A presentation sharing the findings from our 2020 student digital experience insights surveys together with an overview of our new questions for the 2020-21 surveys of students, teaching and professional services staff and researchers.
The session will offer opportunities for colleagues to share their experiences of how students are adapting to the changes bought about by the pandemic.
By Ruth Drysdale, senior consultant - data and digital capability, Jisc and Sarah Knight, head of data and digital capability, Jisc
2. Questions for discussion
•Did the findings align with your students’ expectations and experiences of digital?
For both Students and Staff, how do you;
•Audit what devices (personal or institutionally owned), connectivity (wifi) and access to
resources they have?
•Support them to increase their confidence in using hardware, software and resources?
•Co-designing technology in the pedagogy to develop students digital capabilities to
move from transactional to transformational use of technology?
2
3. Digital experience insights surveys
• Our insights surveys provide powerful data on how
students, teaching and professional services staff (and
now researchers) are using technology
• Designed to help to understand and improve the digital
experience in FE and HE
• Provide baseline and benchmarking data to inform
organisations’ digital strategy
• Annual summative report on each survey for each sector,
providing vision and leadership
• New question sets for 2020-1 surveys running from
October and will reflect requirements for the COVID-19
context
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/
what-is-digital-insights-
experience/
4. Student digital experience insights survey 2020: UK
higher education (HE) survey findings
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/reports/student-digital-
experience-insights-survey-2020-uk-higher-education
Learner digital experience insights survey 2020: UK
further education (FE) findings:
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/reports/learner-digital-
experience-insights-survey-2020-uk-further-education
Student digital experience insights survey 2020:
question by question analysis of findings from
students in UK further and higher education:
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/dei-2020-
student-survey-question-by-question-analysis.pdf
7. Students’ digital experience and environment
• You and your technology
• Technology at your university or college
• Technology in your learning (or teaching,
research or role
• Developing your digital skills
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/what-is-digital-insights-experience/
8. Theme 1: You and your technology
What personally owned devices do FE and HE students use in
their learning?
FE learners:
•82% smartphone
•68% laptop
•28% desktop
•25% tablet
•3% none of these
HE Students:
•93% laptop
•83% smartphone
•29% tablet
•21% desktop
•0% none of these
9. Theme 1: You and your technology
Attitudes and confidence in using technology
Attitudes
49% FE and 54 % HE enjoyed trying out
new and innovative technologies
45% FE and 43 % HE were comfortable
using mainstream technologies
6% FE and 4 % HE preferred not to use
technology unless they had to
Confidence
72% FE and 76 % HE either ‘very’
or ‘quite’ confident at trying out
new technologies
23% FE and 17 % HE gave a
neutral response
Only 5% FE and 7% HE said they
were either ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’
confident
Learners need to understand the potential relevance of new technologies and
evolving workplace practices and to build the digital confidence and resilience
this requires.
10. “Offer long term loans of laptops and/or tablets to
students who do not have access to a digital device.
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus students from poorer
socioeconomic backgrounds have had to spend money
(some having to go into their overdraft) on laptops etc
because they have depended upon library technology.
They are well within their right as a paying student to rely
on library technology. They have now have been left
without any support and are somehow expected to
complete their degree as normal.” HE Student
11. Theme 2: Technology in your organisation (FE)
Quality of organisational
digital provision
• 75% of FE learners rated the
quality of their organisation’s
digital provision as ‘good’,
‘excellent’ or ‘best imaginable’
• 5% rated digital provision as
‘poor’, ‘awful’ or the ‘worst
imaginable’
Access to essential services
• 68% of FE learners said they had access
to reliable on campus wifi
• 63% agreed that their organisation let
them access online systems and services
from anywhere
• Only 57% agreed that their organisation
supported them to use their own digital
devices
These figures are lower than is desirable – access to these services is
critical to learning both on and off campus
12. Theme 2: Technology in your organisation (HE)
Quality of organisational
digital provision
• 85 % of HE students rated the
quality of their organisation’s
digital provision as ‘good’,
‘excellent’ or ‘best imaginable’
• 3 % HE rated digital provision as
‘poor’, ‘awful’ or the ‘worst
imaginable’
Access to essential services
• 81 % of HE students said they had
access to reliable on campus wifi
• 80 % agreed that their organisation let
them access online systems and services
from anywhere
• Only 68 % agreed that their organisation
supported them to use their own digital
devices
These figures are lower than is desirable – access to these services is
critical to learning both on and off campus
13. Theme 2: Technology in your organisation (1 of 3)
Access to digital resources on demand
73% FE and 89 % HE of learners said they had access to online course
materials on demand
50% FE and 54 % HE said they had access to file storage and backup
32% FE and 81 % HE said they had access to e-books and e-journals
32% FE and 39 % HE said they had access to online skills training resources
13% FE and 51 % HE said they had access to recorded lectures
5% FE and 1 % HE said they had access to none of these
Access to resources that are increasingly regarded as essential to learning is
variable - is better signposting needed for learners?
