Student satisfaction with online learning improving, says survey

UK students are growing more satisfied with their online learning experiences, but more than half still do not agree that they are engaging or motivating enough, according to a survey.

Jisc’s annual digital experience insights survey polled more than 27,000 higher education students and found that 80 per cent of them rate the quality of online learning on their course as above average, an increase of 3 per cent compared with pre-pandemic.

The results of the survey show that hybrid learning is still a significant part of the university experience, with a quarter saying their taught classes take place both on campus and online, compared with 64 per cent who said classes take place mainly on campus and 10 per cent who say mainly online.

Fifty-three per cent of students say they prefer to be taught on campus while 36 per cent said they prefer hybrid teaching. Asked where they prefer to learn, 45 per cent say on the campus and 41 per cent say they want a mix. In last year’s survey a majority favoured the hybrid approach.

Convenience is given as a key reason why students support digital learning, with 83 per cent agreeing this is the case. Seventy-one per cent say they feel it enables them to make good progress in their studies.

Asked what they see as the positive aspects of online learning, students say they value the flexibility of being able to watch live or pre-recorded lectures, the ease of accessing resources online and how digital technologies allow them to work and learn at their own pace.

On the more negative side, only half of students (49 per cent) agree that their online learning is engaging and motivating. While this represents an increase of 14 percentage points since 2020, it still means that more than half do not believe this is the case.

Students flag issues with the timeliness of lecture recordings being made available, the sometimes poor quality of the recordings and the lack of interaction with their peers. Reliance on online resources is also flagged as leading to a lack of motivation and focus, with students more easily distracted by other tasks.

“This year’s survey is a true reflection of the impressive work the sector has undertaken to make learning more accessible, flexible and engaging for students,” said Kathryn Heywood, the head of business intelligence, data analytics at Jisc.

“While there are clear positives to be taken from the data each year, there are always opportunities to improve and provide students with the best learning experience possible based on their feedback.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com