A national review of blended learning at universities is to be led by De Montfort University’s incoming Pro Vice-Chancellor Education.
Professor Susan Orr – who joins DMU in May – has been named by the Office for Students (OfS) to head up a panel of expert academic reviewers to examine the way different universities and colleges are delivering a mixture of online and in-person education.
The review will consider how some universities are delivering blended learning, culminating in the publication of a report this summer.
It will set out where approaches represent high-quality teaching and learning, as well as approaches that are likely to fall short of the OfS’s requirements.
Professor Orr, who is currently PVC Learning and Teaching at York St John University, is set to join DMU in the spring to oversee and drive forward a transformative education strategy.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said: “There are clear benefits to in-person learning, and where students have been promised face-to-face teaching it should be provided.
“This return to relative normality is important and comes after an enormously challenging two years for students and staff. It remains very important that universities and colleges are clear with their students and their applicants about how courses will be delivered.
“If universities decide that certain elements are to remain online, this should be made explicit. Whether online or face to face, the quality must be good, and feedback from students taken into account.
“Our review of blended learning will examine the approaches universities and colleges are taking. There are many ways for blended courses to be successfully delivered, and it will be important to harness the lessons learned by the shift to online learning during the pandemic.”
