Embedding digital discovery in an HE foundation yearJisc
The document discusses embedding digital discovery in the foundation year at Bishop Grosseteste University. It describes having students complete a digital discovery tool in their first semester to introduce digital skills and again in their second semester where it is incorporated into an assessment task. The foundation year curriculum covers topics like self as learner, critical thinking, and the digital learner across two semesters. Digital discovery is included in two summative assessments, where students must engage with digital activities and reflect on the experience, and create an action plan to develop additional digital skills based on self-evaluation results. Future plans include further embedding digital capabilities into degree programs and offering graduate attributes awards and digital badges.
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
Online teaching: overcoming the challenges, 20 October 2020Jisc
There is no one right way to use technology to underpin the curriculum. The range of possibilities can make it difficult for practitioners to know where to start, but as universities and colleges adapt to the new normal of teaching in hybrid environments support is needed to ‘get it right.’
There will be challenges, but you can overcome these if time and resources are directed at the right things. There are lots of misunderstandings about what it means to use technology to support teaching, learning and assessment. Academic staff need to approach the challenge with an awareness of those misconceptions as well as with a critical and creative mindset.
This webinar will showcase examples of how universities and colleges are currently adapting to provide flexible approaches to learning using digital. The focus will be on what lessons we have learned over the last six months and how we can make online learning a transformative experience for learners, rather than a deficit model.
Learning and teaching reimagined - how are student needs changing?Jisc
Presentation slides from our first learning and teaching reimagined series, which focused on how student needs are changing.
The rapid move to online learning brought about by COVID-19 has caused profound changes to higher education and the student experience.
But how much do we really know about the needs of our students? On what evidence are we basing these views? Even if we are confident that we do have a full and accurate picture of these needs, what difference is it making to our planning and decision making?
As part of our learning and teaching reimagined programme with UUK, Advance HE and Emerge Education, this webinar provided the opportunity to share your own understanding of your students’ needs and to hear those of others – not least from students themselves.
It explores the value of different types of evidence and, crucially, how to then build on this insight to ensure that the student voice permeates through, and plays an active role in, influencing your strategic planning.
Beyond the blend: practical approaches to designing fully online learningJisc
A presentation from Connect More 2020 by Kate Lindsay, head of digital education, University College of Estate Management.
The University College of Estate Management has been delivering remote teaching and learning for over a century. Their current programme of digital transformation puts their students learning experience at it heart with a focus on flexibility and embedding active online pedagogies. Based on experience and evidence from practice, this presentation will outline the changes and methods we have put in place to design online education, along with a set of resources to share with the sector.
Embedding digital discovery in an HE foundation yearJisc
The document discusses embedding digital discovery in the foundation year at Bishop Grosseteste University. It describes having students complete a digital discovery tool in their first semester to introduce digital skills and again in their second semester where it is incorporated into an assessment task. The foundation year curriculum covers topics like self as learner, critical thinking, and the digital learner across two semesters. Digital discovery is included in two summative assessments, where students must engage with digital activities and reflect on the experience, and create an action plan to develop additional digital skills based on self-evaluation results. Future plans include further embedding digital capabilities into degree programs and offering graduate attributes awards and digital badges.
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
Online teaching: overcoming the challenges, 20 October 2020Jisc
There is no one right way to use technology to underpin the curriculum. The range of possibilities can make it difficult for practitioners to know where to start, but as universities and colleges adapt to the new normal of teaching in hybrid environments support is needed to ‘get it right.’
There will be challenges, but you can overcome these if time and resources are directed at the right things. There are lots of misunderstandings about what it means to use technology to support teaching, learning and assessment. Academic staff need to approach the challenge with an awareness of those misconceptions as well as with a critical and creative mindset.
This webinar will showcase examples of how universities and colleges are currently adapting to provide flexible approaches to learning using digital. The focus will be on what lessons we have learned over the last six months and how we can make online learning a transformative experience for learners, rather than a deficit model.
Learning and teaching reimagined - how are student needs changing?Jisc
Presentation slides from our first learning and teaching reimagined series, which focused on how student needs are changing.
The rapid move to online learning brought about by COVID-19 has caused profound changes to higher education and the student experience.
But how much do we really know about the needs of our students? On what evidence are we basing these views? Even if we are confident that we do have a full and accurate picture of these needs, what difference is it making to our planning and decision making?
As part of our learning and teaching reimagined programme with UUK, Advance HE and Emerge Education, this webinar provided the opportunity to share your own understanding of your students’ needs and to hear those of others – not least from students themselves.
It explores the value of different types of evidence and, crucially, how to then build on this insight to ensure that the student voice permeates through, and plays an active role in, influencing your strategic planning.
Beyond the blend: practical approaches to designing fully online learningJisc
A presentation from Connect More 2020 by Kate Lindsay, head of digital education, University College of Estate Management.
The University College of Estate Management has been delivering remote teaching and learning for over a century. Their current programme of digital transformation puts their students learning experience at it heart with a focus on flexibility and embedding active online pedagogies. Based on experience and evidence from practice, this presentation will outline the changes and methods we have put in place to design online education, along with a set of resources to share with the sector.
Students First 2020: Digital Campus, A program to empower & enable digital ed...Studiosity.com
Prof Kevin Ashford-Rowe, DVC Digital Learning and Dr Caroline Rueckert Director Student Success share how QUT - an innovative, tech-capable university - saw the need to evolve and build internal consensus for the digital student experience in recent years, and shares what that looks like in 2020-2021 in response to new velocity, urgency, and inclusive student care.
In this session Prof Ashford-Rowe and Dr Rueckert invite discussion around the need and velocity for change, through the lens of thoughtful direction, a students-first approach, and due diligence.
- The 3rd campus, and insight into QUT's cohort
- Digital at heart vs digital in part
- Equitable student support, Studiosity
- Building consensus and support for investment in the "third campus", from leadership to all key technology, academic, and student services stakeholders.
Using a Microsoft Teams Group site to collaboratively support staff digital c...Jisc
Using a Microsoft Teams Group site to collaboratively support staff digital capabilities at the University of Brighton. The site aimed to share information, capture good practices, and answer questions to support flexible, inclusive, and multimodal digital learning. Over 330 members from various departments used the site, mostly asking questions about technology which led to broader pedagogical discussions. Analytics showed high engagement from July to November 2020 during remote teaching. The site successfully reduced pressures on technical support staff and hopes to collect case studies of good digital teaching practices. Evaluations will assess the site's role in fostering an online community of support.
