GLOBAL SURVEY OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATORS HIGHLIGHTS HARSH REALITIES OF SWITCH TO ONLINE LEARNING
- Landmark global survey by Times Higher Education (THE) canvassed 520 university educators around the world the impact of the move to digital learning on institutions, staff, and students
- From mental health and workloads, to access to university education and questions over value for money, educators believe the emergency transition forced by the pandemic has been tough and question the long-term sustainability of current working practices
- More than half say that the initial move to online teaching in response to the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative effect on their mental health, and nearly six in 10 believe it had the same effect on their students’ mental health.
- Only a fifth believe that their students value remote education as much as face-to- face, but only 30% believing tuition fees should be discounted when the majority of instruction is online.
- Almost nine in 10 university educators believe that their workload has increased following the move, and more than three in five say online teaching is at greater risk than traditional teaching for students from non-traditional backgrounds.
- The survey coincides with the launch of a new online community and resource platform by THE, in collaboration with Microsoft, Arizona State University and Cintana Education. THE Campus provides global university educators with peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and resources to help them address the challenges of online teaching and study.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has forced universities around the world to rapidly shift delivery of their courses online, often entirely. A landmark survey by Times Higher Education (THE) of 520 university educators from 46 countries and regions, across six continents, has revealed the impact of the swift transition on them, their institutions and their students.
The survey highlights a whole spectrum of challenges when it comes to teaching online, from technology and access, to physical and mental concerns affecting both educators and students.
Wellbeing has suffered significantly, with more than half (51%) of respondents stating the initial move to online learning at the onset of the pandemic had a negative effect on their mental health. Almost nine out of 10 (89%) say their workload has increased since the move to online only learning, with only four in 10 believing that this is sustainable in the long-term.
For students, there are serious concerns about the perceived value of the online learning being provided. Only 21% believe that their students value remote education as much as face-to-face, while 35% say their institution did not offer any training to students to help them adjust their learning methods to the digital environment (a further 34% do not know if this was provided). Almost two-thirds (63%) believe the move increases the risk of students from non-traditional backgrounds, including underprivileged and first generation, being left behind as a result of the move away from traditional teaching. The impact of this on students’ mental health is greater than that of their educators, with 59% of respondents saying there has been a negative impact on their students’ mental health.
These statistics may not be entirely surprising, given that 73% of respondents said they had little to no experience of online teaching prior to the pandemic. While almost half (47%) feel that they’ve been well supported by their institutions to make the transition to digital learning, 33% don’t, making it clear that greater support and training could be provided. In particular, respondents felt that they required support and training in best practice in online pedagogy, use of the relevant technology and helping students with the transition to virtual learning.
In response to this, THE, working alongside founding partners Microsoft, Arizona State University and global education services firm Cintana Education, has launched THE Campus – a new peer-to-peer content-sharing platform for university educators. THE Campus will provide university faculty, staff, and leaders with a place to utilise resources, and share their knowledge with peers around the world to deliver the best possible online learning experience. Based on content sharing, the intention is that the resource will connect academics to learn from first-hand experience.
John Gill, Editor of THE, said: “As our Digital Teaching Survey demonstrates, the rapid shift to online delivery has come at a considerable cost for academics, and needs to be put on a sustainable footing for the future. The new THE Campus platform will allow academics at universities around the world to share resources, expertise and insights about what works in online learning and teaching.”
Anthony Salcito, Vice-President at Microsoft Education, commented: “Innovation and collaboration are more important now than ever before. Microsoft Education is committed to helping higher education institutions adapt and transition to a new world of learning. We are honored to join ASU, Cintana, and Times Higher Education as founding partners in the launch of THE Campus.”
THE Campus intends to also support a move back to campus, where online learning will continue to be a vital part of university education. In a ‘twin-track’ scenario (a combination of in-person and online learning), 69% survey respondents believe the potential workload would be unsustainable in the medium to long term.
“The future of teaching will be hybrid, incorporating the best of online and face-to-face approaches,” said John Gill. “But faculty need to be supported to develop their skills in digital delivery in particular. Tools like THE Campus are vital to ensuring that this happens, and that the transformational power of higher education is enhanced rather than diminished.”
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NOTES FOR EDITORS:
The THE Digital Teaching Survey report is available to view in full, to request a copy please contact THE’s Communications team (details below).
To view John Gill’s interview with Arizona State University ’s Michael Crow, follow the link here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/michael-crow-future-online-teaching-learning