AMBA SPECIAL REPORT
Areas where fewer respondents identify problems for students working online include finding resources (cited by just 16 per cent), keeping to deadlines (22 per cent) and interacting with resources (26 per cent). In comparison, time management tops the list of areas where respondents believe their students struggle when working on campus. In this instance, it is cited by 58 per cent – a proportion that is 19 percentage points higher than the equivalent for students working online. Keeping to deadlines (cited by 31 per cent) is the next most common problem respondents identify for those on campus. This is nine percentage points higher than the equivalent for students working online. Unsurprisingly, problems associated with isolation and a lack of access to peer learning opportunities are less likely to be an area of concern where programmes are being delivered on campus – only five per cent and one per cent respectively selected these options. However, given the reported uptake of hybrid learning and the proportion of leaders who cite student engagement as the most commonly faced challenge in online delivery modes, it’s clear that issues around social interaction must remain an area of focus. The changing campus That campus use has changed over the past three years should come as no surprise. During the pandemic, offices, schools and universities were left empty and this has impacted on working life. Many organisations, for example, have now switched to a hybrid working pattern that combines office days with homeworking. At business schools, 75 per cent of respondents confirm that the pandemic has changed the way they now use their campus. Only 22 per cent say that there has been no lasting impact, while three per cent are unsure. Those who agreed that the pandemic has changed the way their campus is used were then invited to provide more details. Their responses include providing increased space for student and sta interaction, with reduced office space due to hotdesking; increased support for student wellbeing; and more breakout sessions and group work to fuel interactive learning. How can campus life be improved for students? Survey respondents o ered a range of suggestions, such as implementing more interactive classrooms; increasing spaces available for socialising and related activities, such as networking events and clubs; ramping up space that draws on technology to facilitate smooth transitions between face-to-face and online environments; re-engineering traditional lectures to be more engaging and to create an on-campus ‘wow’ factor; holding more group activities and visits to companies; and getting more visiting speakers/employers on campus. In view of changing usage, campus activities are set to share funding with online activities at many of the respondents’ business schools. More than half (52 per cent) say that the majority of their business school’s funds will be allocated equally between campus and online initiatives over the next five years. Elsewhere,
How would you rate student engagement with learning material when teaching online vs on campus?
the physical campus’ prominence promises to be undiminished, with 33 per cent of business school leaders reporting that a majority of funding will be allocated to on-campus initiatives. This compares to 14 per cent who say that a majority of funds will instead be allocated to online projects. Scope to go further The report shows that, all in all, business school leaders are confident in their institutions’ ability to create a sense of community, develop inclusive spaces, o er a valuable online experience and foster student engagement. However, there is still some way to go on this last point, particularly when it comes to engaging students online. While 88 per cent of respondents rate student engagement with learning material as ‘very high’ or ‘high’ when students are on campus, this falls to just 44 per cent when working online. Another key concern for business school leaders is student wellbeing when learning online, with 63 per cent of leaders citing feelings of isolation as an issue among their student body. Based on the results of this survey, business school leaders are also very much invested in the campus experience, as well as the online experience – while 33 per cent of business school leaders say they will allocate the majority of their school’s funds towards campus initiatives in the next five years, 52 per cent say that the majority of their business school’s funds will be allocated equally between campus and online initiatives. Furthermore, the majority are happy with the changes their business school has made in response to the pandemic. However, while most feel that adjustments to new ways of working alongside their students have been successful to date, there certainly seems to be scope for business schools themselves, or external providers, to develop new initiatives and tools to help solve ongoing challenges as they seek continuous improvement.
Ambition SEPTEMBER 2023 | 25
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