Creating Abertay University's own "Sticky Campus"
Speakers:
Alastair Robertson, director of teaching and learning enhancement, University of Abertay Dundee
Liam Hutchinson, learning enhancement coordinator, University of Abertay Dundee
This session will provide the audience with an overview of Abertay's efforts to create a new "sticky campus" through new learning spaces and embracing digital technologies that enhance students' learning and engagement. There will be particular reference to the staff development aspects of this strategic initiative.
Conversational platforms as an alternative to the LMS - the results of the Aula pilot at Ravensbourne
Speakers:
Rosemary Stott, associate dean, learning innovation, Ravensbourne
Anders Krohn, co-founder and CEO, Aula
Building on Jisc and Educause’s work on ‘next generation digital learning environments’, this presentation explores the theory and its practical implications at institutional scale. The rationale for and results of the Ravensbourne pilot of the conversational platform Aula, used as an alternative to the LMS and emails, are discussed.
Challenges faced by universities in online education - EMEA Online Symposium ...Studiosity.com
Neil Mosley of Cardiff University examined some of the challenges universities face in online education, with a focus on what to change, think and do differently.
Neil’s three key suggestions for universities to consider for the next academic year were:
- Invest and invest wisely in people and technology
- Seriously consider forming partnerships
- Don’t delay!
Roundtable: How can education providers improve the employability prospects o...Jisc
This roundtable invites you to listen and share examples of effective practice in your organisation regarding how peers have approached employability from the perspective of:
- What does the employment market look like?
- What does an ‘employable learner’ look like?
- How can educators incorporate relevant employability skills into the curriculum?
- How can technology for employability be embedded into course delivery?
- How to ensure organisational support for employability?
This event was held on 9 June 2021.
Learning and teaching reimagined, a new dawn for higher education?Jisc
Learning and teaching reimagined is a sector-wide initiative that launched in June in response to the rapid move to online learning and teaching. This webinar will mark the launch of the initiative’s flagship report which brings together the last five months of research and engagement with leaders from universities across the UK and partner sector bodies.
Student digital experience insights survey 2020: UK higher education (HE) sur...Jisc
The document summarizes findings from the 2020 Student Digital Experience Insights Survey conducted in UK higher education. Some key findings include: most students have laptops and smartphones to access learning materials; access to online resources and wifi is generally good but inconsistent; students report getting feedback on their work monthly but less frequent collaboration; and support for developing digital skills could be improved. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted needs like more recorded lectures, laptop loans, and support for remote access. Overall it assessed the student digital experience and opportunities to improve digital learning, teaching, and skills support.
From Jisc's student experience experts group meeting in Birmingham on 21 April 2016.
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/events/student-experience-experts-group-meeting-20-apr-2016
Student digital capabilities: institutional strategy before, during and after...Jisc
The document discusses the University of Nottingham's strategy for developing students' digital capabilities before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines the institutional context and governance structure, recommendations from a secondment on digital literacy, and the transition to emergency remote teaching in March 2020 using various online tools. Going forward, the strategy involves moving from emergency remote teaching to a blended model combining online and face-to-face learning, with a focus on pedagogy, student experience, and engagement. A steering group will reassess recommendations and adjust the approach to ensure students develop the digital skills needed for the workplace.
Getting started with your 2020/21 digital experience insights surveysJisc
The document discusses adapting Jisc's Digital Experience Insights (DEI) surveys for the 2020/21 academic year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes using the surveys as "pulse surveys" administered in short time periods to track changing experiences of online learning and work. Questions will focus on participation methods, well-being, and evaluating technology provision for remote work and learning. The surveys can now provide timely feedback rather than just annual reports. Participation, expectations, and contexts may change rapidly so summarizing data across the year may not be meaningful.
Digital wellbeing to institutional compassion: A co-created journey? David Biggins
This document discusses digital wellbeing and co-creation in higher education institutions. It presents a Digital Learning Maturity Model that institutions can use to self-assess their approach to digital learning and wellbeing. Feedback from students indicates that most feel their institution is not doing enough to support digital wellbeing. The presentation calls on institutions to take a more compassionate approach, listen to students, and involve them in decision-making through higher levels of co-creation. Validating the maturity model and providing guidance for institutions to improve their scores are next steps.
e-books for FE: how we make the best use of free Jisc e-books for FE - Karen ...Jisc
This document discusses how a college library promotes the use of free e-books available through Jisc for further education (FE). It introduces the library team members responsible for curriculum liaison and FE resources. They conduct inductions for students on using e-books and other digital resources, embed e-books into the college learning platform, and work with teachers to promote e-books. Teacher testimonials praise the accessibility and searchability of e-books for students. The document provides tips for promoting e-book usage, such as face-to-face inductions and designating library staff as an FE contact.
Link into your professional network - Jisc Digifest 2016Jisc
This session will explore how helping teachers to build confidence in their own technical and professional networking skills, showing teachers how to use and become proficient with LinkedIn and how to transfer those skills to students can lead to employment for students.
The session will show case the Learning Futures/Education and Training Foundation funded resources for the FE and skills sector that its is anticipated may be embedded into a future Jisc service that is currently in the R&D phase.
Learner digital experience insights survey 2020: UK further education (FE) su...Jisc
The document summarizes findings from Jisc's 2020 learner digital experience insights survey of UK further education. It outlines that most FE learners have smartphones and laptops to access learning remotely. It also discusses themes around learners' technology use, their organization's digital provision and support, how technology is used for learning, and developing digital skills. Key findings show areas of strong digital access for learners as well as gaps, such as inconsistent support from instructors and a need for more digital skills training. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted additional needs like laptop loans and better remote systems access.
In this presentation, we report findings from on-going questionnaire/student-based primary research to shed light on hidden learning spaces and the key non-VLE factors identified, for example attendance. Our paper will be of interest and benefit to other institutions seeking to evaluate and optimise learning analytics to build a more holistic picture of student learning, thereby enhancing student outcomes.
How are students actually using technology? EMEA Online Symposium 2020Studiosity.com
At the EMEA Symposium 2020, Sarah Knight, Head of data and digital capability at Jisc, delivered a data-focused insight into how students are actually using technology in further and higher education. Here are some key findings:
- Office for Students predicts that over a million digitally skilled people will be needed by 2022 whilst 24% of HE students said they never worked online with others
- 70% of HE students agreed that digital skills were important for their chosen career but only 42% agreed that their course prepared them for the digital workplace
Here are the key recommendations that, now more than ever, can practically help your students:
- Raise awareness of the importance of digital skills
- Ensure they know what digital skills they need to have before they start and provide opportunities to develop these only online
- Encourage collaboration to emulate business practices
- Embed digital skills through curriculum design
This year's EMEA Studiosity Symposium was hosted online on 1st and 2nd April 2020.
