eSTEeM Seminar Series: Scholarship Showcase - April 2022

Location: Via Microsoft Teams
Contact

eSTEeM continues its seminar series with presentations from project teams who have recently completed their eSTEeM projects.

Blended tutorials in Mathematics: simultaneous face-to-face and online learning events

Andrew Potter and Colin Blundell

As we emerge from the pandemic, blended/hybrid synchronous learning has attracted a lot of attention as a means of enabling the advantages of both face-to-face and online teaching and learning. We piloted ‘blended tutorials’ on M337, a Level 3 pure mathematics module, in the 19J presentation. Via student interviews, reflective journals, and lesson observations, we present the results of our evaluation, including tips for practitioners who are considering moving to blended/hybrid tutorials on their own modules.

Are virtual visits an effective way of engaging learners?

David Conway and Chris Gardner

Mature students often choose distance learning due to its potential to fit around life priorities (Butcher 2015. Rasheed 2020). However, personal circumstances such as geographical location, disability and time poverty can prevent distance learners from participating in extra-curricular activities such as field trips (Roosmaa and Saar 2016). Inability to participate may negatively impact student experience and student outcomes (Butcher 2015; Baxter 2019). Advances in technology mean it is now possible to deliver live virtual visits which produce many of the same benefits as face-to-face visits. Despite this, the use of live virtual visits has rarely been fully exploited.

The aim of this project was to investigate if a live virtual visit to Bletchley Park Museum using onscreen widgets to interact with the online audience is an effective way of engaging Open University distance learners studying Computing and IT. Level 2 students were invited to participate and a mixed methods approach was used. This involved use of data held by the Open University, a participant survey which included use of a Likert scale and free text responses and a reflective account composed by the project authors.

101 students participated in the virtual visit. Results found that 42% of students were identified as being in the lowest 50% of the index of multiple deprivation quantiles. Participant survey results found that 54% would find it difficult to visit in person, yet 100% now wish to visit the museum. Results indicate that virtual visits may be an effective way of engaging learners, widening participation, promoting museums and diversifying workplaces.

During this presentation the project leads will describe the project in more detail, discuss its findings, share reflections and talk about future research directions.

The seminar is open to OU staff. To register please visit the registration page by Monday 18^th April to book your place.