Edtech non-profit Jisc has launched a brand-new initiative that will provide practical tools and advice to support higher education providers moving forward in a post-COVID world.
Bringing together sector bodies and professionals, learning and teaching reimagined will help sector leaders prepare for the uncertain future ahead.
The project kicked off with an interim report, launched Tuesday 11 August, which produced impactful findings relating to the fluctuating needs of students and staff as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Titled, Learning and teaching reimagined: change and challenge for students, staff and leaders, the report suggests how institutes can best support students in a digital realm, highlighting the importance of digital strategy, senior staff expertise and plans for future investment.
“The months to come are the critical test for educational technology,” said Neil Morris, dean of education at the University of Leeds.
“If we get this wrong, then we could set this whole area back years because if people take away the perception that this is what we’ve been talking about in terms of online learning, and it goes badly, you can’t recover from that.”
The report also addresses students’ mixed feelings about studying online this upcoming year, and lays out guidance on how to better communicate the benefits of tech-enriched learning.
On top of this, the report tackles student and staff wellbeing post-lockdown, also touching on the digital divide, the future of assessment and online safety.
David Maguire, interim principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee and Jisc chair, commented: “Celebrating universities’ significant achievements during the rapid shift to online learning, the report acknowledges that organisations can move quickly, covering huge distances when needs must, and that there is much to be proud of in this current phase of digital transformation. It’s now time to learn from that rapid change, identify what learning and teaching transformed looks like and determine a tangible route map for the future.”
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