Blended Learning Survey (2023-24)

BLENDED LEARNING SURVEY

OVERVIEW

TheBlendedLearningSurveywasconductedtoassessstudentperceptionsregarding thedefinition,strengths,weaknessesandpreferencesassociatedwithblended learningapproaches.Atotalof1,202responseswerecollectedbetweenNovember 2023andMarch2024.Thefeedbackgatheredthroughthissurveyprovidesinsights intostudents'acceptanceandperspectivesaboutthishybrideducationalmodel

DEMOGRAPHICS

Thesampleofrespondentscontainedrepresentativeproportions(i.e.within3%of currentUHpopulationdemographics*)ofpostgraduate,female,matureandBlack, Asian&MinorityEthnicstudents Thesamplecontainedlargerthanrepresentative proportionsofinternationalstudents,andsmallerthanrepresentativeproportionsof maleandWhiteethnicitystudents.

Thesurveysamplecontainedrepresentativeproportions(i.e.within3%ofcurrentUH populationdemographics*)ofstudentsfromtheSchoolsofBusiness,SPECS,Law& Education,andLife&MedicalSciences.Thesamplehadlowerthanrepresentative proportionsofstudentsfromtheSchoolofHealth&SocialWorkandSchoolof CreativeArts.

Campus(26/02/24) ationDemographics

Figure2

SchoolofStudybreakdownofsurveyrespondents

FINDINGS

BLENDEDLEARNINGDEFINITION

Respondentswereaskedtowhatextenttheyagreedordisagreedwiththefollowing definition: Thisquestionreceivedatotalof1,193responses,with96.81%ofrespondentsagreeingwiththe definitionand3.18%ofrespondentsdisagreeingwiththedefinition.

‘BlendedLearningcombinesin-personclasseswithdigitalcontentdeliveryand additionalself-pacedactivitieslikequizzes,reading,polls,oronlinediscussions’

EDUCATIONALEXPERIENCE

Respondentswereaskedtoselectfromalistofcommonoptions(includingspaceto providetheirownsuggestions)aboutwhatmakesthemostpositiveteachingexperiencefor them Respondentswereabletoselectasmanyoptionsastheywanted Thetopfive optionsselectedwere:

Accessibleonlinelearningresources(7162%) 1 Well-organisedlecturematerials(5726%) 2 In-classgroupactivities(5324%) 3 Interactiveclassdiscussions(52.09%)4. Opportunitiestoaskquestions(49.25%)5.

Factorssuchas“useoftechnology”(33.72%)and“incorporationofmultimedia”(24.87%) receivedmuchlowerlevelsofinterest.Figures3and4highlightthelimitedvariabilitybetween responseswhenbrokendownbydemographicandschool.

Respondentswerethenaskedtospecifytheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofin-person teachingsessions.Themostselectedadvantagesofin-personteachingsessionswerethe “levelofdiscussion/communicationwithlecturer”(46.89%),followedby“socialisation” (20.20%).Themostselecteddisadvantagesofin-personteachingsessionswere“more expensivetocommutetocampus”(40.74%)and“notveryflexible”(34.83%).

Respondentswerethenaskedtospecifytheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofdigitallive (online)teachingsessions.Themostselectedadvantagesofdigitallive(online)teaching sessionswere“flexible”(37.80%),followedby“abilitytore-watch”(19.36%)and“costeffective”(13.66%).Themostselecteddisadvantagesofdigitallive(online)teachingsessions were“technicalissues”(42.55%)and“isolation”(20.64%).

Demographic

Figure3

Whatmakesapositiveteachingexperiencebydemographic

SchoolofStudy

Whatmakesapositive teachingexperienceforyou?

Figure4

Whatmakesapositiveteachingexperiencebyschool

Respondentswerethenaskedtoselect,fromalistofcommonoptions,whatthebiggest challengestohavingabetterteachingexperiencewere Thetopfiveselectedoptionswere:

Whenbrokendownbyschool,respondentsfromtheSchoolsofBusiness(30.40%), Education(29.62%)andLife&MedicalSciences(28.77%)allselected“financialchallenges”as thebiggestchallengetohavingabetterteachingexperience.Whereasrespondentsfromthe SchoolofCreativeArts(35.55%)selected“workpressures”astheirbiggestchallenge,whilst respondentsfromHealth&SocialWork(25.88%)andSPECS(22.36%)selected“limited flexibility”.Figure5showsacomparisonforhowchallengeswereselectedbyrespondents fromeachoftheschools.

