Only three out of 27 top UK universities are to return to full in-person teaching this term, despite increasing demand from students for face-to-face learning, according to The Times.
It found that the universities of Sheffield, Sussex and Southampton expect to return to in-person studies, with students expected to be on campus from the beginning of the academic year.
The other 24 universities surveyed by The Times plan to adopt a “blended” approach, combining face-to-face and online learning.
The University of Sheffield has told students that they are “expected to attend in person, on campus, from the start date of your studies”, while Southampton said it would conduct all teaching “in-person and on campus”.
Sussex is planning for large lectures to go ahead in person, with alternatives available to students who cannot come to campus because of travel restrictions. The majority, including Oxford and Cambridge, will hold smaller group sessions such as seminars in person but larger lectures will remain online.
Students overwhelmingly believe that the move online has affected their education, according to the latest monthly survey by the Office for National Statistics, conducted in June.
More than 60 per cent of students who were in higher education before the pandemic said the lack of face-to-face learning had a major or moderate impact on the quality of their course.
Students are mobilising. For example, The Put Warwick Students First campaign has received more than 1,500 signatures calling for the return of in-person lectures.
Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, the vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said she was concerned that some universities could be using online learning as a way to cut the costs of running lectures.
“Nothing can replace the ability to socialise with and learn from your peers, or to engage with face-to-face, interactive teaching and learning and to have a full campus life,” she said.