JISC Technology Watch website launch

The Technology Watch Group launches its web site, at http://www.jtap.ac.uk/techwatch , on 4th September 2000.

The site will act as the main vehicle for fulfilling its role of informing the HE and FE communities of emerging technologies and of the debate on their significance for the sector.

Technology Watch is a Group of JCIEL providing a service on behalf of JISC. It includes Standards Watch, previously under the Standards Group of JCAS and the Technology Watch role of the Web Focus Officer, formerly under JCEI.

The web site provides easy access to a broad range of information on trends and developments in C and IT that are relevant to learning and teaching activities of tertiary institutions. The contents will be updated continuously and the coverage will expand as the programme proceeds and as new technologies come in to focus.

The main part of the web site will hold reports on the key technologies identified by the Technology Watch Group including those that have been commissioned for the site. These will include reports on technologies, on standards, on the web, on issues for learning and teaching and on issues for e-business. The site will contain news items, debate and information on just about every technology important to education as well as a wealth of linksto related sites worldwide.

Coinciding with the launch of the web site is the issue of an invitation to tender for writing reports. Technology Watch has identified those technologies that are considered key for the community to know about. The principal way in which it will achieve this is through a tendering process. In order to bring substantive, appropriate information to the community, it will also commission reports, invite contributed reports and search out materials from the education community, from business and from vendors that can be hosted in one site.