Report

Teaching staff digital experience insights survey 2020/21: UK higher education findings

This year, 3,729 teaching staff from 24 universities and one college delivering higher education took part in our digital experience insights survey. The survey was conducted between October 2020 and July 2021.

Teaching digital experience insights report cover

The pandemic has changed the role of teachers.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has had a significant impact on teaching and learning, and this report highlights the experiences of teaching staff during this period. Now is the perfect time to utilise these insights to build a robust future for a digitally capable sector.


Key findings:

  • Two-thirds of teachers were offered support with online teaching during the pandemic; however, 73% said this added significant new stress to their workload, leading to anxiety and exhaustion.
  • 76% of staff felt that online teaching changed their role as a teacher by having to consider the delivery of the class and technical challenges their students may face. Furthermore, 44% of respondents received guidance about the digital skills needed in their role, with only 15% receiving an assessment of these needs.
  • Online teaching caused technical challenges for 82% of staff, with many experiencing problems on several occasions. Not all respondents could access the online systems and services required, and over half had wi-fi issues.
  • Over half of the teaching staff felt they were not given enough time to explore new digital tools and 67% felt they were not rewarded or recognised for the digital skills they’ve had to develop.
  • 59% of respondents felt their teaching environment was safe and secure. These responses were less optimistic than desired. High numbers of teaching staff gave ambivalent responses or disagreed, indicating room for improvement.
  • Overall, teaching staff are pleased with online learning quality, with 84% rating it as ‘best imaginable’, ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.

Although there have been evident struggles for teaching staff, some key recommendations in the report will enhance the education sector if implemented.

Download the full report (pdf)

About the authors

Clare Killen
Clare Killen
Senior consultant

I work in the business intelligence unit at Jisc, primarily on the digital experience insights surveys for students, academic staff and professional services staff. The focus is on supporting members across further and higher education to enrich their student experiences by providing powerful data to inform strategic planning and investment.

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Mark Langer-Crame
Senior data intelligence analyst (team lead), Jisc
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Emma Jones
Senior consultant - business intelligence