Download to read offline
Uploaded byJisc
Understanding the digital experience of FE teaching staff in 2024/25
Findings from the 2024/25 UK further education digital experience insights survey.
Understanding the digital experience of FE teaching staff in 2024/25
- 1. Understanding the digital experience of FEteaching staff in 2024/25 Dominic Walker and Andrew McFadyen
- 2. Tips for anenjoyable session We will be recording this session You are welcome to keep your video on, but … Turn off/blur video if other people are in background Please mute your mic when not speaking Raise your hand to request the mic (reactions) Use chat for comments, questions and links
- 3. 3 Jisc’s digital experienceinsights service Exploring the digital experience through the eyes of learners and staff • Data on how learners, teaching staff and professional services staff are using technology • Designed to help organisations understand and improve the digital experience in further and higher education • Provides baseline and benchmarking data to inform digital strategies • Find out more at: digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 4. 4 Participation and demographicoverview • 18 organisations participated, 763 responses from teaching staff (17 England, 1 Scotland) representing 7% of all FE providers in the UK (a separate FE Wales survey was run for 2024/25) • Gender: 54% woman, 41% man, 0% non binary, 1% other, 4% prefer not to say • Ethnicity: 86% White; 4% Asian/Asian British; 3% Black, Black British, Caribbean or African; 2% mixed/multiple ethnicity; 1% other; 4% preferred not to say • Years working at organisation: 13% less than a year; 7% 1 year; 8% 2 years; 8% 3 years; 5% 4 years; 7% 5 years; 5% 6 years; 4% 7 years; 3% 8 years; 3% 9 years; 38% 10+ years • 10% of respondents said they had a learning difference, health condition or impairment (82% did not, 8% preferred not to say) DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 5. 5 Headlines 70% rated the digital teaching environmentas above average 63% rated the support for teaching using digital technology as above average 46% said they were offered guidance on digital skills needed for teaching 90% delivered taught classes mainly on campus 41% reported issues with teaching because they lacked a suitable device 59% used AI as part of their teaching activities DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 6. Theme 1: youand your technology (1) Devices used for teaching 86% laptop 73% desktop computer 42% additional screen 40% smartphone 28% camera/webcam ▼ 22% microphone/headset ▼ 11% tablet 5% virtual reality headset 5% other Use of peripherals has declined slightly. Use of VR has increased slightly. Devices loaned/given 81% of teaching staff said they were given or loaned a device by their organisation 19% said they weren't 6 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 7. Theme 1: youand your technology (2) Tool Combined (accessibility/productivity) Accessibility Productivity/ Quality Other support tools (eg mindmapping, time management, generative AI) ▲ 52% 29% 44% Spelling/writing support 35% 12% 31% Transcripts 22% 14% 12% Screen magnification 20% 14% 11% Captions 19% 13% 10% Speech recognition/dictation 18% 7% 14% Text to speech/screen reader 18% 11% 12% Alternative access method 7% 4% 5% 14% of staff said they required support to use the accessibility/productivity features. 64% of those who required help said they were offered it. 7 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 8. Theme 2: technologyat your organisation (1) Technologies that support teaching 84% virtual learning environment ▲ 83% applications that support collaboration 62% artificial intelligence (AI) systems ▲ 61% interactive apps to support active learning 57% dashboard for tracking learner progress 53% platforms to upload recorded/pre-recorded content or resources 49% platforms that support live streams of lectures/classes 46% platforms that host recordings of live sessions 46% online assessment platform 27% augmented, virtual or extended reality technologies 21% e-portfolios 3% none of these Useful tools/apps 1. Microsoft Teams (24%) 2. ChatGPT (10%) 3. Padlet (7%) 4. Kahoot (7%) 5. Nearpod (4%) 6. Canva (4%) 7. AhaSlides (3%) 8. YouTube (2%) 9. Wordwall (2%) 10. Adobe Express (2%) 70% rated the digital teaching environment as above average 8 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 9. Theme 2: technologyat your organisation (2) Support, access and communication 55% agreed they were supported to use their own devices (34% neutral, 10% disagreed) 64% agreed they were supported to access platforms and services off campus (27% neutral, 9% disagreed) 70% agreed they were communicated with effectively online (25% neutral, 5% disagreed) Future investment preferences 41% more computers and devices 23% upgrade platforms and systems ▼ 16% specialist course software 14% digital content and resources 7% IT support 9 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 10. Theme 3: technologyin your teaching (1) Location of teaching using technology 84% at home 98% on campus 18% public spaces (eg cafes) 