University staff experience of digitally-enabled learning during Covid-19 - March 2021 - Wonkhe
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University staff experience of digitally- enabled learning during Covid-19 March 2021
Contents 01 ABOUT THE SURVEY AND RESPONDENTS 02 EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING STAFF 03 EXPERIENCE OF STAFF SUPPORTING TEACHING 04 WHAT IS WORKING AND BARRIERS TO THINGS WORKING WELL 05 PRIORITIES FOR AFTER THE PANDEMIC WONKHE | MARCH 2021
About the survey and respondents WONKHE | FEBRUARY 2021
Survey and demographics The survey was open January-February 2021. 630 people responded 90.7 in England; 6% in Scotland; 2.5% in Wales; and 0.8% in Northern Ireland 41.4% pre-92 institution; 47.9% modern institution; 4.4.% specialist institution; 3.3% independent provider; 3.3% FE college 4.7% senior manager; 17.2% senior academic; 24% middle manager; 49.8% intermediate; 3.6% early career 19.7% medical and health sciences; 8.5% STEM; 34.4% social sciences; 8.4% humanities; 7.6% creative and performing arts; 19.6% learning and teaching professional Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic I mostly undertook the following: Teaching, supporting or advising students including through digitally-enabled means: 66.3% (n=418) Supporting delivery of digitally-enabled, online and blended teaching and learning (eg through strategy, policy, operations, provision of CPD, technological support): 33.7% (n=212) WONKHE | MARCH 2021 4
Before the Covid-19 pandemic how would you describe the digital
learning and teaching provision for students at your institution?
70
60
50
%
40
Teaching staff
30 Staff supporting teaching
20
10
0
Not developed Somewhat developed Well developedExperience of teaching staff WONKHE | MARCH 2021
How would you rate your proficiency in digitally-enabled teaching and
learning before the Covid-19 pandemic?
5.1%
12% 1= not at all proficient
1
5= highly proficient
18%
2
3
34.6%
4
5
30.3%How, if at all, did the course(s) you taught change to make the
curriculum suitable for online and blended delivery of teaching and
learning during Covid-19?
90
80
70
60
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
Changes to course Changes to provision Changes to Changes to Changes to formative Other None of the above
structure eg the of learning resources curriculum content assessment assignments and/or
format of scheduled how students were
contact time, deferral guided to spend
or replacement of independent study
practical elements of time
the courseWhat have been the most significant sources of advice and support
throughout your time teaching during Covid-19?
80
70
60
50
% 40
30
20
10
0
Informal advice Formal line Expert advice Access to Resources, Resources, Advice from, or Other None of the
from management from a member training or guidance or guidance or collaboration above
colleagues, support or of professional professional toolkits toolkits with an
family, and mentoring by a staff at your development in published by published by an individual
friends senior colleague institution (eg your institution your institution external outside your
learning organisation or institution (eg
technologist) individual learning design
consultant)Were there particular areas where you would have welcomed
additional advice or support?
80
70
60
50
% 40
30
20
10
0
Rethinking Confidence in Designing online Developing a sense Effective use of Responding to Other (please None of the above
curriculum content delivering online assessment of community specific platforms student queries or specify)
for online delivery content/facilitating among students or devices problems
online engagementTo what extent has your experience of teaching during the Covid-19
pandemic affected…
Your confidence in the usefulness of digital technologies in supporting high
quality learning and teaching
Your willingness to experiment with digital technologies in learning and
teaching
Your awareness of the range of digital technologies available and their
potential in teaching and learning
Your proficiency in using digital technologies in learning and teaching
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
More Less About the sameTo what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Covid-19 will increase student expectations of digitally enabled teaching and learning
provision in the long term
I am satisfied with the level of support I have received from my institution to deliver
teaching during Covid-19
I have adapted my approach to teaching and learning in response to student feedback
during Covid-19
It has been a real struggle to manage my teaching responsibilities alongside other
commitments
I have been able to maintain an adequate level of connection and communication with
my students while teaching during Covid-19
The students I have taught have mostly responded positively to online and blended
learning during Covid-19
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
5 4 3 2 1
5= strongly agree
1 = strongly disagreeExperience of staff supporting teaching WONKHE | MARCH 2021
What institution-wide changes were implemented to enable delivery
of online or blended learning during Covid-19?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
%
30
20
10
0
Changes to Additional Published Widespread Changes in Investment in Investment in Investment in Investment in Other None of the
learning and opportunities advice, changes to scope or scale new or new or additional external above
teaching for resources or course of academic expanded use expanded use hardware advice or
policies or professional toolkits to structures eg support of electronic of digital and/or support with
regulations development support changes to provision for learning technology devices updating
for staff updating of amount of students resources platforms (eg course
course scheduled virtual labs) content
content contact time; and/or
and/or deferred structure
structure practical
elementsTo what extent, in your view, has the experience of learning and
teaching during Covid-19 affected…
Your institution’s ambitions for further developing digitally-enabled learning and
teaching once the pandemic is over
Your institutional openness to experimentation with digital technologies in learning
and teaching
The awareness of staff in your institution of the range of digital technologies
available and their potential in teaching and learning
The proficiency of staff in your institution in using digital technologies in learning
and teaching
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
More Less About the sameTo what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Covid-19 will increase student expectations of digitally enabled teaching and
learning provision in the long term
I am confident that we have sufficient skills and expertise in digitally-enabled
learning and teaching within the institution to prepare us for the future
It has been a real struggle to manage the demands of supporting online and
blended teaching and learning alongside my other commitments during Covid-
19
There is generally good collaborative working between academic and
professional staff on enhancing digitally-enabled learning at my institution.
