Aurelie Soulier’s work is within the UK open-source technology company, Catalyst IT. She is a product specialist, which consists of supporting clients with their learning technology, design and configurations to help them make the best possible use of Catalyst IT’s open-source educational tools. As a product specialist, she uses her 13 years of experience as a learning technologist and her knowledge of learning tools to support and train her clients.

I asked Aurelie for her recommendations for academic leaders who are expanding their use of technology in order to be able to flex their offering, and continue to deliver a high-quality student experience, regardless of the circumstances.

How important is EdTech right now?

Education technology can be used to complement face-to-face teaching (blended), but also as a full alternative during those periods when face-to-face or blended learning isn’t an option. It supports learning and, in terms of opportunities for university growth, it gives a learning experience that can be repeated and enhanced. 

However, regardless of the circumstances, EdTech never matters more than pedagogy. On its own it isn’t enough to provide a good learning experience: it still takes an educator to design the experience. EdTech is just here to facilitate this learning design in a mode that’s not face-to-face only.

What are your recommendations for academic leadership?

1. Support your teaching staff

Any institution that suddenly transitioned to remote teaching in the early part of 2020 will know that designing and developing an effective approach and engaging resources takes time and effort. As a leader you need to ensure that support is in place for your teaching staff. 

• Allocate time for them to understand what is possible and what will work for their course and their students. Simply presenting their existing powerpoint presentations in a video will not necessarily be sufficient. 

• Communicate the role you want your teaching staff to take on. How far will they create their own course structure and content, and how much will be developed in collaboration with EdTech experts? Bear in mind that some of your staff will be relieved to step back from this task, but others may want the freedom to own their course, and find it hard to work as part of a team. 

• You may need to recruit or upskill learning technologists and learning designers, potentially graphic designers and/or video producers, to provide material for media recording if needed.

• Communication with your staff and learners to manage their expectations and provide opportunities for feedback will be crucial. 

• Don’t underestimate how long it takes your EdTech or teaching team to design a course for online learning. I would recommend an initial session where you choose your themes and high level content, where you choose what the formative assessment will be to scaffold to the final assessment.
  
  

2. Ensure your technology is robust

• Ensure that your learning platform is scalable to the increasing numbers of learners online, and also to allow your staff to interact and connect more frequently. 

• If possible, use tools staff and students are already familiar with: now isn’t the time to change your VLE/LMS provider or video conferencing tool if you already have one in place. 

• Check that learners, as well as staff, are equipped appropriately and can connect to access the learning material. This may include surveying your students to find out how they access learning content. Many have laptops, some will only have a mobile phone.

• Remember to account for implementation and functional testing of the material.

• Don’t forget about accessibility. This means that you should be mindful of accessibility guidance. There are many summarised WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) online. Aiming for AA standard is a very good start. 
  
  

3. Select your EdTech partners and platforms with care

• How scalable is the platform?

• Does it comply with regulations, such as data protection and privacy laws? 

• Can you connect the tool to your existing infrastructure to use it ‘out of the box’, but also easily customise as your needs change, without unexpected or hidden high costs.

• Look for a partner who can provide expertise and support as well as tech-solutions. Good customer service is a must.

• The ideal partner will understand the context and pedagogy, as well as the technical implication of the learning provision you are wanting to deliver.

What are the unseen challenges of education technology?

The main challenges in education technology are culture, accessibility, and fairness.

The cultural aspect issue is that learning and teaching online requires a willingness to approach things in slightly different ways, to adapt, and to be open to risk. Without adequate change management and support, it is very difficult to make that switch.

Accessibility issues are still a challenge despite the quality research and relatively broad awareness of difficulties of our learners. Designing learning that caters for accessibility standards is not always as challenging as one may think. The challenge is to equip lecturers, trainers, and teachers to design with accessibility in mind, from the outset.

The last challenge I see in education technology is in access to the technology, in general. I would like to see EdTech as a leveler, but in some way I feel it can, at times, be another barrier to learning. Not every tool works for everyone, and not every internet connection is created equal! It’s a challenge that may almost be more political than technical or functional. It roots in social inequality and social justice. As much as I can start to answer and give pointers to bridge the previous two challenges, I have little answers to this latter. How do we ensure all learners have the same fair chance of accessing online learning, get the same level of interaction and experience despite their socio-economic differences?

This piece is part of our Perspectives series. Higher Education is changing fast, moving beyond emergency online teaching to provide a robust and satisfying student experience. As your institution plans to manage the challenges of this uncertain environment, stay aware of how others are responding. Each week we’ll share insights and discussion including student views, research, and interviews with academic leaders. Sign up for the series using the form to the right.

About Aurelie:

Aurélie’s current role is within the UK open-source technology company, Catalyst IT. She is a product specialist, which consists of supporting clients with their learning technology, design and configurations to help them make the best possible use of our open-source educational tools. As a product specialist, she uses her 13 years of experience as a learning technologist and knowledge of learning tools to support and train her clients.