Since the last newsletter, COVID-19 has had a major impact on events, some have changed to an online format, whereas others have been postponed or cancelled: 

• On 2 March, we hosted a panel at our FutureLearn head office to celebrate International Women’s Day. The panel discussion looked at how we can promote gender balance and diversity within Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths professions. Hosted by Melinda Seckington, Engineering Manager, FutureLearn and joined by panelists Natalie Cheung, Civil Engineer and Ambassador of the STEM Learning Centre, Holly Rafique Co-Founder, Triple D Media, Ex #techmums and Dr Greer Wilde Veterinary Surgeon and Policy & Public Affairs Officer at RCVS.
• Simon Nelson, CEO at FutureLearn, delivered a keynote, The future of international education: digital technologies and panelled at UUK’s International higher education forum online on 25 March. Watch Simon’s keynote here.

The ASU GSV Summit has been rescheduled to September 29 – October 1, 2020. More information on dates and times of FutureLearn sessions to follow.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all eyes in the education sector have been on how online and distance learning providers will respond. Leaders in edTech around the world have had to move at a faster pace than ever before in order to support the needs of multiple stakeholders and audiences. Here at FutureLearn, we’ve made it our priority to not only explore all the possible ways we can support our worldwide community of over 11 million learners and 170 universities and organisations, but to do so at speeds we’ve never had to work at before.

In order to meet these various, and changing, needs, our response has taken many forms. One of the earliest, however, was a course specifically about COVID-19 built in collaboration with London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Initial discussions were ambitious, and we set out to build, launch and promote a course in just a month. Here’s how an online course went from idea to 140,000 learners in just eight weeks.

Week 1

7-13 February 2020

Initial discussions between FutureLearn and LSHTM took place over the phone on the afternoon of Friday 7 February. At this stage there were just over 30,000 confirmed cases worldwide, only around three of those in the UK, but LSHTM could see the direction this outbreak may take. FutureLearn got to work that same day building a course shell and working on a communications plan. Later that week the course length was set at three weeks and an upgrade price agreed at £29. Named as part of the Coronavirus family up until that point, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially named this disease COVID-19, and the course title was set at COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus. 

End of week one: Zero enrolments.

Week 2

14-20 February 2020

The course opened for enrolments on Friday 14 February, exactly one week after that initial discussion. A date of 23 March was set as the date for the course to begin, and LSHTM and FutureLearn were then against the clock to create and curate the content. Meanwhile, discussions began in the welcome page area of the course, clocking up hundreds of comments before then end of the week.

End of week two: Over 1,200 enrolments.

Week 3

21-27 February 2020

A trailer with Professor Baron Peter Piot – the microbiologist who co-discovered Ebola, pioneering researcher in AIDS, and LSHTM director – was produced by the FutureLearn Studio team and filmed by iMotion Media. Richard Banks, Head of Studio at FutureLearn, said: “I’m proud of what we achieved in a few weeks with LSHTM. They were a dream partner, collaborative, communicative and quick. We agreed on a simple, audio-centric media style and produced 20 quality clips that bring the science behind the pandemic to life. With the help of FutureLearn volunteers, we made translations in six languages and low-bandwidth download options. It’s the most accessible course Studio has worked on, and definitely the most important.” 

End of week three: Nearly 4,000 enrolments.

I’m proud of what we achieved in a few weeks with LSHTM. They were a dream partner, collaborative, communicative and quick

Week 4 

28 February – 5 March 2020

While LSHTM collaborated with FutureLearn on building the content, the trailer filmed of Peter Piot the previous week went live on the course page and was released more widely through external communications, including social media. This saw a surge in enrolments.

End of week four: Over 7,000 enrolments.

Week 5

6-12 March 2020

After originally setting a price point of £29 for an upgraded certificate, the COVID:19 outbreak was officially declared a pandemic by WHO, and it was agreed we would move the course on to what we call a sponsored model, meaning learners can gain upgraded access and a digital certificate free of charge. Our team went about refunding learners who had already paid for upgraded access and spreading the word throughout all channels that this course was now completely free. A large marketing and PR push this week boosted enrolments, and the welcome page had already clocked up over 1,500 comments. In the wider context, it was also at this point the UK universities began shutting down and moving online. 

End of week five: Over 25,000 enrolments.

Week 6 

13-19 March 2020

In the same week of major events like the cancelation of UK exams, the decision was made to broaden our translations in order to increase accessibility. Over this week we developed translations in Chinese, Portuguese (BR), Spanish (ES), French and Italian. Audio and visual assets, as well as transcripts, were all completed this week ready to launch the next week, and the course was all quality assured by our team. We also released “highlight steps” in order to give learners a taste of the course. 

