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Perceptions, Expectations and Experience of Group Tuition: towards a shared understanding amongst stakeholders

  • Project leader(s): Ann WalsheAnne-Marie Gallen
  • Theme: Supporting students
  • Faculty: STEM
  • Status: Archived
  • Dates: March 2015 to July 2017

Highly Commended at the 1st eSTEeM Scholarship Projects of the Year Awards 2018 under the category – Enhancing the Student Experience.

Winner of the 1st Best Poster Competition at the 5th eSTEeM Annual Conference, 14-15 April 2016.

This project was concerned with supporting the Open University Group Tuition Strategy by identifying and developing a common understanding across various stakeholders of good (group) tuition practice in the Open University. The intended impact of the project was to ensure students will receive effective student-centred tuition due to an increased shared understanding of the purpose of group tuition.  As educators, our aim is to improve the student learning experience within The Open University and beyond.

Alongside a literature review, we ran workshops within and outside the OU to help develop appropriate questions to use in semi-structured interviews. The small project team then interviewed a group of self-selecting OU STEM Associate Lecturers (ALs). These ALs cascaded the interview process to a small group of further ALs, building up a group of 20 interviewees. All interviews were then transcribed and the common themes were drawn out from the transcripts, using thematic analysis. A number of themes emerged.

There is actually little published literature about the purposes of group tuition. Perceptions are formed through individuals’ experience of tuition. We have found that ALs have a wealth of expertise so within the OU, we should look to ALs for an understanding of the purposes of tuition in groups.

Please also view phase two of this project Perceptions, Expectations and Experience of Group Tuition: towards a shared understanding amongst stakeholders (part II: the student perspective).

Related Resources: 
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PDF icon Ann Walshe and Anne-Marie Gallen, Perceptions. eSTEeM Final Report.pdf131.52 KB

eSTEeM final report.

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PDF icon Ann Walshe and Anne-Marie Gallen. Appendix A, AL questionnaire.pdf68.81 KB

Appendix A - AL questionnaire.

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File PerceptionsOfTuitionImplicationsForModuleTuitionStrategies.pptx1.13 MB

Project presentation.

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File Esteem conference 2016_WalsheGallenCampbellJones.pptx1.54 MB

Project presentation.

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PDF icon Walshe, Campbell, Gallen and Jones poster.pdf205.04 KB

Project poster.