The challenge
COVID-19 forced a rapid shift in university teaching. Queen Mary University of London needed to minimise disruption for students, increase staff confidence and establish a shared understanding of effective online teaching before Semester 1 began in September 2020.
Academics and schools had different levels of digital experience and different teaching requirements. A single generic briefing wouldn't have been enough.
The approach
Curio met academics where they were. Workshops established common foundations while recognising disciplinary variation. An online booking service gave staff access to a learning designer, educational technologist or experienced online teacher within 24 hours.
Support requests were used to identify emerging needs and create resources that could help more staff across the university.
What Curio delivered
- Workshops tailored across schools
- One-to-one expert support with a 24-hour response model
- Instructional videos for specific tasks and tools
- Written guidance distributed through university services
- Bespoke sessions for disciplinary needs
- Support for challenges including role-play and remote practical assessment
- An adaptive model that changed in response to staff feedback
The result
The program helped staff continue delivering learning during disruption and created practical knowledge that could be shared beyond each individual support request. Queen Mary entered Semester 1 with a broader foundation for effective online teaching and access to targeted help as modules were redesigned.