Slides from talk for BETT 2016's Technology in Higher Education Summit. We grew up in a world where information was scarce and rationed. The university and college students of tomorrow are today's "iPad generation", growing up in a world where all of the world's information is available at the touch of a fingertip. The monopoly on information has been broken. What will our institutions have to do in order to remain relevant and continue to attract students?

1. Here Comes the iPad Generation
Martin Hamilton [BETT 2016]
Photo CC BY-NC-ND Flickr user henrybloomfield
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2. About Jisc
About Jisc:
› Registered charity championing the use of digital technologies in
research, education and skills
› Range of shared services, advice and support for UK institutions, e.g.
– Janet: World leading network, eduroam global wireless roaming
– Digital capabilities programme, supporting next generation of digital leaders
– Embracing student ideas and using them to build new digital solutions
– Helping institutions to achieve efficiency gains through digital technology, e.g.
asset sharing and brokerage
› My role:
– Helping us to anticipate and embrace (or ameliorate) social and technical trends
and new technologies
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3. Next gen
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4. Next gen
4
So much has changed:
› Anyone with children or grandchildren
under ten will know that smartphones
and tablets have had a massive
influence over the next generation
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5. Next gen
5
So much has changed:
› Anyone with children or grandchildren
under ten will know that smartphones
and tablets have had a massive
influence over the next generation
› With the introduction of the new
Computing curriculum in schools,
today’s children are learning to be what
Nesta calls “young digital makers”
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6. Next gen
6
So much has changed:
› Anyone with children or grandchildren
under ten will know that smartphones
and tablets have had a massive
influence over the next generation
› With the introduction of the new
Computing curriculum in schools,
today’s children are learning to be what
Nesta calls “young digital makers”
› We all have memories of our own school
days, and being put off subjects by
being forced to study them
– Hopefully our children will be so captivated by
the possibilities that technology now offers that
they won’t mind being forced to learn about it!
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7. Transition
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8. Transition
8
Transition:
› How will our children make the
transition from primary to secondary
school, college & university?
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9. Transition
9
Transition:
› How will our children make the
transition from primary to secondary
school, college & university?
› When we think about HE, FE and skills -
what will the institutions of tomorrow
have to do in order to remain relevant &
continue to attract students?
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10. Transition
10
Transition:
› How will our children make the
transition from primary to secondary
school, college & university?
› When we think about HE, FE and skills -
what will the institutions of tomorrow
have to do in order to remain relevant &
continue to attract students?
› The issue here is that we grew up in an
environment where knowledge and
information was scarce & often rationed
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11. Wikipedia is Arthur Mee
for the modern era?
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12. Wikipedia is Arthur Mee?
12
Thirst for knowledge:
› If you were lucky you might have been
able to satiate your thirst for knowledge
with books from your school or public
library, or even have an encyclopaedia
set at home
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13. Wikipedia is Arthur Mee?
13
Thirst for knowledge:
› If you were lucky you might have been
able to satiate your thirst for knowledge
with books from your school or public
library, or even have an encyclopaedia
set at home
› Some of you may even be old enough to
remember getting the hard sell from
door to door encyclopaedia sellers
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14. Wikipedia is Arthur Mee?
14
Thirst for knowledge:
› If you were lucky you might have been
able to satiate your thirst for knowledge
with books from your school or public
library, or even have an encyclopaedia
set at home
› Some of you may even be old enough to
remember getting the hard sell from
door to door encyclopaedia sellers
› And that information rapidly dated – the
Arthur Mee children’s encyclopaedia I
grew up with predates the discovery of
antibiotics & human exploration of
space
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15. Screen time
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16. Screen time
16
From toy to tutor:
› For our kids, phones & tablets
unquestionably begin as entertainment
devices
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Photo CC BY Flickr user aaronpk

17. Screen time
17
From toy to tutor:
› For our kids, phones & tablets
unquestionably begin as entertainment
devices
› But there will come a point in most
children’s time at or before school
where they will realise that…
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Photo CC BY Flickr user aaronpk

18. Screen time
18
From toy to tutor:
› For our kids, phones & tablets
unquestionably begin as entertainment
devices
› But there will come a point in most
children’s time at or before school
where they will realise that…
› There is useful information out there on
the Internet, or apps for their device
that might help them
– with a homework project
– understand something that they have been
struggling with in class
– pursue a particular interest that they have
developed
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Photo CC BY Flickr user aaronpk

19. To know nothing,
and yet know everything
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20. To “know” everything
20
At our fingertips:
› The iPad generation has always had the
sum total of human knowledge at its
fingertips – although at first our children
will not have been aware of this
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Photo credit: Gawker