The teaching staff at my institution have mostly responded positively to online
and blended learning during Covid-19
The students at my institution have mostly responded positively to online and
blended learning during Covid-19
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
5 4 3 2 1What is working well and what are the barriers? WONKHE | MARCH 2021
What is working well, or better than expected? Student engagement: improved attendance and participation; students taking more ownership; independent work; more engagement with optional content; peer and small group learning. Pedagogy: more diverse activity; more formative assessment and fewer exams; flipped activity; larger bank of learning resources; more thought put into curriculum design; opportunities for guest speakers. Technology: recorded lectures; interactive platforms with breakouts; chat function; delivering to large groups; use of technology as communication platform; pace at which content produced and published. Student access: access to resources, flexible working at own pace; different ways of communicating with students; 121 meetings improve relationships. Working culture: flexible; collaborative; better meeting attendance; less presenteeism; more trust of academics; innovation/freedom to experiment. WONKHE | MARCH 2021
What has been the biggest challenge or barrier to making things work? Student engagement: students logging in but not doing the work; developing group cohesion; creating a student community; getting interaction in sessions; student confidence with technology; student wellbeing. Time: the additional time taken for creating and adapting content for digital learning environment; impact on workload. Meeting student expectations: student scepticism of technology and online learning; greater expectation of 121 support. Inclusion: the digital divide; lack of financial support for struggling students; increased pastoral load; inclusion of diverse students (eg providing captioning for lectures) Technology issues: connectivity; lack of right kit; not enough choice of tools; lack of tech; too many platforms - digital noise; VLE doesn’t support interaction; bad underlying digital infrastructure; platforms not designed for teaching Wellbeing: isolation, lack of time with colleagues; loss of motivation; digital fatigue; homeschooling/childcare; lack of clarity and information from government and regulators; coping with speed of change Lack of institutional support: siloed working; poor communications from leadership; lack of technical support; lack of investment; lack of training; lack of flexibility with timetabling and policies; not mitigating impact of increased teaching efforts; too many meetings. WONKHE | MARCH 2021 19
Priorities for after the pandemic WONKHE | MARCH 2021
Once the pandemic is over, which of the following are your top
three priorities for using technology to enhance students’
learning?
90
80
70
60
50
%
40
30
20
10
0
It should foster a It should enable It should give me a It should help me It should help me It should improve Other
sense of community richer and more better insight into build connection and save time in inclusion for
among learning diverse source students’ rapport with the managing my students with diverse
groups material to be engagement, abilities students I teach teaching workload backgrounds and life
integrated into and performance experiences
courses
Teaching staff Staff supporting teachingYour one great hope for learning and teaching post-Covid Blended learning that embraces “the best of both”: for diversity and inclusion; community building; flexibility for students and staff; widening access; more sustainable; wider range of tools to engage students; push mundane elements to digital; blended for interaction; responsive to student needs. Modernising pedagogy: fewer lectures and more small group teaching; more authentic assessment/ditch exams; more rounded and effective online community; more student engagement; more active learning; more individualised approach; more staff-student community interaction; more online learning materials; better facilitation of collaboration; no more death by powerpoint; more imaginative delivery. But… This is by no means universal - significant numbers long for a return to the classroom, and to live lectures. Respondents want the demands on staff to be acknowledged and academic workload reform to facilitate a blended future - some worry that embracing blended could be seen as an opportunity for cost-cutting. They also want freedom and flexibility to innovate, and for university managers to display faith in programme leaders. WONKHE | MARCH 2021 22
Thank you Contacts Debbie McVitty, Wonkhe | debbie@wonkhe.com Philippa Hardman, Aula | philippa.hardman@aula.education
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