- Need to articulate a vision of what we want to achieve in terms of learning and assessment, and then develop a strategic which enables us to achieve it.
- Should our ultimate goal be success for all: removing barriers to success; enabling all to progress and flourish; etc.
- Develop our reputation for educational innovation, including our renowned ways of partnering with students (e.g. Students as Change Agents)
- Develop mechanisms to ascertain whether our ways of (re-)imagining learning have been successful, and whether these get implemented.

 

Modules are made up of scheduled learning (“contact”) and independent learning (reading, watching video, etc). A 15 credit module has 150 learning hours which are usually split something like 30/120, (contact/independent) but there is no QAA mandate on exactly what the split should be. Some subjects might suit either end of the spectrum, others could be anything in between.

I totally get that students who have signed up to a “traditional” full time programme, would not expect many (if any) online contact hours, although there are advantages in terms of facilitating the provision of cross-campus or inter-disciplinary modules, preparation for an increasingly digital workplace, or just to give more flexibility of timing around students’ other commitments.

It really scores highly for learners who cannot commit to standard university timetables - they may be classed as “WP”, have health issues or caring responsibilities, be already working in busy careers or be geographically located where they cannot physically reach a class.     

So a blended approach (where the scheduled learning contains both online and offline contact) can offer at least some added value to existing students, but possibly life-changing value to learners from these other demographic groups that our current offer simply does not reach.