A reading pathway
Digital learning and student participation
What do digital tools and activity measures miss about students’ experiences?
A dashboard, online resource or recorded activity can show part of a learning experience. Student accounts help teams understand what an interaction meant: whether a resource was useful, a discussion felt accessible or a route to help made sense.
A useful starting point
Use these readings to connect digital evidence with a question for students and staff. Keep participation, learning and reported usefulness distinct when reviewing a tool. An evaluation should help the responsible team choose an informed next step.
- Define the decision before choosing an activity measure.
- Ask students how they use the tool and where they need help.
- Review the wording, access and support around the tool as well as the tool itself.
Read with a purpose
Selected reading, in a useful order.
Research briefings examine a particular study. Sector Watch articles describe developments and reported practice. The guides explain methods and working processes.
Research Briefing
Data literacy linked to greater perceived dashboard support
Examine reported data literacy and perceived support from a learning dashboard.
Sector Watch
Jisc's RAISE reflections question student engagement measures
Consider Jisc’s discussion of what engagement measures leave for dialogue to explain.
Research Briefing
Online students describe belonging as ongoing work
Explore the connections that online students described maintaining.
Sector Watch
Jisc refreshes AI literacy training for university staff
Find Jisc’s staff development pathways for AI literacy and critical evaluation.
Teaching Practice
How can media studies teams improve remote learning?
Apply the review to practical media production: tools, collaboration and checkpoints.
Teaching Practice
How can philosophy teams make remote learning coherent?
Apply it to reading and discussion in a remote philosophy module.
Connect the reading to your own work.
Choose one issue, identify the people who can act on it and agree how students will help interpret the evidence. Keep the original question and context with any comments you use.
- Explore the relevant public evidence or category framework
- Plan access, review and reporting arrangements
- Follow a comment through the worked example
If you need support analysing your institution’s comments, review digital-education feedback.