into uses of technology to support flexible timetabling
- Institutional pilots of enterprise architecture
- Pilot and demonstrator projects with draft XCRI-CAP specification (course related information) within and across institutions
- Investigate use of tools from industry to support institutional administrative processes
Please add your own comments on this activity area, including key issues and challenges we may have missed, and your own ideas for priority development projects.