On Tuesday 7 June we had a virtual meeting to start the 6 projects that are field testing the XCRI Self-assessment Framework and other resources that HEIs will be using in the XCRI Capital Programme later in the year. Thank you to all the participants in the Elluminate session - as these virtual meetings go, it was fairly trouble free, and we made a recording of it.

A quick synopsis...

Ruth introduced the objectives of the field testing and the wider XCRI Capital Programme with a brief presentation. The primary focus of the field testing is on the XCRI Self-assessment Framework tool and the textual materials in the Knowledge Base that are geared to helping HEIs get started with their XCRI-CAP implementations. The XCRI Capital Programme is aimed at increasing the availability of high-quality, accurate information about part-time, online and distance learning opportunities offered by UK HEIs. It will fund institutions to make the process and technical innovations necessary to release an XML feed of their course-related information, and in addition will create a proof-of-concept aggregator and discovery service to bring together this course information and enable prospective students to search it.

The main strategic aim of the Programme is to encourage HEIs to use XCRI as part of their planning for wider dissemination of their courses information - preparing for increased data demands, such as the Key Information Set, Higher Education Achievement Report and open data initiatives. We expect that HEIs will be able to focus the work on their own priorities over and above the specific types of course identified here.

The field testing will be carried out by staff from the universities of Bradford, Greenwich, Lincoln, Middlesex, Staffordshire, and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Support to the field testing will be via these routes:

• XCRI Forum: http://www.xcri.org/forum
• XCRI Wiki: http://www.xcri.org/wiki
• XCRI Knowledge Base: this website!
• Alan Paull, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Kirstie Coolin, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Rob Englebright, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Ruth Drysdale, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it