Student digital wellbeing survey interim results - August 2021David Biggins
The interim findings of a survey of 92 students in Higher Education on the subject of digital wellbeing. The survey asks about confidence in using learning resources, internet access, accessing study materials online, how much control students should have over the technology they use and whether institutions are doing enough to support students.
Developing Accessibility Training Strategies in Higher Ed3Play Media
In this webinar, Jennifer Ismirle, Senior User Experience Researcher, and Phillip Deaton, Accessibility Coordinator, from Michigan State University will share how they developed a digital accessibility training program for different types of content and content creators. They will discuss why training is important, as well as share strategies for creating an engaging and successful program.
How are students’ expectations and experiences of their digital environment c...Jisc
Speakers:
Sarah Knight, head of change - student experience, Jisc
Malcolm Murray, e-learning manager - computing and information services, Durham University
Candace Nolan-Grant, learning technology specialist, Durham University
Corinne Walker, learning resources manager, Oldham Sixth Form College
Students First 2020: Digital Campus, A program to empower & enable digital ed...Studiosity.com
Prof Kevin Ashford-Rowe, DVC Digital Learning and Dr Caroline Rueckert Director Student Success share how QUT - an innovative, tech-capable university - saw the need to evolve and build internal consensus for the digital student experience in recent years, and shares what that looks like in 2020-2021 in response to new velocity, urgency, and inclusive student care.
In this session Prof Ashford-Rowe and Dr Rueckert invite discussion around the need and velocity for change, through the lens of thoughtful direction, a students-first approach, and due diligence.
- The 3rd campus, and insight into QUT's cohort
- Digital at heart vs digital in part
- Equitable student support, Studiosity
- Building consensus and support for investment in the "third campus", from leadership to all key technology, academic, and student services stakeholders.
Using a Microsoft Teams Group site to collaboratively support staff digital c...Jisc
Using a Microsoft Teams Group site to collaboratively support staff digital capabilities at the University of Brighton. The site aimed to share information, capture good practices, and answer questions to support flexible, inclusive, and multimodal digital learning. Over 330 members from various departments used the site, mostly asking questions about technology which led to broader pedagogical discussions. Analytics showed high engagement from July to November 2020 during remote teaching. The site successfully reduced pressures on technical support staff and hopes to collect case studies of good digital teaching practices. Evaluations will assess the site's role in fostering an online community of support.
Creating Abertay University's own "Sticky Campus"
Speakers:
Alastair Robertson, director of teaching and learning enhancement, University of Abertay Dundee
Liam Hutchinson, learning enhancement coordinator, University of Abertay Dundee
This session will provide the audience with an overview of Abertay's efforts to create a new "sticky campus" through new learning spaces and embracing digital technologies that enhance students' learning and engagement. There will be particular reference to the staff development aspects of this strategic initiative.
Conversational platforms as an alternative to the LMS - the results of the Aula pilot at Ravensbourne
Speakers:
Rosemary Stott, associate dean, learning innovation, Ravensbourne
Anders Krohn, co-founder and CEO, Aula
Building on Jisc and Educause’s work on ‘next generation digital learning environments’, this presentation explores the theory and its practical implications at institutional scale. The rationale for and results of the Ravensbourne pilot of the conversational platform Aula, used as an alternative to the LMS and emails, are discussed.
Challenges faced by universities in online education - EMEA Online Symposium ...Studiosity.com
Neil Mosley of Cardiff University examined some of the challenges universities face in online education, with a focus on what to change, think and do differently.
Neil’s three key suggestions for universities to consider for the next academic year were:
- Invest and invest wisely in people and technology
- Seriously consider forming partnerships
- Don’t delay!
Roundtable: How can education providers improve the employability prospects o...Jisc
This roundtable invites you to listen and share examples of effective practice in your organisation regarding how peers have approached employability from the perspective of:
- What does the employment market look like?
- What does an ‘employable learner’ look like?
- How can educators incorporate relevant employability skills into the curriculum?
- How can technology for employability be embedded into course delivery?
- How to ensure organisational support for employability?
This event was held on 9 June 2021.
Learning and teaching reimagined, a new dawn for higher education?Jisc
Learning and teaching reimagined is a sector-wide initiative that launched in June in response to the rapid move to online learning and teaching. This webinar will mark the launch of the initiative’s flagship report which brings together the last five months of research and engagement with leaders from universities across the UK and partner sector bodies.
Student digital experience insights survey 2020: UK higher education (HE) sur...Jisc
The document summarizes findings from the 2020 Student Digital Experience Insights Survey conducted in UK higher education. Some key findings include: most students have laptops and smartphones to access learning materials; access to online resources and wifi is generally good but inconsistent; students report getting feedback on their work monthly but less frequent collaboration; and support for developing digital skills could be improved. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted needs like more recorded lectures, laptop loans, and support for remote access. Overall it assessed the student digital experience and opportunities to improve digital learning, teaching, and skills support.
From Jisc's student experience experts group meeting in Birmingham on 21 April 2016.
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/events/student-experience-experts-group-meeting-20-apr-2016
Student digital capabilities: institutional strategy before, during and after...Jisc
The document discusses the University of Nottingham's strategy for developing students' digital capabilities before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines the institutional context and governance structure, recommendations from a secondment on digital literacy, and the transition to emergency remote teaching in March 2020 using various online tools. Going forward, the strategy involves moving from emergency remote teaching to a blended model combining online and face-to-face learning, with a focus on pedagogy, student experience, and engagement. A steering group will reassess recommendations and adjust the approach to ensure students develop the digital skills needed for the workplace.
Getting started with your 2020/21 digital experience insights surveysJisc
The document discusses adapting Jisc's Digital Experience Insights (DEI) surveys for the 2020/21 academic year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It proposes using the surveys as "pulse surveys" administered in short time periods to track changing experiences of online learning and work. Questions will focus on participation methods, well-being, and evaluating technology provision for remote work and learning. The surveys can now provide timely feedback rather than just annual reports. Participation, expectations, and contexts may change rapidly so summarizing data across the year may not be meaningful.
Digital wellbeing to institutional compassion: A co-created journey? David Biggins
This document discusses digital wellbeing and co-creation in higher education institutions. It presents a Digital Learning Maturity Model that institutions can use to self-assess their approach to digital learning and wellbeing. Feedback from students indicates that most feel their institution is not doing enough to support digital wellbeing. The presentation calls on institutions to take a more compassionate approach, listen to students, and involve them in decision-making through higher levels of co-creation. Validating the maturity model and providing guidance for institutions to improve their scores are next steps.
e-books for FE: how we make the best use of free Jisc e-books for FE - Karen ...Jisc
This document discusses how a college library promotes the use of free e-books available through Jisc for further education (FE). It introduces the library team members responsible for curriculum liaison and FE resources. They conduct inductions for students on using e-books and other digital resources, embed e-books into the college learning platform, and work with teachers to promote e-books. Teacher testimonials praise the accessibility and searchability of e-books for students. The document provides tips for promoting e-book usage, such as face-to-face inductions and designating library staff as an FE contact.
