Digital experience insights: University of Hertfordshire

Since 2016 the University of Hertfordshire has been working with our building digital capability service to help staff and students acquire the digital skills and confidence they need to live and work in a digital world. In 2019 Herts began to use digital experience insights (DEI) surveys to see how they were progressing and understand if there was a mismatch between the services they were offering and what students and staff needed.

Digital confidence

Back in 2018 the university was implementing a new digital learning environment (Canvas and integrated tools), underpinned by a set of pedagogic principles. Digital capabilities manager Samantha Clarkson observed that some staff seemed unprepared for digital change and reluctant to try new things.

“We could keep on covering the same ground for each rollout of new technology or we could zoom out and look at ways to alter the culture and preparedness for inevitable digital change.”

“Change is going to be rapid. It’s quite normal for tools to come and go, so we wanted people to think about the strategies they have to cope and develop skills on an ongoing basis.”

In 2019 teaching staff and students were invited to complete the DEI surveys, so the university could understand more about their experiences of the new digital learning environment.

The surveys helped to uncover where the university was performing compared with its peers and how student expectations of their digital learning experience were being met, or not. For example, the student survey provided good evidence of the value they placed on the recent adoption of automatic recording for taught sessions and Herts’ sector-leading provision in this area.

Crisis or opportunity?

The insights unlocked by those first surveys about the impact of interventions and investment led Herts to deliver the professional staff and researchers surveys as well in 2021.

Post-pandemic survey responses were a mixed bag. Although some teaching and professional services staff wanted to go back to doing things in the old established ways, many more said they’d realised how adaptable they could really be. They’d seen how digital helped them work better and smarter. They reported an improved work/life balance, more efficient online meetings and communication, and being better equipped to deliver a blend of on-campus and online learning and student services.

These survey outcomes were encouraging, and senior managers lent their enthusiastic support for more initiatives to build digital capability.

Starting out on a journey of digital development

In 2020/21 Library and Computing Services staff, led by Samantha Clarkson, trialled the discovery tool with first year undergraduate students. They ran sessions with them within their programmes to explore what digital capability is and why it matters, using our student ‘journey of digital development’ as a resource to communicate opportunities for progression and map existing university activity. The sessions set out to focus on the skills and behaviours students would need to develop and demonstrate to remain digitally capable throughout their career, rather than tool-specific guidance.

The journey approach breaks things down into steps that feel manageable. It helps to manage staff and student expectations about incremental learning and development, and how best to approach frontloading and appropriate use of induction/welcome. The initially modest offer of programme-based activity used the six elements framework and the discovery tool to support activity that helps students understand the range of skills and attributes that make up digital capability and encourages them take ownership of achieving their development goals.

Sessions were complemented with an online platform containing digital skills development resources, designed in consultation with students and based on an audit of all modules taught at the university. This resource primarily signposts to good quality ‘how-to’ guidance from tool providers rather than recreating materials in-house, and emphasises strategies to develop the skills to use tools effectively alongside knowledge about functionality.

An in-person drop-in and online appointment service with the Student Technology Mentor team was also established. Student technology mentors are all Herts students, giving valuable peer-to-peer learning experience.

Building bigger

In the years since 2021 the university has built on these foundations. It has invested in growing the team to deliver digital capabilities support throughout students’ time at the university (and for several years beyond via the careers service). In 2022 Herts revised its set of graduate attributes, which now include ‘digitally capable and confident’.

The DEI survey is used each year to review and evaluate progress. For example, the survey has evidenced improved outcomes on the question to students ‘do you agree that we have provided guidance about the digital skills needed for your course?’. There’s been a steady increase in positive answers:

• 2021 - 42%
• 2022 - 55%
• 2023 - 66% (benchmark is 54%)

In 2023 Herts exceeded benchmark for all questions relating to digital skills development in the student DEI survey.

Work with staff is continuing as well and, with good baseline longitudinal data from the teaching staff and professional staff DEI surveys between 2021-2023, Herts aims to evidence the same strong progress with staff as it has achieved for the student experience.

In 2023 the university expanded the team and the programme again. Five dedicated staff from Library and Computing Services (LCS) work with students, professional staff and researchers in partnership with a newly appointed team in the Centre for Learning, Access and Student Success (CLASS). CLASS has a particular focus on developing academic staff’s skills and embedding opportunities for digital capability development in curriculum design, beyond the tentpole moments of activity facilitated by LCS.

The university has invested in provision of LinkedIn Learning for all staff and students, and students continue to be able to use the platform for two years after they graduate. Activity to support staff and students to develop independent problem-solving skills and effective approaches for digital learning and development have resulted in above average use of the platform at Herts compared to similar organisations.

Communication and collaboration

Communicating the university’s expectations around digital capabilities starts before students arrive, as part of the ‘getting ready to study at Herts’ module, which covers practical issues like necessary equipment and also the range of curriculum and extracurricular activities on offer in the journey model. This is made possible through collaboration with academic colleagues to ensure that resources and messages that reflect the Student Digital Skills Development Journey are consistent and surfaced to students at the right time throughout their studies.

The university offers reward and recognition programmes designed to keep students motivated. Alongside a programme-based digital capability session at each level, students can learn and showcase their skills in Digital Skills Week, through the Digital Wednesdays programme and in LoveDigital learning challenges. They’re encouraged to submit evidence of participation and achievements towards their Go Herts Award.

Communication about developing digital capabilities continues frequently and there are many, varied opportunities to engage. Samantha says:

“Regular activities indicate that this is an important priority within the university."

“We use the six elements framework and discovery tool as a guide for everyone to understand how we define digital capability, identify their priorities and plan their development. We have decided not to implement compulsory courses or modules, and believe most digital capability development takes place at the point of need through ad hoc problem solving and accessing guidance. Training is an anchor or catalyst but not the sole solution to skills development.”

Culture change

Developing digital capabilities is becoming embedded as part of the University of Hertfordshire’s culture. In July 2023 the university launched its Staff Digital Skills Development Journey. The journey’s message and activity communicate expectations about the importance and value of remaining digitally capable, both to perform their role to a high standard and to pursue their career goals.

Activity in the journey includes a Herts digital checklist, facilitated completion of the digital discovery tool, individual and team coaching, Digital Skills Week, a LinkedIn Learning Network for collaborative learning and the Digital Wednesdays programme, where staff and students can learn together.

Samantha says having a wide variety of ongoing activities is essential because it enables people to adopt a proactive, personalised approach and to take up opportunities that suit their personal learning preferences.

“In 2024/25 we intend to focus particular attention on developing the opportunities for staff to gain reward and recognition for digital skills development. There will be pilot activity in summer 2024 with members of the university Digital Capabilities Forum, a community of staff from various departments and levels in the organisation who have helped to shape and refine the Staff Digital Skills Development Journey to date."

“When everyone is making individual gains and has an openness to learning and development the organisation will also gain and start to change as a whole.”