See our Research Briefing for more details, including how non-members can get involved.
Access, Participation and Covid-19: Exploring provider responses to Covid-19 and the impact on students
The Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing measures have thrown the higher education sector into a new world, being underpinned predominantly by online learning and engagement. The challenges faced by HE providers cover all aspects of business – from teaching and learning, student experience and professional services, and institutional business models and operations. Thinking about access and participation is very much a part of every aspect, in the “embedded”, “whole institution” approach we have developed and nurtured under the guidance of OFFA and the OfS.
The likely disproportionate effect of this new landscape on disadvantaged communities and students is a challenge providers will need to address over the immediate to longer term. Social mobility experts warn that the shift to online learning could hold back some students, including those from poorer backgrounds, care leavers, students with caring responsibilities and those with disabilities. The recent NUS survey suggested that one fifth of students struggle with access, while over half of students who rely on assistive technology felt they lacked the support needed to continue learning.
Understanding, evidencing and then articulating responses to Covid-19 and the impact on target students, particularly in respect of institutional access and participation outcomes and under-represented groups, is therefore a critical part of what is required. Not least, it is significant given the OfS position that access and participation must remain a priority, and their expectation that providers show a clear and robust rationale for the ‘reasonable alternatives’ that they have explored in order to meet the outcomes committed to in their APPs.
Applied Inspiration, a leading consultancy in the education sector specialising in fair access and participation, has addressed this need and developed a rapid research toolkit. The research is already launching with Applied Inspiration’s SEER service partners, and is now being offered to the broader sector.
SEER’s Access, Participation and Covid-19 research explores impact on students and provider responses, in respect of institutional access and participation outcomes and under-represented groups.
The key benefits of participating in the research include:
Understanding the experiences and challenges of your students (current and prospective) during this crisis, and implications for current and longer-term performance.
Understanding what practice is working and what is not, to direct current and future practice in relation to effectiveness (performance) and efficiency (return on investment) outcomes.
Building the evidence base required for monitoring from the OfS.
We invite providers to explore the attached research scope, which provides further details and an offer to participate in the research and get the toolkit.
If you would like to find out more about participating in the Covid-19 Research, about becoming a SEER partner, or the broader work of Applied Inspiration, please contact Jess Woodsford - Director for SEER, or Emma Thomas - Managing Director of Applied Inspiration, for further details or an informal conversation.