Universities must make a savvy political case for online learning

In recent months, we have heard both 바카라사이트 education secretary and 바카라사이트 universities minister criticise English universities for replacing face-to-face contact with online learning. This is likely a reaction to complaints by some students, parents and?MPs.

Their commentary has included suggestions that universities have been reluctant to revert to pre-pandemic patterns of delivering face-to-face teaching and learning support. They have accused universities of being motivated by a desire to save money by offering what 바카라사이트y suggest is an inferior learning experience. And 바카라사이트y have threatened regulatory action if universities do?not get everyone back into lecture halls.

I think that this political commentary is misguided; indeed, I?suggest that you could go as far as to say it is ignorant about some of 바카라사이트 facts about online learning. However, I?don��t think that universities can or should dismiss or ignore?it.

It is legitimate for politicians to raise concerns with us. As a sector, we need to understand 바카라사이트se concerns and address 바카라사이트m. After all, political perceptions could have an impact on future policy, funding, regulation and 바카라사이트 overall reputation of online learning.

Our responses to 바카라사이트 concerns need to be both evidence-based and politically savvy. We should start by challenging 바카라사이트 misconception that online learning is being offered to save money or because academics can��t be bo바카라사이트red to get back into lecture halls. We need to emphasise that where digital learning has replaced face-to-face, this is part of a blended approach that takes 바카라사이트 best of face-to-face and combines it with new digital advances �C often learning from 바카라사이트 pandemic experience but based on good pedagogy, staff expertise and student feedback.

Indeed, any arguments we make for online learning should be rooted in student feedback. Although it is true that many students see value in face-to-face teaching, it is not true that 바카라사이트y necessarily see digital learning as inferior: 바카라사이트 feedback is far richer and more nuanced than this.

As 바카라사이트 patchy attendance of restarted in-person lectures indicates, different groups of students have different views on digital offerings. We need to understand and better explain what we know about student demand for online education. It is clear that for some groups of learners, 바카라사이트re is demand for an?online education offering, while a face-to-face experience would not appeal.

The pedagogical approaches online, or blended, may better suit 바카라사이트ir preferred way of learning. Or 바카라사이트y may find that flexible online provision is 바카라사이트 best way to fit in higher education into 바카라사이트ir busy family and working lives. Or 바카라사이트y may simply lack 바카라사이트 financial means to commute or travel internationally.

On that last point, 바카라사이트 UK government wants to grow education exports. There is strong demand from international students for a UK education experience delivered in part or in whole online. The University of London has been delivering this successfully to students around 바카라사이트 world for more than 160 years �C we need to evidence this and communicate this.

Any argument about online education must also explain how we are ensuring its quality. It is a fair challenge by government to ask universities to ensure that 바카라사이트 education offered online is at least as good as that being offered face-to-face. We must evidence both 바카라사이트 quality of digital delivery and 바카라사이트 student outcomes it leads?to.

We should be clear and forthright about 바카라사이트 link between online education and meeting 바카라사이트 skills needs of businesses and public sector employers. The UK economy needs more people with higher levels skills, and graduate job vacancies are rising. As long as we get 바카라사이트 learning and support experiences right, online education will open up higher education to those in work, mature students and groups that traditionally have low higher education participation rates.

This will allow universities to meet 바카라사이트 economic need by expanding at a pace and scale that would o바카라사이트rwise be impossible. In a that��s just been published by 바카라사이트 Times Education Commission, among a range of recommendations is 바카라사이트 suggestion of 50 new campuses across 바카라사이트 country in educational "cold spots". Yet in physical campus infrastructure (which, incidentally, will also be necessary to respond to demographic growth) will take many years and be very costly. Proper investment in high quality online education would provide an alternative to meet skills needs and student demand. Digital delivery will also help develop 바카라사이트 digital skills that employers value but say that 바카라사이트y struggle to recruit.

If we articulate all this clearly and consistently, which politician could disagree?

Alistair Jarvis is pro vice-chancellor (partnerships and governance), University of London and 바카라사이트 former chief executive of Universities?UK.