Link into your professional network - Jisc Digifest 2016Jisc
This session will explore how helping teachers to build confidence in their own technical and professional networking skills, showing teachers how to use and become proficient with LinkedIn and how to transfer those skills to students can lead to employment for students.
The session will show case the Learning Futures/Education and Training Foundation funded resources for the FE and skills sector that its is anticipated may be embedded into a future Jisc service that is currently in the R&D phase.
Learner digital experience insights survey 2020: UK further education (FE) su...Jisc
The document summarizes findings from Jisc's 2020 learner digital experience insights survey of UK further education. It outlines that most FE learners have smartphones and laptops to access learning remotely. It also discusses themes around learners' technology use, their organization's digital provision and support, how technology is used for learning, and developing digital skills. Key findings show areas of strong digital access for learners as well as gaps, such as inconsistent support from instructors and a need for more digital skills training. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted additional needs like laptop loans and better remote systems access.
In this presentation, we report findings from on-going questionnaire/student-based primary research to shed light on hidden learning spaces and the key non-VLE factors identified, for example attendance. Our paper will be of interest and benefit to other institutions seeking to evaluate and optimise learning analytics to build a more holistic picture of student learning, thereby enhancing student outcomes.
How are students actually using technology? EMEA Online Symposium 2020Studiosity.com
At the EMEA Symposium 2020, Sarah Knight, Head of data and digital capability at Jisc, delivered a data-focused insight into how students are actually using technology in further and higher education. Here are some key findings:
- Office for Students predicts that over a million digitally skilled people will be needed by 2022 whilst 24% of HE students said they never worked online with others
- 70% of HE students agreed that digital skills were important for their chosen career but only 42% agreed that their course prepared them for the digital workplace
Here are the key recommendations that, now more than ever, can practically help your students:
- Raise awareness of the importance of digital skills
- Ensure they know what digital skills they need to have before they start and provide opportunities to develop these only online
- Encourage collaboration to emulate business practices
- Embed digital skills through curriculum design
This year's EMEA Studiosity Symposium was hosted online on 1st and 2nd April 2020.
Student digital wellbeing survey interim results - August 2021David Biggins
The interim findings of a survey of 92 students in Higher Education on the subject of digital wellbeing. The survey asks about confidence in using learning resources, internet access, accessing study materials online, how much control students should have over the technology they use and whether institutions are doing enough to support students.
Developing Accessibility Training Strategies in Higher Ed3Play Media
In this webinar, Jennifer Ismirle, Senior User Experience Researcher, and Phillip Deaton, Accessibility Coordinator, from Michigan State University will share how they developed a digital accessibility training program for different types of content and content creators. They will discuss why training is important, as well as share strategies for creating an engaging and successful program.
How are students’ expectations and experiences of their digital environment c...Jisc
Speakers:
Sarah Knight, head of change - student experience, Jisc
Malcolm Murray, e-learning manager - computing and information services, Durham University
Candace Nolan-Grant, learning technology specialist, Durham University
Corinne Walker, learning resources manager, Oldham Sixth Form College
1. A survey of over 37,000 students and 1,900 teachers across the UK found differences in digital experiences between further education (FE) colleges and higher education (HE) universities.
2. Teachers at FE colleges reported lower access to digital resources like e-books and lecture capture compared to university teachers.
3. Both students and teachers were more positive about their institution's digital environment than teachers, indicating teachers have a more critical view.
4. Digital teaching practices differed between sectors, with college teachers more likely to use live polls/quizzes and provide digital feedback.
The Demand Gap for Online Learning: Latest Trends from the Speak Up ResearchJulie Evans
Project Tomorrow conducted a national research project called Speak Up to survey K-12 students, teachers, parents, and administrators about technology use in education. The document summarizes key findings from Speak Up surveys between 2003-2010 which indicate that students envision a more social, un-tethered, and digitally-rich model of online learning compared to current implementation. It also found disconnects between students' vision and how educators are currently using technology in the classroom.
The document summarizes a meeting to discuss supporting staff to teach effectively online. It introduces Jisc's digital capability service and discovery tool, which includes a self-assessment quiz to evaluate digital skills. Feedback from the tool includes next steps and resources. A new question set on effective online teaching was developed through a review process. Key areas covered include knowledge acquisition, critical engagement, knowledge application, dialogue, collaboration, content creation, and supporting online learners. Challenges discussed include accessibility, non-institutional tools, assessing collaboration, specialist practices, and developing student online learning skills. Updates provided new case studies and information on digital capability events.
Findings from the pilot of staff in UK higher educationJisc
The document summarizes findings from a pilot survey of teaching staff in UK further and higher education about their digital experiences. Some key findings include:
- College teachers reported lower access to resources like e-books and relied more on virtual learning environments for collaboration compared to university teachers.
- Students generally rated their institution's digital environment more positively than teachers at the same institutions.
- College teachers received more guidance on digital skills but university teachers reported wanting more time and support for digital innovation.
- Both college and university teachers expressed a need for more opportunities to develop digital skills as well as flexible support like mentors to help apply new skills.
The Self-Directed Professional Development Lives of Online LeadersJulie Evans
This document summarizes key findings from a Project Tomorrow report on online educator leaders and self-directed professional development. It found that 7% of teachers surveyed teach online classes. These online teachers engage in self-directed professional development using online tools like webinars and videos. They want more training on integrating technology into instruction and identifying digital resources. Both online teachers and students use technology to support self-directed learning outside of the classroom.
For the past 14 years, the Speak Up Research Project has collected and reported on the views of 4.5 million K-12 students, educators and parents regarding digital learning. Using current and longitudinal Speak Up data, we will provide new insights into the use of games, mobile devices and digital content within learning, and counter mythology with the authentic views of students, teachers and parents regarding technology use within instruction. Going beyond anecdotes and assumptions, this interactive and eye-opening presentation will provide leaders with new metrics for evaluating the pulse of elearning in their school or district.
Post-Conference Institute at the 2010 National College Learning Center Association Conference in Charlotte, NC
Emerging technologies such as social networking, multi-media sharing, collaborative workspaces, and mobile technologies are significantly changing the nature of learning and learner expectations for interaction, access, and engagement.
