University students need better digital support to fully benefit from remote learning, according to a new published survey from Jisc.
The membership organisation that provides technology to higher education said its survey of 38,917 university students in the past academic year revealed the need for digital skills has accelerated dramatically as a result of the pandemic, for both learning and future employment.
This comes after the controversy over universities throwing the emphasis onto remote learning over the year due to the pandemic lockdown, a move which left many students feeling they had not received a fair return on their tuition fees.
Jisc said the survey – on which it has published a report – showed 51% agreed they received support for learning online or away from campus, just 41% had guidance about the digital skills needed for their course, and only 26% had an assessment of their digital skills and training needs. Only 9% reported they did not need any support at all.
It has also highlighted the digital divide as a critical issue. 63% of students encountered problems with poor Wi-Fi connections, 30% had problems accessing online platforms and services, and 24% faced problems with mobile data costs.
Jisc said this shows the continuing importance of collaboration between higher education, government and industry to break down the digital divide and provide high quality learning experiences to all students.
Flexible future
Its managing director, higher education, Liam Earney, commented: “A positive collaboration between education, telecommunications, and government is crucial so that no one is digitally excluded as the sector heads towards a blended and flexible future.
“It is my hope that, as the dust begins to settle, universities take stock. Now is the time to learn from our experiences of what worked and what didn’t and give all students the best technologically enhanced university experience possible.”
More positively, 67% of students surveyed rated the overall quality of online and digital learning highly, from ‘good’ through to ‘best imaginable’. 68% felt their online learning environment was safe and secure, and 53% felt online learning materials were well designed.
Image from iStock, Bet Noire
