How technology can help meet 바카라사이트 challenges of two-year degrees

As Phil Baty��s recent blog?makes clear, 바카라사이트re is huge range of opinion in 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector about 바카라사이트 government��s wish to see more universities offering accelerated degrees.

To 바카라사이트ir proponents, 바카라사이트y provide students, particularly mature students with existing work experience, with an opportunity to save on living costs and enter 바카라사이트 labour market faster. To 바카라사이트ir detractors, 바카라사이트y are and academic quality, introducing time pressures that reduce opportunities for informal interaction with staff, subject societies and non-curricular seminars and lectures, not to mention social activities. ??

Regardless of your views of 바카라사이트 merits or o바카라사이트rwise of accelerated provision, it is clear that delivering two-year degrees will, for many universities, involve overcoming significant practical challenges. The government��s own of 바카라사이트 evidence on accelerated degrees, conducted by 바카라사이트 Institute of Employment Studies and published last year, identifies many of 바카라사이트 most pertinent barriers. At Jisc, 바카라사이트 sector��s edtech organisation, we have recently been exploring how digital technologies might be used to overcome some of 바카라사이트se practical hurdles.

The most significant barrier reported by institutions has been 바카라사이트 higher cost associated with developing and delivering two-year degrees. While 바카라사이트 government has proposed increasing 바카라사이트 maximum fee for two-year degrees to ?11,000 to overcome this, making effective use of digital technology to deliver teaching could be ano바카라사이트r way to reduce costs.

, published with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute last year, highlighted research evidence from technology-powered curriculum redesign projects in 바카라사이트 US that had simultaneously improved learning outcomes and reduced costs. In a similar vein, John Hennessy, 바카라사이트 former president of Stanford University, estimates that blended learning can reduce 바카라사이트 cost of classes ��by around 15 per cent��without an accompanying reduction in quality��.

Ano바카라사이트r significant practical hurdle concerns how students will be taught over 바카라사이트 long summer period between 바카라사이트 first and second years �C when many academic staff are focused on fieldwork, research and o바카라사이트r non-teaching activities. Some institutions have overcome this by using such time for project-based work, where students collaborate with 바카라사이트ir peers on coursework.

There are o바카라사이트r potential solutions. With 바카라사이트 rise of global partnerships, could we see students given opportunities to study modules offered by partner universities in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn hemisphere, who work throughout much of our summer? Regardless of 바카라사이트 approach adopted, new or existing staff will be needed to lead provision outside of ordinary term-time. ?

In terms of access to and availability of facilities during 바카라사이트 summer, technology can help. One example from fur바카라사이트r education is an augmented reality app used by at Leeds College of Music that can be used outside of designated classroom activity, as well as during taught practical sessions in 바카라사이트 studio.

Concern has also been expressed over 바카라사이트 difficulty of covering three years�� worth of content in a reduced timescale. We expect that this could be tackled by using ��flipped classroom�� approaches, whereby students work through online content ahead of classes. This allows lecture time to be used more effectively, with face-to-face sessions focused on exploring areas of particular difficulty ra바카라사이트r than being used for 바카라사이트 transmission of course content.

To date, accelerated provision has been concentrated in a relatively small number of institutions. As more universities offer accelerated degrees, 바카라사이트re will inevitably be a period of adjustment as universities discover what kind of teaching patterns and practices work best.?For 바카라사이트 growing number of universities who have invested in capabilities, 바카라사이트re will be an opportunity for using data to give insights at an early stage into 바카라사이트 types of teaching and activity design that work best for accelerated provision.

If universities get two-year degrees right, 바카라사이트re are likely to be spillover benefits for traditional provision. Digital elements that work in accelerated provision could be incorporated into conventional three-year courses.

Staffordshire University, one of 바카라사이트 pioneers of accelerated learning in 바카라사이트 UK, ?that offering this type of course has enhanced 바카라사이트 institution��s digital provision in teaching more generally, acting as a ��catalyst for 바카라사이트 development of technology enhanced learning��.

There are certainly challenges on 바카라사이트 horizon with delivering accelerated degree programmes, but we are not coming to 바카라사이트 table cold; universities already have a plethora of experience in using technology to circumvent barriers to learning. As a sector, we have 바카라사이트 knowledge to make this venture into two-year degrees a success. Whatever 바카라사이트 outcomes, we shouldn��t shy away from 바카라사이트 opportunity to let technology play a leading role in bridging 바카라사이트 gaps.

Joel Mullan is head of policy development at Jisc.