14. Theme 2: Technology in your organisation (2 of 3)
Which apps or platforms outside of the learning environment have you
used to discuss or collaborate with other learners?
FE learners HE students
15. Theme 2: Technology in your organisation (3 of 3)
Involvement in digital decisions
• Only 26% of FE learners and 17 % of HE students agreed that they got the chance
to be involved in decisions about digital services
• 41 % disagreed that they had this opportunity
Confidence in how data is collected and used
• Only 37% of FE learners and 36% of HE students agreed that their organisation
had told them how their data was collected and used
• 21 % of FE learners and 27% of HE students disagreed that they were told
Our research shows that when students have an opportunity to contribute, all
users benefit
16. Theme 3: Technology in your learning (1 of 5)
Overall quality of digital teaching and learning
• 76% FE and 77 % HE of learners rated the quality of digital teaching
and learning on their course as ‘good’, ‘excellent’ or ‘best imaginable’
• Only 5% FE and HE students rated it as ‘poor’, ‘awful’ or the ‘worst
imaginable’
Who supports you most to use technology in your learning?
• 50% FE and 34 % HE cited lecturers on their course as the
most common source of support
• 18% FE and 25 % HE cited other learners as being the most
common
• 15% FE and 28 % HE cited online videos and resources
• 12% FE and 9 % HE cited friends and family
• 6% FE cfnd 4 % HE said other support staff
17. Theme 3: Technology in your learning (2 of 5)
Digital tools or apps learners find really useful for learning
FE learners HE students
18. Theme 3: Technology in your learning (3 of 5)
Carrying out digital activities
On a monthly or more frequent basis:
• 86% FE and 90 % HE said that they got digital feedback on their work
• 79% FE and 77 % HE worked with data (eg analysis or visualisation)
• 68% FE and 55 % HE created a digital record or portfolio of their learning
• Although 67% FE and 56 % HE of learners worked online with other learners, 33%
FE and 44 % HE said they never did this
• Only 28% FE and 20 % HE said they used simulations, virtual or augmented reality.
19. Theme 3: Technology in your learning (4 of 5)
What is most useful to students?
25 % FE and 38% HE said practice questions online
25 % FE and 24% HE said course-related videos
10 % FE and 18% HE said references and readings
13% FE and 13 % HE said interactive polls or quizzes in class
15% FE and 7 % HE said time working online with other students
20. Theme 3: Technology in your learning (5 of 5)
What one thing should your university or college do to improve
the quality of digital teaching and learning?
• Help teaching staff to develop
digital skills so they can support
students effectively
• Record all lectures and upload
promptly
• Improve consistency and
navigation of the learning
environment
• More interactivity and
collaboration in digital learning
21. “We are learning independently from home yet the slides
are extremely vague nowhere near detailed enough to
write 6 essays in 4 weeks and teachers aren’t replying
until 2 weeks later if at all MORE COMMUNICATION AND
HELP WITH STUDENTS DURING PANDEMIC!!!!!!!!!!”
HE Student
“I can’t fault my course particularly during COVID they
have made their best efforts to allow us to finish our
course with endless online resources and guidance to
complete quizzes!”
HE Student
22. Theme 4: Developing digital skills (1 of 2)
Organisational support for learners to develop their digital skills
• 51% FE and 51 % HE agreed they received guidance about
the digital skills they needed for their course
• 41% FE and 34 % HE agreed that their organisation
provided them with the chance to assess their digital skills
(eg for career planning)
Discussing learners’ digital skills
• 20% of FE and 21 % of HE students did not discuss their digital
skills either during induction, during one to one sessions with tutors,
in lectures and classes or with other learners
23. Theme 4: Developing digital skills (2 of 2)
What one thing should your college do to to help learners
develop their digital skills?
FE learners: HE Students
24. The impact of COVID-19
Feelings of disconnection and requests for more contact and
support
Requests for more recorded lectures
Support for basic skills of digital access to learning
Requests for loans of laptops
The need for staff training on use of digital communication and
conferencing for teaching
Better remote access to university and college systems
A need for consistency in use of technology and feedback
methods
25. Improving the digital experience of all
students
• Pedagogy and learning design
• Addressing digital access and inequality
• Support for developing students’ digital capabilities
• Throughout your students’ journey from pre-arrival;
induction; on course and progression into the workplace;
alumni
26. Student digital experience insights survey 2020: UK
higher education (HE) survey findings
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/reports/student-digital-
experience-insights-survey-2020-uk-higher-education
Learner digital experience insights survey 2020: UK
further education (FE) findings:
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/reports/learner-digital-
experience-insights-survey-2020-uk-further-education
Student digital experience insights survey 2020:
question by question analysis of findings from
students in UK further and higher education:
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/sites/default/files/dei-2020-
student-survey-question-by-question-analysis.pdf
27. The survey questions for 2020-1
Around 30 questions in four thematic areas:
• You and your technology
• Technology at your university/college
• Technology in your learning (or teaching,
research or work role)
• Developing your digital skills
Questions equivalent/mapped across users
Easily visualised in real time via user dashboard
Response data shown to be relevant, actionable and
comparable
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/what-is-digital-insights-experience/
28. What is a ‘pulse survey’
• One survey, run for short time periods, repeated soon after to
identify and resolve issues
• Very useful now that the learning, teaching and working experience
has changed and is changing unpredictably
• Questions refer to shorter time frame: “in the last two weeks”
• Can be used with the same set of people, or with different cohorts
• Can be run in discrete windows (e.g. start of year, just before
Christmas, just before Easter), or continuously
29. Get involved
Sign up to run the surveys https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/subscribe/find-out-more/
See our guidance https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/running-insights-surveys/
Join our Insights community: Click on jiscmail.ac.uk/JISC-DIGITALINSIGHTS-
COP and join by clicking on the 'Subscribe or Unsubscribe' button
Follow #digitalstudent
Register for our online community of practice event on 17th November -
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/events/building-digital-capability-and-digital-experience-
insights-community-of-practice-17-nov-2020
30. Questions for discussion
•Did the findings align with your students’ expectations and experiences of digital?
