How digital is your university? In this talk for the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE) I invite viewers to think about the impact of technology on the sector, with some examples of disruptive technologies and trends, like Udacity's self-driving car engineering nanodegree

1. The impact of technology on higher education
Martin Hamilton @martin_hamilton

2. About Jisc
» Not-for-profit company serving research and education:
› 18 million users of shared services like Janet, eduroam,
JiscMail, shared data centres
› Devising national deals with IT vendors and publishers,
e.g. Amazon,Google, Microsoft, Elsevier and Springer
› Providing advice and guidance to the sector on digital
technologies in research and education
» My role:
› Leading our Future and EmergingTechnologies team,
exploring emerging technologies like Augmented Reality
and brain computer interfaces
› Helping our members devise and implement their digital
strategies, and building the evidence base around new
technologies
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Pepper robot at Jisc Digifest 2017

3. » Not-for-profit company serving research and education:
› 18 million users of shared services like Janet, eduroam,
JiscMail, shared data centres
› Devising national deals with IT vendors and publishers,
e.g. Amazon,Google, Microsoft, Elsevier and Springer
› Providing advice and guidance to the sector on digital
technologies in research and education
» My role:
› Leading our Future and EmergingTechnologies team,
exploring emerging technologies like Augmented Reality
and brain computer interfaces
› Helping our members devise and implement their digital
strategies, and building the evidence base around new
technologies
About Jisc
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Pepper robot at Jisc Digifest 2017

4. » Not-for-profit company serving research and education:
› 18 million users of shared services like Janet, eduroam,
JiscMail, shared data centres
› Devising national deals with IT vendors and publishers,
e.g. Amazon,Google, Microsoft, Elsevier and Springer
› Providing advice and guidance to the sector on digital
technologies in research and education
» My role:
› Leading our Future and EmergingTechnologies team,
exploring emerging technologies like Augmented Reality
and brain computer interfaces
› Helping our members devise and implement their digital
strategies, and building the evidence base around new
technologies
About Jisc
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Pepper robot at Jisc Digifest 2017

5. Technology and higher education
1. Analog or digital?
2. Future and emerging technologies
3. What’s next for tech in HE?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

6. 1. Analog or digital?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

7. Let’s play: How digital are you?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. You’re reading for pleasure - would
you choose an eBook or a paper
book, and why?
Where are you a visitor & where are you a resident?
(from Jisc Digital Leadership course)

8. Let’s play: How digital are you?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. You’re reading for pleasure - would
you choose an eBook or a paper
book, and why?
2. Number of times you checked
Facebook, Instagram,Twitter,
WhatsApp, Snapchat etc so far
today (be honest!)
Where are you a visitor & where are you a resident?
(from Jisc Digital Leadership course)

9. Let’s play: How digital are you?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. You’re reading for pleasure - would
you choose an eBook or a paper
book, and why?
2. Number of times you checked
Facebook, Instagram,Twitter,
WhatsApp, Snapchat etc so far
today (be honest!)
3. Would you print papers for a
meeting to scribble on, or do it all
electronically?
Where are you a visitor & where are you a resident?
(from Jisc Digital Leadership course)

10. Let’s play: How digital are you?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. You’re reading for pleasure - would
you choose an eBook or a paper
book, and why?
2. Number of times you checked
Facebook, Instagram,Twitter,
WhatsApp, Snapchat etc so far
today (be honest!)
3. Would you print papers for a
meeting to scribble on, or do it all
electronically?
4. How many email addresses do you
have? (that you know about…) Where are you a visitor & where are you a resident?
(from Jisc Digital Leadership course)

11. Building digital capability
For HE staff to assess themselves and their teams
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/building-digital-capability
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

12. How digital is your university?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
» Most HEIs are putting a great of
effort into their digital strategies
» Well adopted IT systems for key
business roles, e.g. HR, Finance
» Small number of products are very
widely used, e.g. Microsoft’s
Office365 for online collaboration
» But lots of corner cases where
things don’t talk to each other
› Also processes that should be
computerised, or systems should
joined up
Image CC BY-SA Ron Scheffler for McMaster University Library

13. Digital exhaust  Intelligent campus
https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/project/smart-campus-university-of-glasgow/
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

14. Learning analytics  Retention and attainment
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

15. Learning analytics  Retention and attainment
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

16. Learning analytics  Retention and attainment
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

17. Learning analytics  Retention and attainment
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

18. 2. Future and emerging technologies
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

19. Let’s play: Utopia or dystopia?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. Driverless (or self-driving, or
autonomous) cars (lorries, buses…)
- blessed relief, or frankly terrifying?
Actually Brunel University, even if it looks a bit like
some kind of Martian habitat

