BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
How have Business Schools taken this unexpected chance to develop smart uses for technology? Digital and edtech strategies currently adopted at participants’ Business Schools, as well as the impact and return on investment measured from these initiatives, were further points of the focus in the report. For background, participants were first asked how far they agree with a range of statements, pertaining to their Schools. A total of 88% ‘strongly agree’ or ‘tend to agree’ that their School has delivered new and innovative ways of delivering programmes in the past year (48% ‘strongly agree’ with this statement). This same question was put to a similar sample of Business School decision makers in a separate survey conducted by AMBA & BGA in association with Instructure in the autumn of 2019. At that time, just 64% of respondents felt that their Schools had delivered new and innovative ways of delivering programmes in the past year. A year-on-year increase of 24 percentage points illustrates the impact that Covid-19 has had Business School innovation. In the 2019 survey, 50% of participants said they thought their School was embracing the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution. The equivalent figure in the latest research is 60%, highlighting the greater confidence now felt among Business School leaders in using technology to good effect. The AMBA & BGA Education Technology Research , in association with Barco, also asked Business School leaders to share how their Schools had innovated in terms of programme delivery during the past year – and in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than nine out of 10 (91%) said their Schools have increased the amount of digital or online learning opportunities; 85% said they have conducted lectures using virtual teaching technology; 61% have offered flexible timings for delivering programmes; and 59% have increased the capacity of teaching related to emerging technology and innovation in 2020. Among those polled, 3% selected ‘other’ initiatives and these included a full redesign of the MBA programme at one Business School; and a training programme for faculty at another. While 71% of Business School leaders said their Schools had used online delivery methods in terms of teaching prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 27% said they did not – and a massive 96% said their School had increased the use of online delivery methods for programmes, because of Covid-19. On average, across participants’ Schools, 84% of courses were taught in a classroom pre-Covid-19 and this dropped to just 24% in 2020, while online delivery shot up from 8% pre-Covid-19 to 68% during the pandemic – further highlighting the seismic shift from classroom to online in 2020. Blended learning (which involves both online and classroom-based teaching) increased by just three percentage points, from 12% pre-Covid-19 to 15% during the pandemic. But hybrid learning (which involves some students joining synchronous classes physically and others accessing synchronous learning virtually) increased by 14 percentage points, on average. Looking at individual programmes reveals that MBA programmes have been receiving the most funding for digital teaching – 74% of participants’ Business Schools are investing a moderate amount, or more, into online teaching for MBA
lower than those associated with teaching – 45% say that technology has been ‘somewhat ineffective’ or ‘very ineffective’ at delivering networking opportunities, for example. Meanwhile, 39% are of the belief that online has been ‘somewhat ineffective’ or ‘very ineffective’ in soft skills development; and 37% say technology has been ‘somewhat ineffective’ or ‘very ineffective’ at delivering wellbeing initiatives for students in their institutions. More positively, 87% of Business School leaders say online technology has either been ‘somewhat effective’ or ‘very effective’ in delivering flexibility in learning; 67% say it has been ‘somewhat effective’ or ‘very effective’ in supporting team projects and collaboration; and 51% say it has been ‘somewhat effective’ or ‘very effective’ in enabling two-way discussions between facilitators and students. Student experience is a central consideration when it comes to online learning provision, so participants were asked what they believe adds the most value to the student experience in online settings. The ability for students to have breakout sessions was the most popular answer here, cited by 69% of Business School leaders. This was closely followed by the ability to have instant live interactions with faculty (64%) and interactive quizzes and polls (63%). ‘When asked to put forward other problems experienced, answers from participants focused on difficulties in maintaining student engagement and interaction’ When asked to rate how effective their Business Schools are operating during the pandemic, in comparison to other Schools, leaders are confident they are remaining leading edge. A very substantial 91% of participants rate their online teaching ability as being either ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘fairly good’, when compared to other providers in their region, with 26% rating themselves as ‘excellent’. Looking to the wider arena, just 12% believe their online teaching ability is ‘excellent’ in the global context, however 80% categorise themselves as either ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘fairly good’ when measured up against Business Schools worldwide. Certainly, there is belief that students’ expectations are being met through their Business Schools’ delivery of online learning – 87% think they are doing ‘very well’ or ‘fairly well’ in this regard. How do Schools perceive their progress in comparison to others?
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