The government must invest to ensure that the further education sector is "digital-first", sector leaders have said.

In a new report, Shaping the Digital Future of FE and Skills, not-for-profit education technology company Jisc and the Association of Colleges urge the government to provide extra funding for ​​​​​digital technology and infrastructure to support students and staff in FE.  

Both organisations recommend that the government adapt assessment methodology to fit digital pedagogy, fund a centralised skills and content platform, and provide funding for digital devices and connectivity. 

Colleges were encouraged to apply to the Department for Education for extra bursary funding where needed, in order to ensure that students could access learning online. However, an exclusive Tes investigation found that 16 colleges applied for £886,847 worth of funding – of which only £413,303 was awarded.

Earlier this week, the National Union of Students (NUS) warned that one in four students could not access online learning. 

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The report brings together research that has been conducted across the sector throughout lockdown and sets out key recommendations that would develop digital confidence and delivery in every college. 

Developing digital confidence and delivery in colleges

Jisc’s managing director of FE and skills, Robin Ghurbhurun, says that colleges “rose to the pandemic challenge as best they could” but that using Zoom and Microsoft Teams wasn’t sustainable. 

He said: “Lockdown has also exacerbated the digital divide, and disadvantage learners are suffering. Some colleges have been posting laptops to learners who don’t have one, but even if there is a device at home, it might be shared among the whole family. We are also hearing that families on lower incomes struggle to afford decent broadband packages.

“There are other challenges, too. For example, there is a lack of affordable and accessible digital resources and assessment tools, which means that courses such as engineering, construction or hospitality and catering are impossible to deliver entirely online.

“The sector has the ambition and willingness to respond positively to this new digital-first impetus, and I hope that it can come together to further improve and develop digital confidence and delivery.”

A digital-first sector

AoC’s director of education and skills policy, David Corke, said that the aim was to create a “digital-first sector” in which learners from all backgrounds can thrive, staff feel supported and colleges provide the best possible digitally enhanced education experience.

He said: “Despite the incredible and widely acknowledged effort of all the sector, the risk now is that, as blended learning becomes embedded into curricula, those without access will fall further behind and the disadvantage gap will widen further and rapidly if the government does not support and fund a ‘digital first’ FE sector.

“Colleges' response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the vocational learning and training sector will shape the future of education. Now is the time to think long-term about restructuring, innovation and new technology for post-16 education.”

The recommendations in full

• Government to fund a centralised FE and skills digital content search and discovery platform and fund the creation of content for the platform.
• Government to provide access to funding for digital devices and connectivity so no learner is disadvantaged.
• Government to adapt assessment methodology to fit digital pedagogy.
• Jisc to bring together key stakeholders, including employers and awarding organisations, and benchmark assessment changes against the Future of Assessment report’s five principles.
• Jisc to work with the NUS to provide more guidance on how to minimise learners’ specific anxieties around online learning.
• Colleges to embed online wellbeing alongside safeguarding as part of their learner induction.
• Colleges to develop a comprehensive digital pedagogy CPD programme for staff.
• Colleges to put supportive measures in place to monitor staff workload.
• Colleges to develop a framework for learning delivery across the UK (drawing on the Welsh government’s strategic framework for learning delivery and Covid-19 resilience plan for the post-16 sector).
• Colleges to survey learners prior to enrolment about access to digital devices, connectivity, resources and suitable learning space.