Introduction

Following our previous blog post on mental health and wellbeing in work-based learning and apprenticeships a dedicated event took place online on 25 March 2025 facilitated by the Practice, Tuition Training and Development Team within Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development (ALSPD). Readers from within the Open University can view the event recording here.

The event featured three distinct parts which we consider below whilst also considering the reflective questions Jenny Hillman posted in our blog  those being:

• In the HE sector, do we have a nuanced enough understanding of the unique mental health and wellbeing challenges that might exist for those undertaking work-based learning and/or apprenticeships? How can we best enhance our understanding using insights from our staff and students?

• Do the interventions that universities have designed for mental health and wellbeing support in recent decades meet the needs of learners undertaking placements or with substantial workplace commitments?

Scholarship on Mental Health and Wellbeing at the Open University

Professor Joan Simons, Head of the School for Health, Well-being, and Social Care in the faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS), shared insights from her research on supporting students with mental health difficulties. Joan’s three-year project involved interviews with 39 Associate Lecturers and focus groups with OU students who declared mental health conditions. She reported on her findings and facilitated discussions on the specific needs of work-based learning students. Internal reports on the project are available for Open University staff.

The OU is one of the largest providers of nursing apprenticeships in the UK and has a strong history of provision in health and social care. It was discussed that these types of courses can impact mental health and well-being in specific ways, for example through second-hand trauma. All agreed that it is vital for Practice Tutors (PTs) to prepare students/apprentices on these programmes for the nuances of health and social care workplace learning.

Proactive communication and effective use of student profiles

Effective communication and support structures through tuition is crucial for helping students with mental health conditions succeed.  It was identified that ensuring learners can receive help without repeatedly having to share their issues across the institution would provide an enhancement to the support the OU provides to students.

Longer-term mechanisms for pastoral support

Attendees observed that the OU Practice Tuition role allows for continuous support at whole programme level rather than the module level . A strong effective tutorial relationship is advantageous for supporting workplace learners (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021; Marsden and Youde, 2012) and it is widely acknowledged in the literature that high-quality tutorial relationships can contribute to personalised and successful personal tutoring for students on traditional courses. This is an example of an enhancement that could be applied for all types of learners. It was noted, however, that external Professional Statutory Bodies like Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) can place restrictions on the level of continuous support provided in the tutor ‘in practice’ role.

Professor Simons raised development opportunities for staff delivering on work-based learning programmes as a priority. This will help to ensure  that development focused on mental health continues to be available in different formats (workshops, online learning etc) . ALSPD facilitates online training alongside an events programme specifically related to supporting OU students, which is informed by internal Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).  Reflecting on this, we consider that we have further opportunities to use insights from staff and students to enhance our materials and further aid the nuance of understanding for the work-based learning student experience of mental health and wellbeing.

Support from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team

The next session at our event was led by Joe Kirman from the Mental Health Casework and Advice Team (MHCAT) at the OU.  Joe emphasised the team’s mission to enhance, not replace, existing support structures, and their focus on students with complex or severe mental health needs. The work of the MHCAT, like many institutional mental health casework teams in the sector, highlights the critical role of mental health support for students.  At the OU, the team offer flexible, individualised support plans, including one-to-one sessions, risk assessments, and coping strategies, without requiring formal diagnoses. They also provide an advice service for staff, helping to ensure a holistic approach to student wellbeing.

Joe shared insightful case studies, based specifically onwork-based student cases at the OU. We apply the theory of experiential learning (Kolb etc) to the development of cross-faculty events so that Practice Tutor participants have the opportunity to reflect on learning from experience. The case studies used in Joe’s presentation were rooted in the experience of delivering multi-agency support by tutors and case workers. Case studies are an effective way to facilitate experiential learning, for example – see Kreber (2001) who also emphasises the importance of reflective practice in leveraging the educational benefits of case studies. The relevance of the case studies offered, which featured insights from interactions with work-based learning students, highlighted how this relatively new service can be used effectively to support this population of students within the OU.  Crucially, the lack of requirement for formal mental health diagnoses removes a barrier to accessing this service.  Joe also highlighted how his team were able to respond flexibly to meet learners needs, something that is important for work-based learning students /apprentices who have demands related to their employment alongside intense study requirements.

Discussion with Practice Tutors highlighted the importance of communication, collaboration with OU support staff, and empowering students/apprentices to advocate for their own needs.  It was recognised again that, especially for work-based learning students, fear of stigma through disclosure of issues, potential complexities in the workplace, employer reaction and the possible scrutiny on ‘fitness to practice’ could be a barrier for learners to sharing of mental health issues.

Collaborative Activity: Developing a Taxonomy of Support

As Education Developers, we aim to facilitate a Community of Practice informed by the development of the concept by Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner (2015). To this end we regularly utilise participatory methods of learning and seek to enable development of practice through collaborative learning activities such as described below.

The online collaborative training activity used in this session, focused on identifying barriers and enablers for apprentices and work-based learners regarding mental health and well-being. This was intended as a practical exercise to extend the approach taken by Lister et. al (2022) which identifies the barriers and enablers related to student mental health in distance learning to the context of work-based, distance learning.

Key barriers identified and discussed included:

• Employer Understanding of Study Requirements. Employers often lack awareness of the time needed for apprentices to study. (Lomas, 2024)
• Apprentice and Student Belonging. Apprentices sometimes feel disconnected from their institutions, lacking a sense of belonging and student voice. (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021;Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023)
• Engagement with Tutors. Apprentices may perceive tutors as unapproachable or unaware of their specific contexts, affecting their willingness to seek help (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021; Marsden and Youde, 2012).
• Awareness of Available Support. Both employers and universities may not effectively signpost mental health support resources (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).

Practice Tutor attendees engaged in activities using the online collaborative tools Padlet and Polls to prioritise these barriers based on their experiences of support needs. They also contributed reflections on barriers not mentioned in the literature. These included:

• Demands of work-based learning and study.
• Workplace pressure to prioritise ‘work’ over ‘study’
• Curriculum Design (e.g. timing of multiple assessment)
• Information overload during the induction period
• Insufficient support and supervision in placements

The potential enablers that tutors in attendance identified  included:

• Diarised conversations timed for important course events to help with stress e.g off-the-job learning, preparing for End Point Assessment (EPA).
• Early discussion of concerns with the learner and/or appropriate institutional staff
• Building trust with student/apprentices e.g. through appropriate management of confidentiality.
• Listening to/observing clues from students – for example, late night emails and submissions, tiredness, over-concern about performance.
• Capturing data about relevant/important institution and workplace interactions related to mental health and updating the institutional student record to reflect issues.

Key Learnings and Reflections and Recommendations

Within the discussion and activity, it was apparent that the relationship between Practice Tutors and Student/Apprentices is critical.  Tutors supporting work or practice-based learning at a distance work closely with students/apprentices in a 1:1 capacity.   As with any dialogic relationship, trust and rapport should be established at the earliest opportunity. Trust can facilitate enhanced communication within learning environments, enabling students to express their specific support needs.  The same might be applied to relationships between work-based learners and employers/workplace mentors (especially if that relationship is new).

Consideration of the key learnings of this event has articulated further reflections for us as educational developers, specifically:

• How can we ensure understanding of the complexity of the Practice Tutor role and professional work-based learning programmes across the institution?

• How might we enhance development to enable PTs to relate effectively with our work-based learning students, whilst there are simultaneous pressures (related to compliance and funding) to adhere to within progress review meetings?

The relationship between learners, and communication and system strategies may have untapped potential to make a difference to learners with mental health difficulties.  This could be paramount for work-based learning courses that utilise supported distance learning for some elements of the course   How might we influence the development of digital material contexts to ensure they meet the needs of the work-based student population?  Are there elements of our work-based learning provision that can be made less complex by further consideration of the student experience in the online community? What is unique about the work-based learner journey and their user interactions that we might not have considered? And, are these considered when new initiatives are deployed at institutional level?

Future Directions

As we have already mentioned in our previous post, mental health and wellbeing of those on work-based learning or apprenticeship programmes has received less attention than the experiences of students on other modes of study (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023). There is a continuing need for SoTL  which investigates  mental health support for work-based learning students, and there are particular occupational areas that may require nuanced  consideration.  One of these areas discussed within our session, is the potential for students on certain courses to experience particular types of occupational stress.  Within the current nursing apprenticeship, the placement experiences can have a negative effect on mental wellbeing with stressors such as workload and secondary traumatic experiences. Compassion fatigue is prevalent in professional learning in this area.  Jack (2017) highlights how ‘it is important that educators recognise student’s susceptibility to compassion fatigue and provide appropriate support.’ For those that provide development to the educators we must question if we are providing relevant training, awareness and support systems that are targeted to help those work-based learning students particularly susceptible to occupational stress?

