JISC

Start date: 1 October 2003

End date: 30 September 2006

JISC theme(s): Information environment, e-Learning

Committees: JISC Integrated Information Environment committee

Working Groups: E-framework working group

Technology is becoming increasingly embedded in the systems and processes of our educational institutions. Aspects of research, learning and teaching and information management now rely upon technology to support related processes. Although technology has the potential to extend and improve educational activities, this potential can only be fully realised if the activities are built upon a stable and coherent technical infrastructure. In JISC's new  draft strategy, they see one of its role is to enable  'the development and exploitation of a common infrastructure for finding, accessing, delivering and using Internet based resources tailored to, and seamless across, education and research communities'. 

To develop this common infrastructure, JISC is already supplying a range of services (including JANET) and is running a number of development activities and initiatives, specifically:

• Information Environment (IE) architectural developments
• Demonstrators of a  Common Information Environment that crosses library, research, learning and teaching, museum and archive and health infrastructures
• Development of Managed Learning Environment (MLE) architectures
• Explorations into a common technical framework to support e-Learning
• Infrastructure developments to support  e-Research and e-Science (eg   AAA , ESSTA,  Semantic Grid)

We now need to consider how the strengths of each separate area can be maximised, and to ensure that these systems can interoperate fully with each other. To deliver the strategic vision of supplying a common infrastructure the JISC will link its development initiatives to ensure that they address user requirements, avoid duplication of effort and support interoperability at local, regional, national and international level. To achieve this goal the JISC has launched a new Frameworks Programme

Aims and Objectives

(Draft - Nov 2003)
The aim of the Frameworks programme is to ‘Develop and evaluate a framework to facilitate interoperability across learning, teaching, research and their supporting systems.’ With specific objectives to:

1. Map, consider, inform, and be informed by existing development activities funded by the JISC (such as the Information Environment (IE), the e-Research Grid, Managed Learning Environments (MLEs) etc.) and relevant national/international activities. 
2. Identify, in consultation with the user community, the key current requirements of a common technical framework(s) to support the range of users across learning, teaching and research defining any relationship between frameworks if appropriate. 
3. Define the ‘range of services’ (applications and interfaces) needed to support these requirements.
4. Identify the ‘gaps’ in software provision, standards and middleware that currently prevent an institution from developing a coherent architecture and, where possible/appropriate, commission the development of new open source tools and interfaces.
5. Pilot or demonstrate systems and tools that are based on open standards and that address interoperability issues.
6. Identify the sustainability issues related to common technical framework(s) using the IE as a case study.
7. Identify an agreed set of user groups and stakeholders and ensure programme outcomes are appropriate to their needs, by establishing an iterative, consultative, evaluation and feedback process.
8. Enable the community to make relevant, informed choices and to support implementation, by  communicating the main findings and recommendations (e.g. reference architectures) to the JISC user groups and other stakeholders.

Progress

(Nov 03)
The programme is still at the scoping and review stage, and is about to commision three studies:

1. Framework Scoping: The purpose of the proposed study is to collate, analyse, and map JISC development activity associated with the main frameworks and architecture initiatives. The study will produce a visual planning tool that supports the JISC in the prioritisation of future development activities.
2. Sustainability study: common services and digital infrastructure. This study will examine the issues of sustainability of the digital environment with particular reference to developments within the JISC Information Environment (IE), looking at the Information Environment Service Registry (IESR) and the join–up article infrastructure projects. Recommendations on potential service and business models that support the distributed digital environment will be sought.
3. Standards for JISC Development Activity and Service Interoperability The aim of this study is the production of overarching technical standards guidance to support the implementation of ICT across the further and higher education sectors and to enable interoperability. The primary audience for this guidance will be those funded by JISC to undertake development projects or to provide a service.