INTRODUCTION

The Issue
 
UCL is carrying out a strategic review of our approach to online learning. SMT has asked a cross-UCL Group to prepare an options analysis for consideration in the Autumn Term.

As part of its work, the Group is consulting widely across Faculties and Departments. This survey is being conducted online, in order to involve as many colleagues as possible, so that the options are informed where possible by the views of staff.
 
What is Online Learning?

‘Online learning’ here refers to a wholly online course, of the kind currently run by several Departments for both postgraduate taught courses (PGT), and professional development courses (PD). Online undergraduate provision is not currently being considered by UCL. A wholly online PGT course means

·      students can access UCL courses at a distance, nationally and globally, 24/7

·      all learning resources, activities, discussions, and formative assessment and summative are conducted entirely online, e.g. via Moodle or similar

·      students/learners are never required to come to the campus

·      the learning experience is designed to be equivalent to campus courses

·      fee levels are the same as for campus courses

·      the qualification is the same as for campus courses

For PD courses the same features apply except that for some

·      there may be no fee

·      they include no summative assessment

·      learners receive a certificate of attendance (certificated options could be developed).

Why a new approach?
The value of a new approach is that it would enable the College to plan a more coordinated strategy to the further development of such courses and their articulation with the undergraduate programmes, and ensure close linkage with the Connected Curriculum initiative. The further aim is to strengthen digital education across taught provision including campus-based undergraduate programmes.

There are 10 questions, and this survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete. Your comments in addition to the ratings will be helpful for understanding better what most interests and concerns UCL staff.

Question Title

* 1. Draft Vision and Mission
The Group has drafted a vision and a mission statement for online learning, in the light the UCL 2034 overarching vision and mission:

Our vision for OLL@UCL
Online learning at UCL will use the transformative capabilities of digital technologies to enrich teaching and learning in line with the principles of the Connected Curriculum initiative, connecting our research and education community of staff, students, alumni, and partners, and innovating together to achieve our ambitions. It will enable UCL to extend its national and global reach.  

Our Mission for OLL@UCL
Our mission is to develop innovative online learning provision that is at least equivalent in quality and richness of experience to study on campus. We want to attract the most able students, including those who do not wish to or cannot study in London, to join and enrich our diverse academic community.

 Please comment on these draft statements

Question Title

* 2. Ambitions for online learning (OLL)

There are several reasons for considering online learning for post-graduate and professional development courses.
Please rate the following reasons in terms of their potential value to your course or programme context

  Not important Not very important Neutral Important Very important N/A
Wider participation
Better quality learning experience
Closer relationship between teaching and research
Better graduate outcomes
Wider range of graduate skills and knowledge
Higher student numbers

Question Title

* 3. Expectations

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following requirements, with respect to your course or programme context, that online learning should

  Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Become mainstream activity so it is part of our core business
Provide financial sustainability with a proportion of the net surplus going directly to the Department
Lead to UCL qualifications that are equivalent to the current provision
Support students with dedicated staff-student engagement mechanisms
Help us to reach the excellent students and learners who cannot study in London

Question Title

* 4. Future trajectories (a)

The pace of growth in wholly online courses will develop over time, according to Departments’ preferences for postgraduate or professional development courses, or both.

How would you expect your Department to be running online courses in the future?

  Already doing it Short term, <=3 years Medium term, 4-6 years Longer term, >6 years Never
Some postgraduate courses
Some professional development courses
Both types of course

Question Title

* 5. Future trajectories (b)

Which particular curriculum areas would you be interested in developing as online PGT or PD courses? These responses will help to plan future priorities for development.

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* 6. Advantages for the Connected Curriculum in developing online learning

To what extent do you agree/disagree with these statements (from the Connected Curriculum goals), that online provision should help to:

  Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Make use of collaborative technologies to connect students with staff and their research
Give students/learners authentic experience of the digital resources, environments and tools used in research
Develop students’/learners’ capability to use online resources to make connections 
Give students/learners practice in the digital inquiry, making, creating, networking and problem-solving skills of the workplace
Develop students’ digital presentational skills as part of their assessment
Use communication technologies to connect students with each other across phases and with alumni
Accelerate pedagogical innovation

Question Title

* 7. Expectations around online learning

To what extent do you agree/disagree with these statements about wholly online courses:

  Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Running online courses provides real value for our students
I am interested in developing online courses
I would only be interested if there were clearer career rewards for this kind of innovation
I would like to develop an online course with help from learning technologists
I would prefer academics to learn how to design online learning, rather than hand this to external designers
We need clear workload planning guidelines and the time and resources needed for online teaching
I need to understand more about online assessment methods
Only mixed mode is feasible, as students/learners must be on campus for some of their study
I think online learning is important but the Department needs support in defining its online learning strategy

Question Title

* 8. Business model

UCL would seek to develop a course planning tool for online courses, to ensure financial viability over the medium term. This entails working through more precisely defined modelling of the costs of developing and running courses and programmes, and the benefits in terms of learning experience, graduate outcomes, and fee income. These are some of the main principles:

·      Online provision requires different processes of and approaches to recruitment, induction and student support, online engagement and retention as well as and monitoring of tutors, which all have to be reflected in the costing.

·      New approaches to market research and promotion will be required, which would take a larger proportion of the cost of the course.

·      The student/learner experience has to be the main consideration when developing online provision.

·      Viability is determined by the size of the available market for individual programmes as much as the quality of the applicants.

Please note your comments on these considerations, or other aspects of business modelling for our courses

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* 9. Perspectives on online learning

What are your main positive and negative perspectives on online learning? Comments here will help us to gauge the overall attitudes of staff towards the move to more online learning at UCL.

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* 10. What is your Department?
If you would be prepared to be contacted, briefly, about your responses, please leave your email address.

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