Digital education includes online, blended and technology-enhanced learning. All these approaches to teaching, learning and assessment can improve access to quality education. However, if used unwisely they can perpetuate inequity and injustice. This module supports you in developing research and scholarship skills to evaluate the effectiveness of online, blended and technology-enhanced teaching and assessment. This includes investigating how educational technologies can be employed to meet diverse learners’ needs and the extent to which open practices can support scholarship and research processes.
Block 1 offers an introduction to research and scholarship. You'll consider the relationship between the two and explore ways of generating ideas for research and scholarship projects, including conducting a literature review and writing research questions. You’ll explore the role of reflection in research and scholarship and investigate the ethical considerations involved when researching online teaching, technology-enhanced learning, and educational technology. The section ends by discussing the role of theory in scholarship and research and outlining some of the key theories that inform practice in digital education.
Block 2 covers the process of planning research and scholarship related to digital education. You’ll explore methodologies, approaches and data collection methods that are particularly appropriate to investigating online, blended and technology-enhanced teaching, learning and assessment. You’ll look at the ways in which digital data can be used in a research study and consider the role of stakeholders in research and scholarship, and how collaboration with them can enhance the research process.
Block 3 focuses on broader considerations related to ethics and social justice. You'll consider how a theory of change approach can be the basis for researching the impact of digital education on learners and on society and exploring the influence of contextual factors. You'll look at transformative and democratic research and scholarship practices and consider the impact of the researcher on the research process and the significance of the power relations that are inevitably involved in educational research. You'll explore the challenges involved in researching across cultures and continents and investigate how the effectiveness of cutting-edge technologies and pedagogical innovation such as extended and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence-based systems, can best be evaluated.
Block 4 focuses on the ways in which research and scholarship data can be analysed and how study findings can be shared with the wider world to maximise their impact. You'll explore how to write formal research reports and how to use informal dissemination methods such as data visualisation and digital arts-based approaches. You’ll look at the role of conferences and collaboration in disseminating research findings. The section ends with an online conference in which you’ll be invited to participate and present your work.
In the final block, you'll carry out independent study as you prepare your final piece of assessed work, either a report on a small-scale scholarship investigation conducted during your study of this module, or an extended research proposal suitable as potential preparation for doctoral study and/or as the basis for bidding for research funding.
Research and scholarship in digital education (H890) is relevant to those working or interested in digital education across all educational sectors, including teachers, lecturers, tutors, managers, institution leaders, educational technologists and researchers. It provides suitable preparation for independent research or for doctoral studies.
The course is available for standalone study, or as a compulsory module in our MA in Online Teaching (F98).
Tuition on the module is conducted entirely online, in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. The online course materials will direct you to complete specified activities and share your responses with your peers for feedback.
Throughout your study, you’ll get help and support from your assigned tutor. They’ll help you by:
You will be supported by tutors in cohort-wide in-line forum discussions and in sector/subject-specific forums. Tutors will also support students in cohort-wide synchronous online group tutorials, with each tutorial held at least twice to accommodate students’ needs and preferences (including different time zones). You will also be encouraged to support each other in student-led online room sessions.
Tutors will also be allocated time to provide extended one-to-one support, focused on the choice of option for the end-of-module assessment (EMA), the focus of the assessed work, and the development of the extended research plan/small-scale study plan.
Course work includes:
Your final dissertation will be a choice of a report on a small-scale scholarship investigation, or an extended research proposal.
You will access the module learning materials using the OU’s Moodle virtual learning environment (VLE), which includes:
MA in Online Teaching (F98)
If you are studying this module as part of the MA in Online Teaching (F98), you will also be invited to join a "wraparound" community of practice. This includes:
The community of practice and its events will be promoted to all students on related modules and microcredentials and is intended to bring students and microcredential learners together and to support their journey through the Masters in Online Teaching, while also integrating students into the wider academic community.
H890 is a compulsory module in our:
Research and scholarship in digital education (H890) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2032.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
To take this module you need to be ready for study at postgraduate level, usually demonstrated by having a bachelors degree or equivalent qualification. A non-standard entry route is possible on submission of two pieces of relevant work.
Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum overall score of 6 and minimum score of 5.5 in each of the four components: reading, writing, speaking and listening under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Please see the IELTS website for details.
If you would like to discuss whether your previous experience is suitable to study this module, please speak to an adviser.
The module materials are delivered entirely online and will be downloadable in multiple accessible formats. You will also be able to download forum posts and discussions from the VLE, allowing you to make adjustments that make the text more readable.
Adobe Connect will be used to host the online synchronous sessions which provides the facility to use the chat area to communicate, though you may find it beneficial to have someone assisting you.
Where podcasts and other media, including YouTube videos, are used, transcriptions, close captions and audio descriptions will be provided. Long descriptions will also be provided for all images used.
The online conference that is a feature of the module is intended to give all students the opportunity to showcase their work to a wide global audience in a format suitable for them. Possible formats include live presentations, posters, animations, videos and pre-recorded presentations.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
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| 03 Oct 2026 | 30 Jun 2027 | 17 Sep 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information on the 25th of March. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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