3% other Just under a fifth worked in public spaces such as cafes. This is a 3% increase since last year’s survey. Teaching took place 90% mainly on campus 9% mix of on campus and online 0% mainly online Preferred location for taught classes 80% mainly on campus p 19% mix of on campus and online q 1% mainly online 65% rated quality of digital teaching experience as above average 10 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 11. Theme 3: technologyin your teaching (2) Difficulties 65% wifi connectivity (60% on campus, 12% off campus) ▲ 48% can’t access systems they need (36% on campus, 23% off campus) ▲ 41% no suitable device (38% on campus, 7% off campus) 36% mobile data access (32% on campus, 8% off campus) 35% no private area to work (31% on campus, 6% off campus) ▲ 10% no safe area to work (8% on campus, 3% off campus) Confidence in using digital technologies 67% agreed they used digital tools confidently in their teaching (28% neutral, 5% disagreed) 65% agreed they supported learners to use digital tools for learning (30% neutral, 4% disagreed) 77% agreed they signposted learners to useful resources (21% neutral, 2% disagreed) 11 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 12. Theme 3: technologyin your teaching (3) Range of teaching activities 70% produced or uploaded content online 70% used interactive apps in teaching 68% online quizzes ▼ 59% artificial intelligence ▲ 56% set online research tasks 46% computer marked test or assessment ▼ 35% delivered a live online lecture or class ▼ 31% mixed face-to-face/online class 29% live polling 27% supported online collaboration 21% online game or simulation 20% delivered a recorded lecture or class 12% took part in or moderated online text- based discussion 10% virtual, augmented or extended reality 8% virtual lab, practical or fieldwork 4% none of these 12 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 13. Theme 3: technologyin your teaching (4) Resources 58% were engaging and motivating (36% neutral, 6% disagreed) ▲ 58% were at the right level and pace (37% neutral, 5% disagreed) ▲ 59% were accessible to them (32% neutral, 8% disagreed) ▲ 50% were available in good time (40% neutral, 10% disagreed) ▲ Involvement in decisions 37% agreed they had the chance to be involved in decisions about their digital teaching experience (50% neutral, 9% disagreed) Perceptions 80% improved the teaching/learning experience (17% neutral, 3% disagreed) 70% was convenient for them (23% neutral, 7% disagreed) 64% allowed them to teach in ways they preferred (29% neutral, 8% disagreed) 66% enabled learners to achieve their learning goals and make good progress in their studies (30% neutral, 3% disagreed) 62% saved them time (29% neutral, 9% disagreed) 39% made them feel part of a community of staff and learners (46% neutral, 15% disagreed) 13 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 14. Theme 4: yourdigital skills (1) Support for digital skills development 46% guidance about the digital skills needed for their teaching role (40% neutral, 14% disagreed) ▲ 53% an induction/refresher session about the digital devices, platforms and support available (31% neutral, 16% disagreed) 34% assessment of their digital skills and training needs (37% neutral, 29% disagreed) 29% time to explore new digital tools and approaches (37% neutral, 34% disagreed) 21% formal recognition, accreditation or certification for their digital skills (40% neutral, 39% disagreed) 32% development opportunities to build digital skills for future employment (42% neutral, 25% 63% rated the quality of support for effective teaching using technology as above average Data collection and use 58% agreed that they understood how their college collected and used their own and learner data (30% neutral, 12% disagreed) 59% agreed that they were comfortable with how their college collected and used their data (36% neutral, 5% disagreed) ▲ 58% agreed that they were comfortable with how their college collected and used learner data (36% 14 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 15. Theme 4: yourdigital skills (2) Sources of help 79% teaching colleagues 68% IT staff 55% online videos and resources 34% artificial intelligence ▲ 29% professional development teams 28% teaching and learning/e-learning staff 24% friends and family 23% library/learning resources staff ▲ 18% learners 17% other professional staff 3% other Preferred sources of help 70% in-person training sessions 50% short videos 44% online training or webinars 28% chat with an individual 26% written guides 26% in-depth masterclasses 15 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 16. Theme 4: yourdigital skills (3) Skills training and support provided 60% keeping data secure 51% behaving safely and respectfully online 49% basic IT skills 44% appropriate/effective use of AI ▲ 37% teaching online ▼ 34% handling digital information, data and media 27% creating accessible digital content 27% specialist course/role software 25% digital copyright, IPR and licensing 16% delivering effective digital assessments 15% data analysis 8% managing social media or