Students as Partners in Scholarship

A key part of our work is the active involvement of students within scholarship, not only as research participants, but as members of project teams and in a consultative capacity for the centre. Most of our projects benefit significantly from very close involvement with students and we are always interested in linking up project teams with students who can bring their experience as learners to the project design and execution.

To achieve this aim, we have developed a framework for engaging OU students as collaborators in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Engaging students in scholarship offers opportunities for student insights and expertise to inform teaching and learning. The diversity of OU students requires a tailored approach that considers each student’s circumstances as well as the research objectives of each project. Therefore, this framework provides a collection of activities, procedures and guidance, which can be applied and adapted as required. To read more, please see the Students as Partners in Scholarship Framework. The framework has been developed over the last four years with contributions from a range of staff and students engaged in supporting SoTL.

To recognise student involvement in eSTEeM projects, we have a digital badge. The 'Student Partner in Educational Research' digital badge is available to students who accumulate 8 hours or more of working on eSTEeM projects. 

Student Reference Panel

The eSTEeM Student Reference Panel was launched in April 2019 to provide a broader basis for consultation and discussion on matters of STEM scholarship whilst ensuring student views on scholarship priorities for the faculty are fully represented. The panel comprises of the eSTEeM Management Team and STEM Undergraduate/Postgraduate students spread across each of the STEM Schools. Please see the role description for further details. 

Student testimonials 

Watch these short videos by two members of the eSTEeM Student Reference Panel, Cindy Darbandi and Emilie Smith, which highlight a key aspect/benefit of engaging students in scholarship. The videos were recorded for the 12th eSTEeM Annual Conference held on the 19-20 April 2023.

Get involved

If you are an OU student and would like to register your interest in being involved with an eSTEeM project, please complete our Student Scholarship Panel Form and return it to esteem@open.ac.uk. We will keep your details on file and be back in touch when a suitable opportunity arises. Please note that there may be a significant waiting time between completing the register and opportunities arising as this will be dependent on the needs of the project teams. You must be currently studying or have completed studies on any qualification at undergraduate level 2 or 3 in the last 12 months.

Please also feel free to visit our student facing website eSTEeM & Co which is a place for anyone interested in STEM scholarship to connect and collaborate. You will need to sign in using your OU credentials to access the site.

eSTEeM & Co Interactive Newsletter

The eSTEeM & Co Interactive Newsletter is produced annually and aims to better communicate the work of eSTEeM whilst actively involving more students in our work in order to enhance the teaching and learning experience for our students. Please click the links below to read more.

Please note: due to a technical issue unfortunately, there is no Edition 2. 

eSTEeM & Co Newsletter: Edition 1 November 2020

eSTEeM & Co Newsletter: Edition 3 November 2022

eSTEeM & Co Newsletter: Edition 4 February 2024