Digitalisation and Sustainability

"It is not that we have too little time, but that we waste much of it." Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Survey: Digitalization and Sustainability in Teaching – First Survey

We conducted the survey “Digitalization and Sustainability in Teaching” at TU Chemnitz between mid-July and the end of September 2020 in the context of the rapid transition of teaching to digital formats during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We received approximately 370 complete responses from students and staff.

Thank you very much for your participation!

Background

The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only brought health and social issues into focus, but also the topic of digitalization. Universities in particular had to react quickly and demonstrate their adaptability: within a very short time, university operations were reduced to a minimum while courses were transferred to digital formats. This survey at Chemnitz University of Technology examined how this transition was perceived, which advantages and disadvantages came with it, how sustainability factors in, and what the future of university teaching could look like. The survey addressed both university staff and students.

Teaching formats

45% of respondents stated that they could imagine using digital courses more frequently in the future—although digital courses were not perceived as equivalent to face-to-face courses (53% disagreed with that statement). In particular, combining digital and in-person courses in blended-learning designs received strong approval (75% of all respondents). Students especially favored blended-learning designs as teaching/learning formats (47% “strongly agree”). Blended learning is also considered by 78% of respondents to be a suitable method for sustainable digital teaching. In addition, 77% of respondents considered visual presentations suitable, followed by presenting materials with audio explanations and self-tests (58% each). This was followed by forming study groups (49%), web-based trainings (47%), and forum functions (46%). Pure self-study—i.e., uploading materials with the option to consult when questions arise—was rated as a preferred teaching format by only 20%.

Ambivalence / paradox of digital teaching in the COVID context

Beyond the teaching format, location and physical environments are further important factors for effective digital learning and working. Personal contacts are especially important for students. Ambivalence or paradox is evident in responses regarding (i) being able to concentrate very well and be productive in different locations (at home, at the university office, in university learning spaces/library, and at PC workstations) and (ii) being distracted while learning or working: 72% of respondents stated that they can concentrate very well and be productive at home AND at the same time are easily distracted there. Clear correlations also appear between concentration and distraction when learning with fellow students or in groups, in library learning spaces, or at PC workstations. With regard to “working while travelling,” working on a train performed best: around 38% of respondents said they can concentrate well there. On public transport, in a car, or in a carpool, the majority reported being more easily distracted and unable to concentrate. More generally, the differing perceptions of workplaces also show that social contacts are experienced both as important and missing, and also as a source of distraction.

The results can partly be attributed to various challenges associated with digital work and learning from home: 61% of respondents stated that separating professional and private life was a challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, working from home appears to be easier for university staff than for students: around 37% of students said learning at home quickly leads to overload, whereas this share among university staff was only 17%. This is also reflected in responses to whether working from home was experienced as enriching: 40% of university staff agreed, but only 28% of students did. Respondents cited several particularly challenging factors: personal distractions from neighbors, roommates and also children; time management and self-organization; and lack of motivation. The main advantage highlighted was increasing flexibility: digital teaching makes it possible to work according to one’s own schedule and pace, allowing deeper engagement with course material. Better compatibility of family and work as well as independence from public transport and traffic conditions were also mentioned. Again, the same pattern emerges: what is perceived as burdensome on the one hand (separating work and private life, lack of change of location) is perceived as enriching on the other.

Sustainability

Regarding the setup and equipment of a workspace, 86% of participants stated that they were able to temporarily set up a quiet and suitable workplace. At the same time, more than a third of respondents (38%) reported not having the financial means to purchase the necessary technical devices to participate in digital courses. Available bandwidth was sufficient for the majority (81%). However, among the remaining 19%, problems occurred more frequently (49% rarely or occasionally; 51% often or very often). This illustrates both the financial and infrastructural limits of digital teaching during the survey period.

In linking sustainability and digitalization, substantial knowledge and action gaps become apparent. When purchasing electronic devices, only 22% stated that they consider sustainability aspects such as labels, circularity, or sustainable production/value chains. 42% consider these factors sometimes, while 36% reported not considering them at all. 61% of respondents said the energy source for the servers behind their digital consumption is not irrelevant to them, yet only 36% of participants use green electricity at home. Moreover, the majority (86%) do not know the greenhouse-gas reduction strategies of the providers of the digital products or services they personally use. Only 20% actively search for providers that proactively pursue a climate strategy or other sustainability strategies. If only slightly, Master’s students appear to be the most engaged here, followed by university staff. In addition, only 53% are aware of the sustainability effects associated with the use of digital media and services.

Conclusion

The results show high diversity in behaviors and reactions to pandemic-related digital teaching and learning. Digital teaching as well as working and learning from home offer many advantages and, at the same time, challenges—just like learning and working on a university campus. The first results of the study indicate which aspects can be constructively used to further develop digital teaching. The descriptive analyses and qualitative evaluations do not allow conclusions about patterns, so no generalizable statements can be made. Working and learning from home is perceived as enriching on the one hand and overwhelming on the other—not only from person to person, but also simultaneously within the same individual. The flexibility associated with digital teaching is appreciated—at the same time, digital teaching is linked to a high degree of self-organization and limited social contact, which is perceived by some students as overwhelming. Since digital teaching may also be associated with a habituation effect regarding changes in social routines, potential changes over time should be observed. Therefore, the survey was conducted again in the winter semester 2020/21.

Questionnaire Digitalization and Sustainability in Higher Education – Two rounds

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention not only on health and social issues, but on the issue of digital transformation as well. Within a very short time, universities had to convert their courses to digital formats and university life was reduced to a minimum. To shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected universities, we investigated the following questions: How was this transformation accomplished? What advantages and disadvantages did it bring with it? How sustainable was this transformation? and What can the future of higher education look like?

This study is based on the responses to two questionnaires for university staff and students conducted at the Chemnitz University of Technology between mid-July and September, 2020 (n = 369), and between February and March, 2021 (n = 252). Both questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The results show wide variations in response to digital teaching and learning. Digital teaching and working/learning from home have brought both multiple benefits and multiple challenges at the same time. Working and learning from home was perceived as both enriching and overwhelming—even for the same individual. Respondents appreciated the flexibility associated with digital teaching, even though digital teaching was perceived as imposing excessive demands. This study reveals striking gaps in our knowledge and our actions linking digital transformation and sustainability and highlights how digital teaching can be further developed.

Results can be read here: Arnold, M./Vogel, A./Ulber, M. Digitalizing Higher Education in lights of Sustainability and Rebound Effects – Surveys in times of COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability 13(22), 12912; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212912