Guadrian supplement - JISC press realease

Guardian supplement explores 'profound transformation' of education by technology







'Digital Student' highlights support for institutions as they 'respond to present challenges and predict future developments'







2nd December 2008. A Guardian supplement published today looks at the
way technology has transformed education over the last decade.
Sponsored by JISC to launch its 'Student experiences of technology'
campaign, the supplement - 'Digital Student' - explores the
achievements of institutions in this area and some of the future
challenges as universities and colleges look to exploit technology and
place the student experience at the heart of learning and teaching.







As Stephen Hoare reports in the opening article: 'Technology has
dramatically changed the way students experience university life, and
not just in terms of the number of gadgets they own. It has affected
where and how they study, helped them collaborate with each other and
broken down barriers between students and teachers, social life and
study. It has also given students a bigger voice in they way they
learn.'







Podcasting, wikis, immersive worlds such as Second Life and texting are
just some of the technologies highlighted in the publication,
technologies that have placed technology at the heart of the learner
experience. How such technologies have impacted on assessment, the
management of intellectual property rights, student progression and
retention, the building of new and more flexible learning spaces, is
also a focus of the supplement.







The challenges faced by institutions during this period of change is a
further theme of the supplement. As Stephen Hoare continues, 'All this
presents major challenges for institutions, which are also learning to
cope with a larger, more demanding and more diverse student body.'







The supplement also highlights JISC's and others' work to support
institutions meet these challenges, through innovation projects and
through its support for the take-up and use of new technologies. Among
the JISC projects and services highlighted are 'learner experience'
projects such as LEaD and STROLL; Users and Innovation projects such as
APT Stairs, Sounds Good, Web2Rights; e-portfolio activities; the JISC
TechDis service which supports the use of technology for disabled
students and staff; the Regional Support Centres; market research into
students' expectations of technology, and much more.







The supplement also features an interview with Sir David Melville,
whose Committee of Inquiry is soon to report on the implications for
institutions of students' use of new technologies, and explores a
number of institutional initiatives, such as University College
Plymouth St Mark and St John's decision three years ago to offer a free
laptop to all undergraduates, the University of Leicester's Media Zoo,
and the University of Hertfordshire's scheme in which students mentor
lecturers in their use of technology.







To access the online version, please go to: Digital Student <http://www.guardian.co.uk/digitalstudent>







For more on JISC's 'Student experiences of technology' campaign, please go to: Student experiences <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/studentexperiences>







If you would like to receive print copies of the Guardian supplement, please contact: press@jisc.ac.uk