Learning center professionals need to leverage these emerging technologies in ways that can enhance the ways in which we deliver services, create resources, market our centers, manage and train staff, and evaluate our centers.
The document discusses using emerging technologies like social media, multimedia sharing, and mobile technologies to enhance learning center services and student engagement. It notes that while students expect technology, face-to-face interaction is still important. Learning center professionals need to leverage technologies to deliver services, create resources, train staff, and evaluate their centers in a blended approach. The document provides an overview of a conference session on implementing various technologies in learning centers.
Take a look at how Cheadle and Marple prepared to make the switch to Moodlerooms. It will visit what was successful and why, results from student feedback on the project ad what happens next. It will also share insight into how their innovative teaching techniques encourage their students to better engage with their LMS.
Is Higher Education Learning? - UK Council of Graduate EducationSantanu Vasant
The document discusses the impact of moving higher education online during the COVID-19 pandemic. It notes that while universities quickly pivoted to emergency remote teaching, long-term online education requires more preparation and resources. It also raises questions about equity and access given technology disparities among students. While online teaching skills can be developed over time, some university departments have been more reluctant than others to change. Overall, the document advocates for an optimistic and learning-focused approach to online education as changes may outlast the immediate pandemic.
Instructional Technology and Local Institutional Cultures (VLC March 2015)UOInTRO
Sharing with our regional Virtual Learning Community--trends in comparator research as well as the results of a group survey about attitudes and perceptions at local institutions.
EdTech 2016 VLEs – What Lecturers Want and Dodamienr
The document summarizes findings from surveys of lecturers on their use of virtual learning environments (VLEs). It finds that while lecturers have a generally positive view of VLEs, there is significant variability in digital literacy levels. Institutions and learning and teaching units need to consider how digital literacy can be improved. There are also questions around how lecturers share digital resources they create and acknowledge the work of others, as policies in these areas may not be clear or consistently followed.
School Leaders "Speak Up" about Student Achievement, Emerging Technologies an...Julie Evans
This document summarizes a presentation about the annual Speak Up survey, which collects data from K-12 students, teachers, parents, and administrators about technology use in education. Key findings from the 2007 survey showed a "digital disconnect" between how students live and learn. Most challenging for administrators is funding for new technologies and professional development. Students want laptops and mobile access, while administrators see engagement, remediation, and scheduling as drivers for online learning. The presentation promotes participation in the 2008 Speak Up survey.
PLU: OTEN 2013 - Student Preferences & Expectations for Technology in the Cla...Esteban (Steve) Sosa
Students bring multiple devices to campus, preferring mobile options like laptops and smartphones. They view technology as positively impacting their academic success, helping them learn and feel more engaged. While using devices for social and academic purposes, students prefer to keep these separate. Blended learning environments that incorporate technology are seen as most effective. Institutions should support ubiquitous wireless access and help desks, while examining job roles and available technologies. Faculty should question assumptions and partner with instructional designers to thoughtfully integrate appropriate technologies.
This document summarizes the minutes from a meeting of Jisc's student experience experts group. The meeting included:
- Welcome and introductions, with over 300 members of the group that has operated since 2004.
- An overview of Jisc's work advising on student experience and engaging experts to provide feedback.
- Presentations on digital learning environments, findings from a student digital experience survey, defining digital wellbeing, and examples of effective practice.
- Updates from Jisc's student experience team on new features of their digital experience insights surveys and building digital capability services.
Mahara Presentation - Case Studies of eportfolio implementation: Challenges &...ePortfolios Australia
The document discusses case studies of e-portfolio implementation at Macquarie University. It provides context about two programs - an internship program and a postgraduate course - that trialed the use of e-portfolios for assessment. Findings from student surveys showed that the e-portfolio was more helpful for reflection and assessment submission for internship students compared to postgraduate students. Challenges included usability issues and the need for more support and training. Opportunities existed to improve integration of e-portfolios across the university.
This document summarizes key findings from a new report on online learning trends. The report is based on a national research project that surveyed hundreds of thousands of K-12 students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Some key findings include:
- Participation in online classes by middle and high school students has grown significantly in recent years.
- Factors driving greater interest in online learning include keeping students engaged, increasing graduation rates, and providing scheduling flexibility.
- Barriers to further adoption include concerns about course quality, standards alignment, and lack of support for teachers. Providing proper tools, training and incentives could help motivate more teachers to teach online.
Similar to How are teaching staff experiencing the digital environment (20)
The document announces a community launch event for digital storytelling in January 2024. It discusses using digital storytelling in higher education to support learning and teaching. Examples include using digital stories for formative assessment, reflective exercises, and research dissemination across various disciplines. Feedback from students and staff who participated in digital storytelling workshops was very positive and found it to be transformative and help give voice to their experiences. The document also profiles speakers who will discuss using digital stories to explore difficult concepts, hear the student voice, and facilitate staff reflections. It emphasizes that digital storytelling can introduce humanity and creativity into pedagogy and help develop core skills. Attendees will participate in a Miro activity to discuss benefits, applications,
This document summarizes a Jisc strategy forum that took place in Northern Ireland on December 14, 2023. It outlines Jisc's planned services and initiatives for 2023-2024, including expanding network access and launching new cybersecurity, analytics, and equipment services. It discusses feedback received from further and higher education members on how Jisc can better deliver solutions, empower communities, and provide vision/strategy. Activities at the forum focused on understanding members' needs/challenges and discussing how Jisc can better support key priorities in Northern Ireland, such as affordable infrastructure, digital skills, and cybersecurity for FE and efficiency, student experience, and collaboration for HE.
This document summarizes a Jisc Scotland strategy forum that took place on December 12, 2023. It outlines Jisc's planned solutions and services for 2023-2024 including deploying resilient Janet access, IT health checks, online surveys, SD-WAN services, and more. The document discusses how Jisc engages stakeholders through relationship management, research, communities, training and events. It summarizes feedback from further education and higher education members on how Jisc can improve advocacy by delivering the right solutions, empowering communities, and having a clear vision and strategy. Finally, it outlines activities for the forum, including understanding members' needs and priorities and discussing how Jisc supports national priorities in Scotland.
The Jisc provided a strategic update to stakeholders. Key highlights included:
- Achievements from the last year like data collection and analysis following the HESA merger, digital transformation support, and cost savings from licensing deals.
- Customer testimonials from Bridgend College on extending eduroam and from the University of Northampton on curriculum design support from Jisc.
- Priorities for the coming year like connectivity upgrades, new cybersecurity services, and improved customer experience.
