The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has published a report by Jisc titled Rebooting Learning for the Digital Age: What Next for Technology Enhanced Higher Education?, which recommends seven ways where ‘digital technology can support higher education leaders and policymakers to boost student outcomes, increase teaching quality and enhance the student experience.’
Findings reveal that the UK is leading in the use of technologies, however is at risk of falling behind as other countries invest heavily in areas of technologies in learning and teaching. It suggests that by continuing to invest in technology-enabled learning, the UK can remain at a competitive advantage.
The report also states that there is ‘growing evidence from the UK, US and Australia [which] demonstrates that, when used effectively, learning analytics can reduce university non-retention rates’. It is recommended that institutions currently without learning analytics in place should consider its adoption, and consider that its big dataset could well be used to provide new insights into teaching and learning.
Additionally, it highlights 15 years of US research which ‘suggests systematic curriculum redesign using technology-enhanced learning can enable institutions to improve learning outcomes and reduce costs simultaneously’ and that ‘on average, these projects achieved savings of 31 per cent, with 72 per cent of projects resulting in improved student outcomes, with outcomes in the other 28 per cent remaining constant.’
It also takes the opportunity to highlight that ‘digital technology should be recognised as a key tool for higher education institutions responding to the TEF’, and that the ‘Department for Education and the TEF panel must ensure the TEF does not act as a barrier against institutions innovating with technology-enhanced approaches.’