Report
Beyond blended in action: transforming curriculum and learning design in a shifting landscape
Between October 2024 and July 2025 we collaborated with 17 higher education (HE) providers in a research pilot to discover how the beyond blended materials could be used to support curriculum and learning design.
This report highlights how the materials were used by pilot organisations to help navigate the complex and changing landscape of HE in the UK and beyond. It emphasises the value of sharing concerns, approaches and resources to support changing practices as organisations responded to similar challenges and constraints. The pilots also contribute to an evidence base of what good practice in relation to curriculum design for blended learning looks like for others across the sector to build on.
Read the full report
pdf, 3.4MB, 48 pages
Pilot teams were encouraged to use the materials as a starting point for conversations to reach a shared understanding and clarity around terminology and meanings that suited their own contexts. Some adopted beyond blended resources and others adapted the materials and developed variations of their own. This was particularly important for those looking to develop or refine curriculum frameworks but also to facilitate strategic conversations that included a range of different stakeholders across the organisation.
We are extending the research pilot into a second phase from October 2025 to July 2026 to deepen sector understanding of the use of the beyond blended materials and how these resources are supporting approaches to curriculum design. We are continuing to work closely with 12 of the original 17 pilots who will be building on the phase one activities and will be joining phase two.
In 2024 University of Cumbria introduced a revised curriculum design framework across all provision, which incorporated aspects of beyond blended. In 2024/25, the focus of the beyond blended pilot was on health and education provision. In 2025/26, this scope will be expanded to incorporate all provision, ensuring that beyond blended forms a cornerstone of curriculum design.
Our thanks go to all the HE providers who worked with us on the research pilot:
- Abertay University
- University of Birmingham
- Birmingham City University
- City St George’s, University of London
- University of Cumbria
- Edge Hill University
- Edinburgh Napier University
- University of Galway
- Leeds Trinity University
- University of Northampton
- University of Nottingham
- Queen’s University Belfast
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Sheffield Hallam University
- Southampton Solent University
- University of Southern Queensland
- University of Sunderland
Supporting resources
- Read our beyond blended: rethinking curriculum and learning design guide to use and adapt the beyond blended resources
- Find out more about our beyond blended research pilot
- Tell us how you are using the beyond blended resources
- Join our student experience experts group
About the authors
I am director of digital transformation in higher education. My team and I support universities with their digital transformation agenda. This includes working with senior leaders to support their use of the framework and maturity model for digital transformation in higher education. Other activities in my portfolio include projects exploring future trends for assessment and feedback, researching international and transnational education (TNE) students' digital experiences and supporting staff with designing blended learning. In addition we support communities of practice including our senior leaders working group for digital transformation, our student experience experts group, working groups for assessment and feedback and international and TNE students’ digital experiences.
I contribute to Jisc’s research, thought leadership and consultancy into the digital transformation of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education. In doing this, I work closely with Jisc members and experts from the UK HE sector to gather requirements to inform how Jisc can support the sector in the challenges they are facing in relation to digital transformation. Areas of current focus include research exploring the digital experience of international students studying in the UK and rethinking learning and curriculum design.
Simon is a senior consultant in digital transformation of teaching, learning and assessment in higher education. He previously worked in the HE sector as a strategic technology leader, specialising in learning technologies, educational innovation and development, learning space design, audio visual and digital services.