- A financial summary showing income sources like membership fees and expenditures on areas like connectivity and cybersecurity.
This document summarizes VirtualSpeech, a company that provides virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) powered professional development training. It offers over 150 online courses covering topics like public speaking, leadership, and sales. Users can practice skills in immersive VR scenarios and receive feedback from conversational AI. The training is used by over 450,000 individuals across 130 countries and 150 universities. VirtualSpeech aims to enhance traditional learning with interactive VR practice sessions and real-time feedback to boost skills retention.
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
In this webinar, participants learned how to utilize Generative AI to streamline operations and elevate member engagement. Amazon Web Service experts provided a customer specific use cases and dived into low/no-code tools that are quick and easy to deploy through Amazon Web Service (AWS.)
How to Make a Field Mandatory in Odoo 17Celine George
In Odoo, making a field required can be done through both Python code and XML views. When you set the required attribute to True in Python code, it makes the field required across all views where it's used. Conversely, when you set the required attribute in XML views, it makes the field required only in the context of that particular view.
A workshop hosted by the South African Journal of Science aimed at postgraduate students and early career researchers with little or no experience in writing and publishing journal articles.
This document provides an overview of wound healing, its functions, stages, mechanisms, factors affecting it, and complications.
A wound is a break in the integrity of the skin or tissues, which may be associated with disruption of the structure and function.
Healing is the body’s response to injury in an attempt to restore normal structure and functions.
Healing can occur in two ways: Regeneration and Repair
There are 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This document also describes the mechanism of wound healing. Factors that affect healing include infection, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition, age, anemia, the presence of foreign bodies, etc.
Complications of wound healing like infection, hyperpigmentation of scar, contractures, and keloid formation.
Walmart Business+ and Spark Good for Nonprofits.pdfTechSoup
"Learn about all the ways Walmart supports nonprofit organizations.
You will hear from Liz Willett, the Head of Nonprofits, and hear about what Walmart is doing to help nonprofits, including Walmart Business and Spark Good. Walmart Business+ is a new offer for nonprofits that offers discounts and also streamlines nonprofits order and expense tracking, saving time and money.
The webinar may also give some examples on how nonprofits can best leverage Walmart Business+.
The event will cover the following::
Walmart Business + (https://business.walmart.com/plus) is a new shopping experience for nonprofits, schools, and local business customers that connects an exclusive online shopping experience to stores. Benefits include free delivery and shipping, a 'Spend Analytics” feature, special discounts, deals and tax-exempt shopping.
Special TechSoup offer for a free 180 days membership, and up to $150 in discounts on eligible orders.
Spark Good (walmart.com/sparkgood) is a charitable platform that enables nonprofits to receive donations directly from customers and associates.
Answers about how you can do more with Walmart!"
Reimagining Your Library Space: How to Increase the Vibes in Your Library No ...Diana Rendina
Librarians are leading the way in creating future-ready citizens – now we need to update our spaces to match. In this session, attendees will get inspiration for transforming their library spaces. You’ll learn how to survey students and patrons, create a focus group, and use design thinking to brainstorm ideas for your space. We’ll discuss budget friendly ways to change your space as well as how to find funding. No matter where you’re at, you’ll find ideas for reimagining your space in this session.
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
A review of the growth of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Database Collection for the last 12 months. Our collection is now passed the 3 million mark and still growing. See which archives have contributed the most. See the different types of records we have, and which years have had records added. You can also see what we have for the future.
Film vocab for eal 3 students: Australia the movie
How are teaching staff experiencing the digital environment
1. How are teaching staff
experiencing the digital
environment?
What the data from our
2020/21 digital
experience insights
surveys for teaching staff
is telling us
November 2021
Clare Killen and Andrew McFadyen,
senior consultants, Jisc
2. See the digital experience through the eyes
of your students and staff
• Powerful data on how students, teaching and
professional services staff, and researchers, are
using technology
• Designed to help to understand and improve the
digital experience in FE and HE
• Provides baseline and benchmarking data to
inform your digital strategy
• 300,000+ participants from 250+ organisations
across FE and HE since 2016
• 2021/22 surveys now open!
2
Find out more at:
digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk
3. Hearing what teaching staff have to say
(October 2020 – July 2021 – focus on learning teaching)
6,551 responses from teaching staff to our
2020/21 digital experience insights surveys
• 2,822 FE teaching staff from 29 colleges
across the UK
• 3,729 HE teaching staff from 24 universities
and one college across the UK
Full reports available from:
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/reports-and-briefings/our-
reports/
3
5. How and where were teachers teaching?
FE
How
• 31% physically on site
• 30% a mix of physically on site and
online teaching
• 39% online teaching (on your own/ with
others in your department)
Where
• 75% at home
• 25% on campus in your office, work
spaces, libraries etc
• 11% had not been teaching online
HE
How
• 2% physically on site
• 16% a mix of physically on site and
online teaching
• 82% online teaching (on your own/with
others in your department)
Where
• 94% at home
• 13% on campus in your office, work
spaces, libraries etc
• 2% had not been teaching online
6. Problems encountered when teaching online
Significant barriers if online delivery is dominant mode
FE
• 52% poor wifi connection
• 29% access to online
platforms/services
• 22% no suitable computer/device
• 21% no safe, private area to work
• 21% need specialist software
• 14% mobile data costs
HE
• 51% poor wifi connection
• 25% access to online
platforms/services
• 20% need specialist software
• 16% no suitable computer/device
• 16% no safe, private area to work
• 12% mobile data costs
6
8. How did teachers feel about their teaching environment?
FE
• 52% reliable (35% neutral, 13%
disagreed)
• 46% well designed (43% neutral,
11% disagreed)
• 51% easy to navigate (38% neutral,
11% disagreed)
• 64% safe and secure (33% neutral,
3% disagreed)
HE
• 57% reliable (30% neutral, 13%
disagreed)
• 39% well designed (42% neutral,
19% disagreed)
• 41% easy to navigate (39% neutral,
20% disagreed)
• 59% safe and secure (36% neutral,
5% disagreed)
The percentages of teaching staff who agreed with various statements about their learning
environment were (answer options: agree/neutral/disagree):
9. How did teachers feel about the platforms and services at their
organisations (agree/neutral/disagree)?
FE
• 50% supported to use own digital
devices (36% neutral 14 % disagreed)
• 68% enabled to access online systems
and services from anywhere (24% neutral,
8% disagreed)
• 72% communicated effectively online eg
email, messaging, notifications (21%
neutral, 6% disagreed)
• 57% provided a good online environment
for collaboration (34% neutral, 9% disagreed).
