Mobile Technologies and the Law

To support a rapidly growing interest in mobile technologies, JISC Legal will be running a live webcast on Mobile Technologies and the Law on 14 March.

This webcast is aimed at staff in colleges and universities with responsibility for planning and managing the introduction and use of mobile technologies in their institution. It is also of relevance to lecturers, researchers and support staff using or supporting the use mobile technologies in the workplace. Legal issues will include the e-safety of vulnerable and young learners, as well as data security and protection, accessibility, liability and copyright.

This webcast will highlight good legal practice for institutions, allowing colleges and universities to go forward with an awareness of the legal risks, and being confident in compliance.

Visit the website to view the webcast programme or visit http://jiscleg.al/webcast to access the webcast. No registration required, simply follow the link.

Please send in any questions or email webcast@jisclegal.ac.uk


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Related wobble posts:

JISC Legal advice for Learning Providers
Safeguarding Learners - Tips for E-Safety


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New - JISC Advance Funding for the FE and Skills sector

On Friday 17 February 2012, JISC Advance will seek proposals to enhance or repurpose existing resources to be used in the FE and Skills sector across the UK. This £1.4 million project will both improve the learner experience and increase provider efficiencies, in line with sector policies throughout the UK.

This opportunity is two-fold and offers sector providers and agencies the chance to:

• apply existing resources (from JISC or elsewhere) to their work and adapt them for their needs
• identify gaps in these resources or current uses for technology leading to the development of additional resources for the sector.

An initial £450,000 will be available to adapt existing resources with a further £900,000 available for development projects to address any gaps.

The project will be supported by the Regional Support Centres (RSCs) who will provide advice and support for providers in developing and implementing their projects.

Guy Lambert, Managing Director of JISC Advance said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for the FE and Skills sector and JISC Advance is proud to be leading the project. Not only will it enhance the learner experience, but it will also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of providers, a challenge which everyone is currently facing.”

To get involved, take part in our online launch on Friday 17 February at 11am. https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2009077&password=M.61BD281911F0450B6066CE16DE977D

Although you don’t need to register, it would be helpful if you told us you are attending by e-mailing support@rsc-scotland.ac.uk.

Alternatively, contact your local RSC [www.jiscrsc.ac.uk] or Nigel Ecclesfield, Programme Manager at JISC Advance nigel.ecclesfield@jiscadvance.ac.uk tel: 07508 531431.

We look forward to seeing you online!

Note:

On the day, the broadcast will be enabled 15 minutes before the scheduled time to allow you to check in and get settled before the presentation starts. You will need headphones to listen to the session without disturbing others around you.

Please note that we will be recording the session so that it can be viewed at a later date, this includes all chat comments, audio and presentation slides.

Blackboard Collborate is the platform we are using for this session. If you are new to using Collaborate we recommend that you read the Guidance Notes for further information on setting up and getting the most out of the presentation. You can also access a Quick Guide to Collaborate here.

To test your workstation and see if there are any problems, such as network configuration issues or browser compatibility, run the Collaborate Test Facility.

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Related Wobble links:

Bid Writing Resources

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Cutting Costs with Green Computing

Since I noted the available support for Green Computing back in October 2009, much has changed regarding the amount of help that now is available to learning providers. In such hard times many have been looking at sustainable or green computing as a way of reducing their costs and increasing their efficiency.

‘Green computing’ includes both the reduction of the environmental impact of the computing within an organisation (IT as a polluter) and looks at using ICT to reduce the environmental impact of other activities, such as use of on-line meetings instead of face to face meetings (IT as an enabler).

Why is Green Computing Important?
Put simply, saving energy and resources saves money.

For example - consider technologies like cloud computing. Basically, cloud computing eliminates the need for hardware like servers. Essentially, this allows learning providers to reduce their need for big, energy-consuming servers by relocating them on the Internet. Cloud computing may also be used in areas like networking, data storage, software applications, and operating systems, again, potentially reducing the need for hardware. As a result, providers stand to save a lot of time, money, and resources on maintenance and support by switching to cloud computing set-ups.

There are other techniques at the personal computer level. For instance, power management can be an easy and effective means of saving green while conserving energy.

Finally, technologies that save paper, like email, can have a huge impact on costs as well as the environment. Additionally, policies like webinars or videoconferencing offer additional benefits by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced by travel.

Our regional adviser Jane Edwards had done a lot of work in this area with our supported learning providers. As part of a free review service she can help you with:

• Reviewing where you are
• Finding good practice in other organisations
• Developing the management structure to respond positively to the agenda
• Creating a strategy. Writing an action plan. Knowing where you are. Setting targets.
• Raising awareness across the organization
• Practical tips and advice.

To make it easier for regional providers to know where to start, Jane has also set up a page on our website which brings together a number of key resources. If you are keen to learn more about ways that your organisation can become greener in the ways it uses technology contact Jane by email or phone.

(Green Computing benefits summarised from Fortunela Weblog)



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Procurement for Work Based Learning

JISC Advance has recently been awarded project funding to help set up improved procurement arrangements for the Work Based Learning Sector.

The project aims to secure cost savings by providing access to purchasing services not previously available to WBL, but which are widely used by both Further Education Colleges and Universities. The project will draw upon expertise of staff throughout the RSC Network and JISC Procureweb which is based at the University of Cardiff.

The project will have three key strands:

• To establish consortium-based procurement practice amongst providers of work based learning.
• The Generic e-Marketplace (GeM) will be made available to WBL providers to provide an Amazon type service to buy goods and services.
• To secure specific contracts for areas of high spend, for example Awarding Organisations.

In summary we want to help you get better value for money for your purchases of goods and services. The Project Manager is Steve Durham who is based in the RSC Northern Office.

If you are interested in finding more about the project please email Steve Durham directly.




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