Measuring excellence in online learning
As technology accelerates the evolution of online learning, rankings can support universities in their digital transformations, setting standards that make for more rewarding student experiences
When Times Higher Education launched its Online Learning Rankings in November 2023 it was a sign of how much technology had changed the higher education sector. The evolution of digital platforms, allied to the move online during Covid-19 restrictions, has transformed student experiences. Now, these developments require benchmarking.
Speaking at the 2024 Digital Universities UK event, THE’s managing director of data science, David Watkins, explained the methodology behind the new ranking, and the hope that, like previous rankings, it would help universities improve their performance.
“One piece of feedback we get about the Impact Rankings is that it has helped universities to drive their sustainability agenda,” Watkins said. “It has given more focus to sustainability within universities, and it has allowed people who care about sustainability to create an agenda item more easily within that university. We have had quite a lot of feedback that it has helped improve sustainability. And that is a key focus for us in many of our rankings, and it is a key focus for us with the Online Learning Rankings.”
Beyond the fundamental academic outputs of grades and degrees, measuring success can be tricky – especially in a rapidly changing learning environment where the very definition of online learning can be disputed. University feedback is an essential part of the process. As part of the Online Learning Rankings, students are surveyed about how their institution supports them and how engaged they are in online learning. The ranking considers the educational environment, the level of technical support that is offered to students and how it contributes to a diversity of experiences.
Like any ranking, it is a work in progress. Watkins acknowledged that it is not perfect but the wealth of data behind it can measure the effectiveness of online learning. “We are well aware that a ranking is more than a number,” he said. “Our ranking position is a headline, but there is a lot of data that sits behind it to support universities to address their missions.”
The Online Learning Rankings arrives at an exciting time for higher education. Joining Watkins, Andy Stephenson, learning technologist at Kaplan, said digital platforms and the potential of AI to enhance the learning experience was “a huge win for students” – not only for those taking fully online programmes but also for those on-campus.
“Investment in online degree programmes and the facilities that are available, and the technology that is available to students to support that, will pay dividends in the long run,” Stephenson said.
The innovation exhibited in online learning is transferrable, he argued. Universities can export what works with their online teaching and use it to augment the experience of the wider student population. AI has the potential to reduce the academic burden and create a space for more personalised experiences.
“That time is actually spent with students, more one-on-one, or in a more personalised environment focused on their individual learning journeys,” he said. That might make the faculty-to-student ratio metric obsolete but, as Watkins noted, rankings, as with higher education itself, are always evolving.
The panel:
- Andy Stephenson, learning technologist, Kaplan
- David Watkins, managing director of data science, THE
Find out more about Kaplan.
