Embedding digital pedagogy

A light touch introduction to digital pedagogy and signposting to resources and support that will help you explore and develop your digital teaching practices.

Incorporating digital technologies into our teaching is now a core aspect of teaching. The adoption of digital teaching and learning approaches was accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic and despite the challenges encountered innovations and benefits were identified. Some examples of the benefits (and barriers) have been collated in this insights and lessons learned paper.

Insights and lessons learned from 2020-21 briefing paper - PDF

Blended learning offers opportunities for flexibility which can often lead to a more inclusive and equitable learning experience.

Teaching Matters blog post exploring equality, equity, and social justice during hybrid learning

Embedding flexibility and choice into the curriculum is a key aspect of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and is embedded in the University's Accessible and Inclusive Learning policy. 

Universal Design & Universal Design for Learning SharePoint - information on Universal Design

University of Edinburgh Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy

There are different ways to incorporate digital pedagogy when designing courses and programmes and how this is approached will depend on the mode of learning. Are students going to be on campus, learning in blended or hybrid modes, or be fully online students? 

The language used to describe digital teaching approaches is complex (and changes) and blended and hybrid modes are often used interchangeable with blended being more common in the UK (QAA, 2020).

Building a Taxonomy for Digital Learning - Guidance from the Quality Assurance Agency (PDF)

Most of the courses we teach at the University incorporate some aspects of blended learning. The Four-dialectical model of blended learning (Joosten et al, 2021) identifies the main components we need to consider when designing courses and programmes for blended learning. These are technological, temporal, spatial, and pedagogical. Please see diagram of model at the end of this segment.

Each of the components is depicted on a spectrum which highlights the choices we have, as well as the complexities we need to navigate when designing blended courses and programmes.

  • Technological identifies a spectrum of technologies from lean (e.g., text-based or oral comms) to rich technologies (media, live meeting tools).
  • Temporal identifies real time/synchronous learning through to asynchronous where students work independently over time.
  • Spatial involves students being in the same physical space or learning elsewhere.
  • Pedagogical which ranges from passive to active learning.

These components are common across different models of blended learning although they can be described in different ways. They are recognisable in the modes of participation outlined in this Beyond Blended Guide. The guide includes a useful comparison of different modes of learning and provides some helpful bullet points which highlight some of the key things that should be considered.

Beyond Blended Guide: rethinking curriculum and learning design

Comparing in place and online learning sessions (PDF)

Designing for blended/hybrid learning is complex and challenging and like all teaching approaches there are multiple variables to consider which will be dependent on the context of what is being taught, as well as the experience and expectations of students. Ideally digital teaching and learning approaches should be incorporated at the course and programme design stage and integrated into design and planning decisions in an iterative way.

Supporting course and programme design - online guidance

Other useful resources:

Teaching Matters blog - collection of posts about blended and hybrid approaches to teaching from across the University -

An overview of the digital tools and technologies available at the University

University support and training on learning technology

Digital skills and training for University of Edinburgh staff and students

Planning for a blended future (PDF) This contains the Four-dialectical model of blended learning. Joosten et al, 2021. Diagram below. CC BY-NC-ND.


A model of blended learning showing four components depicted on a continuum, those of technological, temporal, spatial and pedagogical.

Online learning offers many benefits for students, including the chance to study flexibly and from a location that suits them.

Many of the benefits of online learning are outlined in more detail on the University's Postgraduate Online Learning website

Postgraduate Online Learning - Benefits of online learning

If you teach or support online programmes or courses, you are invited to join the Online Learning Network which aims to share ideas and insights from online educators across the University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh Online Learning Network - find out more and join


The IAD offers a range of short courses to support online postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh.

Institute for Academic Development - online support for taught postgraduate students

Student Transitions into and Through Online Learning

Part of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Enhancement work, a set of transitions resources are available to support students studying online. it comprises of four themes:

  • Being an effective online learner.
  • Working with others online.
  • Learning effectively with technology.
  • Being a responsible online learner.

Links to the resources can be found below:

Checklists and reflective activities (PDF)

Tutor guide

There is also a playlist of four videos, one for each theme:

Supporting online student transitions - video playlist

The full set of resources can be found on the QAA Enhancement Themes website (scroll to the heading Supporting student transitions into and through online learning).

Supporting student transitions into and through online learning


During the Covid-19 health pandemic we had to quickly adapt our teaching practices, and this initial response was described as an online pivot or emergency remote teaching (Hodges et al, 2020). Incorporating digital teaching approaches during these circumstances was difficult and despite the challenges there were innovations and changes in practices when educators began to feel more confident as they developed their understanding of digital pedagogy.

Some insights and lessons learned from teaching during Covid are collated here and will be useful to revisit as we continue to develop digital teaching approaches beyond the emergency circumstances of the pandemic.

The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning (Hodges et al, 2020)

Insights and learning from 2020-21

This briefing paper aims to synthesise insights and lessons learned from the adaptations to teaching and learning that took place at the University during academic year 2020- 21 in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The paper is one of a series of briefing papers commissioned as part of the Curriculum Transformation Project. 

Briefing paper - Insights and Learning from 2020-21 (PDF)

Curriculum Transformation Project - full briefing papers series

Other useful resources collated include:

The Edinburgh Hybrid Teaching Exchange

Teaching Matters (online/hybrid enhancements theme)

Learning together in a global pandemic: practices and principles for teaching and assessing online in uncertain times

The final report from an international research project funded by Universitas 21 (U21) is now available. It synthesises academic colleagues’ experiences of the pivot to ‘emergency remote teaching’ in March-April 2020 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Download the Learning together in a global pandemic report (PDF)

Research-intensive universities in three countries

The study gathered questionnaire data from academic staff at the University of Queensland in Australia, Lund University in Sweden, and the University of Edinburgh in the UK.

Survey about, and concise case studies of, change process

A total of 216 academic staff responded to an initial survey, and this was followed up by purposeful selection of 19 staff who were then interviewed, resulting in case studies from across many different disciplines and levels of teaching experience.

Findings

Despite some experience of running online programmes, many academics were not prepared to become fully online teachers at very short notice, and similarly, students were not prepared to learn online. The research has investigated the changes that took place during this difficult time from the perspective of teachers. Findings include:

  • clarity about the essential role of student-staff and student-student interactions within teaching.
  • a heightened focus on caring for student learning and well-being.
  • changes to teaching practices and assessment tasks differed across disciplines.
  • creative problem-solving was used to adapt teaching.
  • there was a sense of change due to Covid-19 that will persist post-pandemic.

Guiding principles for navigating late stage and post-Covid-19 teaching and learning

Those interviewed highlighted many valuable lessons learned, which have led to the proposal of a set of guiding principles for ongoing and post-Covid-19 planning:

  • recognise academic problem-solving and ingenuity in response to Covid-19.
  • teaching cultures, networks, and communities matter.
  • collectively reflect on post-Covid-19 directions that build on new practices.
  • and connect pedagogy, assessment, and digital technology in curriculum development.

Reference

Matthews, Kelly E., Lawrie, Gwendolyn, Mårtensson, Katarina, Roxå, Torgny, Bovill, Catherine, and McLaughlin, Celeste (2021). Learning together in a global pandemic: practices and principles for teaching and assessing online in uncertain times. Brisbane, Australia: University of Queensland.


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