A couple of weeks ago I was invited to attend the pilot of the JISC Digital Leaders capabilities programme. There were over 40 people from across higher education institutions, all involved in exploring the new pilot for the leadership angle of digital capabilities. Digital Capabilities being the application of digital literacies, and fall into six elements detailed in their presentation. The programme has been designed to support those in leadership roles to develop their own competences and use of digital technologies. Most of the people in attendance were familiar with technology enhanced learning and were there to support JISC to improve and try out the activities before the programme goes live. Some of those who were there were in senior roles and who did not consider themselves particularly digitally savvy but they were willing to indulge in the activities. I invited two colleagues from the University of Southampton, the Business School and Professional Services (Library).
One of the key tasks over the two days was to establish the personal level of involvement with technology. This was based on the Visitors and Residents spectrum devised by David White. The idea was to plot your own involvement and then the following day your institutions. It was an interesting exercise which was developed into ascertaining how engaged our institutions were with technology.
There is a follow up of two more days towards the end of November where we will all meet again and make recommendations about the programme. The intention being that we bring the digital capabilities projects into our own institutions for all levels of staff – and not just academic staff. Professional services staff would be a great set of staff to trial digital capabilities, supporting staff in administration to give confidence in the use of technology.
The same people will meet for the next wave and it will be interesting for us to get together again to see how the programme is shaping up.
Double Digit Education 