In response to the impact of Covid-19 on opportunities for face-to-face learning, teaching and assessment on campus, blended, hybrid and online learning approaches have been prioritised by HEIs. The Office for Students (OfS) has highlighted that the quality of these new approaches, as well as the associated alternative learning, teaching and assessment experiences, need to be comparable to existing provision. In the words of Nicola Dandridge (CEO, OfS): “The line we are taking is that provision needs to be different but good – not different but bad.”
Within this context, the University of Surrey’s approach to hybrid education has been articulated through its Centre for Management Education as Active Digital Design (ADD).
Find out more
Complete the form below to register your interest in ADD and we will send you an information sheet with further details of our support. A member of our team will be in touch shortly after to discuss your requirements.
How does it work?
This two-phase online project will take colleagues through the five steps of the ADD approach; offering diagnostic work through initial consultation and a needs analysis; focused discussion with decision makers and programme teams; identified recommendations to develop and enhance the learning, teaching and assessment experience; a tailored ADD approach that will prepare colleagues to enhance online learning (including associated ADD resources and templates); and a final project debrief session that will consider future developments.
The benefits of ADD
ADD prioritises an active approach to learning and teaching using digital design techniques. It recognises that to engage students online and make them active learners, we need to design with a digital-first mindset.
This involves moving away from looking at a virtual learning environment (VLE) as a static repository that acts as a virtual backdrop to face-to-face teaching and instead, repositioning it through a structured 5 step plan as a location where high-quality learning, teaching and assessment takes place.
It also utilises active programme and module design techniques – such as Learning Design Sprints – to support and develop the skills and confidence of colleagues working online.
Project success story
Bradford College - Digital by Design
A strategic decision was made by Bradford College to transition its teaching model from a face-to-face model to a blended approach in order to make their programmes more accessible and flexible for learners in the future.
Drawing on the ADD method Advance HE developed a distinct signature pedagogy for Bradford that was digitally rich, supportive, inclusive and accessible. The project adopted a two-phase approach: to support the leadership team to take forward a digital transformation and upskill teaching staff so that they are more digitally fluent and better prepared for hybrid teaching.
“Feedback from students has been excellent, we hear from them directly that they like the flexibility and being able to access learning online. The blended model means we can meet the demands of students from all backgrounds, which is especially important in such a diverse city as Bradford."
Craig Tupling, Vice Principal, Quality and Student Experience, Bradford College
