Shift Learning Case Studies
While some of Shift’s work was confidential, we are grateful to have received client permission to share the following case studies of projects we completed.
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- Awarding organisations
- English Language Learning and International Education
- Public sector and not-for-profit
- Publishing, media and EdTech
- Schools
- Universities, HE and FE
Brand Tracker
Gateway Qualifications wanted to conduct an annual brand tracking survey to assess awareness, perception and association with key attributes of their brand. As part of this survey, they particularly wanted to measure brand loyalty and satisfaction, as well as benchmarking their brand against competitors.
Awarding organisations, Universities, HE and FE
Stackable qualifications
The University of London (UoL) is exploring the development of a new portfolio of stackable, online, self-paced postgraduate programmes.
Universities, HE and FE
PGR recruitment journeys and experiences
The University of Southampton wanted to better understand current Post Graduate Research (PGR) students’ recruitment journeys for both those studying at Southampton and those at other UK universities. The Research Enterprise Marketing team sought greater insight on motivations to study for a PhD, and the criteria prospective students used when deciding to apply to Southampton and other institutions.
Universities, HE and FE
Alumni research
Durham University wanted to conduct an alumni survey to support the development of their communications and engagement strategies.
Universities, HE and FE
Perceptions of Technicians
MI TALENT were looking to conduct primary research to understand the perception of technicians by higher education staff and students. This research was conducted to complement the results from the technical community survey, which explored whether participants felt valued by key groups in higher education.
Universities, HE and FE
Health and Safety Survey
Following on from work Shift completed as part of the Technical Community survey in 2021, MI Talent wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the role of technical staff in health and safety. Results from this research would serve as a call to action for those in leadership to continue to recognise and support the work of technical staff.
Universities, HE and FE
Technician data
Prior to the creation of the UK Institute of Technical Skills & Strategy in August 2023, MI TALENT identified a lack of data on technicians in the UK. To support researchers working in the new institute, MI TALENT commissioned Shift to detail existing data sources on technicians and provide an overview of the existing technical community.
Universities, HE and FE
Impact of the TALENT programme
MI TALENT were eager to understand the impact of the TALENT programme on the technical community in UK higher education and research. They also wanted to track changes and assess developments within the sector since the previous technical community survey in 2021.
Universities, HE and FE
Student personas and new markets exploration
New College Durham noticed a decrease in their higher education students studying on campus over the previous five years. They also wanted to increase applicants from their core markets, explore expanding into new markets to grow their customer base, and understand their current market position in relation to other local HE providers.
Universities, HE and FE
Publishing futures
This year, we worked with Cambridge University Press on a radical, community-led review of the open research publishing ecosystem. Our aim was to identify bold, workable solutions that support innovation and meet the evolving needs of all stakeholders.
Publishing, media and EdTech, Universities, HE and FE
BA European Politics course title research
Shift Insight previously conducted research with King’s College London to support the redevelopment of their European Politics degree, which included changing its title to better reflect its content. Before finalising the course title, King’s wanted to conduct additional research to confirm which one appeals most to prospective students, and the importance of course titling within their decision-making.
Universities, HE and FE
Graduate Outcomes Survey
The University of London (UoL) wanted support with tracking graduate outcomes. Shift were commissioned to conduct research that involved an online survey sent to recent UoL graduates.
Universities, HE and FE