UKÄ recently published its first interim report about how the university has been affected by the corona pandemic. One aspect of this interim report is what pedagogical and technical obstacles the pandemic has entailed and here five organizations summarize their views and SFS is one of the organizations. The opinions are relatively consistent about what has been positive and negative and SFS primarily sees that the various organizations' reports highlight a need for increased investments in higher education teaching and accessibility. In this blog post we summarize the interim report and what SFS believes should be done in the future.
SFS was one of the organisations that responded to UKÄ's survey that forms the basis of the report. The other organisations were the Swedish University Association (SUHF), the Swedish Network for Educational Development in Higher Education (Swednet), the Network for IT in Higher Education (ITHU) and the Coordination Network for National Funds for Targeted Educational Support. The questions we and the other actors answered were as follows:
- What pedagogical challenges and opportunities did the transition to distance learning bring in 2020?
- What technical challenges and opportunities did the transition to distance learning present in 2020?
- Which changes are likely to be permanent and which will cease?
Pedagogy
To the first question, "What pedagogical challenges and opportunities did the transition to distance learning have in 2020?" The five organizations collectively stated that the positive experiences were that
- The rapid transition has increased the digital self-confidence of both teachers and students.
- Awareness of pedagogy has been raised.
- Digital teaching methods have been developed and improved.
- Collaboration between colleagues, units and other universities has improved.
SFS notes that the rapid change has meant that both university management and teachers have seen the value of higher education teaching in a way they did not before and have gained new insight into the value of higher education teaching and digital pedagogical competence. As Swednet comments in its survey response:
This resulted in a high burden on the higher education teaching units, which were suddenly expected to solve “all” problems, answer new questions and ensure support and competence development of “all” teachers in a short time. At the same time, we at the higher education teaching units experienced that, not least in the management, there was an unrealistic belief in our competence to solve complex issues that in many cases concerned areas that were outside our areas of responsibility (and in the same way, teachers were expected to solve situations where they did not own the whole issue).
Swednet
SUHF's writing on higher education teaching competence is also interesting to highlight here.
The issues of higher education teaching and resources for it need to be brought up to date (again). More coordination and support is needed nationally. The transition to digital teaching is NOT cheaper, it requires MORE resources if we are also to take the opportunity to increase quality. A holistic approach is needed.
SUHF
SUHF, like SFS, emphasizes that national coordination is needed in most areas so that each higher education institution does not invent its own solutions to sector-wide problems, e.g. regarding examinations.
Regarding the negative experiences or challenges that the transition has entailed, the five organizations have collectively stated:
- Shortcomings in transferring practical elements (e.g. laboratory work, artistic elements) to the digital format
- Deficiencies in students' work environment (i.e. home environment and workload, etc.)
- Impaired interaction between students and between student and teacher
- Major shortcomings in legal certainty in digital examinations
- Lack of equal treatment as students have different conditions to adopt digital pedagogy, but also because it is often financially costly for the individual
- Difficulties in adapting teaching for students in need of special educational support
- Stress and high workload among teachers
Another interesting aspect that ITHU highlights is how the focus on getting the technical pieces done has overshadowed the importance of pedagogy.
One challenge in the transition has been to make the starting point of the work pedagogical. There has been a tendency for the use of technology to overshadow pedagogical thoughts. Teachers largely decided which tool they would use before investigating in more detail which tool was most appropriate for the situation and purpose.
ITHU
Like the other organizations, SFS has seen shortcomings in the students' work environment, which during the pandemic has largely been the home environment as libraries and campuses have been completely closed at times. Students do not always have optimal home environments in terms of size of accommodation, ergonomics, access to equipment required for homework, etc.
Engineering
Regarding the technical possibilities, the organizations have stated:
- Often lack of accessibility in digital lectures, which requires better technical equipment such as a camera and microphone.
