Warning to universities over online learning

UNIVERSITIES should not be opting for online learning as a “cost-cutting exercise,” a minister has said.

Universities minister Michelle Donelan is writing to vicechancellors this week to ensure any online provision for students does not “devalue education”.

Her warning comes as a number of universities are keeping some lectures online this term as they adopt a blended approach to learning.

Ms Donelan, the MP for Chippenham, said students who are unhappy with provision can make a complaint and they can raise the issue with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), which can offer partial tuition fee refunds.

Addressing the Commons education committee, the minister said: “Students are consumers, they do have rights. They should be getting what they’ve been informed they were going to get.

“But it’s not as simple as saying online is bad, face-to-face is good, because in some scenarios it can add, but it should never be used as a cost-cutting exercise.”

The Government has said it expects universities to return to delivering face-to-face teaching, including lectures, now that restrictions have been removed.

During the same hearing, MPs questioned university leaders on the continuation of online provision during this academic year.

Professor Tansy Jessop, pro vice-chancellor of the University of Bristol, said around a third of learning was online.

She told MPs: “I think if we switched off all our online media they’d be quite anxious.”

When asked whether students should be offered partial fee reductions, Prof Jessop added: “We understand the strength of feeling from students about tuition fee refunds.

“At the same time, we know that we’ve delivered a highquality offer thanks to our fantastic staff.”

Thousands of university staff are being balloted on strikes over pay, pensions and working conditions, threatening even more disruption at universities across the UK before the end of the year.