Conclusion

Our discussions in this blog may have raised additional questions for those supporting work-based learners in HE.  A key theme is the importance of the relationship between the student and the university. The Practice Tutor plays a crucial role as the university’s representative, fostering support and trust through their relationship with the student.

Tutors can provide personalised and timely support and guidance essential for students with mental health issues. They act as connectors, raising awareness about mental health resources and referring students to appropriate services

a safe space for students to discuss their challenges.  The personalised nature of the Practice Tutor role at the OU is prominent source of support for our work-based learning students. Targeted development and recognition of the significant challenges of work-based learning tuition is essential to continue to facilitate effective relationships and dialogue between students and the institution.

References

Jack, K. The meaning of compassion fatigue to student nurses: an interpretive phenomenological study. J of Compassionate Health Care 4, 2 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40639-017-0031-5

Kreber, C. (2001) ‘Learning Experientially through Case Studies? A Conceptual Analysis’, Teaching in higher education, 6(2), pp. 217–228. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510120045203

Marsden, F. and Youde, A. (2012) ‘Fostering a transactional presence: a practical guide to supporting work-based learners’. In: Part-Time study: the new paradigm for Higher Education? UALL, Leicester, UK. Available at: Huddersfield Repository – University of Huddersfield (Accessed: 13 March 2025).

Umeokafor, N. and Soares, A. (2021).  Delivery features of apprenticeship courses: The influence on the mental health and wellbeing of apprentices. Available at: Umeokafor-N-49833-VoR.pdf (Accessed: 11 March 2025).

Umeokafor, N. and Okoro, C. (2023). Mental health and wellbeing experiences of Higher Education apprentices. In: Digital Transformation of Health and Safety in Construction. University of Porto, Portugal, 21st – 22nd June 2023. CIB International Council for Research & Innovation in Building & Construction, Kanata, ON Canada, pp. 243-252. ISBN 978-9727523092. Available at: 43052_UMEOKAFOR_Mental_health_and_wellbeing_experiences_of_Higher_Education_apprentices.pdf (Accessed: 13 March 2025).

Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner, B. (2015) An introduction to communities of practice: a brief overview of the concept and its uses. Available from authors at https://www.wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice.

This week’s blog post features ALSPD intern Samantha Morgan and her mentee, ALSPD (Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development) Manager, Christina Graney. The reciprocal mentoring programme, part of the Student Staff Internship project, was organised by the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS), and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at The Open University (OU). 

The premise for our mentoring relationship was ‘reverse mentoring’ where, traditionally, a more experienced member of staff is mentored by a less experienced colleague or student. However, in this blog post, we prefer to use the term ‘reciprocal mentoring’ because it captures the mutual learning that shaped our working relationship. Samantha brought her expertise and lived experience to mentor Christina – a Training and Development Manager. Our intention was that the mentoring was collaborative and power-free, whilst embracing diversity and inclusion. In this post, we reflect on our journey, the challenges we faced, and the outcomes of our reciprocal mentoring experience. 

Mentee’s reflections from Christina Graney 

It was a wet spring day. The rain was lashing down as a mysterious figure appeared on my MS Teams call… well actually I don’t remember what kind of day it was, but I do remember a great opportunity being presented to me by my lovely colleague Dr Suki Haider! Suki offered me some mentoring from a student intern, and I seized the opportunity.

As part of the reciprocal mentoring scheme, I would be mentored by a student intern for six months. Despite working at the OU for nearly 19 years in various professional services roles, I have not had very many opportunities to work directly with students, so this opportunity was very appealing. 

My university experience was at a traditional, campus or ‘brick’ university. Attending in-person lectures and sharing notes at the end of each day in the campus library or student union was the norm. I knew it was important for me to learn more about the different ways that supported and open distance learning is experienced by our OU students. I was particularly keen to understand perspectives from students with different lived experiences to me. 

For the mentoring programme I was paired with Samantha Morgan, a Psychology student in FASS. She was open and honest about the barriers she faced while studying and managing other responsibilities.  

Our first meeting was perhaps a little awkward as we tried to work out how this would all work. I was very aware of my role as a manager at the OU and wanted to work hard to ensure I didn’t lead the session. Gradually, as we got to know each other, we found our rhythm. 

Samantha shared her intersections of neurodivergence and health conditions, and I learned how these impacted her daily life and studies. Her determination to succeed and the importance of her studies to her future were inspiring. 

It has been eye-opening to learn about the challenges Samantha faced as a student with intersectional health conditions and neurodivergence. Samantha was navigating the processes which would secure reasonable adjustment for her studies and personalised support from tutors.  Samantha’s experiences like many others, highlight the systemic and structural issues in HE that can cause barriers for students. 

As our mentoring relationship concludes, and I reflect on the last 6 months, I realise how impactful and transformative it has been for my development. I am continuing my journey into learning about allyship for students and staff from marginalised and/or minoritised communities and Samantha has been a significant part of that. 

I want to thank Samantha for her time, honesty and patience, especially for giving me a glimpse into her amazing life as an OU student. Samantha has achieved so much with her studies, and as part of the student intern project. Her passion to make a difference and advocate for other neurodivergent students is endless and impressive. 

Mentor’s reflections from Samantha Morgan 

From the start, Christina was transparent about her concerns regarding her role in the mentoring relationship with me, given her extensive leadership experience. I appreciated this honesty and shared my worries about the potential for an unequal dynamic. We entered the mentoring partnership unsure of what to expect. 

Despite Christina’s experience at the OU, she was eager to understand my perspective as a student facing numerous barriers. Christina’s commitment to change was evident as she sought to understand my experiences. I supported her understanding of the barriers students face from structures which create oppression.  

I appreciated that Christina took the time to understand neurodiversity and one day turned up to our meeting and asked me if I would like to consider standing meetings. It was clear she had researched this and cared that I felt comfortable. In return I sent her a thank you card and shared her act of consideration with the team. It is small acts of considerations like this that include people and let them thrive.  

One Saturday I wrote a piece called ‘The Gremlins’ and sent this to Christina cautiously as I thought nobody would want to read it. Much to my surprise Christina loved it and was very open in her feedback that it had helped create deep understanding of what life is really like for someone living with multiple intersections of neurodiversity. This reciprocal moment of sharing was the spark that ignited my writing. I am continuing to write and sharing it in various places now. Thank you, Christina, and the ALSPD team for reigniting that; I had forgotten that I do have important things to say that can help others.  My work is soon to be published in the British Psychological society’s ‘The Psychologist’ online. This is a huge achievement for an undergraduate and I am very proud to be spreading awareness of unconsidered power dynamics on this platform.  

Towards the end of my internship, Christina guided me in polishing my portfolio and project proposal. This shift in dynamics solidified the reciprocal nature of our partnership. I was fortunate to work with someone so open to change, but this should be the norm for student-staff mentoring. Challenging outdated power structures is essential for creating accessible and fair education for all in this gloriously diverse world we live in. 

Closing thoughts from Christina 

This journey has been incredibly thought-provoking and has led to transformational learning for both of us. We now regularly consider the other person’s perspective, question our assumptions, and seek evidence to support our beliefs. This approach is applicable in many scenarios, and I will use it when working across the university. 

I have learnt that knowing one person with a diagnosis, means that you know one person with a diagnosis. Each individual may need different things to succeed. I will remain curious, supportive, and adaptable to help others thrive and be their true selves when working with me. 

I’ll leave you with one of Samantha’s poems, which profoundly impacted me and offered a glimpse into daily life for people who live with intersections of neurodiversity. 

 ‘Gremlins’ by Samanthan Morgan 

Let me introduce you to the gremlins, ADHD, OCD and Autism.  

Today I got a thought that visiting some shops in the sales was a fabulous idea! I ignored my body and autism both of which screamed at me to stay home and rest, and I went anyway. I was quite happy at home, but the ADHD gets an idea and before I know it, there I am, doing an activity that I have no interest in doing but appear to do anyway because a fleeting thought quickly becomes a hyper fixation. The ADHD does not really like routine or order, but the autism and OCD do, so they argue. The ADHD often wins, much to mine, the OCD and the autism’s distaste.   

In town I met friends. We went to a busy restaurant. My fingers twirled constantly, my leg jiggling and my head was spinning from the noise. I have no idea why I do such things. It is never fun; all I want to do is escape. Well, I do know why. My ADHD loves spontaneity, being the absolute gremlin that it is. I look around and wonder why people talk about the things they do. They discuss things that I have trained myself over the years to ask about, such as the weather, or what they are doing on holiday. I learnt if I do that, then I fit in more. People grew tired of talking about my interests or deep subjects, they thought it rather odd. Frankly I would rather discuss the meaning of life or the state of the world, but apparently that is weird! So that must be kept in a box, until I meet people who enjoy discussions of such topics.   

