The experience of the pandemic has stirred up encouragement and frustration around the use of digital technology in the higher education (HE) sector.
Sarah Knight, head of learning and teaching transformation at Jisc, says there have examples of what can be achieved but also a sense that it needs a significant boost, both in terms of investment and a national strategy for England.
Her perspective reflects the frustrations aired by her colleague Heidi Fraser-Krauss, chief executive of the membership organisation for technology services to the sector, who told the recent BETT conference that HE has under-invested in digital for years, and faces obstacles in the shape of lack of guidance and leadership for staff in fields such as creating digital learning material and using social media.
Speaking with UKAuthority, Knight – who has been with Jisc for over 18 years and led initiatives in teaching and assessment – says the past two years has seen an acceleration of transformation as universities have recognised that digital has to be fully integrated into their activities.
“The pivot of remote learning was taking place at speed and requiring staff and students to have access to technology, to be digitally capable, and to think about how to deliver content, teaching and learning online,” she says.
There has also been a big investment in infrastructure, secure networks and technology integrated into buildings.
Playing catch-up
“But there are many universities that have not seen digital as a strategic investment and are trying to play catch-up to have the underpinning infrastructure and data systems in place to ensure they are future proofing their options.”
A national strategy could do a lot to provide momentum, and while Knight praises efforts by the Scottish and Welsh Governments – with various directives and attached funding – she is frustrated by the Department for Education’s apparent reluctance to create a coherent approach for England.
“You have a large number of universities that are autonomous by nature and there has not been the funding to drive the change,” she says.
“But you have had some key reports coming out over the past year that are quite directive in their approach. You have Gravity Assist, in which Michael Barber is advising universities to put the spotlight back onto sound pedagogy, to work in collaboration with students, and to ensure digital is enhancing the student experience.
“Then you have the Student Futures report, which again put the spotlight on good quality learning and assessment, working in partnership with students and ensuring the underpinning infrastructure is in place.
“Last week we had OFS publish their strategy, which again has a real emphasis on the quality of the online learning experience. Universities will have to abide by this.”
Ambitious thinking
She says the pandemic prompted many university lecturers to think more ambitiously about a blended learning approach with technology. They see the scope to carry out traditional lectures – standing in a room and passing on knowledge – through online channels, then using face-to-face time for working with students on discussions and problem solving.
Examples of good practice in developing digital capability have emerged. Knight points to those of the University of Northampton staging a survey on students’ digital experience that identified a need for them and staff to self-profile their skills levels and begin to raise them; and the University of Nottingham running a digital futures programme with over 50 strategic projects and appointing faculty digital learning directors.
But some key issues need to be addressed. One is that, while many students arrive at university expecting to use digital as part of their daily activities, others are still on the wrong side of the digital divide.
“Our surveys brought out that students were very concerned about access to technology, their data costs, having a safe space to study, reliable Wi-Fi; and the assumption that every student was coming in with a device enabling them to work online was not being borne out.
“Many students had a mobile phone as their only device, which is great for finding information quickly but not for serious study.”
Student mindset
This is accompanied by a need for many students to change the way they think about education. While many enter universities from schools in which they were expected to listen and absorb knowledge, they will only get the most from digital by using it to develop autonomous learning skills, and show the type of questioning and problem solving approach more likely to be valued by employers.
This reflects a need to develop the digital capability of students and staff.
“Although there has been an accelerated professional development programme for staff and recognition that students need a lot of support, there is still a long way to go to ensure the investment in staff skills is at the forefront for universities,” Knight says.
“We are seeing that staff have got some of those essential IT skills and can navigate some of the technical systems. But they are keen to further develop those skills, to be more data literate, to be able to use different types of media creatively, to be able to really utilise the capability that technology offers and embed that in their practice and develop students’ digital skills.
“Then students can be digitally capable when they move on as graduates.”
Agility and collaboration
She says part of this is in having the agility to move from one technology to the other. Those that support collaboration will be particularly important, and students have to be made aware of the importance of older technologies, especially email, that may not be popular with the younger generation but are regarded as crucial in the workplace.
Her frustration with the limited progress of HE is heightened by what has been achieved in further education (FE).
“In further education you have a richness of practice. You have staff who are very capable in using a range of technologies, experimenting with technologies like augmented and virtual reality, looking at ways they can really bring the curriculum alive, especially in some vocational subjects.
“They’ve been doing this without necessarily the levels of funding required and on top of very heavy workloads; but they are very committed and there are a majority of colleges that absolutely recognise the importance of digital and have been on the journey for 20 years.
“The investment there is still underplayed and the requirement for more money for infrastructure and staff skills is something the Association of Colleges continues to lobby government around, and is very important in the digital poverty agenda.”
As example of achievement in FE, she cites Basingstoke Collect of Technology using its Google platform to support student wellbeing, Harlow College giving all of its students an iPad, Weston College using a discovery tool to help students and staff assess their capabilities, and the West of England Institute for Technology developing a virtual classroom.
Spreading best practice
There is still a need to raise the game all round, and Knight says progress in the HE and FE sectors depends heavily on identifying and sharing best practice. Jisc plays a prominent role in this through its forums for technical staff and bodies such as the Student Experience Experts Group and Support Change Agents Network.
“With the pandemic there has been a recognition we can’t do this individually. We have to work with each other and come together and talk about our challenges and opportunities.
“Jisc has a role in bringing together those communities around different topics. It’s bringing clusters of universities together to share experiences and learn from each other, and that can really drive innovation.”
It also has plans for a programme to advise universities on their digital strategies, focusing on what it has identified as critical success factors such as the data structures and scope for innovation in the curriculum; and a new assessment and feedback guide to support universities in their technology choices.
“And it goes back to ensuring staff are thinking about their curriculum design, what has worked well in use of technology and how it can be integrated with the best of what happens in a face to face environment in a learning space that really utilises technology in an effective way,” Knight says.
Investment divide
She is realistic about the fact that there is a widening divide between all that needs to be done and the money available for investment, which will make it difficult for some universities to catch up, and there will never be a stage when everyone will have everything working perfectly. But a lot can be achieved through supporting staff in thinking about how to use digital in a new type of blended learning.
“It’s being able to support staff to think creatively around their practice, to redefine their curriculum and assessment to ensure the graduates have the ability to thrive.”
