The latest EUA report provides insight into the status of digitally enhanced learning and teaching in higher education institutions across Europe.
The European University Association’s (EUA) report on digitally enhanced learning and teaching (DELT) in European higher education institutions is based on a study from 2014 and a survey conducted in spring 2020, covering 368 higher education institutions from all countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), including Switzerland. As part of the Erasmus+ project DIGI-HE, which aims to create a self-reflection tool on digitalisation for higher education institutions, the report offers a snapshot of the status of digital transformation within higher education institutions throughout Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the report, most higher education institutions across the EHEA were able to shift quickly to blended or online learning modes in response to the pandemic. However, the findings indicate that due to the short adaptation period, resources were often insufficient and not all services could be provided satisfactorily or with the same level of quality. As a result, students and staff faced negative effects such as communication problems, stress, social isolation and work overload. Nevertheless, most institutions observed considerable progress in their digitalisation process in a matter of only a few months.
Digitally enhanced learning and teaching (DELT) is considered a strategic priority by 75% of the surveyed institutions. In 2020, 88% of the respondents had a strategy for DELT, which represents a considerable increase from 63% in 2014. 60% of the institutions have included staff and students in their decision-making processes and put in place a dedicated budget and policies for the digital transformation. Half of the respondents are concerned with policy questions about data protection, ethics or examinations. Participative governance, staff development and training, institutional strategies as well as investments in equipment and infrastructure are seen as the key enablers to DELT. The main challenges, on the other hand, seem to lie in the lack of staff and (external) financial resources. To tackle these issues and to improve DELT in general, suggested measures include peer exchange, international and national training opportunities, as well as data collection and analysis.
A variety of DELT formats has already been adopted before the pandemic. Whereas blended learning has become a widely used practice among the EHEA (75%), hybrid learning has been introduced in many institutions in response to the pandemic. Blended learning refers to on-site teaching enhanced by digital technology; hybrid learning stands for the combination of on-site presence with online attendance. Online learning can have various purposes. For instance, more than a third of the surveyed institutions offer online degree programmes, whose majority target more mature learners. Freely accessible and without entry requirements, massive open online courses (MOOCs) aimed at a wide range and number of learners have become more common since 2014. Short courses are provided by 50% of the respondents of the survey. Due to their flexible delivery mode leading to certificates or micro-credentials instead of a full degree, short courses can address a wider target audience, adult and mature learners in particular. The report further states that 81% of the institutions wish to widen access to their offers through the use of DELT.
While digital assessments and internal quality assurance for DELT have seen an overall positive trend since 2014, the number of institutions using digital credentials remains insignificant. Virtual mobility exchanges are offered by a quarter of the respondents. Digital skills training is available in most institutions, however, courses are either voluntary or part of a specific study programme. Virtual learning environments such as online library services are widely used, but could be further explored, for instance by the use of artificial intelligence.
The report concludes that DELT should ‘not get marked as an emergency mode’ in response to the pandemic. While the focus should remain on the role of people and the social environment in teaching and learning, institutions can profit from the momentum created to rethink DELT strategies towards an enhanced digital capacity beyond the crisis. Adequate policy and funding support can help to overcome obstacles and boost institutional, national and international cooperation and exchange of best practices on DELT. In this context, the EHEA or EU-level initiatives such as the European Education Area and the new Digital Education Action Plan may provide opportunities for a concerted European approach towards DELT.