MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA —November 9, 2021 — D2L (TSX: DTOL), a global learning and professional development technology leader, has published new research which
reveals that while three quarters (75.15 per cent) of respondents agree digital learning enhances the quality of higher
education, there remains an urgent need to increase resources, support and digital upskilling for teachers and academics
across Australian and New Zealand (A/NZ).
According to the survey of 503 higher education respondents across universities, TAFEs and RTOs in A/NZ, as digital
transformation initiatives were accelerated in response to the pandemic, the number of higher education institutions
offering more than 50 per cent of their courses fully online increased significantly from 35.98 per cent pre-pandemic to
57.06 per cent this year.
However, 47.48 per cent identified a lack of support and training in the use of digital tools to deliver education as
the biggest challenge in transitioning learning online in the wake of COVID-19. The lack of content fit for blended or
fully-online delivery was second at 39.84 per cent, while a lack of commitment from senior management to embrace the
shift to online learning was reported by 37.02 per cent of respondents.
Further, more than two-thirds (69.78 per cent) said training was not available to introduce and support faculty and
staff to use new technologies at all, despite progress in overarching digital transformation strategies.
In fact, the research found that the continued gap in digital skills and competencies among academics and teachers was
the most common obstacle impeding overarching digital transformation strategies, cited by 26.02 per cent of respondents.
The academic skills gap was cited more often than even the historic challenges of cost (25.20 per cent) and lack of
resources and/or infrastructure (22.54 per cent).
“The higher education sectors in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) faced a host of challenges as a result of the pandemic,
and institutions were required to adapt teaching and learning arrangements extremely quickly. Lockdowns forced
online-only learning – at times almost overnight – which inhibited student experience and satisfaction, and border
closures kept international students disconnected from domestic institutions,” said Tony Maguire, Regional Director A/NZ
at D2L.
“It was also a period in which digital transformation strategies accelerated across the sector, predominately motivated
by the desire to enhance student experience (39.34 per cent) and improve course quality (34.63 per cent). But the
investment into new tools for teaching and learning has rarely been supported with adequate training and digital
upskilling for A/NZ educators.”
According to Maguire, teachers and academics – many of whom have spent their entire careers teaching face-to-face – need
to be confident in not only the capabilities of the tools provided to them, but their ability to use those technologies
to create efficiencies that maximise outcomes for students and themselves. However, the data reveals only 34.79 per cent
say improving digital skills within the academic community is a top priority for their organisations over the next two
years.
“Teachers and academics are the cornerstone to national ambitions for a future-proofed digital economy, and on-the-job
digital training is foundational to helping educators acquire the digital skills and competencies, confidence, and
resiliency they need to engage and nurture student learning in a completely new environment,” he said.
“Our partnerships with higher education institutions through A/NZ have revealed that this training should be delivered
via the same learning management system (LMS) educators use to educate their students. It both creates an authentic way
for teachers to learn the platform, and enables them to understand the nuances of digital learning from the perspective
of their students.”
Additional key findings from the research include:The key drivers for digital transformation strategies in the A/NZ higher education sectors are enhancing the student
experience (39.34 per cent), improving course quality (34.63 per cent) and increasing student enrolments (29.71 per
cent).Although 76.44 per cent started planning their digital transformation strategies during or before 2018, 40.37 per cent
had commenced implementing in that time period; 59.63 per cent started during or after 2019.More than one quarter (28.63 per cent) strongly agree and nearly half (46.52 per cent) somewhat agree that technological
developments enhance the quality of higher education, while only 7.95 per cent somewhat or strongly disagree.Meanwhile, 23.66 per cent strongly agree and 47.51 per cent somewhat agree that blended learning offers educational
benefits above and beyond solely face-to-face, while 8.95 per cent somewhat or strongly disagree.Only 38.83% of respondents said there has been an increase in the level of digital skills within academic and learner
communities following the transition online and only 37.63% reported the institution had introduced new/uplifted content
to deliver a more engaging blended/online experience.With higher education adopting an increasingly-pivotal role in upskilling Australian and New Zealand workers, 50.50 per
cent of respondents indicated an increase in enrolled adult learners over the past five years, with 21.07 per cent
stating numbers are mostly unchanged. Looking ahead, 53.68 per cent anticipate an increase in their adult learning
cohort over the next decade while 21.67 per cent expect figures to remain about the same.
These findings are part of a global survey of 4,830 higher education respondents, conducted by Censuswide and
commissioned by D2L.Resources
Click here to download the Embracing Digital Transformation in Education eBook, which includes key survey findings across APAC.ABOUT D2L(TSX: DTOL)
D2L is transforming the way the world learns – helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible.
Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our
more than 1000 global employees are dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than where
they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, highereducationand businesses atwww.D2L.com.ABOUT D2L BRIGHTSPACE
D2L Brightspace is acloud-basedlearning platform built for organisations that value continuous investment in people to drive their business success.
D2L Brightspace is powering smarter upskilling and reskilling of workforces around the world. It is the one place that
supports all aspects of learning with better engagement and productivity through personalised learning. It gives your
teams the toolsthey’regoing to love and makes it easy to support exceptional experiences face-to-face or fully online.
D2L Brightspace is designed in close collaboration with clients around the world – building a rich set of features to
improve engagement, retention and learning outcomes. And it makes it easier to give feedback.It’sworry-free with 99.99%
reliability.It’shighly accessible and looks beautiful on any mobile device, making it easier for you to reach every
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Like many of our clients, D2L uses itsaward-winningBrightspace learning platform to support onboarding, compliance training, leadership development, and upskilling of its
own employees. This has led to back-to-back #1 in North America awards for new hire and onboarding experiences. To learn
more, visit D2L forHigher Education.