Thanks to Bill at the Online Learning in the Arts for this link, another JISC website, this time JISC Digital Media and its accompanying blog.

Its a great resource with:

•  regular training courses (£150-175) on metadata, copyright, video recording, etc
• digitisation case studies
• free guides and advice

[Image created with wordle.net]

Having only discovered JISC TechDis last week, I’m planning to spend tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday 22 April 2009, watching their live webcast Web 2.0 and the Law for Colleges and Universities, 2-4pm.

Here’s the (free, no registration necessary) programme:

• 2.00 – What’s it about? Introducing the webcast, and the relevant law
• 2.10 – Scenario 1 – data protection, negligence
• 2.25 – Scenario 2 – accessibility, defamation, obscenity
• 2.40 – Scenario 3 – IPR, employment misconduct
• 2.55 – A round-up of the issues
• 3.00 – Coffee Break!
• 3.05 – Some frequently asked questions
• 3.15 – Framing an institutional policy
• 3.30 – The tutor’s checklist
• 3.40 – Viewers’ questions and panel discussion
• 4.00 – Close

The catchily named JISC TechDis site provides seeks to “support the education sector in achieving greater accessibility and inclusion by stimulating innovation and providing expert advice and guidance on disability and technology”. It seems to be concentrated towards e-learning, but there’s a lot of useful accessibility information. 

It’s easy as web editors to fall into the trap of thinking of accessibility provision only in terms of visual impairments, JISC TechDis’s sections on Disabilities and the Creation of Learning Content provide valuable reminders of the wider scale of the issues.

This work is being funded to improve HEI’s understanding of how other institutions are currently managing their web content and to raise awareness of trends and possible future directions. In addition the work is expected to enhance Eduserv’s understanding of institutional requirements for management of web content and to influence our 2-3 year plans for service provision in line with our charitable mission.”

Invite to tender with a deadline 18 March 2009.

I hate deleting old content because it doesn’t meet new accessibility requirements/new site design/etc. While sites are still in their relatively early stages, we can often go through a whole site updating content for new templates but it’s obvious that this approach becomes less and less viable all the time as sites expand. 

I’d like to see the BBC’s new approach get widespread adoption, a prominent banner across the top of a page explicitly stating that “we’re no longer updating this page” with a link to further information. 

Seetha Kumar, Controller BBC Online, addresses the new approach – We’re no longer updating this site!