As we rushed online, did student welfare get lost in transition?

As the anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown looms, many universities are thinking about what they have achieved in managing to teach, support and engage with students online during this unprecedented year.

The student experience, however, is not just about having lectures and seminars made available to them via a virtual platform. Media headlines have highlighted some of the problems that students have faced in recent months, and certainly our own interactions with higher education institutions and relevant stakeholders reveal a very mixed approach from universities to supporting students’ digital wellbeing online − some good, some more problematic.

In the rapid move to digital learning and with the emphasis on delivering teaching, did student welfare get lost in transition?

The recent survey of 2,000 students by the Office for National Statistics found more than half (57 per cent) reported that their mental health and well-being worsened in the autumn term of 2020. It is well documented that poor student well-being has a significant impact on attrition.

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Covid-19 and the accompanying lockdown restrictions are the main factors currently affecting student well-being, and many universities are striving to provide additional mental health support for students. But what are they doing to make students feel safe and secure in the virtual campus?

We know from bitter experience that poor or misguided practice can have serious safeguarding consequences, many of which are documented in the media. Yet despite recent high-profile cases, many universities are still failing to adequately protect students from online harassment, abuse and bullying.

We’ve also heard of concerning examples of personal social media accounts being used to access informal communications, which has resulted in personal information linked to students and staff being made public. There are also lecturers insisting class members keep their cameras turned on, making students feel intimidated and vulnerable and resulting in screenshots of students in a virtual classroom being shared, for example, on Twitter.

Using personal devices and platforms may afford simpler networks of communication within a community of learning, but can simultaneously bring several safeguarding risks (along with some data protection concerns) and may create more problems than solutions.

It’s vitally important that both staff and students are protected, and that they understand how to define and maintain boundaries online, as well as the importance of digital civility and how it can foster positive experiences for effective collaborative learning. Universities should provide clear, accessible guidance about what is expected of both staff and students in, for example, module guides, course materials and across online learning spaces.

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Using online spaces for work, learning and teaching and supporting students when we are actually at home brings its own challenges, with unreliable wi-fi connections, dogs barking and postmen delivering parcels in the background.

But what about other “background” information? Personal artefacts such as photos, home décor and outside landmarks can give away more about where we live, our personal circumstances and living arrangements than we would otherwise want to share with students and staff. Student privacy is also of paramount importance and some of the “camera on” demands can be problematic and make students uneasy. Bear in mind there might be many safeguarding reasons why they do not wish to appear on camera.

We should also be mindful that article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights specifically refers to the right for respect for private and family life, home and correspondence. Talk to your students about how they appear online and any background information they may be unwittingly sharing. It is vitally important to ensure that any recordings are done consensually and that students understand who will be able to access the recording and where it will be posted. Also make sure that they understand sharing protocols and guidelines if students record sessions themselves.

Academic staff should know who the university safeguarding lead is and how to report inappropriate content, or if a student (or another member of the university community) has an issue such as online harassment, cyberstalking or hate speech.

We shouldn’t assume our students are “digital natives” − they may not be as confident using learning platforms and social media safely as we think. Universities must provide support to students in developing their digital skills, recognising inappropriate contact and harmful activity online and knowing how and who to report to if they have a problem. Have conversations with students about the importance of behaving appropriately and respectfully online and make sure they know how to manage their privacy settings.

It’s important to know when to escalate issues and when to refer to outside agencies and additional support. During lockdown, technology-facilitated abuse such as intimate image-based abuse and sextortion has increased. But the good news is that there are some excellent guidelines available. For example, the Jisc online safety guide can help universities keep staff and students working safely online both on and off campus, while Universities UK offers a set of principles and practical recommendations to enable universities to prevent and respond to online harassment among students.

Emma Bond is professor of socio-technical research at the University of Suffolk and Andy Phippen is professor of digital rights at Bournemouth University. Between them they have more than 30 years’ experience researching online safeguarding.