After I left, I walked around town, people were everywhere, and they kept bumping into me. I felt invaded and could feel stress, anxiety and frustration bubbling, I wanted to escape that very moment but could not. People cut in front of me, their big heavy shopping bags hit my legs. I wanted to scream. I walked around the shops and wondered what on earth I was doing here. I felt rather disappointed that I had allowed myself to become embroiled in classic capitalism. I wished I had just stayed at home, because it was much easier than this bizarre situation I voluntarily pursued where I felt my skin crawling and my mind screaming. I remembered that ADHD – the swine – had sought the perfect coat that very same day, so of course, waiting seemed impossible.  

It is a funny old thing this brain of mine. I often wish it would just give me a break.   

I decided to skip a few shops as I remembered there was a reason I felt this way. The autism hates busy places. I could reduce stimuli and feel better again. I did not know this some years ago, because I was diagnosed late, like many women are. I used to force myself to do these things; it never ended well. The call of my home was strong. As soon as I got in, I told my family I was taking some time out and proceeded to sit in a quiet dark room for a while. I have learnt this regulates my central nervous system and quiets the autism.   

Well, at least until the ADHD fights against it and screams “We must do something! We cannot sit here resting, it is a waste of time!” and I scream back ‘BE QUIET BRAIN!’.   

That ADHD really is a bane to my life.   

I used much capacity today, so I am putting off jobs until tomorrow. It feels uncomfortable doing this, because the autism and OCD likes everything ordered, perfect and complete. But sometimes it cannot be that, so I try to accept the imperfect. This is necessary as the ADHD creates chaos. It often feels like ADHD is on one shoulder and autism and OCD are on the other and they argue. ADHD likes to be wild and free. Autism likes to be quiet, ordered and to have nothing changed. OCD just likes everything perfect.  You could call them enemies. They certainly wind each other up – and me in the process! I try to find humour in this, which is why I describe ADHD, OCD and autism as annoying gremlins. Nature, rest, supportive people, accommodations and learning skills to manage them all help keep these little gremlins at bay so I can control them, not the other way around.  

 I will end this on; I did not even need a winter coat; I forgot I already have five!   

Samantha is open to connections and regularly writes about neurodivergence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-morgan-024607347  

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Work Based Learning and Apprenticeships

Advisory note on sensitive content:  This blog post mentions mental health and suicide which may be upsetting or triggering for some readers. Sources of support are listed in the reference section below.    

This week, on Thursday 13 March, the Open University marked University Mental Health Day (UMHD) with a range of wellbeing activities for staff and students. Co-organised by Student Minds and UMHAN, #UniMentalHealthDay is an annual acknowledgement of the need to better support those studying with their mental health and wellbeing (UMHD, 2025). In this blog post, Jenny Hillman considers what more universities might need to do to understand the needs of work-based learners and apprentices.   

Mental health at university  

Recent reporting suggests a continuing increase in the number of students sharing a mental health condition at university. In the UK, universities are responding with whole institutional approaches to supporting student mental health, with many adopting the Suicide Safer guidance from Universities UK (2018). The Open University (OU), like many other providers, developed a Student and Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy to reflect this commitment.  

Unfortunately, the persistence of the mental health degree awarding gap that exists across the sector tells us that most universities have a lot of work to do to reduce inequalities for students with mental health conditions. Yet, a growing corpus of research reflects at least a greater awareness (and hopefully an enhanced understanding) of student mental health experiences and how these are also shaped by things like race, disability and neurodiversity, sexual and gender identity, and socio-economic background (see Butcher, Awan and Gray, 2021 for an example of a study on student intersectionality in mental health).   

Universities are also increasingly offering a range of mental health services for students (such as counselling) and seeking to strengthen wellbeing, rather than just responding reactively to students in crisis (Lister et al, 2023). This is reflected in the vocabulary we use, where ‘mental health’ and ‘wellbeing’ are distinct things but also overlapping in institutional approaches to pastoral support and student welfare. Of course, ‘wellbeing’ itself is not unproblematic as a term because its meanings are culturally situated. In HE, our discussions of student ‘wellbeing’ are largely rooted in language which reflects Westernised conceptions of the word which are fundamentally different from meanings of ‘wellbeing’ in other cultural traditions. Accepting that these definitions are themselves imperfect, then, for the purposes of this post I am adopting the following:    

‘Mental health refers to a full spectrum of experience ranging from good mental health to mental illness […] Wellbeing will encompass a wider framework of which mental health is an integral part, but which also includes physical and social wellbeing’ (Advance HE, 2022).   

Work-based learners  

The mental health and wellbeing of those on work-based learning or apprenticeship programmes has received less attention than the experiences of students on other modes of study (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023). Whilst some might argue that apprenticeships are more ‘alt-uni’ than an ‘alternative to uni’ (WonkHE, 2025), it is clear that the challenges for work-based learners with mental health needs may be experienced in very different ways. In England, HE has seen significant growth in higher and degree apprenticeships (HEPI, 2023; HEPI 2025) and, despite some wobbles over apprenticeship reforms proposed by a new Labour government (THE, 2024), work-based learning is going to be increasingly important for addressing the UK skills gap. 

Crucially, apprentices and work-based learners must navigate the demands of traditional study and meeting academic standards, as well as being secure in the professional competencies that their employer expects to see. In addition to the familiar academic stressors recognised in much of the literature on student mental health, studies focused on apprentices and work-based learners have found additional challenges. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, many of these challenges reflect the complexity of the relationship between the employer-apprentice/student-workplace-and university.   

Scholars have noted, for example, that learner mental health and wellbeing may be affected by:  

• The readiness and/or ability of their employer (line manager, colleagues etc) to ‘foster meaningful integration between their work and studies’ (Lomas, 2024). 

• The university relationship with their employer and how that plays out in Tripartite Review Meetings (Lomas, 2024). 

• Employers allowing sufficient time for study (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).  

• ‘Misalignment’ between academic learning outcomes and workplace objectives (Fuller and Unwin, 2011). 

• The feeling of ‘worthwhileness’ in their course or programme (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023). 

• Income and broader quality of life that their job role affords them (Umeokafor and Okoro, 2023). 

• The relationship and perceived ‘approachability’ of the tutor (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021; Marsden and Youde, 2012).  

• Tutor understanding of the learner/apprentice’s context (including their commitments and personal circumstances outside of work) (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).  

• Opportunities for apprentices to contribute to student ‘voice’ in the university (in matters such as policy, curriculum design and student community activities) (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).  

• Employer and university understanding of, and signposting to, mental health support available for work-based learners and apprentices (Umeokafor and Soares, 2021).  

It is worth acknowledging that the study experience for apprentices is different to that for students on professional programmes and vice versa. However, I included insights from research across these areas in this blog post because I believe that both will help us to consider the experiences of learners navigating a dual workplace-academic identity and the demands of that.   

In the Practice Tuition Training and Development team within ALSPD (Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development), we are continuing this conversation at our next cross-faculty professional development event on 25 March 2025 focused on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships If you are a member of staff, you can register here for this event: internal link).    

For me, 2 key questions I will continue to reflect on are:  

1. In the HE sector, do we have a nuanced enough understanding of the unique mental health and wellbeing challenges that might exist for those undertaking work-based learning and/or apprenticeships? How can we best enhance our understanding using insights from our staff and students? 
2. Do the interventions that universities have designed for mental health and wellbeing support in recent decades meet the needs of learners undertaking placements or with substantial workplace commitments? 

 Please let us know your thoughts about mental health and wellbeing in work-based learning by commenting or reaching out via email.   

References  

Butcher, J., Awan, R. and Gray, D. (2021). ‘How do we talk about race…and mental health?’ Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 23(3), pp. 147–162.  

Fuller, A. and Unwin, L. (2011) ‘Apprenticeship as an Evolving Model of Learning’. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 63(3), p.261-66.  

HEPI (2023). Available at: Standards, starts and achievements: Quality and growth in the HE apprenticeship market – HEPI (Accessed: 13 March 2025). 

HEPI (2025). Available at: Degree Apprenticeships in England: What Can We Learn from the Experiences of Apprentices, Employers, and Education and Training Providers? – HEPI (Accessed: 13 March 2025). 

Lomas, J. (2024) ‘Higher Education Apprenticeship Pedagogies: A Multilateral Approach, in Barr, M. (Ed.). Approaches to Work-Based Learning in Higher Education: Improving Graduate Employability (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/10.4324/9781003496779 

Lister, K., Seale, J. and Douce, C. (2023) ‘Mental health in distance learning: a taxonomy of barriers and enablers to student mental wellbeing’, Open learning, 38(2), pp. 102–116. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2021.1899907.  

Marsden, F. and Youde, A. (2012) ‘Fostering a transactional presence: a practical guide to supporting work-based learners’. In: Part-Time study: the new paradigm for Higher Education? UALL, Leicester, UK. Available at: Huddersfield Repository – University of Huddersfield (Accessed: 13 March 2025).  

