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. 

Marilyn Long is a guest contributor to the blog with her poem on struggling and surviving with autism. Marilyn is a third-year PhD student investigating equitable inclusion for autistic students in online higher education and working with students and staff at the OU. Her focus is on the autistic student experience of studying in an HE context that is directed toward the expectations and support needs of a majority neurotypical student base. She began researching the higher education challenges for autistic students following her own diagnosis in 2018. Marilyn is passionate about her role as an autistic researcher, and as an OU Accessibility Champion Advocate.

Nine Spoons

Nine spoons for my pocket to start off my day
one to meet, 2 to greet, 3 to keep my mask eyes meek.
An extra few for sudden change, keep threats at bay, fears allay.
Too many people too much sound smells and textures. Senses bound.

Three spoons down.

Starting out, just six spoons now.
Clutch them tight, for fight or flight,
misread cues that bring me down, misinterpret smile or frown,
truth or lie, or empty feeling. Much the same when all misleading.
Try speaking truth, fair and just, power’s yours, unquestioned trust.
You need no spoons, not now not then. Try understanding. Not now? But when?

What shall I do with my six spoons?
Quit while ahead – leave the room?
Avoiding shutdown, meltdown, burnout,
gaining nothing but more self-doubt.

This living together is a two-way stretch.
Not with adjustments so I fit in your space
to act so you’re comfortable though I’m out of place.
Not my fake take on the ways to appease
miming and mouthing so you feel at ease.
Spoon cache exhausted. I’ve nothing left.

Just one spoon now to forge a fresh quiver:
bright sky, tree shade, mountain and river;
bird call, bee thrum, sparkling sand, setting sun;
steely cloud, starless night, ice moon, moth flight;
crackling leaf, fire glow, icy twig, trackless snow;
water ripple, tunnel of trees,
birch leaves shimmer, soft evening breeze.

Nature’s own palette, kaleidoscope true,
infuses each mystical shade tint and hue,
nine spoons for my quiver cast midnight till morn,
nine spoons in my quiver at break of new dawn.

Marilyn Long

We offer a heartfelt thanks to Marilyn for sharing her poetry with us in ALSPD and allowing the poem to feature on this blog.  

We are delighted to publish a guest blog post today written by Natalie Baker President of the OU Students Association.

Neurodivergent Students and Manual of Me

Here at the OU Student’s Association, we are committed to ensuring that the student experience at the OU is an equitable one and as such we are running a campaign about how Neurodivergent students can be supported during their studies. This is something that is incredibly important to us as there are a number of misunderstandings that can impact a Neurodivergent students’ studies.

One of the biggest issues that Neurodivergent students can face is the validity of Self-Diagnosis many students will have no choice but to self-diagnose for several reasons particularly as access to diagnostic services within the NHS is currently very limited. As of March 2024, over 170,000 people were waiting for an Autism assessment (National Autism Association, 2024). This lack of formal diagnosis can be a barrier for many who need adjustments particularly when it comes to claiming DSA which can mean that many students face extra barriers when it comes to studying.

Neurodiversity by its very nature is something that is unique to the individual and it is often said that when you have met one Neurodivergent person you have only met one Neurodivergent person. There is no one size fits all solution to providing support as what may work for one Neurodivergent student will not work for another. Therefore, it is incredibly important that we are aware of the needs of individual students, however facilitating this across a large cohort can be challenging and students can often end up have the same conversation several times.

One of the ways in which this could be avoided is using a tool that has been created by Mel Green the E209 Module Co-Chair in the school of Early Childhood and Youth Studies (ECYS) in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS). This is called the Manual of Me and it is a live document in which students can detail their support needs and any other information that they feel it is important for their tutor to know about including things such as study goals, communication preferences, barriers to learning etc.

This document is designed to allow students to provide information in a manageable way so typically it should be 1 A4 page so should not require lots of reading time making it easy to refer to if needed. This is useful for students to identify their own needs, but it can also be a tool for collaboration particularly if as a tutor you notice something that the student may have missed that could help them moving forward. The great thing about this is that it is something that can be used by a range of students not just those who identify as Neurodivergent. It can be difficult for many students to advocate their needs particularly for those experiencing mental health difficulties, disabilities or have English as a second language.

We are hoping to share more information about the Manual and other work we are doing to help the OU support Neurodivergent students in the coming months.

Thoughts on the Manual of Me ?

If you have any thoughts or comments about this initiative, and how it might positively  support  Neurodivergent students  please do post a comment below.