• 38% were given the chance to be
involved in decisions about online
teaching (40% neutral, 23% disagreed)
HE
• 43% supported to use own digital
devices (38% neutral, 19% disagreed)
• 66% enabled to access online systems
and services from anywhere (25% neutral,
9% disagreed)
• 61% communicated effectively online eg
email, messaging, notifications (28%
neutral, 11% disagreed)
• 45% provided a good online environment
for collaboration (39% neutral, 17% disagreed)
• 25% were given the chance to be
involved in decisions about online
teaching (36% neutral, 39% disagreed)
11. Range of teaching activities (FE)
The percentages of teaching staff who said they had carried out the following online teaching
activities in the last two weeks prior to taking the survey were:
FE
• 77% produced and uploaded course
materials eg quizzes, assignments
• 76% fed back to students on their
work (need not be summative)
• 73% live lecture/teaching session
• 66% supported students to learn
online
• 65% marked/graded coursework
• 52% found and shared course
materials made by others
• 36% held online drop in session(s)
• 35% recorded a lecture/teaching
session
• 26% moderated an online
discussion
• 23% supported a group project
• 8% virtual lab, practical or field work
12. Range of teaching activities (HE)
The percentages of teaching staff who said they had carried out the following online teaching
activities in the last two weeks prior to taking the survey were:
HE
• 83% live lecture/teaching session
• 79% fed back to students on their
work (need not be
formal/summative)
• 71% produced and uploaded course
materials eg quizzes, assignments
• 70% marked/graded coursework
• 65% recorded a lecture/teaching
session
• 59% held online drop in session(s)
• 53% supported students to learn
online
• 40% found and shared course
materials made by others
• 35% moderated an online
discussion
• 29% supported a group project
• 15% virtual lab, practical or field
work
13. Challenges and changing roles (agree/neutral/disagree)?
FE
• 83% created technical challenges
(14% neutral, 4% disagreed)
• 65% added significant new stress to
your workload (25% neutral, 10%
disagreed)
• 74% changed your role as a teacher
(20% neutral, 6% disagreed)
HE
• 82% created technical challenges
(13% neutral, 5% disagreed)
• 73% added significant new stress to
your workload (17% neutral, 10%
disagreed)
• 76% changed your role as a teacher
(16% neutral, 8% disagreed)
Teaching staff were asked whether they agreed that online teaching had …
15. Support for online learning and skills development
FE
• 59% support for teaching online/away
from campus (13% neutral, 10% disagreed)
• 50% guidance about the digital skills
needed in your teaching role (37% neutral,
13% disagreed)
• 30% an assessment of their digital skills
and training needs (43% neutral, 27%
disagreed)
• 27% time to explore new digital tools and
approaches (37% neutral, 36% disagreed)
• 17% reward and recognition for the
digital skills you develop (45% neutral, 38%
disagreed)
HE
• 57% support for teaching online/away
from campus (29% neutral, 15% disagreed)
• 44% guidance about the digital skills
needed in your teaching role (35% neutral,
21% disagreed)
• 15% an assessment of their digital skills
and training needs (38% neutral, 47%
disagreed)
• 17% time to explore new digital tools and
approaches (28% neutral, 55% disagreed)
• 6% reward and recognition for the digital
skills you develop (27% neutral, 67% disagreed)
The percentages of teaching staff who agreed with the following statements were:
16. Expectations and concerns
FE
• 37% the teaching expectations placed
on them had been reasonable (33%
neutral, 30% disagreed)
• 50% could access all the
organisational support services they
needed online (36% neutral, 15%
disagreed)
• 29% the concerns of teaching staff
and their representatives were being
heard (44% neutral, 28% disagreed)
HE
• 26% the teaching expectations placed
on them had been reasonable (28%
neutral, 46% disagreed)
• 40% could access all the
organisational support services they
needed online (36% neutral, 24%
disagreed)
• 16% the concerns of teaching staff
and their representatives were being
heard (38% neutral, 46% disagreed)
The percentages of teaching staff who agreed with the following statements were:
18. Positive aspects of online teaching
18
FE teaching staff quote:
“It was easier to facilitate safe
conversations with students.”
FE: teaching staff quote:
“Don’t walk away from this,
(online teaching) it’s great
and we need to extend it.”
FE teaching staff quote:
“I believe productivity among
staff and some students has
improved.”
HE teaching staff quote:
“It has allowed us to challenge the
pedagogy underpinning our previous
approaches and adapt both for digital
delivery, and also when physically
present.”
HE teaching staff quote:
“Online learning allows students
to connect from anywhere in the
world and is inclusive to
students with disabilities.”
19. Negative aspects of online teaching
HE teaching staff quote:
“Loneliness has affected my mental
health at times."
FE teaching staff quote:
“It can be difficult to get all students to
participate especially in large groups
when they sometimes lose
concentration or find it difficult to
motivate themselves online. Some
students do not have the right
equipment and use their phones.”
19
FE teaching staff quote:
“It can be difficult to get all students to participate especially
in large groups when they sometimes lose concentration or
find it difficult to motivate themselves online. Some students
do not have the right equipment and use their phones.”
HE teaching staff quote:
“Student lack of knowledge of the use of digital
technologies and their general issues with mental
wellbeing have hugely escalated the number of
queries and requests for help I have had to deal with.
This has increased my workload.”
20. How can we improve?
HE Teaching staff quote:
“Listen to staff and support them – it appears you
have focused solely on the student voice."
FE teaching staff quote:
“Act faster in order to equip
learners with access to good
IT at home and in college.”
FE teaching staff quote:
“It can be difficult to get all students to
participate especially in large groups when
they sometimes lose concentration or find it
difficult to motivate themselves online. Some
students do not have the right equipment and
use their phones.”
HE teaching staff quote:
“Allow time to develop content. It takes a huge
amount of time to develop good online
material and many staff are keen to do this
because they can see the benefits, but time
restricts these activities. Could we employ an
IT savvy person to curate the material of the
school? Academics, on the whole, don’t make
good graphics designers/video producers
although I will now be claiming this on my CV.”
20
21. Key challenges: what have we learned from the last 20
months and how can we move forward?
• Infrastructure and access to the right technology is vital if online learning is
to succeed (devices, wifi, readily available technical support, reliable and well-
structured systems and platforms)
• Support to teach and assess online (confidence, initial assessment, training and
support (technical and pedagogical), peer support)
• Wellbeing (changing practices, technical challenges, physical wellbeing, isolation
and loneliness, concerns for students)
• Actively engage with teachers and learners/students as partners in their
teaching/learning experiences
21
22. Getting the most out of your surveys
https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/running-insights-surveys/
• Revised question sets for 2021/22
• Updated guidance on all aspects
• Briefings and toolkits (including benchmarking the online
learner/student experience)
• Posters to help you promote your surveys
• Analysis templates to share your findings
We will also be restarting webinar series
early in 2022 – what topics would you like
to see on the agenda?