Umeokafor, N. and Soares, A. (2021).  Delivery features of apprenticeship courses: The influence on the mental health and wellbeing of apprentices. Available at: Umeokafor-N-49833-VoR.pdf (Accessed: 11 March 2025).  

Umeokafor, N. and Okoro, C. (2023). Mental health and wellbeing experiences of Higher Education apprentices. In: Digital Transformation of Health and Safety in Construction. University of Porto, Portugal, 21st – 22nd June 2023. CIB International Council for Research & Innovation in Building & Construction, Kanata, ON Canada, pp. 243-252. ISBN 978-9727523092. Available at: 43052_UMEOKAFOR_Mental_health_and_wellbeing_experiences_of_Higher_Education_apprentices.pdf (Accessed: 13 March 2025).  

Universities UK (2018). ‘Suicide-Safer Universities’ available at: Suicide-safer universities (Accessed: 12 March 2025).  

WonkHE (2025). Apprenticeships are not an “alternative” to uni, they’re alt-uni | Wonkhe (Accessed: 13 March 2025). 

Sources of support for mental health   

UK Gov Resources for Supporting your apprentice  

MIND – Planning for a mental health crisis – Mind 

SHOUT – Shout Crisis Text Line 

Crisis support

NHS – Mental health services – NHS  

SAMARITANS – Samaritans 

This week’s blog post is bought to you by an ALSPD Intern employed on a Student -Staff internship project (Gaynor Adkins) and their line manager (Clemmie Quinn).  Internships are jointly organised by the Faculties of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the OU, and supports students to undertake a remote, ‘virtual’ internship. In this blog post, Gaynor explores how collaboration and empowerment can transform the educational experience for both students and educators. 

Empowerment through coaching: How my Internship Experience Strengthened my Growth Mindset 

In a fast-paced world where challenges arise daily, true empowerment comes from having the right support, encouragement and guidance. As an intern navigating the workplace as a neurodiverse student, I have experienced first-hand how a strong coaching culture within a team can shape not just skills but confidence, mindset and resilience. My creativity and visual thinking are integral to how I process and engage with the world, and having a supportive environment that values these strengths has been truly transformative.  

One of the most powerful models for understanding empowerment is the Empowerment Triangle, as outlined in this post by The Profit Recipe. Unlike traditional leadership approaches that may feel directive or controlling, this model fosters a sense of ownership, capability, and initiative. My manager and team have embodied this approach – using gentle guidance, encouragement, coaching and challenge to help me step into my full potential. 

The Empowerment Triangle in Action 

The Empowerment Triangle shifts focus from dependency to ownership, moving away from a ‘rescuer’ mentality and towards true leadership and growth. The three key roles in this model – The Coach, The Creator and The Challenger – have all played a part in my student development during this internship. 

1. The Coach: Gentle Guidance and Encouragement

A great coach does not solve problems for you. Instead, they help you develop the skills to solve them yourself. As someone who is neurodiverse, I often process information differently relying on visual thinking, pattern recognition and creative problem solving. My manager has been incredibly supportive, offering clarity, checking in on my understanding and encouraging me to explore solutions in ways that align with my strengths. They have recognised that my creative approach to problem-solving is an asset, not a barrier. Their encouraging support has helped me build confidence in my abilities and trust my unique way of thinking. 

2. The Creator: Fostering a ‘Can-Do’ Mindset

Empowerment thrives when individuals feel capable and encouraged to take ownership of their work. Within my team, I have been given the space to create, experiment and learn through action. Instead of fearing mistakes, I have learned to see them as opportunities for growth. My neurodiversity means I visualise solutions in ways that might be different from conventional approaches. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, my team has embraced my creative thinking as a strength. Whether through sketching ideas, using mind maps, or developing visual frameworks, I have been encouraged to develop my creative problem solving, which has reinforced my can-do’ mindset where I believe in my ability to overcome obstacles in my own way.  

3. The Challenger: Pushing Beyond Comfort Zones

While encouragement is crucial, true empowerment also comes from being challenged. My manager and colleagues have pushed me to think critically, expand my skills and step beyond my comfort zone. They have not just offered praise but have asked thoughtful questions, encouraged self-reflection, and provided constructive feedback in ways that acknowledge my neurodiversity and creative process. At times, verbal or text-heavy instructions can feel overwhelming, but instead of seeing this as problem, my team has encouraged me to adapt processes to suit my thinking style. By using visual tools, diagrams, and structured frameworks, I have been able to navigate complex tasks more effectively. This has helped me develop resilience, adaptability and a deeper sense of self-reliance whilst staying true to how I work best.  

The Impact: Confidence, Growth, and Ownership 

Through this balanced approach of coaching, encouragement and challenge, I have grown not just professionally but personally. I feel empowered to step up, contribute ideas, and lead when needed. The result is not just improved performance but a stronger sense of purpose and self-belief. 

As a neurodiverse creative student, empowerment is not about changing who I am to fit a system; it is about creating an environment where diverse ways of thinking are valued and nurtured. Through coaching, encouragement, and challenge, my manager and team have given me the confidence to take ownership of my journey, and for that, I am deeply grateful. 

If we want to build stronger, more resilient teams, we need to embrace this approach, one that moves away from dependence and towards true empowerment. After all, the greatest leaders are those who help others realise their own potential. 

The Profit Recipe, 2025. Resolving conflict with the drama and empowerment triangles. The Profit Recipe. (Available at: theprofitrecipe.com/blog/drama-triangle-and-empowerment-dynamic (Accessed: 16 February 2025) 

 Reflections from Clemmie  

Embedding Best Practice 

My professional background is centred on professional development, learning development, and student support and mentoring. These experiences provide positive influence in my approach to student partnerships.  I have also been privileged to learn from my ALSPD Senior Managers who have expertise in EDIA concerns in HE. A key commitment in our practice as a Student-Staff Project Team, has been an openness to dismantling traditional power hierarchies. Prior to the placement of our project interns, we critically reflected on our own positionality, our reflexivity and possible approaches to empower our intern students as partners in our project. 

There is much in the literature around HE student-staff partnerships and relational pedagogy to consider.  In particular, we identified the three principles of respect, reciprocity and responsibility (Cook-Sather, Bovill and Felton, 2014) that should frame the relationships between interns and staff. We recognised the importance of operationalising these concepts in ways to sustain and ensure collaboration. 

As a project team, we carefully co-created an internship experience designed to be mutually beneficial. We have embedded reflection opportunities throughout, recognising that in any scholarly approach to teaching and learning, continuous self-examination is essential. Our focus was not just on project outcomes but on cultivating an environment where all felt valued, heard, and empowered. The ‘internship’ element of the partnership has taken centre-stage, as we ensure that tasks are leveraged to achieve a student intern’s identified employability goals. It is important to remember that student-staff partnerships can be used to benefit the individual student as well as the institution (Murray, 2023) and this is an important consideration to enable a more equitable and democratic partnership.   

Moving to consider my own practice, I continue to incorporate my strengths-focused approach as a manager. I also draw on principles from mentoring and coaching which are key elements of my practice as an educational developer supporting tutors on work-based learning programmes. 

The Empowerment Dynamic  

Student-staff partnerships can be deeply rewarding relationships, but also require intentional effort to navigate effectively. Haywood and Darko (2021), observe that “to achieve a nuanced level of partnership with a student is time consuming; it requires an often unquantifiable commitment”. I’m personally prepared to commit whatever it takes to ensure an effective partnership, but I did find myself wondering what practical solutions in our settings there might be outside of the existing literature on relational pedagogy (Bovill 2020; Hickey and Riddle 2022). 

Fortuitously, I came across The Empowerment Dynamic (TED), leading to Gaynor (intern project partner) and I discussing excitedly how there were parallels in our own student-staff project. This alternative model to Karpman’s Drama Triangle offers a framework to use in workplace relationships (and others) that enhances growth and collaboration rather than reinforcing cycles of dysfunction. It therefore provides an alternative lens through which to operationalise the complex dynamics inherent in student-staff partnerships.  

TED reimagines relational roles whilst traditional hierarchical structures (such as Student/Educator) often position individuals in static roles.  Utilising this model may help those in staff-student partnerships enable an empowered environment and provide a pragmatic way to operationalise the previously mentioned values of respect, reciprocity and responsibility.  

One might assume that a Project Lead, Intern, and Intern Manager naturally align with the roles of Challenger, Creator, and Coach respectively. However, within a project team setting, we might fluidly move between different positions on The Empowerment Dynamic triangulation.  For example, in a mature, established partnership there might be discussion of lived experience with a neurodivergent student. They may communicate how their institutional relationship has been impacted, and their identified solution. This student becomes ‘the challenger’ advocating for their personal values, communicating their truth and trusting in solutions. 