End of week six: Over 50,000 enrolments.

Week 7

20-26 March 2020

The course officially went live 00:00hrs on Monday 23 March, with staff from both organisations staying up to ensure a smooth roll out. At the same time London, where both teams are based, introduced lockdown measures, which complicated factors slightly. The launch of the course saw an unprecedented spike in traffic to the website (see figure below). This week we also clarified the process for distributing certificates, which now all had to be digital. 

End of week seven: Over 96,000 enrolments.

Week 8

27 March – 2 April 2020

During the week after launch, the course officially became the second most successful first run in the history of FutureLearn. LSHTM confirmed this week they would like a second run following this initial course, due to start 25 May, however the content will evolve with each run the more we learn about COVID:19. Christina Melidou, Partnership Manager at FutureLearn, said of this project: “We are proud of our partnership with LSHTM and our ability to deliver education at scale and spread the voice of science and reason in this time of global upheaval.”

End of week eight: 140,000 enrolments.

There’s still time to enrol on COVID-19: Tackling the Novel Coronavirus. We invite you to share with your networks and join the discussion now.

Author: Flo Martin, Partnership Manager at FutureLearn

Looking 20 years ahead is a seemingly impossible task in today’s uncertain world. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone and is making us work in ways we’d never anticipated.. 

For universities, with empty campuses and anxious students, the task to provide quality online education that meets the expectations of their learners is a daunting one.  

What will be the short, medium and long term effects on universities from this disruption, and what opportunities and restrictions are there for those making the move to digital? These topics dominated the discussions at the UUK International Higher Education Forum and brought debates around the economy, student movement, sustainability and the opportunity for global collaboration. 

As FutureLearn works with over 100 world-leading academic institutions, I attended the virtual forum to find out how universities are feeling about the current situation and what their predictions are for the future of higher education. 

Online education: rapid response or long-term strategy?  

UK universities making rapid moves to put their content online had many people asking how long-term these provisions are and whether this will influence the way HEIs provide education in the future.

The resounding answer was ‘yes:’ digital will have to play a bigger part in the university curriculum, but it’s unlikely to replace face-to-face teaching entirely.

Professor Shearer West, Vice Chancellor and President at the University of Nottingham, noted that after months of sensory deprivation the student experience on campus will be even more valuable than before. Concerns were also raised about the limitations of online learning especially in STEM subjects that require lab work. Tuition fees were understandably also high on the agenda, with many universities facing the prospect of refunding students with reservations that online education could be charged at the same rate as campus-based courses. 

Professor Simon Marginson, Director at the Centre for Global Education, also raised doubts that universities will be able to return to face-to-face teaching in September. Speakers also acknowledged that the move online is providing more than just a quick fix for the interim, and must become a key part of how education is provided in the future. 

Despite these limitations and concerns, for many, the current situation presents an opportunity to be highly innovative. As Simon Nelson, CEO of FutureLearn argued, there is market share to be gained by those who can move rapidly. 

Sustainability and Student Movement 

In 2019, international students made up a substantial 19.6% of the student population. Eric Lithander, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Bristol University, voiced concerns that in 2021 only the elite brands would be able to attract mobile students with the capacity to pay fees. However, others were reassured that existing international relationships would continue to regulate the flow of students between institutions. 

One of the main themes to come out of the forum was the impact the pandemic will have on the willingness of students to study abroad and how universities can provide reassurance. One major element of this is the impact studying abroad can have on the environment. 

Director of Pomegranate Global and Co-Founder, CANIE: Climate Action Network for International Educators, Ailsa Lamont, presented on the vast impact international students have on the climate. The 350,000 international students that came to Australian universities last year produced 1.5 million tonnes of carbon. To offset this would require planting 9 million trees, enough to fill Sydney Harbour. 

Speakers noted that young people are increasingly becoming concerned with their carbon footprint and judging institutions on their policies and practices. Ultimately, if universities do not engage with the climate conversation, there is a risk that students will vote with their feet.

Collaboration 

With remote working being adopted globally in response to the crisis, there is opportunity for innovation in the way we think about international students. Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor at the University of Exeter, argued that transnational education (TNE) will become even more important, noting both Brexit and our relationship with the EU as key influences on research and student mobility programmes. 

