Matrics, don’t settle on study choice before considering this crucial factor

Covid-19 and global lockdowns will have an enduring impact on how prospective students will make decisions about higher education options in future, an education expert says.

“Previously students opted for tradition, legacy and a particular mode of learning, being either contact or distance, depending on their circumstances and the social perceptions around them. It is now clear that not only history matters — institutions must be able to respond to the up and down uncertainty of the environment in which we live without compromising the learning experience,”  said Dr Felicity Coughlan, Director of The Independent Institute of Education.

Coughlan said as the economy struggles, there is also likely to be an increased focus on the work readiness link of qualifications in a far more explicit manner than has been the case. Students are likely to be asking more deliberate questions about the link between qualifications and employment than they have before.

“The institution of choice for the future will therefore be one that offers qualifications that result in work ready graduates as well as a teaching and learning environment that can shift seamlessly from the class to online and back.” 

Coughlan said in addition to the previous factors that needed to be considered when deciding on what and where to study,  “the ability to deliver a quality and resilient offering when face-to-face delivery is not possible, has now become a non-negotiable”.

“The world has changed. Some form of social distancing and responsiveness to epidemic outbreaks — even if not at the scale of a pandemic — needs to be integrated into how we live. Institutions that are expecting to go back to what was are missing the point — the future is about the best of both alongside proven capacity to change tack responsively and quickly without disrupting learning or assessment. This is the new normal.”

When considering institutions for next year, prospective students should be aware of the terminology related to the mode/method of delivery they will encounter so that they can differentiate between them.

“Traditionally there are two modes of delivery types that students select. This is either contact studies, where the bulk of the teaching and learning is on a campus site with face-to-face interaction between lecturers and peers, or distance studies where the bulk of the teaching and learning requires little to no actual campus contact sessions, but rather is technologically-mediated, i.e. interaction between the educators and with peers occurs using electronic platforms. Distance studies also include what is traditionally called pack and post, where materials are mailed to students, or where it can be downloaded from a student portal,” Coughlan said.

For some time now students on many campuses have been able to blend their class learning with some online engagement with the content, the lecturer and peers on a digital platform. Where this has been structured and planned to support and supplement contact teaching, it is known as blended learning, and it is the progressive way to add value to the traditional classroom-based method of teaching and learning.

The pandemic has also highlighted the development of hybrid learning where classroom and online sessions are happening at the same time to give those students who are online, direct person-to-person engagement with those who have opted to be in the physical class. It is not however that easy as the lecturer needs to be able to engage two very different audiences at the same time, so professional development of staff and the employment of effective broadcast technology using Bluetooth and wi-fi are now standard, Coughlan explained.

“We are great supporters of contact education as we believe in campus life and the value it adds, but we are realistic about the uncertainty and excited about the possibilities of making hybrid learning meaningful and engaging. For those matrics who are still investigating their study options for next year, or those who are having a change of heart now about their choice as a result of changes brought on by the pandemic, an important step in making the choice is to speak to current students at various institutions to evaluate how their institution ensured continuation of learning and how well it supported students.

“So consider whether current students will still complete their academic year by the end of 2020, or have their studies been thrown into disarray? How much was invested into technology and development pre-lockdown, so that the institution could respond swiftly when lockdown was announced? Did institutions support those students who did not have the resources and data to continue learning? Does the institution have a strong work-integrated learning focus and industry-connect curriculum, or is it purely focused on [sometimes outdated] theory?”

— The Independent Institute of Education