The automated university: bots and drones amid the dreaming spires

University teaching is under the microscope as institutions brace themselves for the first Teaching Excellence Framework, which will accord them gold, silver and bronze status. The biggest developments in university teaching are being driven by technology. The old techniques of talk and chalk are being challenged by lecture capture, flipped learning and decision-making based on data analysis. But technology can have worrying consequences. One (unnamed) university was recently brought under attack by its smart devices – a network including vending machines and light sensors was hacked, wreaking havoc with internet speeds across campus.