22
23. Get in touch …
Digital experience insights
digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk
help@jisc.ac.uk
Clare Killen
clare.killen@jisc.ac.uk
Andrew McFadyen
andrew.mcfadyen@jisc.ac.uk
Except where otherwise noted,
this work is licensed under CC-BY
Editor's Notes
How are you gathering data on the experiences of your teaching staff?
Discussion prompt – while presenting please use the chat to share with us: whether the findings resonate with your experiences, anything that surprises you or stands out and any questions. We will pick these up at the end.
All of the information you need is freely available from the website
Analysis of professional services staff and researchers survey findings is underway and will be published in the new year
Visit the website to see how you can get find out more about how to run surveys with your students and staff from October 2021
The survey questions focus around 4 themes which cover individual and organisational use of technology, how technology is used in learning, teaching and research and support for developing digital skills.
The 2020/21 survey focused on online teaching and participants were asked to respond based on experiences over two weeks immediately prior to taking the survey.
We would like to share some extracts from the reports with you and discuss your findings, your approaches to addressing some of the challenges.
The majority of FE teachers were teaching from home with many teaching online although some on site teaching was still taking place. For HE, 94% of teaching staff were teaching from home and very few were physically on site.
Over half of teaching staff experienced problems with wifi. Overall, 60% of FE teaching staff and 64% of HE teaching staff said they had encountered one or more of the problems we asked them about.
Teaching staff generally felt safe and secure when working online but only just over 50% felt it was reliable and not all felt it was well designed or easy to navigate.
FE: The majority of teaching staff agreed with these statements but only half agreed that their college supported them to use their own digital devices.
HE: While approximately two thirds of teaching staff agreed they were able to access online systems and services from anywhere and that their organisation communicated effectively online, less than half felt the online environment supported collaboration or that they were supported to use their own digital devices.
Overall, teaching staff were positive about the quality of online and digital learning their courses provided. 78% of FE teachers rated it as ‘best imaginable’, ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
In FE roughly three-quarters of teaching staff engaged in key practical activities designed to engage learners but only half found and shared course materials made by others. Few staff engaged learners in some of the more collaborative activities.
Overall, teaching staff were positive about the quality of online and digital learning their courses provided. 84% of HE teachers rated it as ‘best imaginable’, ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
In HE high numbers delivered online sessions but few found and shared course materials made by others or offered students to opportunities to engage in collaborative activities.
FE: The impact of delivering online learning on teaching staff is apparent. For many, the technical challenges were not just their own, but those of their learners, and trying to manage these while delivering teaching, as well as working in a change of role and was extremely stressful.
HE: High numbers of teaching staff agreed that online teaching had an impact on their role as a teacher, had created technical challenges and added significant stress to their workload. This will clearly have an impact on their wellbeing and is a major concern.
61% of both FE and HE teaching staff rated the support they received to teach online as being either ‘best imaginable’, ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
FE: Only half of teaching staff agreed they had been given guidance about the digital skills needed in their teaching role. Given the situation, this is lower than is desirable. Less than a third had an assessment of their digital skills and training needs – a vital guide to them as individuals and for their organisation in understanding skills gaps and their ability to provide targeted support.
HE: Less that half of teaching staff agreed they had received guidance about the digital skills needed in their role and very few agreed they had an assessment of their digital skills and training needs, high numbers disagreed. High numbers also disagreed that they had time to explore new digital skills and approaches.
FE: Half of the teaching staff agreed that they could access all the organisational support services they needed online, but fewer numbers agreed that the teaching expectations placed on them were reasonable and high numbers disagreed. Staff were divided as to whether their concerns were being heard.
HE: Less than half of teaching staff agreed that they could access all the organisational support services they needed online and high numbers disagreed that the teaching expectations placed upon them had been reasonable. High numbers also disagreed that their concerns were being heard.
Key positives for FE included:
Having the chance to learn new skills
Creative approaches to teaching (quizzes, guest lectures, recorded lessons) led to an increase in student engagement
Sharing live documents facilitated one-to-one discussions
Breakout rooms enabled small group or 1:1 support
Ability to deliver varied assessments
Efficient use of time
Easy access to resources
Increased inclusion
Communication with learners
Flexibility
Similar positives for HE
New and flexible ways of teaching
Being able to record live sessions and develop flexible resource banks
Positive for students in improving student access to learning and supporting them to revisit content, go at own pace, fit learning around other commitments)
Increased student engagement
More options to support students
Improved options for formative assessment
Convenience and improved productivity
What some teaching staff liked, others did not.
For FE, the most negative aspects were:
Technical difficulties - own and those of students
Not having appropriate equipment and software
Slow/insufficient broadband
Find it hard to deliver practical sessions
Difficulties judging when learners needed support
Feeling overwhelmed/work overload
Missing the rapport and physical interaction
A decline in student engagement and interaction
For HE, the most negative aspects were:
Reduced student interaction and engagement
Managing group work with large groups
The impact of online learning on students – watching them struggle
Technical and access issues (poor wifi, not being able to access the equipment and software needed, having to purchase equipment at own expense
Increased workload (materials, assessments, supporting split class delivery modes)
Trying to resolve own and students technical difficulties
Feeling ‘thrown in at the deep end’
A decline in mental and physical wellbeing
For FE the suggestions from teaching staff included:
Improve access to equipment, systems and support
Improve the quality of resources – consistency, designed for digital
Review staff working practices
Provide more flexible and personalised training
For HE the suggestions from teaching included:
Recognise and support teachers to address the challenges in moving so swiftly to online
Address digital poverty and improve infrastructure
Improve platforms and information management
Encourage online collaboration between peers
Facilitate student interaction and engagement
More training, support and guidance
Recognise and support staff wellbeing
Online learning is not a new concept – many universities and colleges have been researching, developing and supporting new practices for decades. It was the scale and pace of the shift that was different and the fact that all teaching staff needed to embrace it, regardless of previous experience. As the primary mode of delivery, online learning presented new opportunities and alternative approaches although some found it daunting. Having to learn how to facilitate learning, teaching and assessment in an online environment meant upskilling for some. This, combined with the need to troubleshoot their own technical problems as well as those of their students, while continuing to deliver high class teaching, was challenging and pushed some staff outside of their comfort zones.
Revised question sets for 2021/22 – reflect a change away from the focus on purely online learning in 2020/21 to reference