Practical Applications? 

It is one thing to conceptually engage with academic literature and models; it is another to consciously integrate them into our work. Due to marketisation, and the increased scrutiny on the relationship between universities and students (and society) we will undoubtedly see student-staff partnerships increase in our sector.  We need to ensure that there are effective and efficient ways to implement these in our settings, whilst simultaneously ensuring “a meaningful dispersal of power from the traditional top-down approach” (Thomas, 2021).   

Perhaps those practical relational frameworks (like TED), that exist outside of the pedagogical literature can offer us something? I invite others preparing to engage in a student partnership to consider TED alongside other relationship based/interaction models (e.g. servant leadership? developmental model of trust?) that may provide effective ways of working for student-staff partnerships in HE. 

References 

Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C. and Felten, P. (2014) Engaging Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching : a Guide for Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/open/detail.action?docID=1650837 (Accessed: 27 February 2025). 

Bovill, C. (2020) ‘Co-creation in Learning and teaching: the Case for a whole-class Approach in Higher Education’, Higher Education, 79(6), pp. 1023–1037. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00453-w. (Accessed: 27 February 2025).  

Haywood, M.-M. and Darko, A. (2021) ‘Breaking barriers: using mentoring to transform representation, identity and marginalisation in black higher education students’, The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 7(1). Available at: https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/studentchangeagents/article/view/1026 (Accessed: 27 February 2025). 

Hickey, A. and Riddle, S. (2021) ‘Relational Pedagogy and the Role of Informality in Renegotiating Learning and Teaching Encounters’, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, pp. 1–13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.1875261. 

Murray, R. (2023) ‘The Capability Approach, Pedagogic Rights and Course Design: Developing Autonomy and Reflection through Student-Led, Individually Created Courses’, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 25(1), pp. 131–150. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2023.2261856. (Accessed: 27 February 2025). 

Thomas, L. (2021) ‘#Ibelong: Towards a Sense of Belonging in an Inclusive Learning Environment’, Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 23(3), pp. 68–79. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.23.3.68. (Accessed: 27 February 2025). 

In ALSPD (Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development), whenever we deliver a learning and development activity with tutors, we seek to evaluate the impact it has had on tuition practice (and ultimately on the student learning and experience). Evaluation and engaging with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) are both critical to the evidence-led way we identify, prioritise and deliver learning and development opportunities for tutors. For some of the team, it is also a critical part of our professional identities in the Third Space. In this blog post, Jenny Hillman reflects on the research methods that often underpin evaluation and the value of ‘unlearning’ to develop critical reflexivity as an evaluator/researcher.

A culture of evaluation

Like many Educational Development /Learning and Development teams, the approach that we take to evaluating staff development will differ depending on the size and scale of the activity (workshop, lightning talk, digital resource). The ‘hub’ team at the heart of ALSPD have iteratively developed the ‘art’ of evaluation – that is, clear, time-saving processes for efficiently carrying out surveys that are proportionate to the activity and can establish the value and potential impact of them. Our team managers collate attendance and engagement across the academic year, and these are shared with key stakeholders via an infographic. Other colleagues have also developed methods for evaluating impact on teaching practice in longitudinal studies.

However, thinking critically about how we ‘do’ evaluation (and who with) is something which has long been (and continues to be) part of our team culture. Former team members have – for example – contributed expertise to wider discussions in the sector about approaches to evaluation in Educational Development. More recently, in the evaluation of development events for Practice Tutors, we have adopted an approach from Bamber and Stefani (2016) to explore the role we play as evaluators. This has helped us to explore our subjectivity and contextualise what we found, using a structured framework.

 Critical reflections on how we do evaluation (and what to ‘unlearn’)

One of the most important challenges to what we think we know about how to evaluate comes from some of the wider literature on decolonisation. My colleague, Clemmie Quinn, recently carried out a short piece of desktop research which collated resources on this. We considered learning from the decolonisation of global development project evaluation, as well as wider research on decolonisation of research methods (we’ve provided selected examples in the reference list below). This week, I also attended a workshop for staff and postgraduate researchers focused on democratic and participatory approaches to research. ‘Moving Beyond Traditional Research Methods’ was led by Dr Kris Stutchbury and Claire Hedges and offered case studies from research projects in the Centre for the Study of Global Development. We talked about evidence cafes, for example, as a tool for participatory research (thank you to a fellow participant for the link to this Open Learn course!) The session closed with a set of principles which invited us to think about the disruptive power of non-traditional methodologies, but also of the need for trialling and retesting their implementation to ensure quality.

This has probably raised more questions than answers for me as an evaluator (and indeed in my wider scholarship and research work):

• How and when should we look beyond some of the canonical models (Kirkpatrick , Guskey, etc) in the evaluation of staff development? In Educational Development, we might have moved beyond ‘happy sheets’ but have we really challenged the deeper, fundamental epistemological assumptions about how we generate findings?
• When we are designing and evaluating activities for a diverse staff population, how relevant are our evaluation approaches? Or, in other words, how are colonial structures and ways of thinking influencing what we measure?
• In what ways do methods such as focus groups and surveys privilege certain forms of knowledge over others?
• How will we balance the time, effort (and possible failures) when implementing radically new evaluation methods with the ongoing need to evidence value and impact?
• What do we need to unlearn about researcher/evaluator objectivity? How can we better work with our positionality?
• What do we understand by ‘traditional’ research methods and why might we want to move beyond them? (a brilliant question posed by Kris Stutchbury and Claire Hedges at the above workshop!)

I feel I should conclude with a disclaimer that I am at an early stage in the journey to challenge my assumptions and test what I know about inclusive scholarship and evaluation. So far, however, what I have discovered seems less about what I can learn, and more about what I must ‘unlearn.’

We invite readers to continue the discussion by sharing any resources, reading, or reflections by adding leaving a reply below.

References

Cheryl Abram, ‘We need to decolonize organisational learning.’ Available at: We Need To Decolonize Organizational Learning & Evaluation | by Cheryl Abram | Medium (Accessed: 14 February 2025).

Emergence Collective (2021) ‘Decolonising Evaluation.’ Available at: Decolonizing evaluation (Accessed: 14 February 2025).

Hur Hassnain (2023) ‘Decolonizing Evaluation: Truth, Power, and the Global Evaluation Knowledge Base,’ Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, 19 (44), https://doi.org/10.56645/jmde.v19i44.803

Bamber, V., & Stefani, L. (2015). Taking up the challenge of evidencing value in educational development: from theory to practice. International Journal for Academic Development, 21(3), 242–254. https://doi-org.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/10.1080/1360144X.2015.1100112

Charlotte Stevens (2022) ‘Get talking about evaluation: Coordinating an approach to evaluating staff development events,’ Educational Developments. Available here: Ed-Devs-23.2.pdf

Introduction  

This week’s blog post is a co-created by members of the Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development (ALSPD) Unit at the OU. We look after the professional development needs of our Practice Tutor community (those who support our students on apprenticeships and other professional work-based learning programmes).   

We find ourselves operating within an educational development space where we facilitate professional learning for our tutors who facilitate professional work-based learning (still with us?).  As a thoughtful bunch, we like to ensure we have a good understanding of the relevant frameworks and theories that we can apply in the midst of daily work and scholarly endeavours, despite the complexities and convolutions that such consideration might bring.  Amongst our team we have different professional experiences and perspectives of learning with the academy.  These are based on backgrounds in teaching, learner, professional, organisational and researcher development.  

While contemplating new additions to our ‘office bookshelf’ we decided to purchase Pedagodzilla. We quickly agreed to each review different sections.  Taking inspiration from the authors of Pedagodzilla, we aimed to write and create something which might help others to dip their toes into learning theories. What follows, then, are some of our musings, rather than a typical academic book review. 

About the book 

Pedgodzilla is a creatively imagined text that views the application of educational and learning theory through the lens of pop culture.  The book is based upon an infamous podcast (QR links to relevant episodes are provided, within each chapter, as another bonus throughout).  The text is grounded in pedagogical theory, but our feeling is that the text is useful to anyone involved in the business of learning – whether that be professional organisational development in a multinational company or student learning in a small university. Sometimes, we might wonder which ‘gogy’ we’re most aligned with (pedagogy? andragogy? heutagogy? othergogies?) a consideration especially for those of us who work with adult learners.  Don’t let the word pedagogy put you off. This book is simply a practical, helpful overview of theories that help us to learn in variety settings.  (And for a helpful debate see this article by Holmes and Abington-Cooper, 2000).  Each chapter dives into key educational theories—like Bloom’s taxonomy, gamification, and social constructivism—and connects them to pop culture examples. It utilises a single authorial voice alongside personal perspectives and a ‘useful tips’ for practice section. 

You can read more about the origins of the book and download it on the dedicated WordPress site https://www.pedagodzilla.com/the-book/.   

