Jisc welcomes the Office for Students’ blended learning review and its recommendations, says Liam Earney, managing director of higher education and research at Jisc.

Liam Earney, said:

“The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technology in learning and it has become an essential part of the mainstream education sector.

“However, its rapid adoption has meant that experiences for students and teachers have varied across the country. Jisc has worked hard to understand these challenges and help our members use digital technology more effectively.

“The Office for Students’ review asks vital questions about new course design and delivery, and we were glad to see the review panel’s inclusion of data from Jisc’s annual digital experience insights student survey to inform its conclusions.

“For the first time this year, the survey found students preferred a blended learning approach to mainly face-to-face learning. We believe blended approaches will become more popular as digital infrastructure and learning platforms improve.

“Jisc agrees with the review panel’s assertion that ‘the balance between face-to-face and online delivery is not the key determinant of teaching quality’. Digital teaching practice must be driven by the needs of the student and the course.”

The importance of data

“We also agree with the panel’s recommendation that academics and institutions prioritise tracking student engagement with online content and use this data to identify and then address the needs of students who are struggling.

“The effective use of data and learning analytics can help institutions to respond to the review and create positive feedback loops.

“Learning analytics systems can help higher education institutions review engagement with course content and highlight where it is low. Incorporating data collection and review like this can feed back into course design revisions that benefit learners quickly.”

Support for students and staff alike

“The review also recommends providing support and development opportunities for teaching staff and students. We support this position and call on the sector to invest in the skills of both groups to help build effective and fulfilling courses that deliver above and beyond student expectations.

“A high-quality student experience is critical to the success of the sector. Student feedback can be fed into responsive course design, allowing rapid innovation and improvement to both experience and outcomes. Rethinking curriculums and assessments through the lens of today’s digital possibilities can help educational organisations drive better educational outcomes.

“Jisc is committed to helping the education sector digitally transform to help its learners more effectively. The report’s findings and recommendations reflect our guidance to institutions: digital delivery methods must be deployed using pedagogically sound practices, first and foremost.”

Read the Office for Students’ blended learning review.