- Lack of technical knowledge among teachers and students
- Lack of access (and expensive) to technical equipment
- Poor internet connection
- Problems with Zoom
As stated by the Coordinator Network for National Funds for Targeted Educational Support regarding the accessibility aspect of digital pedagogy
To maintain accessibility in digital lectures, good technical equipment such as cameras and microphones is required, as well as an increase in the skills of teaching staff in, for example, microphone technology and creating a good sound environment, so as not to build unnecessary obstacles into the teaching. (…) Campus-based teaching and digital lectures that take place in real time are usually interpreted in sign language. In the period of distance learning, pre-recorded lectures have made up an unexpectedly large part of the teaching. At most universities, these have been subtitled or captioned to make them accessible, while instead interpretation of the films has been offered at some universities (…) The consequence for many sign language students has been that a large part of the teaching has been offered text-based in written Swedish (and English), since even those lectures, when pre-recorded, are only accessible through text. The fact that only small parts of the teaching are given in the students' first language – sign language – can also create obstacles to the development of a living language in sign language in the subject areas in which the students are studying.
The coordinator network for national funds for targeted educational support
ITHU stated that when universities opened in the fall of 2020 and many students and teachers returned to campus, hybrid teaching was tested with both students in class and remotely via Zoom. However, very few classrooms on campus were equipped for good hybrid teaching because it requires multiple cameras, microphones and screens so that everyone can see and hear each other. ITHU further writes (see quote)
There is a great risk that distance students will feel like spectators and will have difficulty speaking up. Active collaborative learning in a hybrid environment places new demands on pedagogical skills, organizational learning and technical solutions. This requires an exchange of experiences, new recommendations and probably also the remodeling of many classrooms.
ITHU
Which of these changes do you think will be permanent and which will cease?
Here to stay:
- Digital and pre-recorded lectures and meetings
- Less travel
- Increased collaboration within and between higher education institutions
Here to end:
- Practical sessions via Zoom
- Certain types of exams via Zoom
- Total lack of campus-based teaching
The majority of the five organizations believe in a hybrid approach between campus-based teaching and digital teaching. It will probably be more natural to have both meetings and some teaching elements remotely, which will reduce travel, several believe.
Many believe and above all hope for increased national coordination in several issues related to pedagogy, law, organization, etc.
Swednet notes that the situation has led to the development of higher education research, as many projects to research the current situation have been initiated. SFS sees this as very positive.
SFS's final reflections on the compilation of the impact of the corona pandemic on pedagogy
SFS notes a great deal of consensus and many wise points of view among the five organizations that responded to UKÄ's questions about how the university has been affected by the pandemic. Overall, it is possible to see several positive effects but also a number of negative effects.
SFS sees above all that the pandemic has highlighted the need for a major investment in higher education pedagogy and a special boost in terms of pedagogical support measures for students in need of special pedagogical support. When the pandemic is over and new teaching arrangements will be introduced at many higher education institutions and programs, the pedagogy needs to maintain a high quality and, not least, be adapted to students with functional variations.
The experiences of the pandemic strengthen SFS's belief that we are focusing on the right things by having higher education pedagogy and accessibility as focus issues for this year and give us great motivation to continue working on these issues.
SFS wants to see, among other things:
- That all teachers can take advantage of a digital higher education pedagogical boost with time in their services for pedagogical development and that the higher education pedagogical development units and networks receive strengthened resources to meet this demand
- That the higher education sector, via SUHF, develops a national strategy for the development of higher education teaching and learning, and that the Swedish University and Higher Education Council is given a promotion mission for higher education teaching and learning issues.
- That the Swedish Research Council be strengthened in its role in promoting higher education teaching skills by establishing a graduate school and ensuring that there is a professor of higher education teaching in the Educational Science Committee.
- That higher education pedagogical development is more clearly included in the national quality assurance system.
- That doctoral students have better opportunities for high-quality higher education education.
- That the Swedish Council for Higher Education be tasked with investigating pedagogical support measures and their quality in order to develop a national definition of what is meant by pedagogical support measures and a standardized minimum level of pedagogical support.
We can't wait any longer, it's time to act now to ensure that all students receive the education they deserve. Not least for the individuals themselves, but also for Sweden's future skills supply and role as a knowledge nation.