To enable the delivery of the University’s Strategic Plan, a new digital strategy and roadmap has been developed with an updated portfolio of immediate priorities and longer-term initiatives. This digital strategy is about creating positive impacts for students and staff at the University of Lincoln and we will be continuously monitoring progress to ensure we deliver and drive impact.
Foundations of Our Strategy
Foundations established before the pandemic enabled a successful transition to online learning, teaching and working.
Technology basics in place
System integration and Cloud-hosted SaaS, building on technology basics (infrastructure, Wi-Fi, service desk, maintenance).
Digital education
Support for using technology like Blackboard VLE, Teams, AI, AV systems to enhance teaching and learning in person and online, dedicated support for students and staff, award-winning accessibility improvements
Cybersecurity
Ongoing investment in our capability to minimise risk through automated security measures, external audits & testing, Multi-factor Authentication and upgrades.
Student as Producer
Co-creation of digital resources, skills development and work experience for students.
Remote working
Microsoft Teams is the new ‘hub’, business process automation, Enabling the Business.
Our Immediate Priorities
Our immediate priority is to deliver technology that just works and to address gaps in under-served areas..
Making student systems more intuitive, with the first step the development of a new University app
Enhancing digital tools and support for research
Developing staff digital capability and mindset
Improving technology and AV in teaching rooms
Integrating digital systems across the University, including ensuring we are cyber-secure
And utilising AI and automating high-volume tasks to free up staff time
Our Digital Roadmap
Our immediate priorities are part of an updated portfolio of initiatives, aligned to the key strategic drivers, with a roadmap showing how and when they will be delivered. This sits alongside normal operational activity.
Teaching and Learning
We are enhancing teaching efficiency and effectiveness by adopting digital tools, upgrading to Blackboard Ultra, integrating with Microsoft tools, and improving technology in teaching rooms. This includes creating a digital environment for the Medical School and exploring new capabilities like a Hack Space and and upgrading platforms to grow our PDU offerings. Our goal is to provide a consistent and improved digital experience for students and staff, reflected in positive user feedback.
Research and computing
We collaborate with the research community to develop ‘research computing as a service,’ building on high-performance computing and open data pilots. This initiative aims to meet the evolving digital needs of researchers such as those from LIAT, funded primarily through QR funds, and is expected to enhance user feedback from the research community.
Connected Experiences
We aim to improve the student experience by better integrating systems, processes, and data, laying the groundwork for ‘Lincoln Connects,’ the proposed digital spine for the University. This integrated digital service will enhance the student experience and operational efficiency starting with a new app launching in early 2024, with success measured by student feedback.
Finance, Estates and Commercial
Our focus is on digital assets that support key services, such as the Sports App and Commercial Services re-platforming, aligned with our commercial strategy. The Sports App is crucial for enhancing the student experience at the sports centre, integrating digital services for accommodation and catering and collaborating with the Estates Colleagues on future estate changes with success indicated by improved user feedback.
People and Communications
We are enhancing digital tools to support new people-focused priorities, reducing engagement friction, moving away from email-based communication, and improving how we understand and manage staffing needs. Our goal is to provide better digital services for staff, with success measured by improved staff feedback.
Digital Infrastructure
We maintain and enhance core infrastructure through rolling replacements, asset management updates, and cybersecurity measures to protect against growing threats. We are also exploring automation and AI to improve services and efficiency, with success reflected in usability metrics and user feedback from students and staff.
Digital Solutions
We provide and introduce digital solutions that enhance the experience for students and staff. This includes cross-University digital solutions identified as priorities for review and potential investment, aiming to improve ease of use and access to services, with success measured by user feedback.
Challenges
Institutions are facing a range of challenges when implementing plans for digitally enhanced learning, teaching, and student support and Lincoln is no exception to this.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure and system integration in place, 70% in the cloud, continued move to SaaS. We now need to optimize, so services work faster, are fully integrated and work more consistently for users.
Customer-centric
Good processes in place, but services not (always) designed with the user in mind or improvements driven by user feedback
An unfulfillable backlog
We have a very long wish list of requests from stakeholders and improvements we want to make, but realistically we will never be able to do it all.
Cybersecurity
Great foundations in place but risk in cyber threats means there is more work to do to keep our systems and data secure.
Joined-up experiences
Moving from well-delivered ‘point’ solutions towards integrated services that enable a seamless end-to-end student journey.
Gaps
Strategically important areas such as research and digital capability development for staff are currently underserved.
Digital learning environment
Tools & support in place, but more can be done to create an integrated learning experience across physical and virtual spaces.
User insights
We need to do more to harness the data we have to enable us to maximise student retention and attainment by utilising sentiment and engagement data, AI, predictive analytics and automation to prompt personalised and timely staff interventions.
Digital disruption
Recent advances in AI technology expected to have a profound impact in any organisation, but the extent and nature of this is yet unknown.
View the Digital Strategy in full
View full Digital…Get involved
The digital strategy, portfolio and roadmap aren’t set in stone. We have consulted with stakeholders and the University community during its development, but priorities and user needs may change and our programme of activities will need to adapt as necessary.
Contact us
You can contact us by email, telephone (available 08:00-17:00, Monday to Friday for supporting teaching delivery only) and face-to-face using the below information.