Slides delivered to the HEA Annual Conference in collaboration with Dave White and Sarah Knight. Outcomes of the workshop available at digitalstudent.jiscinvolve.org

1. Digital desires:
what do students want, expect and need
from their digital experience at university?
#digitalstudent http://digitalstudent.jiscinvolve.org

2. Welcome and introductions
Dave White,
Head of eLearning
UAL
@daveowhite
Helen Beetham,
Consultant in
Higher Education
@helenbeetham
Sarah Knight,
Senior Co-Design
Manager, Jisc
@sarahknight

3. Digital Student Project
» Phase 1 study reviewed students’ expectations and
experiences of the digital environment at university
» Desk study | review of institutional data | survey of
institutional stakeholders | student focus groups
» Present consultation phase to inform final guidance to
institutions and further actions by funders
» Parallel study in FE and Skills plus review of practice in
secondary schools
http://digitalstudent.jiscinvolve.org

4. Findings: expectations
› Expectations of access and services high and rising:
●
Free, ubiquitous, robust access to wifi
●
Able to use personal devices and services
●
VLE – organisation, time/task, content, consistency
●
Personal info (student dashboard) on personal device
› Demand for support with personal devices/services
●
… but ongoing demand for institutional provision too
› Demand for ICT skills training as and when required
●
… but most students don't want it timetabled/mandatory
› Wide variety of practices, capabilities, confidence levels

5. Findings: expectations

6. Findings: expectations
Implication: students will
punish universities
that fail to meet their
threshold digital
expectations
(but we don't know
how much)

7. Findings: experiences
› Highly dependent on previous experience, subject of
study, personal preferences and aspirations
› Not what was expected – unexpected is developmental
› Study habits with technology are hybrid – informal, peer
supported + academic, formally acquired
› Critical moments with technology often formally taught:
e-journals, data analysis, design, ref/project mngmt...
› Teaching staff skills are important
› Value perceived in retrospect
› Digital identity a key motivation and outcome

8. Findings: experiences

9. Findings: experiences
Implication: students
whose experiences
don't prepare them
thrive in the digital
society are being
failed (but may not
realise this until later)

10. Transactional vs transformational
Transactional Transformational
Accessing networks
Accessing hardware and
software
Accessing general and course-
related information
Signing on to university systems
Booking appointments
Submitting work, receiving
grades
Sharing ideas, engaging in dialogue
Encountering threshold concepts
Developing independent study habits
Collaborating on projects
Producing digital artefacts
Reflecting, reviewing, revising
Specialist tools and practices:
design, data analysis, e-journals,
ref/project managemt, specialist tools
Expectations largely established
in advance by transactions with
other service providers
Expectations largely established
during studies in dialogue with tutors
and peers

11. Findings from consultation

12. A vision for the digital environment
» Ubiquitous connectivity and data exchange: all potentially useful
content ‘a blink away’
» Build your own: personal learning environment of devices,
licenses, apps, services, networks, information sources
» Enhanced spaces and places, permeable to outside world
» Continuous digital recording of experience; opportunities for more
personalised learning; blend of formal/informal
» Diversification and/or stratification of learning experience
» Services hybrid (and contested?) e.g. open research, 'rogue'
content networks
»Micro-licensing or open landscape? Lax or hypervigilant security?

13. Key issues for students now
Changing nature of affiliation to the institution?
Branding and blending
Spaces and places
Open landscape,
walled garden
'What I need to
succeed' vs
bring/build YO
Frustration – how
can I make things better?

14. What can institutions do (better)?

15. » Invest in network and data environment: robust, ubiquitous,
secure but also flexible, open, innovation-friendly
» Prepare students to study successfully in digital settings
» Bring/build your own – assess, consult, formulate coherent
policy, resource, redress inequality
» Reprofile ICT support, remodel learning spaces
» Invest in staff digital confidence and expertise
» Engage in dialogue with students about digital experience
» Work in partnership with students to make things better
How are institutions responding?

16. How are students involved?
How are students helping to enhance the digital environment
and experience?
» Provide data and feedback (surveys, focus groups etc)
» Participate in user groups, focus groups, SIGs etc
» Act as mentors and digital champions (reverse mentoring)
» Work as paid interns, officers etc on development projects
» Become developers and innovators in their own right

17. Video

18. Discussion
Over to you...

19. Activity
In groups
» Look at one set of practical ideas for institutions
» Share what you are doing in this area
» Add new ideas using post-it notes or googledoc:
bit.ly/DigiStudentHEA

20. Groups
choose group | edit googledoc | edit printed cards
1. prepare students to study successfully in a digital envt
2. support students' use of their own devices and services
3. embed authentic digital activities and outcomes into the
curriculum
4. support students' digital identity and reputation
5. involve students in researching and developing the digital
environment
bit.ly/DigiStudentHEA

21. Find out more and get involved
http://digitalstudent.jiscinvolve.org