Collaboration was not only discussed as a positive side effect but a necessity for how we must continue working. The strain on the economy caused by the pandemic is likely to have a long tail, and universities are sure to feel the sting of reduced cash flow due to a temporarily restricted middle class in major international student markets. Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor at the University of Glasgow argued that pooling research efforts will become key in the face of limits on government funding. 

Overall, the resounding message from the forum was summarised by Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer at Times Higher Education who said ‘We cannot get through a crisis like this without real collaboration’. How universities collaborate and what measures they take to respond to the crisis will determine what long-term effects the pandemic will have on international higher education.

New research: Most institutions expect to be worse off, but edtech can lessen impact – survey
The PIE, 23 March
According to a flash survey from HolonIQ, the majority of education institutions expect to be worse off in the long and short term as a result of coronavirus. However, by enhancing edtech provisions they expect to lessen the impact of a drop in face-to-face enrolments. Respondents of the survey included over 700+ ministers, presidents, vice-chancellors, CEOs, senior executives and investors from 50 countries. A quarter of all respondents said they identify new technologies as their primary growth strategy, an increase of 10% since September 2019, with little doubt that COVID-19 is a key driver of this change. However, the feeling that “the time for online has come” is evident in respondents’ feedback. 

Opinion: School performance tables are cancelled – should university league tables be cancelled too?
HEPI, 25 March
This opinion piece argues that university league tables, like school performances tables, should be cancelled for 2021 and 2022. This is because the National Student Survey runs between January and the end of April, meaning the results will be a mix of those who completed before the pandemic and those completing now, reflecting two very different types of student experience. It is also likely to suffer from lower response rates, given how much of the promotion of the survey is done on campuses, and many students have now left their campuses. In terms of the graduate prospects data, for 2022 this will rely on the surveying of graduates who are entering the labour market this summer. Given the economic implications of Britain responding to COVID-19, the data is also unlikely to be comparable to previous years. 

Opinion: Universities will be changed forever by the Coronavirus crisis – and its aftermath
HEPI, 23 March
This opinion piece claims that the coronavirus pandemic has caused a greater sense of unity and collective mission among UK universities than at any point in recent years. It also argues that The Office for Students (OfS) has become notably more emollient and will be more flexible and empathetic after the crisis. It suggests five proposals for the university sector over the next year: first, universities need to lay competition aside and support each other through the crisis; secondly, there needs to be a unified strong voice in the sector to protect public reputation; thirdly educational vision needs to be widened; fourth, build on the opportunities that the virus has exposed, and lastly vice-chancellors’ overpay needs to be scrutinised.

Opinion: Will the coronavirus make online education go viral?
THE, 12 March
When THE surveyed leaders of prominent global universities in 2018, the 200 respondents – from 45 countries across six continents – were emphatic on one point: online higher education would never match the real thing. However, this article argues that as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, online higher education will become the new normal, a development that has come far sooner than expected and not without its problems. 

Editorial reporting: Australian universities begin moving classes online to tackle COVID-19 outbreak
ZDNet, 18 March
Universities across Australia have begun transitioning towards online classes in a bid to minimise the spread of COVID-19. Queensland University of Technology will provide all lectures online, along with the University of Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney and Melbourne University. While universities have made efforts to minimise the spread of COVID-19 through online classes, Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said on Wednesday morning that schools and universities will continue to remain open as all arrangements, likely to be in place for at least six months, need to be “scalable and sustainable”.

Editorial reporting: shift to online education spreads in US, covering entire states
THE, 11 March
Coronavirus cancellations are rapidly becoming the norm across US higher education, with dozens of institutions and even entire states ending in-person classes. Universities that have moved their teaching online or are making plans to do so now include most of the Ivy League, with heavy concentrations of campuses in New York, Massachusetts, Washington and California – the four US states with the largest numbers of coronavirus cases. However, there are some concerns for the shift to online learning, such as foreign students who may lack local housing options and the technological options to resume their studies online.

Editorial reporting: With 290 million kids out of school, coronavirus is putting online learning to the test
Quartz, 5 March
According to the United Nations, school closures in 13 countries to contain the spread of Covid-19 are disrupting the education of 290 million students globally. This has led millions of teachers and students to turn to online learning, much of which is unfamiliar and untested at such scale. Rose Luckin, a professor of learning-centered design at University College London, says that there are several reasons to worry about the prospect of scaled remote learning across the UK as not all schools have the tech or support to make this happen. However, Ellen Mahoney, founder of Sea Change Mentoring argues that “there will be interesting lessons from this. One is how to use technology and I hope it helps schools to be more adaptable and flexible.”