20. Let’s play: Utopia or dystopia?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. Driverless (or self-driving, or
autonomous) cars (lorries, buses…)
- blessed relief, or frankly terrifying?
2. Space tourism - fancy a weekend
break on the moon?
Actually Brunel University, even if it looks a bit like
some kind of Martian habitat

21. Let’s play: Utopia or dystopia?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. Driverless (or self-driving, or
autonomous) cars (lorries, buses…)
- blessed relief, or frankly terrifying?
2. Space tourism - fancy a weekend
break on the moon?
3. Smart homes - from Internet
connected locks to toothbrushes
Actually Brunel University, even if it looks a bit like
some kind of Martian habitat

22. Let’s play: Utopia or dystopia?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
1. Driverless (or self-driving, or
autonomous) cars (lorries, buses…)
- blessed relief, or frankly terrifying?
2. Space tourism - fancy a weekend
break on the moon?
3. Smart homes - from Internet
connected locks to toothbrushes
4. DNA editing (CRISPR/Cas9) - we can
rebuild you (or your unborn child)
Actually Brunel University, even if it looks a bit like
some kind of Martian habitat

23. It’s all cats from here…
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

24. It’s all cats from here… (and cat monsters!)
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

25. It’s all cats from here… (and dogs!)
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Trending image from Deep Dream Generator - https://deepdreamgenerator.com/

26. AI meets Shakespeare
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
From http://karpathy.github.io/2015/05/21/rnn-effectiveness/
VIOLA:Why, Salisbury must find his flesh and thought
That which I am not aps, not a man and in fire,
To show the reining of the raven and the wars
To grace my hand reproach within, and not a fair are hand,
That Caesar and my goodly father's world;
When I was heaven of presence and our fleets,
We spare with hours, but cut thy council I am great,
Murdered and by thy master's ready there
My power to give thee but so much as hell:
Some service in the noble bondman here,
Would show him to her wine.
KING LEAR: O, if you were a feeble sight, the courtesy of your law,
Your sight and several breath, will wear the gods
With his heads, and my hands are wonder'd at the deeds,
So drop upon your lordship's head, and your opinion
Shall be against your honour.

27. Help! My co-worker is a robot
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Photo CC BY-NC Flickr user feuilllu
Photo CC BY-NC Flickr user nestle
› Pepper acts as greeter in 140+ SoftBank stores in Japan
› Nestlé planning to introduce in 1000+ sales outlets

28. Help! My co-worker is a robot
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

29. Alexa, order me a warehouse full of robots
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Photo CC BY-NC Flickr user greenplasticamy
› Amazon uses over 45,000 robots already in its
warehouses and distribution centres

30. Alexa, order me a warehouse full of robots
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Photo CC BY-NC Flickr user greenplasticamy
› Amazon uses over 45,000 robots already in its
warehouses and distribution centres

31. 3. What’s next for tech in HE?
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

32. Lifelong learning and portfolio careers
http://www.stanford2025.com/#fast-forward
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

33. The road to Mars
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

34. The road to Mars
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

35. The road to Mars
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk

36. Wrapping up
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
» HE has to date largely escaped being
“disrupted” by technology
» But some tech industries now iterating far
quicker than HEIs can keep up with
› What’s your risk appetite?
» New “threats” (like AI) also create new
opportunities, and quickly become the norm
› Want to swap your washing machine for a
mangle?
» Moral imperative to use tech for good?

37. Wrapping up
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
» HE has to date largely escaped being
“disrupted” by technology
» But some tech industries now iterating far
quicker than HEIs can keep up with
› What’s your risk appetite?
» New “threats” (like AI) also create new
opportunities, and quickly become the norm
› Want to swap your washing machine for a
mangle?
» Moral imperative to use tech for good?
» Discuss!

38. Wrapping up
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
» HE has to date largely escaped being
“disrupted” by technology
» But some tech industries now iterating far
quicker than HEIs can keep up with
› What’s your risk appetite?
» New “threats” (like AI) also create new
opportunities, and quickly become the norm
› Want to swap your washing machine for a
mangle?
» Moral imperative to use tech for good?
» Discuss!

39. Wrapping up
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk
Mr Shadow – song composed by Sony CSL Research Laboratory’s AI

40. That’s all folks!
Except where otherwise noted, this
work is licensed under CC-BY
Connect with me:
Martin Hamilton
Futurist, Jisc, London
@martin_hamilton
martin.hamilton@jisc.ac.uk
Martin Hamilton - The impact of technology on higher education - LFHE invited talk