Like the deep thinking, caring developers we are (!) we each read the book over the Christmas break.  Below we offer reflections on specific parts of the book, considering pragmatic ways that learning from the text might inform our own practice.   

Parts One and Two 

Chapters one to thirteen   

Part one of the book consists of a series of introductory chapters where the authors consider foundational and theoretical concepts of knowledge and how this informs approaches to learning. These chapters are less about teaching and learning and more about the philosophies of ‘knowing’. Recognising our own ontological position (from across the positivist-interpretivist spectrum) means we can identify what we think it is possible to know; then exploring our epistemological approach means we work out the ways in which we come to know it. These foundations help us to reflect on our philosophies of teaching (or ‘developing’ in our case).  

Within this, the first chapter prepares us for our own learning journeys as readers through considering Mezirow’s ten phases of Transformative Learning through the parallel of the Muppets Christmas Carol. This is a considered way to introduce the format of the book to readers and prepare them for a reflective journey. Our colleague Christina takes a deep dive into the chapter below.  

The next part of the book explores theories of learning and teaching across a whole realm! In chapter six, a map is introduced, designed to help readers understand the distinctions and overlap between different domains of pedagogy.   

Valuable for readers (whether as tutors supporting student learning, or staff supporting professional development), what we get in this part of the book are some light-hearted and relatable examples of (mostly) familiar constructivist learning theories. Those who are creating learning experiences in digital spaces, for example, might be particularly interested in visiting the lands of cognitivism first. Chapter 9 discusses cognitive overload through the lens of ‘the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ taking us through a discussion of the different types cognitive load, though to practical examples in the consideration of the design. 

Following a really engaging chapter (one of our favourites!) on how Maria from The Sound of Music used Active Learning strategies to ‘Escape the Nazis’, the authors also address ‘experiential’ learning in chapter 12. Tutors who are new to supporting work-based learning experiences might find this particularly relevant and (we’d guess) enjoy the exploration of learning in the Matrix film. The authors point out that the real learning for Neo (he’s the main one, played by Keanu) comes when he is supported by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to work through all 4 stages of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle!) Many of the Practice Tutors we work with, in fields such as Social Work and Nursing, might be able to share similar (ok, analogous) examples of the important role of reflection in connecting practice-based experience with learning.   

As we move into part 3 of the book, the authors’ view that we shouldn’t position ourselves firmly in one ‘land’ of pedagogy over another becomes even clearer. In this portion, the authors tackle the types of teaching and learning that takes place in social groups – whether in the lecture theatre, virtual classroom, community of practice groups, and even in imagined communities through the exchange of ideas. I particularly liked chapter 14, where the authors walk us through the differences (and commonalities) between constructivist pedagogies and social constructivist pedagogies. Social constructivism extends the idea that learners form their own knowledge and is premised on the idea that learning as something we do with, and in relation to, others. For a student, this might be through conversation and interaction with peers, but it could also be reading or listening to a tutor or scholar’s ideas and constructing their own knowledge in relation to a critique, nuance or expansion of these.  

What is helpful in this chapter is the recognition that social constructivist pedagogies are not just about putting a bunch of people together for a discussion. After all, a tutorial (or even a staff development session) where EVERY participant engages in a discussion, has the confidence to share their learning, reflects on others’ views, and then refines their understandings would, for most facilitators, make our hearts swell! Yet it’s not easy to achieve. As the authors observe, ‘Putting people in groups to have conversations won’t automatically lead to learning – it’s more likely to lead to bad group dynamics and off-task discussion (p.227).  

For example, how many times do we witness a mass exodus of participants when the words ‘break out rooms’ are uttered during an online event?! The reality is that this type of teaching and learning is challenging – for facilitators and students – and we often find it easier to avoid these types of learning interactions. The authors confront this and posit that social constructivism requires tutors to be thoughtful about the perspectives in the room and the types of conversation that might be had. It is also suggested that we are transparent about when and why we might use social-constructivist pedagogies with our learners. They use the Council of Elrond in the Lord of the Rings as a wonderful example of what happens when social constructivism works!  

Christina’s deep dive into Chapter 2: How Do Spooky Muppets Guide Scrooge through Transformative Learning? 

Well, I was sold on the title! Muppets? I’m in! This chapter is set up nicely by the following scene in the opening paragraph;  

“A voice booms from the mist: ‘Indeed, why are you here? Because on this journey you will learn about learning! But first, you must prepare yourselves to be transformed by that learning. For what is a journey if it does not result in your own inner journey?” 

I imagined this voice in my head, it did also help that I had recently watched “The Muppet Christmas Carol”. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the Muppets, the chapter does provide some background. 

The chapter begins by setting the scene and then introduces Mezirow’s ten phases of transformative learning. It emphasises the importance of critical reflection on our own and others’ learning journeys, which is key to transformative learning. The chapter uses the example of the Muppets helping Scrooge through his own disorienting dilemma, which serves as his catalyst for change. A metaphorical mirror is held up so he can see the impact of his views and actions, leading to self-reflection, a change in views, and behaviour. Scrooge experiences his lightbulb moment with the help of the Muppets. 

As Educators and Learning Professionals, you support your learners to have their lightbulb moments, facilitating self-reflection, and encouraging connections among learners for debate and challenging views. You create a safe, constructive space for transformative learning. Effective practices include reflective journals, asking reflective questions, facilitating discussions and debates, and using storytelling and case studies to bring theoretical concepts to life, encouraging critical thinking and reflection leading to the application of their learning. 

Whether you are new to transformative learning or not, this chapter effectively brings it to life through enjoyable storytelling examples from “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, we wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone engaged in learning, teaching, and professional development. Whether you’re just beginning your journey in higher education, studying learning and education at various levels, or supporting workplace professionals in their development, this text will prove invaluable. It offers an accessible, enjoyable, and academically robust overview of key learning theories and approaches, making it a must-read for all. 

Essential Book Information 

Pedagodzilla: Exploring the Realm of Pedagogy Paperback – 23 April 2024 

by Dr Mark Childs (Author), Prof Rebecca Ferguson (Author), Mr Michael Collins (Author), Mrs Elizabeth Ellis (Editor) 

Available from: The Book – Pedagodzilla, and Amazon.co.uk 

ISBN 13: 979-8320499055 

References 

Childs, M. et al. (2024) Pedagodzilla: Exploring the Realm of Pedagogy. 1st edn. Independently Published. 

Holmes, G. and Abington-Cooper, M. (2000). Pedagogy vs. Andragogy: A False Dichotomy? The Journal of Technology Studies, 26(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.21061/jots.v26i2.a.8. 

Post Authors

Christina Graney, Jennifer Hillman and Clemmie Quinn

(Practice Tuition, Training and Development  – ALSPD)

 We’d be interested to discuss views on the importance of the distinction of pedagogy vs androdogy when considering professional development.  Is it helpful?  Please leave a reply below to let us know your thoughts!

This week we are pleased to bring you a guest post by Samantha Morgan.  Samantha is employed within Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development (ALSPD) at the OU on a six month paid internship. Working with other interns and our Senior Manager (EDIA) she is co-producing resources for OU tutors. The employment of interns within ALSPD supports OU priority areas of improving level 1 student outcomes, student induction, retention, continuation, and inclusion and is funded via PVC students. Samantha is studying her final module at the OU (DE300) and is due to finish a BSc Psychology May 2025. She is currently exploring options for postgraduate study. Samantha is passionate about building inclusion and recognises the value of the OU in offering people the opportunity to change their life outcomes.

A poem (of sorts) on noise for neurodiverse students:

Tick tock, tick tock,

Chimes that facetious clock,

Hum hum, clickery click,

Buzzing from the noisy fridge,

Twit, twooo, sing the birds,

Noisy are the neighbours’ words,

Electricity constantly humming,

Relentless noise does not stop buzzing,

Only two hours left to read,

Before I meet my family’s needs-

Cooking tea, walking dogs,

My brain is lost in fog,

I cannot read, I cannot learn,

I worry how one day I’ll earn,

The relentless noise never stops,

Until at night, exhausted I drop,

Tutors sometimes do not think of me,

Universal tutorials, given with glee,

Where is the break? And pictures?

These lengthy ones I cannot figure,

I do not understand TMA words,

Just jumbled, scattered verse,

I’m so tired my brain hurts,

I cry again because inaccessibility hurts,

What is the point in bettering myself?

Maybe my dreams can stay on the shelf?

Perhaps I’ll stay in my box and resign,

Give up on my dreams of a better life,

I’m tired and I’m upset,

I await tutorials with dread,

You have your degrees, help me get mine,

I really need your help to shine,

I’m also in pain every day,

Multiple conditions lead me astray,

But I must remember who I am.

