Levels of university staff feeling supported to teach online shows little improvement since the pandemic
New Jisc report reveals increasingly positive perceptions of digital delivery, but that teaching staff need better support to make the most of technology.
One of the largest surveys of higher education (HE) teaching staff in the UK shows little change in the numbers who feel well supported to teach online, three years on from the pandemic. In 2022/23 this was 51% of teaching staff, up 3 percentage points since 2021/22, but that remains below the pandemic level of 54%.
The Jisc staff digital experience insights survey 2022/23 (pdf) reveals that teaching staff have positive perceptions of technology and its potential:
- 71% of teaching staff surveyed agree that the use of digital technology in teaching is convenient to them
- 61% agree that it allows them to teach in ways they prefer
- 64% rate the quality of their online teaching environment as above average
- 61% agree that it enables students to make good progress
However, the survey also shows that teaching staff need more time and encouragement when it comes to improving their digital skills, with nearly half (49%) rating support for teaching effectively online as average or below average.
Only 16% agree that they were given an assessment of their digital skills and training needs, and 16% agreed they were given time to explore new digital skills and training approaches.
Kathryn Heywood, head of business intelligence, data analytics at Jisc said: “While there are clear positives to be taken from our digital experience insights surveys each year, there are always opportunities to improve and provide teaching staff with the best working experience possible, based on their feedback.
“This year’s student digital experience insights survey shows that HE students find online learning more engaging and motivating since 2020, and they have reaped the benefits of teaching staff working hard to improve their practice.
What’s clear from this year’s staff survey, is that teachers need more dedicated support from the organisation to focus on their digital skills.”
Sarah Knight, Jisc’s head of learning and teaching transformation for higher education, said: “Feedback from staff about their experience of teaching with technology is invaluable. At a time where digital transformation is a key consideration, higher education needs to empower educators to feel confident they can deliver accessible, flexible, and engaging learning for students.
“Our framework for digital transformation in higher education, shares examples of practice from the sector, and our new digital transformation guide acts as a toolkit to support the development of digital strategies - a key component is to ensure staff feel supported to develop their digital skills.”
For universities looking to assess, kick-start or improve their digital transformation journey, Jisc’s digital transformation guide, created in collaboration with sector bodies and professionals, acts as a toolkit to support the development of digital strategies, assessment of digital maturity across the organisation and the creation of actionable roadmaps and plans for implementation. The guide focuses on people and practices, as well as processes and technology. It features advice on culture, capacity, investment, infrastructure, and digital skills.
Jisc’s annual digital experience insights surveys service offers surveys for students, teaching staff and professional service staff, sharing how technology offered by organisations is used, what is making a difference to learning and working experiences, and where improvements can be made.