Accelerated HE digitalisation: Exploring staff and student experiences of the COVID-19 rapid online-learning transfer

Abstract

In the UK, the first ‘lockdown’ of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to online learning and digital technologies in Higher Education (HE). While the situation was unprecedented, extant literature on online learning suggested there would be challenges, opportunities, and benefits to this transition, and we sought to understand these via a case study of one UK HEI department at this time. To draw out in-depth and nuanced accounts of this (at time of investigation–unstudied) scenario, qualitative data were collected via semi-structured online interview or written reflection. To explore, identify and understand the experiences from both sides, and with a diverse sample, we purposively recruited both staff (n = 10) and students (n = 12), from various roles and backgrounds, including those with additional learning and/or mental health needs. The ‘bricolage’ data were analysed inductively, utilising a latent reflexive approach, and organised into a framework around five core themes: ‘methods and means of engagement’; ‘learning maintenance, destruction and construction’; ‘remote education and resource accessibility and literacy’; ‘support and communication’; and ‘life and learning: responses, adaptations and impacts’. Within these, a range of challenges, successes and, most importantly, future learning and innovation outcomes were identified by staff and students, particularly relevant to working with and supporting students with additional needs in the online learning forum. These discoveries informed a set of practical recommendations, provided here in Box 1, for (rapid implementation of) online learning (in times of stress).

Emergency Remote Learning in Higher Education in Cyprus during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Zoom-Out View of Challenges and Opportunities for Quality Online Learning

“…Around one-tenth of the respondents indicated a lack of reliable access to a PC (e.g., had to share a PC with other members of their family) and/or a computer without a camera and/or microphone, while a small number reported a lack of reliable access to any technology during the first lockdown. Although no information concerning students' socio-economic background was collected in the current study, limited access to hardware devices has been identified in the international literature as a barrier to effective remote studying in low-and middle-income households during the pandemic [44], and so has been the lack of a dedicated study space [18,44,45,47,49,50], which was also an issue for several of the students in our study. Specifically, around eight percent of the respondents (n = 86) stated that they did not have a dedicated study area at all and that they had to move from place to place around the house to be able to study.…”

“…Thirty-one (n = 31; 3%) of the participants stated that they faced accessibility issues in their courses due to disabilities and/or other educational needs. Other studies [44,45,73] also found that students with special needs or disabilities were not adequately supported for effective e-learning. Even in educational contexts where inclusion is imperative and digital inclusion is embraced, the needs of students with additional support needs were difficult to meet remotely [73][74][75].…”

“…While the vast majority found the platform employed in their online courses to be very easy or easy to use, a considerable number of students (n = 123; 11.7%) reported having encountered some issues that took them time to resolve. Several other studies taking place during or right after the first lockdown also showed that while higher education students tended to have high levels of digital literacy and confidence in the use of online tools [79], there were still considerable proportions of students who experienced difficulties in online learning activities due to inadequate digital skills and/or low preparedness level for distance education [28,45,[51][52][53].…”

“…Conducted research [38][39][40][41][42][43] suggests that the necessity to employ ERL was extremely challenging for institutions and for all stakeholders involved: educators, students, parents, policymakers, etc. The lack of preparation at institutional, technical [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][44][45][46][47][48][49] and human resource levels [9][10][11]28,45,[50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58] intensified the challenges and obstacles revealed.…”

“…The pandemic exposed significant gaps and variation in educators' level of preparation and readiness to use technology and teach at distance, as well as to design and deliver in distance learning environments [43]. Along the same lines, gaps in educators' and students' digital literacy level and accessibility to technology were also revealed [9][10][11]28,45,[50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]. Technology accessibility barriers were more pronounced for educators and students who did not have access to appropriate and/or enough technological devices in their homes, lacked adequate technological background knowledge and skills and depended on non-reliable internet access.…”