Martin Hamilton from Jisc discusses giant steps and moonshots in education technology. Jisc is a UK non-profit that provides shared services and advice to over 18 million users in research and education. Hamilton's role involves generating new ideas and building partnerships to implement them. Jisc is launching a learning analytics system this fall and building an evidence base on learning analytics. The system will use standardized schemas and partner with vendors. Jisc also supports startups through competitions, like Wildfire Learning which can automatically generate course content from various sources. Jisc partners with Edtech UK to accelerate adoption of edtech and help institutions and startups work together. Last mile connectivity issues also need addressing so teachers and learners can get online.

1. Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education
Martin Hamilton
1Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017

2. Who am I?
» About Jisc
› edtech not-for-profit with ~18m users
› We run shared services, negotiate deals
with IT vendors, provide advice & guidance
– Janet, the UK’s research & education network,
Shibboleth Consortium, eduroam Wifi roaming
› Major initiatives right now in digital skills
and learning analytics
› My role:
– Generating & channelling new ideas
– Building partnerships to bring them to fruition
2Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017
Pepper robot at Jisc Digifest 2017

3. Gathering the edtech evidence base
» Learning analytics
› Launching in the UK this Autumn
– Open architecture – partnering not competing
with learning analytics system vendors
– Standardised schema for learner/course
information and xAPI activity data
› Building a library of advice and guidance
– Jan 2017 - briefing note on the evidence base
– Review of international state of the art
– Code of practice & review of legal / ethical issues
› Join our Learning Analytics Network
› Find out more: analytics.jiscinvolve.org
3Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017

4. Gathering the edtech evidence base
4Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017

5. edtech for gathering evidence about learning
5Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017
» Startups and scaleups
› Case study: Learnometer
– Using environmental data to improve lives
and learning outcomes
– Online dashboards and benchmarking
– Based on research by Prof Stephen Heppell
– Find out more at learnometer.net

6. edtech for simplifying course creation
6Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017
» Startups and scaleups
› Jisc Startups competition
– Six month accelerator programme
– Support package includes cash grant
and mentoring
› Winners: Wildfire Learning
– World’s first AI content creation
service for learning
– Create learning objects from any text,
PowerPoint or video
– Generate a course’s worth of content
in an hour
– www.wildfirelearning.co.uk

7. Joining the dots
7Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017
» Strategic partnership with Edtech UK:
› Accelerate the adoption of edtech
› Grow the evidence base of ‘what works’
› Help institutions and startups/scaleups to
work together
› De-risk engagement with small firms for
institutions
› Make the UK a learning laboratory
› Create export opportunities and help to
generate inward investment in UK edtech

8. Getting off the launchpad
8Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017
» Last mile issues:
› No good having cloud based services and
apps if teachers and learners can’t get online
– How do we bridge the gap?
– Remembering how to work offline and sync, e.g.
Learn Appeal capsule, Kiwix, and Pibraries
› Great work being done by the likes of
WACREN,ASREN, Ubuntunet Alliance
– Close cooperation with Internet2 and GÉANT
– NRENs as natural partners for DFID / UK aid?
› After connectivity, ‘above net’ services like
authentication and authorisation, learning
analytics infrastructure

9. Continue the conversation…
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Except where otherwise noted, this
work is licensed under CC-BY
Martin Hamilton
Futurist, Jisc, London
@martin_hamilton
martin.hamilton@jisc.ac.uk
Giant steps are what we take - Moonshots in education - DFID / British Council - April 201720/04/2017