SchoolofStudy

Challengestohavingabetter teachingexperience

Whenbrokendownbydemographic,undergraduate(21.85%),postgraduate(27.61%), international(27.46%),BAME(29.03%),18–25yearolds(22.99%)andmature(29.62%) studentsallselected“financialchallenges”asthebiggestchallengetothemhavingabetter teachingexperience.Incontrasttothis,whiteethnicitystudents(23.07%)selected“work pressures”asthebiggestchallengetothemhavingabetterteachingexperience.Figure6 showsacomparisonforhowchallengeswereselectedbyrespondentsfromeachofthe studentdemographics.

Figure5

DIGITALVSIN-PERSONTEACHINGPREFERENCES

Respondentswereaskedtospecifytheiridealratioofdigital-liveandface-to-face teaching.From1,193responses,themostpreferred(digitallive:in-person)ratiowas50:50 (26.99%ofrespondents’preferredratio),withtheoverallpreferencebeingthatalarger proportionofteachingtakesplacein-person(43.75%ofrespondents’preference).However, only11.32%ofrespondentsstatedtheirpreferenceasbeing100%ofteachingtakingplaceinperson(0:100ratio).

The50:50(digitallive:in-person)ratiowasfavouredbyrespondentsfromallschools, excludingtheSchoolofCreativeArtswhichfavouredthe0:100,15:85and 25:75(digitallive:in-person)ratiosabovethe50:50(digitallive:in-person)ratio

Whengroupingtheratiosaccordingtowhethertheratioincludes(a)ahigherproportionof in-personteaching(ie 0:100,15:85,25:75digital-live:in-personratios)or(b)a50:50splitof onlinetoin-personteachingor(c)ahigherproportionofdigital-liveonlineteaching(i.e. 100:0,85:15,75:25digital-live:in-personratios);43.75%ofrespondentspreferredratios involvingahigherproportionofin-personteaching.26.99%ofrespondentspreferreda50:50 split,and29.25%ofrespondentspreferredahigherproportionofdigital-liveonlineteaching.

SchoolofStudy

RatioPreferencebySchool

RespondentsfromtheSchoolofCreativeArts(CTA)weretheonlygrouptoprefer100%of teachingtotakeplacein-person However,thesamepercentageofpreferencewasshared withthe15:85and25:75teachingratios CTArespondentsalsohadthestrongestleanin preferencetowardsahigherproportionofin-personteaching,with5742%ofCTArespondents preferringratioscontainingahigherproportionofin-personteaching

Allschoolsplaced100%ofteachingtakingplaceonline(0:100digital:in-person)astheir lowestpreference,withtheSchoolofEducationalsoincludingthe85:15ratioastheirlowest preference.TheSchoolofHealth&SocialWork(HSK)hadthestrongestleaninpreference towardsahigherproportionofteachingtotakeplaceonline,with36.46%ofHSKrespondents preferringratioscontainingahigherproportionofonlineteaching.

Figure8

Digital-live:In-personRatiopreferencebyschool

RatioPreferenceby Demographic

Figure9

Digital-live:In-personRatiopreferencebydemographic

Figures8and9showthedifferenceinratiopreferencewhenbrokendownbyschoolor demographics.Significantlyhigherproportionsofundergraduatestudentspreferredtheratio involving100%teachingtakingplaceonline(p<0.05),whereassignificantlyhigherproportions ofpostgraduatestudentspreferredtheratioinvolving100%ofteachingtakingplacein-person (p<0.05).

Whenseparatingresponsesbyfeestatus(i.e.homeorinternationalfeestatus),theonly statisticallysignificantdifferencebetweenthetwodemographicgroupswasthat internationalstudentspreferredtheratioinvolvingteachingbeingdelivered100%online significantlyhigherthanhomestudents(p<0.05).

Whiteethnicityrespondentsshowedthestrongestpreferentialleaningtowardsahigher proportionofteachingbeingdeliveredin-person.AndeventhoughbothWhiteandBlack, Asian&MinorityEthnic(BAME)respondentsshowedpreferenceforahigherproportionofinpersonteaching,asignificantlyhigherproportionofWhiteethnicitystudentsshowed preferenceforthisteachingdelivery(p<0.05).AsignificantlyhigherproportionofBlack,Asian &MinorityEthnicstudentsshowedpreferenceforahigherproportionofteachingtotakeplace online(31.94%),whencomparedtotheproportionofWhiteethnicitystudentspreferringthis teachingratio(16.80%).

