eSTEeM Seminar Series: Scholarship Showcase - September 2026

Progression from distance learning to postgraduate research: motivations and barriers

Alice Fraser-McDonald

In parts of the Higher Education sector, there is often a well-established pathway for students to progress from taught courses to postgraduate research (PGR) within the same institution. However, at The Open University (OU), it was widely perceived that relatively few STEM PGR students follow this pathway. We investigated the progression of OU STEM students from taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses to PGR at the University. This presentation will highlight key findings on progression rates, student motivations and barriers to progression along this pathway. It will also summarise the project’s recommendations and potential strategies for supporting greater progression to PGR among OU students.

Community of learners: Evaluating students’ experience of tuition in S217 

Adam Freeman and Anne-Katrin Klehe

A sense of belonging is known to be one of the most significant factors in student success and retention. To further explore its relevance in our modules, we decided to ask the students for a deeper understanding of their experiences and opinions of tuition on S217. We invited students to take part in a survey and focus groups, during the penultimate presentation of S217. We were particularly interested in their attitudes and experiences of tutorials, forums, and a sense of belonging.

There was a clear message: students found there are insufficient opportunities to make connections with peers. Some students are happy studying independently, but a greater proportion said a sense of belonging was important for their studies. Students did not mean social interaction for its own sake, but articulated that they strongly valued being part of a community of learners.

Some salient findings of this project were useful in making some recommendations for the final presentation of S217 that could be easily applied. The successor module S227 has established a structure that facilitates more tutor-student and student-student interactions; good practice, materials and ideas can be shared between ALs to make the best use of these opportunities for students to feel part of a community of learners.

Registration

This event is open to OU staff, please visit the registration form to register.