21. To “know” everything
21
At our fingertips:
› The iPad generation has always had the
sum total of human knowledge at its
fingertips – although at first our children
will not have been aware of this
› There is now so much less friction
involved in following your interests,
particularly if they involve digital
technologies
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Photo credit: Gawker

22. To “know” everything
22
At our fingertips:
› The iPad generation has always had the
sum total of human knowledge at its
fingertips – although at first our children
will not have been aware of this
› There is now so much less friction
involved in following your interests,
particularly if they involve digital
technologies
› A motivated pupil can potentially follow
their interest to degree level and beyond
at their own pace
– and using material from world leading
institutions like MIT & the UK’s FutureLearn
consortium partners
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Photo credit: Gawker

23. The value
in validation
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24. Validation
24
Reach:
› The validation that comes with a
certificate, diploma or degree will
always carry some cachet
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25. Validation
25
Reach:
› The validation that comes with a
certificate, diploma or degree will
always carry some cachet
› And we know that there is huge
perceived value to the learner in terms
of forming social networks & peer
groups
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26. Validation
26
Reach:
› The validation that comes with a
certificate, diploma or degree will
always carry some cachet
› And we know that there is huge
perceived value to the learner in terms
of forming social networks & peer
groups
› Accredited practical experience gained
during work placements can also be
very beneficial
– And yet employers are in some senses
competing with institutions
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27. Learning to work,
working to learn
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28. Learning to work
28
Applied theory:
› Let’s say that I am a school leaver that
has a deep interest in the computer
networking technology, protocols &
standards that power the Internet
– Not only is the underlying documentation open
and freely available, but there are also network
simulators that I can use to explore how all of
this works when put together
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Image courtesy University of Salford

29. Learning to work
29
Applied theory:
› Let’s say that I am a school leaver that
has a deep interest in the computer
networking technology, protocols &
standards that power the Internet
– Not only is the underlying documentation open
and freely available, but there are also network
simulators that I can use to explore how all of
this works when put together
› But my tablet probably isn’t the ideal
platform for running network
simulations. I need hardware
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Image courtesy University of Salford

30. Learning to work
30
Applied theory:
› Let’s say that I am a school leaver that
has a deep interest in the computer
networking technology, protocols &
standards that power the Internet
– Not only is the underlying documentation open
and freely available, but there are also network
simulators that I can use to explore how all of
this works when put together
› But my tablet probably isn’t the ideal
platform for running network
simulations. I need hardware
› Cisco’s Network Academy programme,
provides vocational training based in
institutions and leading to CCNA &
other certifications
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Image courtesy University of Salford

31. The monopoly on information
has been broken
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32. The monopoly is broken
32
What’s my motivation?
› The monopoly on information has (by
and large) been broken
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Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user comedynose

33. The monopoly is broken
33
What’s my motivation?
› The monopoly on information has (by
and large) been broken
› Learners can pursue their interests
independently & achieve recognised
vocational qualifications without
entering an institution
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user comedynose

34. The monopoly is broken
34
What’s my motivation?
› The monopoly on information has (by
and large) been broken
› Learners can pursue their interests
independently & achieve recognised
vocational qualifications without
entering an institution
› Colleges and universities will
increasingly need to consider how they
can provide concrete incentives such as
work placements, higher
apprenticeships & facilities
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016
Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user comedynose

35. The “iPad generation”
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36. The “iPad generation”?
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Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user quinnanya
Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user tanya_dawn

37. The “iPad generation”?
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Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user quinnanya
Photo credit: CC-BY Flickr user tanya_dawn

38. The “iPad generation”?
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39. The “iPad generation”?
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40. Visions of the future
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41. Visions of the future
41
The visions include:
› An overview of where digital
technology may bring about
changes by 2020/2030
› Sketches of how these
changes may benefit specific
roles in 2020/2030
› Prompts for discussion on
potential ideas to help
generate such changes
Find out more: bit.ly/jisc2030
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42. Visions of the future
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43. Visions of the future
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44. Visions of the future
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45. Visions of the future
45
Get involved
We’re interested in finding out:
› What we might have missed
› Where there’s work that’s
already happening
› Which bits are exciting and
which are less relevant
› What would make the biggest
difference to you
› Anything else you think is
relevant
Find out more: bit.ly/jisc2030
Here Comes the iPad Generation - BETT 201620/01/2016

46. Continue the conversation…
46
Except where otherwise noted, this
work is licensed under CC-BY
Martin Hamilton
Futurist, Jisc, London
@martin_hamilton
martin.hamilton@jisc.ac.uk
bit.ly/jisc2030
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