Designing for Choice: Insights from a Beyond Blended Learning Pilot

This paper presents a pilot implementation of Jisc’s Beyond Blended framework at Royal Holloway, University of London, aimed at supporting flexible, inclusive, and student-centred curriculum design. The pilot involved nearly 500 first year students in the Department of Computer Science and introduced a range of interventions including hybrid lectures, optional attendance, structured labs, and proactive communication. Findings indicate that whilst student engagement was selective, often peaking around assessments, it was also meaningful, with formative tasks used strategically for revision. Importantly, allowing students to choose their mode of attendance did not negatively affect academic outcomes, and those who exercised this choice performed comparably across those modes of attendance. These results suggest that structured flexibility and student autonomy can enhance the learning experience without compromising standards.