public web pages 5% online publishing 3% coding or scripting 11% none of these 16 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 17. Staff voices: thepositive and negative Positive • Essential part of teaching and learning • Enhances learner feedback and engagement • Sharing resources with learners “As a digital course, the access to platforms, software and hardware to deliver industry standards is paramount to my course. Allowing learners to see and access all they would need to be a professional.” “I like that using digital tech gives a more diverse learning experience. When you understand how to use the tech you can use it to provide differentiated content, stretch and challenge opportunities as well as flipped learning.” Negative • Lack of access to suitable devices and software • Negative impact on workload and lack of training • Connectivity issues “Can sometimes be technical issues with devices – especially laptops from the laptop trolleys. Can result in a lot of time wasted or can mean some learners have completed a task whilst others are still trying to get logged on.” “Lack of tailored training means I don't have sufficient awareness of the technology available, or confidence to access and use it.”
- 18. Staff voices: onething to improve your experience • Increase range of training on offer and dedicated training time • Improve device availability and resolve infrastructure issues • Provide more support for teaching staff to use a range of software • Improve responsiveness and availability of IT support “Supply more laptops for learners. Particularly ones that they can use at home as many of my learners don't have access to a computer at home and so have to try and complete coursework on their phones.” “Fund the software that has been excellent in delivering taught content both online and in class, such as Nearpod. This was removed, but no real effort was made to extol its benefits.” “Make it a priority, eg include it in KPIs, add it to the appraisal system, dedicate focused CPD with protected time.” “Provide more allocated time to review and learn about digital technologies.” “Create a better environment on campus. Staff would benefit from greater confidence in the digital infrastructure at college. Wifi dead spots still exist in the building.” “We just need more support (it’s getting worse, not better as tech progresses) which means more funding, more training, more technicians etc.” 18
- 19. Summary Digital teaching environments generally goodbut some disruption 64% reported that they felt supported to access platforms and services off campus. But 48% experienced issues accessing systems they needed 65% experienced wifi issues; 41% lacked a suitable device at some point Less than two fifths (37%) felt involved in decisions about digital experience Taught classes almost entirely on campus 98% used digital technologies on campus 90% taught classes mainly on campus, only 35% delivered a live online lecture 70% rated the digital teaching environment as above average 63% rated quality support for effective teaching as above average Use of AI has increased 62% provided with AI platforms (up from 32%). 59% said they used AI 44% said they had training in effective/appropriate use of AI Support for digital skills is mixed Less than half said they were offered guidance on digital skills needed for their teaching role (46%) 60% had training on keeping data secure; Staff wanted more tailored CPD and dedicated training time, software/training specific to their courses/roles 19 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 20. Taking part inthe 2025/26 surveys Surveys for HE and FE opened 6 October 2025 • Students/learners • Teaching staff • Professional services staff Key dates for our surveys: https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/our-service/ key-dates-for-our-surveys Events to share survey findings and prepare for 2025/26 academic year: https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/our-service/ community-of-practice Download the full report: https://digitalinsights.jisc.ac.uk/reports-and- briefings/our-reports/ What you can expect to from 2025/26 surveys • Minimal changes to question sets this year to protect year-on-year comparisons (98% match) • Focus has been on improving clarity and language phrasing, ensuring questions remain relevant and current • Option to add/customise own privacy statement 20 DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 21. 21 Any questions? Use chator raise hand to take mic DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 22. 22 Poll Your feedback: • Howdo you feel about today’s event? • What would you like to see more of in future webinars? • Suggestions for future community support events Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash DEI-FETS-October-2025
- 23. Thank you @jisc.bsky.social @jiscsocial linkedin.com/company/jisc [email protected] jisc.ac.uk Except whereotherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND. 0300 300 2212 Dominic Walker Business intelligence consultant [email protected] Andrew McFadyen Senior consultant [email protected]