I’m not my labels, I’m Sam,

A dancer, a person, a friend,

I will commit until the end,

This degree results in peace,

I will find precious relief,

It is all I have you see,

A better life with this degree,

My dream won’t be in vain,

I can still work despite pain,

This degree offers the key,

It can answer all my dreams,

If it includes accessibility,

So, please think of me.

The significance of cultivating effective study habits is often emphasised to students in higher education. As we move towards end of year reflections learning and teaching staff might reflect on which strategies could be beneficial in fostering these skills. This week, Gaynor Adkins, a Student Intern with Associate Lecturer Support and Professional Development (ALSPD), explores the resolutions we set for 2025, focusing on small, impactful changes. These adjustments can be integrated into our own teaching and learning practices or recommended to students to enhance their academic skills and succeed in online learning. 

Gaynor is currently engaged in a six-month placement within ALSPD to co-create resources for Associate Lecturers.  She is currently studying with the Open University, undertaking voluntary work at HMP Wymott and developing her profile as an illustrator.   

Gaynor Adkins | LinkedIn 

Quirky Queen (@quirkyqueen_illustrations) • Instagram photos and videos 

Perfectly You: small changes for a bigger brighter 2025 

As we welcome in the new year our thoughts often turn to new year’s resolutions, fresh starts, healthy eating and promises to be fitter and healthier. It is important to remember that we are already perfect as we are. We do not need to change to be worthy or valuable.  

However, whilst we do not need to change, new year is a time that many of us feel inspired to build on our strengths, enhance our health and learn something new. James Clear, author of the best-selling book Atomic Habits (2018), offers a gentle philosophical and sustainable way of making changes whilst honouring who we are today.  

Practicing self-acceptance  

Self-acceptance is good practice, but focusing on growth does not mean that we are broken or need to be fixed. Self-improvement is about building on the foundation of the amazing person we already are. By aiming for just 1% improvement every day, we can make simple, achievable steps towards goals that will complement our existing strengths.  

Introducing the 1% improvement concept 

The 1% improvement concept was applied to British Cycling in 2002 by Sir Dave Brailsford (Harrell, 2015). Brailsford was fascinated with the Japanese process-improvement technique Kaizen which translates as ‘change for better.’ This process calls for small and continuous improvements, which requires self-discipline and commitment (Imai, 2024). 

James Clear uses this 1% improvement technique to reinforce habits. He uses three simple rules to create change. The first is make it easy, by building habits that fit around our existing lifestyle rather than the other way around. The second is make it obvious, by creating visual cues that remind us of what we need to do. Thirdly, make it satisfying, celebrating the small wins helps to keep us motivated. In practice, this could include adding an extra five minutes to double check assignments, leaving a copy of assignment guidelines or marking criteria pinned up in front of our desk, and listening to our favourite background music whilst working.  

How to apply the technique 

Applying these techniques to different areas of our life is easy. Rather than focusing on our health by following restrictive diets or extreme workouts, we could stretch for 2 minutes in between meetings, or swap one sugary drink for water. We could spend just 5 minutes a day learning a new skill, language, or hobby. We could strengthen our relationships through small acts of kindness, sending a thoughtful message, or practising reflective listening.  

Practical tools  

There are several practical tools to use to begin your 1% journey. Download a habit tracker such as DailyHabits (2024) or log your habits in a journal. Use James Clears habit stacking technique by adding a habit to an existing routine, for example standing on one leg whilst brushing your teeth, to aid your balance and strength (Mosley, 2021). Sandwich tasks, something you enjoy, your new habit, followed by something else you enjoy. Celebrate tiny milestones rather than focusing on the end goal, it is all about the process.  

Call to action 

So, although it is important to celebrate just who are, we can all add the 1% technique to different areas of life quite easily, to enhance the areas that matter most to us. Embrace the journey rather than focus on the end goal, and make sure that every tiny step is celebrated. We challenge you to choose one area of your life you would like to nurture and make one tiny step towards a 1% improvement. If 1% each day does not feel like a lot, remember over the course of one year that is a significant improvement – what have we got to lose?  

(593 words)  

References

BBC (2021) ‘Why you should stand on one leg’, Just One Thing – with Michael Mosley. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/35QytBYmkXJ4JnDYl9zYngb/why-you-should-stand-on-one-leg (Accessed: 22 December 2024). 

Clear, J. (2018) Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. London: Cornerstone. 

DailyHabits (2024) ‘DailyHabits: Simple Online Habit Tracker App & Website’. Available at: https://www.dailyhabits.xyz/ (Accessed: 22 December 2024). 

Harrell, E. (2015) ‘How 1% Performance Improvements Led to Olympic Gold’, Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2015/10/how-1-performance-improvements-led-to-olympic-gold (Accessed: 22 December 2024). 

Kaizen Institute (2024) ‘What is KAIZEN™ | Meaning of Kaizen’. Available at: https://kaizen.com/what-is-kaizen/ (Accessed: 22 December 2024). 

Please leave a reply below to let us know your successes and challenges with embracing or suggesting new habits in your practice. 

It’s that time of year again! The weather is wet and windy, and social media is awash with seasonal advertisements, urging us to purchase the perfect gift and embrace the spirit of Christmas. Whether or not we celebrate Christmas, this time of year presents specific challenges.

For many of us, it’s not such a jolly time, and winter significantly impacts our daily lives. This is especially true for online learning students. In this week’s blog post, we will explore the unique challenges that this season presents and how it can exacerbate the barriers students face in progressing their studies. We will also consider the meaningful support that tutors can provide during this time.

There are many factors that influence student participation in online learning. Previous studies have noted the importance of access to sufficient resources, support, learner motivation and technical skills amongst others (Muilenburg and Berge, 2005; Bastos et al, 2022).  It therefore becomes particularly challenging when the winter period affects students in other ways. In some cases, factors might exacerbate the issues impacting on participation in online learning or, at the very least, adding another layer of complexity to existing issues.

Financial Pressure and Access to Resources

Many of us will acknowledge that this time of year can bring extra financial pressure. This is also true for online students who may be balancing studies with other demanding areas of life, like caregiving and work. At the very least increased financial stress can reduce student focus and engagement with academic tasks.  Financial stress can also impact on access to resources for online learning students – following the pandemic, the concept of Digital Poverty became an increasing concern within the HE sector and the UK as a whole. For educational establishments this was a direct result of the necessary adaptation of online learning. It should also be noted that many students who choose to learn flexibly (by engaging in online study) already suffer financial inequity (Jones et al, 2023). The Office for Students (OfS, 2020) defines digital poverty as the lack of one of a list of essential digital resources, including suitable hardware/software, reliable internet access, technical support or an appropriate study space. Taking the example of reliable internet access, it is known that, nationally, there is a surge in internet usage during the winter period, mainly around Christmas time (Acres, 2023) – this can be impacted within the home by the presence of extra visitors, events such as the end of school/university term and severe weather.  Appropriate study space can similarly become an issue due to changes in our home lives over the winter period.

The cost of living crisis is reported to be accelerating the impact of digital exclusion (NPC, 2024).  Financial issues often arise within the winter months and these issues can significantly impact digital inclusion – online students may have to make choices around affordability of devices and reliable internet access.

Emotional and Mental Health

Concerns about finances are a primary source of stress and anxiety as reported by the Mental Health Foundation (2022) so financial concerns occurring during wintertime can be important factors contributing to poor mental health. Recent analysis by TASO (2023) suggests that between 2016/17 and 2022/23, the percentage of undergraduate students who reported mental health difficulties increased from 6% to 16%. The current Cost-of-Living crisis adds to this challenge. Winter brings shorter days and colder temperatures.  According to NHS inform, “the winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD)”, affects around 2 million people in the UK. Symptoms that impact on studying online might include low mood, lack of sleep and lack of concentration. Additionally, SAD can exacerbate existing mental health problems (Mind, 2022).

Christmas also brings extra stresses for online students who may have wider responsibilities than traditional ‘brick’ university students. It would be quite easy to feel overwhelmed by a deadly cocktail of the demands of online studying, festive expectations and familial tensions.

Distractions and Motivations

We all know the festive season can be a distraction, with social obligations and holiday preparations taking up valuable study time for students. The Christmas season may bring added pressure to participate in family events or social gatherings, which can then reduce time for rest and self-care. Motivation levels are affected by the lack of daylight, in turn affecting mood and energy levels, making it harder to stay focused on coursework. The winter period can coincide with decreased engagement in online studies. Gillett-Swann (2017) reported that participation within flexible online spaces for learning ‘decreased significantly’ from week three of a learning programme, moving toward no interaction by week five.  Consider, for example, the Open University’s most popular module start date which occurs at the beginning of October. Arriving at the fifth week of studies would land our online students right at the beginning of the winter period. What affect might this timing have on engagement with online studies?

