OBHE-conducted Institutional Surveys of the Use of ICT in Support of Teaching and Learning

Development of online learning in universities and colleges is complex. Issues include the balance between on- and off-campus delivery, centralisation versus local initiatives, staff development, platform selection, integration of academic and administrative technologies, use of outsourcing/consortia and intellectual property policy.

The Observatory has conducted reviews in this area for a number of UK universities on a consulting basis. Such reviews have included the assessment of:

● the level of online learning/ICT use in teaching and learning at the university, including identifying areas of innovation,

● the nature of use of online learning/ICT in teaching and learning at the university, including information on particular packages or platforms in use,

● how, if at all, the use of online learning/ICT is evaluated, and how evaliation is used to enhance teaching and learning,

● evidence and perceptions of student demand, value-added to the teaching and learning environment and impact on student progress,

● staff development arrangements, needs and barriers,

● the emphasis on online learning/ICT in teaching and learning in key corporate strategies and policies, and institutional barriers to innovation, and

● relationships between use of online learning/ICT in teaching and learning and related central services and structures (e.g. central computing, human resources and library).