Making Digital Decisions: Achieving quality
‘I made a decision to join into some of these classes just to monitor how the teaching was going on and this provided some feedback. The feedback was shared with them so that they could use it for future planning and for improvement.’ (Chair of Department)
‘using social media students were able to post their questions which could be answered by the students or the tutor. However, these platforms were not backed up by the policies of the university. With COVID coming, the university was able to open up Teams so students could be supported.’ (Head Facilitator)
Online and blended learning can be as effective, or more effective, than face-to-face tuition (Means et al., 2010). However there are differences, and particular areas for attention in achieving high quality teaching.
Quality in e-assessment
While it is important to identify approaches that can ensure integrity in e-assessment, it is also important to pay attention to the potential to exclude students. For example, can the assessment be completed by a student who has to share their study space with others? Does it require specific equipment or connectivity that is not achievable by all students? Is there scope for adjustments or alternatives to ensure all students are assessed fairly?
Students are likely to be unfamiliar with these assessment approaches and it is essential that clear rules and expectations are communicated. This will give students confidence that they are completing their assessments in an acceptable way.
Example – reconsider assessment settings and methods:
‘we need to move away from exams and assessment that force people to be in one room at the same time. That cannot work in an online space, especially in developing contexts. It is not possible for a student who is struggling with connectivity and data to be able to sit right through the exam. So, we need to come up with different assessment practices that will assist students to succeed.’ (Professor)
Policies and processes
Policies should be used to ensure quality and appropriate use of technologies. Consistency should be encouraged across courses where this benefits students and staff. However, policies can also present barriers to innovation and responding to new situations. There needs to be scope for staff to take actions that support their students, and for policies to be updated to reflect new uses of technology.
Teaching at scale
One element of online teaching that can be attractive is that physical restrictions are removed and larger numbers of students can be taught than is possible in face-to-face classes. Reaching a larger number of students is possible, but this will create tensions with quality if appropriate resourcing and methods aren’t in place. Quality in online and distance learning requires substantial human support and this needs to be able to increase to effectively support larger numbers of students.
Key decisions
- identify processes to evaluate and improve teaching quality, such as observing, sharing and reviewing materials and activities.
- devise approaches to e-assessment that combine integrity and fairness.
- if increasing student numbers is a goal, develop approaches to achieve quality at scale.