Tutor Support

It may seem that the factors analysed above may best be addressed at an institutional or wider level, but there are still impacts that academic tutors can make to the online learning student experience to maintain academic momentum and wellbeing. Suggested interventions might include:

• Checking in on students known to have existing issues that may be exacerbated by the season.
• Reviewing online student activity and any other available analytical data to determine those who might be at risk regarding engagement with their studies.
• Communicating important deadlines, learning events and contact times further in advance. This will give students additional flexibility to plan their online studies around seasonal pressures and anticipated problems.
• Providing targeted communication in your ‘out of office’ auto-replies to include signposting to sources of pastoral support and direct links to important resources.

References

Acres, T. (2023) As UK braces for new internet traffic record, here are some tips to help your broadband at Xmas. Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/as-uk-braces-for-new-internet-traffic-record-here-are-some-tips-to-help-your-broadband-at-xmas-13028049. (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

Bastos, R. A. et al. (2021) ‘Solutions, enablers and barriers to online learning in clinical medical education during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review’, Medical Teacher, 44(2), pp. 187–195. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2021.1973979.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017) ‘The challenges of online learning: Supporting and engaging the isolated learner,’ Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), p. 20. https://doi.org/10.5204/jld.v9i3.293.

Jones, G. et al. (2023) We must not Dodge Financial Equity for Flexible Learning, Wonkhe. Available at: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/we-must-not-dodge-financial-equity-for-flexible-learning (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

Mental Health Foundation (2022) Stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances widespread across UK Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/about-us/news/stress-anxiety-and-hopelessness-over-personal-finances-widespread-across-uk (Accessed: 13 December 2024)

Mind (2022) What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/about-sad/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0–6BhCBARIsADYqyL_RDype6LTEUc3D8HPpNNgIrwSu1Luvrek6Gz-Ep0rqNlQeNWp1qJoaAnOZEALw_wcB (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

Muilenburg, L. Y. and Berge, Z. L. (2005) ‘Student barriers to online learning: A factor analytic study’, Distance Education, 26(1), pp. 29–48. doi: 10.1080/01587910500081269.

NHS Inform (2024) Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) | NHS Inform. https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/mental-wellbeing/low-mood-and-depression/beating-the-winter-blues (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

NPC – New Philanthropy Capital (2024) Digital and financial exclusion in the UK: what’s driving it? Available at: https://www.thinknpc.org/blog/digital-and-financial-exclusion-in-the-uk-whats-driving-it-and-how-can-we-turn-the-tide/. (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

Office for Students (2020) ‘Digital Poverty’ risks leaving students behind, Office for Students. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/press-and-media/digital-poverty-risks-leaving-students-behind/ (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

TASO (2023) Student mental health problems have almost tripled, study finds. Available at: https://taso.org.uk/news-blog/student-mental-health-problems-have-almost-tripled-study-finds/ (Accessed: 13 December 2024).

How do you support your online learning students over this time of year? Share your experiences and tips with colleagues by leaving a reply below.

This week’s blog post will consider Assessment Feedback through the lens of students who study at supported distance learning institutions – like the Open University. We will consider innovations in Assessment Feedback and consider where tutors (and other members of staff concerned with Learning and Teaching) may find relevant and timely scholarship to start their own investigations into rapidly emerging subject matter such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

My OU Student Feedback Experience 

My hand hovered over the mouse, hesitant to click on the document and open the first piece of feedback from my OU tutor. When I finally managed to click the button and load the screen, relief washed over me – the mark wasn’t too bad. I did have to reacquaint myself with the OU’s unique marking system, but there were some encouraging words from my module tutor. 

Three words jumped out to me from the text: “you write well.” This was significant to me –  I had been so anxious about my ability to write. As a mature student, I hadn’t written in an academic style for a while, even though engaging with academic texts was necessary for my work role. I started my degree with the OU full of self-doubt and I questioned my abilities at every opportunity. 

Reflecting on my years of pursuing an open degree with the OU, I realise that carefully crafted assessment feedback, with snippets of encouragement weaved through out, greatly impacted my engagement with my course. It’s easy to let your studies fall by the wayside when you’re in doubt and insecurity about your studies – add to that – juggling work, caregiving, and other responsibilities that mature students often face – let’s just say I was on the brink of withdrawing many times. I don’t know for sure if those words kept me on the course, but they certainly helped keep me going. 

My assessment feedback experience with the OU was shaped by interactions with my tutors and these experiences were always positive and affirming. They reassured me of my right to undertake study at degree level, dispelled my angst and helped me to leap those tumultuous barriers to effective study and progression. 

The Importance of Assessment Feedback for Supported Distance Learning Students 

It could be argued that assessment feedback is of increased importance to supported distance learning students. There are obvious benefits of feedback such as enhancing learning and understanding of module content , but feedback also provides a connection point between students and their tutors. Well-crafted feedback can encourage and motivate students, it can facilitate reflective skills, and develop independent study skills.  All these skills are essential for successful distance learning. 

The benefits of constructive feedback for supported distance learning students can be abstract and not easily defined or measured. Academic staff, and others involved with learning and teaching, have the opportunity to evaluate and contribute to this matter via scholarly investigation through dedicated faculty centres.  Internal OU members of staff can visit the internal pages of our Scholarship Exchange centre. The enablement of  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) within the institution allows for continuous inquiry into the most pertinent questions of educational practice, enabling a broad range of issues to be addressed. At the time of writing, there are a multitude of projects in progress looking at innovative and enhancement methods for assessment feedback.  These projects span areas such as: the integration of video screencasts, personal and empathetic dialogue, automated feedback, feedback co-design and other various innovative approaches. It will come as no surprise then that Artificial Intelligence (AI), and it’s integration in education practice, is appearing as a subject of investigation with the SOTL space. 

Innovative Enhancements to Assessment Feedback 

Naturally, the scholarly exploration of AI within Higher Education’s teaching and learning practice has evolved to consider AI’s potential to enhance the assessment feedback process for learners.  Where might one start their own scholarly exploration? We highly recommend beginning any current scholarly activity within your own institution and surveying emerging and established research and scholarship projects. 

For diverse and timely perspectives  – blog posts and articles can also provide valuable resources for practitioners and are useful for providing direction to further resources. Here is a small sample of varying relevance to the topic in question:

• The future of assessment: embracing AI and EdTech – Jisc 
• https://wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/a-year-on-with-generation-ai/ 
• Analyzing an Artificial Intelligence-Supported Assessment and Student Feedback  – Center for Engaged Learning 
• https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/potential-artificial-intelligence-assessment-feedback 

As with all technological advancements in education, we should be critical and aware of emerging issues i.e. ethical implications and impacts on the democratisation of education. These considerations are essential concerns as we integrate new technologies into our learning environments. Taking the advice of this blog post (of looking inward towards our own institutions’ research and scholarship) I can ascertain the OU’s Emeritus Professor of Educational Technology – Mike Sharples, has written and contributed extensively on this area, see for example the journal contribution below –  hot off the press! The Manifesto for Teaching and Learning in a Time of Generative AI: A Critical Collective Stance to Better Navigate the Future | Open Praxis

Higher Education Conferences are important platforms for timely knowledge dissemination and opportunities for professional development. Conferences provide insight into the latest advances in both disciplinary and SOTL areas. The recent Staff Educational Developers Association (SEDA) conference being one such example. Most relevant to this blog post was a short ‘provocation’ talk “In Search of responsible Generative AI” presented by Sue Beckingham (Sheffield Hallam) and Peter Hartley (Edge Hill).  Top tip – the abstract linked provides useful references to literature! Examples of topics discussed were ‘increasing advocacy’ (to uncritically embrace AI), ‘unethical practices’, and ‘environmental impact’. As a beginner to the subject, I was left eager to find out more.   

Whilst HE sector conferences do have an essential purpose, our institutions also have a civic duty. This duty extends beyond our inward-looking endeavours to the dissemination of new knowledge to a broader audience through public engagement. The OU, for example, has a long history of critically examining innovations in technology and education. Below are two examples that highlight this commitment: 

• https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/news/around-ou/university-news/the-open-university-and-department-for-education-launch-3m-ai-initiative-to-improve-educational-tools/ 
• https://kmi.open.ac.uk/news/article/26697 

Making time to attend internal conferences, sector (and beyond) conferences and knowledge dissemination events can be a good vehicle to get you started on the scholarly road. OU internal staff may be particularly interested in the internal conference below.

Forging the way forward: AI in LTA at the OU 

Wednesday 11 December, Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm via Microsoft Teams. Sign up via: My Learning Centre. 

Share Your Practice? 

Starting scholarly investigations in rapidly emerging areas such as AI can be an immensely arduous task – you might feel like you will never get off the starting block! We hope that we have given you a few pointers to start your journey. For those of you who are more established in scholarship, we’d like to encourage a conversation about how you attempt the endeavours.  Please comment by leaving a reply to let us know your thoughts.