Institutional Innovation

[apologies for formatting irritation - grrrrr]

This post introduces an approach to understanding innovation in higher education institutions through the perspective of the JISC Institutional Innovation Programme (here referred to as InIn).

This is a work in progress, and draws on previous postings on synthesis.

The post is in three broad parts. The first part addresses the question, “why?” Why change? Underlying conditions place pressure on institutions from many directions and institutions respond in various ways. The second part addresses the question, “what?” What is changing in higher education? What are the broad themes that can help us see the underlying shifts not only in practice but also in the shape and purpose of higher education institutions. And finally the third part looks briefly at the question, “how?” How are we effecting – bringing about – change in higher education institutions?

This report is an attempt to explain the thinking behind the new database: http://ssbrdb.jisclab.net/ and the mindmap visualisation, from which the database and this report derive. Click the image for a big one.

The report is possible because of the great work that is being done by the 40+ projects in the programme and the efforts of the support team in trying to get behind the day-to-day to understand the real drivers for change, and the real consequences of changing. Thank you all.

Read the rest of this entry »

On 12 November the JISC Institutional Innovation Support & Synthesis project conducted an upbeat online programme meeting where over 70 participants addressed the pragmatics of institutional innovation. The aim of the day was for the 40 projects in the programme to consider the challenges and tensions of institutional innovation, to look at approaches and solutions to innovating in institutions, and to consider the sustainability of innovation.

The meeting, titled “Institutional Pragmatics” took, unsurprisingly, a pragmatic view.

We considered the strategic drivers for change. At the project level it is easy to lose sight of the big picture and stay focused on the details of implementation. This meeting was an opportunity to come up for air and consider how our projects might drive (or be driven by):

• Economic recovery and public funding
• Quality standards and reputation
• International responsiveness
• Social mobility, equality, democracy

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted via web from George’s posterous

There is a lot of work that goes into making an event happen. It is not just about moderating it on the day: online or in a conference venue there is planning, logistics, delivery and aftercare.

I will develop these ideas here shortly

Each site will have a static arrival page, with links to a set of pages with programme, registration form, joining instructions, etc

There will be a blog

This has taken a bit of work and it is still not done. But, as ever, improvements are incremental and ongoing.

Consideration of the platform raised issues about the SSBR project’s identity. Clarity about the project’s identity has not appeared organically. There is an administrative division between Institutional Innovation (”phase 1&2) and LLL-WFD (Phase 3). Because these “divisions” started in different times there was a natural segregation/division. And, we have separated Analysis and Discovery teams for InIn and LLLWFD (with completely different dynamics). These “unseen” issues were manifesting through the platform. Navigation was becoming confused in part because of the complex relationships between the Create Team, the SSBR project, the multiple strands of JISC funding and management. We were falling between stools. Are we not JISC? Are we JISC? What are “we”? Are we:
•    the Create team
•    JISC ssbr support project
•    institutional innovation programme
•    a JISC (proto) service?

After much discussion we are beginning to resolve this identity issue. We are a representation of the JISC. We are:
•    JISC Institutional Innovation Support, Synthesis and Benefits Realisation.

This new home page is part of refocussing the project around this shared identity.

The support project home and information pages are here.

The supported project profiles are here

Planet Institutional Innovation aggregates all the feeds from the supported projects