Beyond the technology: The education 4.0 podcast

In this new episode of What the Edtech?! we explore web accessibility and the new regulations for websites and mobile applications for public sector bodies that came into force at the end of last year.

We hear from Julia Taylor, subject specialist (accessibility and inclusion) at Jisc, and Robert McLaren from Policy Connect.

Since the launch of the series we’ve had fantastic feedback from listeners with lots of suggestions for topics for future episodes – thank to everyone who has been in touch via our Twitter and Facebook pages. We’re already hard at work on series two but in the meantime enjoy this ‘best of’ episode.

In the final episode of series one of What the Edtech?! we take a look back over the best bits so far. This mega-mix of insight and advice from top industry experts from the worlds of education and technology, covers everything from social media for student engagement to learning analytics to the future of AI in education. We’ve collected all the key take-aways into one concise 40-minute episode.

Artificial intelligence: the biggest shake up since the invention of the motorcar?

Martin Hamilton, resident futurist here at Jisc, and historian Sir Anthony Seldon explore the amazing, and often misunderstood, world of artificial intelligence (AI) and discuss how future technologies can enhance the teaching process. 

We also hear from professor Bob Stone, director of the human interface technologies team at the university of Birmingham.

An in-depth look at cyber security, the types of attacks targeted at universities and colleges and the measures taken to mitigate the risks.

Jisc’s chief security analyst Lee Harrigan-Green joins us this week to give insight on the cyber security threats facing institutions and their students. In a fast-moving sector where preventative measures must stay ahead of new and evolving threats, Lee takes us through what individuals and organisations can do to stay secure online.

Celebrating the careers of female tech experts, their motivations and the challenges they’ve faced in an industry where in the UK just one in six specialists are women.

Our experts explore the fascinating (and mind boggling) world of AI and big data.

In this episode Daniela Duca, our senior co-design manager, and Kenji Takeda, director of the Microsoft Azure for research program, have a fascinating chat about some pretty big ideas - post-quantum cryptography, the Cambrian explosion, AI and quantum computing.

We also hear from Miranda Mowbray, lecturer in Computer Science at University of Bristol, who dispels the magic surrounding machine learning.

Student contracts, data collection, the ideas of students as customers, and the employability agenda all take a turn under the microscope...

Do the things students need match what they're telling us that they want? Sarah Knight, our head of change - student experience, and Paul Humphries, CEO of Student Crowd, explore the ways we find out, and discuss why it's so important that a culture of collaboration between staff and students is encouraged.

We explore the mysterious world of learning analytics, and how it can potentially be used to enhance the student learning experience.

Senior co-design manager Paul Bailey and project officer at UCL Samantha Ahern join us as the learning technology experts for episode four of What the Edtech?! They discuss what data institutions are currently collecting on their students, consent and boundaries and the future of learning analytics.

Episode three is all about the changing landscape of research. We hear conversations between Terry Clark, research fellow in performance science at the Royal College of Music, and an honorary research fellow at Imperial College London, and Caroline Ingram, our senior co-design manager. We also chatted to Dr Rachel Bolton-King, lecturer in forensic investigation who shares a fascinating case study from Staffordshire University.

Our expert guests in this episode are discussing startups and how great ideas are turned into successful businesses. Sue Attewell, head of change for further education and skills at Jisc, and Atif Mahmood, founder and CEO of edtech startup Teacherly, join our host with bucket loads of tips and advice for any fledgling startup.

Vivi Friedgut is today’s expert practitioner. Her passionate account of how she founded Blackbullion will provide motivation to any startup in need of some inspiration.