Respondentsagedbetween18-25yearsshowedasignificantlyhigherpreferenceforahigher proportionofteachingtotakeplacein-person,incomparisontorespondentsaged26+years Respondentsaged26+yearsshowedasignificantlyhigherpreferenceforahigherproportion ofonlineteaching,thoughitwasnottheiroverallpreference

CONCLUSIONS

Overall,themajorityofstudentssurveyedagreedwiththeblendedlearningdefinitionwhich wasprovidedbytheUniversity.Theyplacegreatvalueonwellorganisedlecturesand supportingonlinelearningmaterials Studentssurveyedappreciatetheflexibilitythatonline (orrecordedandsaved)lecturescanoffer,enablingstudentstheflexibilitytofittheirstudies intotheirlives–whichofteninvolveworkorpersonalcommitments(suchascare responsibilities) Onlinelearningalsooffersundoubtedfinancialsavingsforstudents, particularlyforthosewhocommute

However,studentssurveyedalsovaluethesocialopportunitiesofferedbyin-person teaching–alongsidetheopportunitytodeepentheirlearningandunderstandingthrough opportunitiesfordiscussionwithacademicstaffandpeers

Itisclearfromthedigital-live:in-personteachingratiopreferencessharedbyrespondents that,eventhoughthestand-alonepreferredratiois50:50(digital-live:in-person);43.75%of respondentspreferratiosinfavourofhigherproportionsofteachingtakingplacein-person, comparedto29.25%ofrespondentspreferringratioswherebyhigherproportionsofteaching takeplaceonline.

Therespondentswiththehighestlevelsofpreferenceforhigherproportionsofteachingto takeplaceonlinewerestudentsfromtheSchoolofHealth&SocialWork(HSK),studentsaged 26years+andstudentsfromBlack Asian&MinorityEthnic(BAME)backgrounds

RECOMMENDATIONS

ReviewengagementDatatoIdentifyWhereAdditionalSupportis Needed

Fortheuniversitytoreviewitsownstudentengagementdata,toseeifengagement ratesacrosstheschoolsanddemographicsalignwiththesefindings;andtoexplore whetherenhancedsupportisrequiredwithintheareaswhichhavespecifiedahigher preferenceforlesson-campusengagement

IncreaseOnlineLearningOpportunitiesand/orCondenseOn-Campus TeachingTime

Inresponsetostudentssurveyedhighlightingthatoneofthebiggestadvantagesof onlinelearningistheflexibilityandthecost-effectivenessitoffers,itisrecommended thattheuniversityconsiderseitherincreasingtheproportionofonlinelearning opportunitiesavailabletostudents–whilstmaintaining,overall,ahigherproportionof learningtakingplacein-person(thusreflectingtheoverallpreferenceofstudents surveyed).Oralternatively,theuniversityconsiderstheconsolidationofon-campus teachingtime;condensingtimetablesasmuchaspossibletoreducethefinancial burdenoftraveltocampusandtomaximisethetimespentoncampus.

MaketheOn-CampusExperienceMoreValuableforStudents

Inresponsetostudentssurveyedhighlightingthevalueofthesocialexperienceof comingtocampus,fortheuniversitytoexplorehowtimespentoncampuscanbemade evenmorebeneficialandrewardingforstudents,byenhancingtheofferandavailability ofpersonaltutoringsupport,academicskillssupportandcourse-specificextracurricular activities. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 13

ExploreOpportunitiesforIncreasedInteractivityinOnlineTeaching

Inresponsetostudentssurveyedhighlightingthevalueofclassdiscussionand opportunitiestoaskquestionsduringteachingsessions,itisrecommendedthatthe universityexploreshowtheseinteractiveopportunitiescanbeofferedandutilisedmore withinonlineteachingsessions

DevelopBetterFinancialSupportforStudents

Inresponseto“financialchallenges”beingselectedasthebiggestchallengetohavinga betterteachingexperience,andin-lightoftheongoingimpactofthe“costofliving crisis”,itisrecommendedthattheuniversitycontinuestodevelopnon-repayable financialsupportfundswhichareavailabletoallstudents,withaquickturn-aroundfor studentapplications.