New service helps hundreds of students to access teaching from home

18 Jun 2020

A University service set up after the closure of non-essential facilities on campus has helped hundreds of Manchester students to access their teaching and assessment at home.

‘Help Me Get Online’, staffed for the past 11 weeks by colleagues from University of Manchester Worldwide, has provided step-by-step technical assistance to hundreds of students over the phone and through email and sent equipment directly to the homes of students who would have otherwise been unable to continue their studies. More than half of the students who have received a laptop so far are from low-income backgrounds and in receipt of the Manchester Bursary.

Commenting on the service, Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience, said: “I’m really pleased that our University has been able to move quickly to support students through what were a very challenging set of circumstances, particularly for those from low-income backgrounds.

“I’d like to thank colleagues from University of Manchester Worldwide who delivered this service in addition to their day jobs. The team can be proud that their knowledge of online and blended learning has helped so many students through these tough times.

“The service will now become part of ‘business as usual’ within IT Services, who will be there to offer support over summer and as we transition into a hybrid model of face-to-face and online teaching for Semester 1.”