It's widely accepted that COVID-19 'forced the hand' of many HEIs to implement 100% remote delivery. In a sector not known for its flexibility, this was a challenge for many universities - especially given the hybrid nature of degree apprenticeship delivery.
But in some ways, it's been a blessing in disguise.
Some HEIs successfully transformed their delivery - so we've collated it to share as a best practice guide for everyone in the sector.
Karen Squire and Rachael Johnstone from the University of Exeter shared with us their challenges, successes and top tips for other HEIs.
Rachael from the University of Exeter University said her team managed to marry the benefits of online modules with recorded, digital versions of lectures for a more human, personalised feel. Before lockdown, they booked recording sessions with tutors and industry speakers so they could deliver digital versions of lectures which would have been held in person. The University then synchronised learning activities around the content.
"We also had daily meetings to discuss how we could use technology to replicate the social networking and peer-to-peer learning that classroom teaching offers," she said.
That drive to maintain social interaction and safeguard learners was important to Karen at the University of Exeter, too. The team introduced virtual drop-in sessions every week for all apprentices. They didn't have an agenda - just listened to learners, answered their questions, gave extra support and just provided much-needed catch ups.
"Our tripart reviews took on a whole new meaning. We introduced a new review type on Onefile around wellbeing to support students during this time," said Karen.
The University of Exeter already had platforms in place - like Moodle, Onefile and Zoom - to support their online offering.
For Karen, reports on Onefile came into their own in terms of monitoring engagement and progress. The University of Exeter could quickly identify trends to see where they needed to adjust and pivot - either for individual learners, cohorts or even organisations.
"I love the activity report on Onefile," she said. "I log in every week, and I can see if an apprentice has logged in and what they've done. If an apprentice hasn't engaged meaningfully with Onefile, I can then contact the tutor or employer to reach out to the apprentice. It gives us the insights we need to offer wellbeing support or help apprentices work more effectively."
Karen said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, learners had gained new skills around time and crisis management. Her team urged learners to reflect on this development and apply it to their professional practice. The university also encouraged apprentices to enter these new experiences and lessons learned in their learning journals.
According to Rachael, another Onefile feature which really helped during lockdown was the off-the-job training tracker, which helped the University and apprentices to stay on track. It also drove employer engagement - because firms could also log in to see exactly what their learners have achieved and support them online.
Jonathan agreed, saying that both employers and learners appreciated how Manchester Metropolitan University had used technology in response to the crisis - but that this was just the start of the remote learning journey.
"Technology has been absolutely crucial to changing our operations in this time - but we can't be in any way complacent." he said. "We have to keep developing our virtual delivery as the bar is always being raised.
"Take the best of online learning experiences, react to specific employer needs, and blend that with what you were already doing and you can deliver fantastic results. The world is changing, and we need to change with it."
To hear all the advice our panellist had to share, watch the full webinar here.
Or to find out how you can use Onefile to deliver degree apprenticeships remotely, book a demo with a member of our team.