Are universities prepared for digital learning?

As higher education institutions worldwide are forced to adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes evident that digital learning is vital to the continuation of education during this time.  However, were universities prepared for such a crisis, and are they all able to adapt to online learning?

For some fields, the task of switching to online learning has proven to be more difficult than for others, and universities have scrambled to find solutions – particularly in the health and science fields. The question remains, how well do universities adapt, and will some universities have an easier time than others? The concern being that if universities are not fully prepared to continue teaching in a pandemic event, what concerns should we have for the education industry – not only teaching, but also learning?

As universities aim to continue their teaching and education mission, students have had to adjust abruptly to a different learning format. But take a quick search through Twitter and other social media platforms, and it becomes evident students are stressed and concerned about their academic futures. Although online teaching can be great, the untimely shift and unpreparedness of many universities means compromises must be made. This needs to be taken into account as we assess and develop future methods for online teaching.

In response, U-Multirank has been assessing via an online survey how students feel their universities have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey aims to assess the digital preparedness of universities based from a student perspective, and how they handled the current crisis. If you’re interested in our detailed analysis then subscribe to our newsletter from this link.

In the meantime, make sure you’re adhering to your national health organisations, and #StayHome and take proper precautions.