During July and August we ran two Digital Experience surveys for professional services and academic staff. The surveys are created and provided by Jisc and will support the outcomes of the Digital Capabilities project by supporting our understanding of:

  • the use of digital technologies for work and teaching at the University of Reading
  • how the digital environment could be improved
  • how the university can support your professional development

Thank you to everyone who responded to the surveys – we received 227 responses in total and 71% of these were from professional services colleagues, and 29% from academic colleagues.

Summary of results

We have created a 3 minute video summarising the key points covered in the survey, and responses from colleagues at the University. (The video is narrated, and captions are available by selecting the closed captions [CC] icon in the bottom right of the video.)

Thumbnail video image

You can also download a UoR Staff Digital Experience Insights Summary video transcript

A more detailed summary report is also available to download.

If you have any questions or comments on the survey findings, please contact the Digital Capabilities Officer by emailing Kim.

National results

Results from Digital Experience surveys are compiled into annual summary reports, which are also available on the Jisc ‘Our Reports’ webpage. The Teaching Staff report was released on 22nd October, and the Professional Services Staff report at the end of November 2024.

NB. The results of the University of Reading’s 2023/24 survey will not be included in the upcoming reports, as we chose to run the survey after the deadline set by Jisc.

A comparison of the National Teaching Staff survey and the teaching staff survey at the University of Reading shows that our responses are similar to many across the sector. Colleagues at the University of Reading rated the digital teaching/working experience, and support for digital teaching and use of devices, more positively than others across the UK. Colleagues reported fewer wifi connectivity issues, and better access to systems off campus – although there are still areas to improve. In some areas, such as digital accessibility colleagues reported better access to training than colleagues at other UK Universities. However, there were also request for more basic IT training, more time to access training opportunities, and requests for improvements to systems and interactive teaching tools.

Although there are still improvements to make, it is positive to see that academic colleagues are able to access support and use digital technologies as part of their work and teaching.

Follow-up questions

The nature of the survey questions means that there are now some follow up questions to investigate.
  • We know that colleagues would like to see investment in upgraded platforms and systems – around half of all respondents said that this would be their first priority if funds were available. Which platforms/systems would you like to improve (and how)?
  • Access to suitable training and training materials was a common thread among respondents. Around 25% of colleagues stated that they would prioritise digital skills training, if funds were available.  But what kind of training would be most accessible? Are there any tools that you frequently use that you’d like to learn more about? Or any tools that you would like to be able to use, but aren’t sure where to start?

 

We’ve created a short form to gather some of this feedback – which you’ll find at the end of the video or by following this link to the Staff DEI Survey form. But if you would like to meet with the Digital Capabilities Officer to discuss a particular issue that affects your team, please contact Kim.

What about students?

The student version of the Digital Experience Survey was live from October – November this academic year – thank you to everyone who shared links with their students. We’re currently in the process of reviewing the results, so an update will be shared on the blog when these are ready!

What will happen to these results?

These results, along with student responses, and other activities carried out as part of the Digital Capabilities Project, will be compiled into a set of recommendations to be reported to University committees at the end of the project timeline in February 2025.
For more information, please contact the Digital Capabilities Officer.

Where can I get more help? How do I access training in these areas?

A range of training and support is already provided at the University, and the Digital Capabilities Project has compiled a list of sources of support on the digital capabilities resources webpage. For more examples of ‘digital skills’ or ‘digital capabilities’ please visit the definitions webpage to view existing support and guidance provided by Jisc.

 

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