For both Students and Staff, how do you;
•Audit what devices (personal or institutionally owned), connectivity (wifi) and access to
resources they have?
•Support them to increase their confidence in using hardware, software and resources?
•Co-designing technology in the pedagogy to develop students digital capabilities to
move from transactional to transformational use of technology?
30
31. Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under CC-BY
Get in touch…
Digital experience insights
Sarah Knight
Sarah.knight@jisc.ac.uk
Ruth Drysdale
Ruth.drysdale@jisc.ac.uk
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk
#digitalstudent
Editor's Notes
This slide shows the number of learners who participated in the 2020 learner digital experience insights surveys. The data was collected from 36 colleges between October 2019 and May 2020. The majority of data was collected pre lockdown although the 35 % of data provides us with valuable insights into how students were using technology for their learning during lockdown.
The data was collected from 28 universities between October 2019 and May 2020. The majority of data was collected pre lockdown and still provides us with valuable insights into how students were using technology for their learning.
We will share with you the key findings from each of the four themes and highlight some implications for consideration for the new academic year.
Although a larger percentage of students had access to these devices, more information is needed to ensure we know whether the devices are of sufficient spec for accessing institutional systems and software.
How do you gather this information from your students – do they have access to reliable wifi, can they afford mobile data charges and do they have a safe and appropriate place to study if not on campus?
Digital poverty is a theme running through much of the evidence gathered post lockdown and crucially needs addressing to ensure an equitable experience for all students returning to university,
Although these figures are overall positive there are areas for improvement for example, ensuring all students have access to organisational systems and services from where ever they are studying. Access to reliable wifi continues to be an issue for learners.
With students using their own devices for learning, they will need support with this. Induction processes need to ensure these critical areas of support are picked up and students know how to access support either on campus or remotely.
Although these figures are overall positive there are areas for improvement for example, ensuring all students have access to organisational systems and services from where ever they are studying
With students using their own devices for learning, they will need support with this. Induction processes need to ensure these critical areas of support are picked up and students know how to access support either on campus or remotely.
Although we have been championing our student partnership work for nearly 10 years, its still disappointing to see that students don’t feel they have the chance to be involved in decisions about their digital environment. The surveys are designed to raise the student voice and be a way for universities to engage their students in an ongoing dialogue around digital.
With the increasing amount of data being collected about students, universities have a duty to ensure that students are informed on how their data is being collected and used. They may do this but students are not actively recognising this.
Students were asked to describe what their organisation could do to improve the quality of digital teaching and learning. 11,301 HE students completed a free text response to this question.
This question was designed to yield actionable information to participating organisations. As anticipated, students used this opportunity to raise the issues that they most urgently wanted changed. Their answers do not provide a balanced view of their digital experience, nor do they necessarily reveal the issues that would be at the top of students’ priorities at other colleges and universities. The following figures and analysis should be read with these provisos in mind.
Help teaching staff to develop digital skills so they can support learners effectively
More quizzes, polls and interactive learning in class
Improve consistency and navigation of the learning environment with a simple page structure
Make sure everyone has access to a computer
Individual assessment of their digital skills
Time to practice
Practical, task-based and ‘real life’ approaches to digital skills
Regular support (eg on a weekly basis)
The survey was designed and launched, and data was mainly collected, before the lockdown on 23 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic situation may have influenced how students responded to questions after that date, the questions were designed to refer to an ongoing digital experience and not to one that might suddenly change in the middle of an academic year. Therefore, we cannot know in general whether responses collected after 23 March 2020 were intended to relate to the current situation, or to the ongoing and ‘normal’ digital experience that they were originally designed to explore.
However there were some key themes which emerged through the qualitative data collected post lockdown.
Improving the student digital experience
Looking across the survey findings, there are some clear indications of the challenges the sector needs to address to improve the digital learning experience.
Three that stand out are:
» Pedagogy and learning design
» Addressing digital access and inequality
» Developing student digital capabilities
We will share with you the key findings from each of the four themes and highlight some implications for consideration for the new academic year.
This was wordy compared with other slides – tightened up