Introduction
In an increasingly uncertain world, it pays for universities and colleges to give serious consideration to preparing for circumstances where either staff or learners (or both) are unable to physically spend time on campus. This extends to those providers of transnational education, where restrictions on mobility or other concerns may encourage the use of blended and online learning.
Wherever you are on your journey towards digital transformation, there will still be some practical, ‘common sense' steps that you can take to ensure you are able to provide support and a meaningful level of teaching and learning, regardless of where your staff or students may find themselves at little or no notice.
This guidance is for the planning of UK delivery of operations; further country specific guidance pertaining to transnational education delivery is currently being developed. Please contact international@jisc.ac.uk in relation to this aspect of the guidance.
It is important that this guidance is seen as an evolving document; we would welcome your feedback and further discussion. Please contact steve.bailey@jisc.ac.uk.
Summary of key considerations
How online resources can ensure continuity
- Ask all teaching staff to ensure they can access and know the basics of how to use the VLE
- Ensure all teaching staff have access to support for using the VLE
- Ensure the accessibility of all content you provide to learners online
- Make the most of your Jisc digital content subscriptions
Lecture capture
- Assess and promote existing platforms for broadcasting and/or capturing lectures
- Ensure your policies allow you to extend the scope of your lecture capture activity or take necessary extraordinary measures to give you the ability to do so
- Consider what hardware staff might need to effectively capture or broadcast lecture content
Assessment and feedback
- Ensure you offer clear and supportive messages to students, reassuring them that mitigating circumstances will be taken into account and that it is highly unlikely that they will be penalised for circumstances outside of their control when it comes to assessment
- Ensure your VLE is enabled to manage online assessment
- Support teaching staff to create robust, meaningful and accessible online assessments
Induction
- Depending on the time of year, you may need to start planning how you can replicate key aspects of your regular summer induction programme remotely
Student wellbeing
- Think about the platforms and communication channels you already have and how they can be used to broadcast information to either all or specific groups of students
- Don’t rely on a single communication channel
- Think about how messages are going to be approved and sent, and by whom, to ensure a consistency of information
- Pay particular attention to vulnerable students and what additional contact needs they may have
- Consider creating a helpdesk to pull information together and provide a means for students to speak to someone
Keeping in contact with staff
- Don’t forget that your staff will also have their own needs and anxieties, which may overlap with those faced by your students, but which will require separate consideration and treatment
- Consider using platforms such as Yammer to encourage informal communication between staff to create a continued sense of community and connectivity
Effective remote working for staff
- Encourage staff to make their home environment as conducive as possible to effective remote working. Depending on the duration of the remote working it may be necessary to conduct a DSE assessment on their working environment
- Start with any existing disaster recovery or business continuity plans to help identify core systems and vital information and records
- Use the collaboration features on platforms such as Office365 or Google G-Suite to enable teams and individuals to plan and work effectively while working remotely
- Encourage regular use of video alongside audio and chat collaboration to enhance presence and support team spirit
- Ensure you provide appropriate support and guidance for such platforms so as not to exclude less confident users
- Encourage a management culture which is built around trust, flexibility and outputs, rather than one which leaves staff feeling the need to account for every minute of their working day
- Schedule regular team meetings and one-to-ones to ensure the wellbeing of your staff, and that priorities are clear
Post-incident closure and review
- Consider the criteria for ending the incident and who will make that decision
- Consider a phased return to normal operations, rather than assuming an immediate and blanket reversion
- Review your response to the incident, looking for lessons that can be learnt to improve future planning and incident response
- Review any ‘emergency’ measures undertaken during the incident, looking to ensure a managed return to normal operations