Projects

eSTEeM is providing a mechanism for professional development through practice-based scholarship within a mentored community. Much of our work is organised on a project basis with project management aimed at the delivery of new educational outcomes and scholarship outputs. 

eSTEeM supports a rolling portfolio of approx. 80 active scholarship projects under a number of themes which include:

  • Access, Participation and Success
  • Innovative assessment
  • Online/onscreen STEM practice
  • Supporting students
  • Technologies for STEM learning

To learn more about our projects, please click on the project titles or use the search feature below by entering keywords. To search by the name of a project leader, please use the 'Filter by Project Leader' tab on the right-hand side of this page.

Search results

256 results found

Exploring student’s self-efficacy in response to modular events during introductory level science modules

Sam Johnson

Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief that they can successfully complete a particular task. Self-efficacy has been shown to be strongly predictive of performance and retention. Current studies are largely cross-sectional and do not explore how self-efficacy changes throughout a module.

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Postcode Inequity: Closing the Awarding Gap for Stage 1 STEM Students residing in our most deprived UK postcodes

Louise MacBrayne Jennie Bellamy

Winner of the 10th Best Poster Competition at the 14th eSTEeM Annual Conference, 30th April – 1st May 2025.

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SiSE Mathematics Research Experience

James Tuite Dan Rust

This project is a pilot scheme and feasibility study for research projects with SiSE students similar to previous OU bursary schemes. The circumstances of SiSE students and difficulty of communication means that such students are discouraged from applying to such initiatives.

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The AI Design Ed project

AnnMarie McKenna Catherine Scott

The aim of the project is to explore student views and identify appropriate and accessible applications for generative image AI tools for co-ideation in design education.

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Perceptions and Experiences of STEM Academic Promotion (Professorial): Case study from the Open University, UK

Diane Butler Soraya Kouadri Mostéfaoui Jimena Gorfinkiel Mark McJury

The study adopts a qualitative approach to determine academics’ experiences and perceptions of the Professorial Promotions process (PB1 only) within the Faculty of STEM, Open University.

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Identifying and supporting skills development needs for undergraduate science students transitioning between stages 1, 2 and 3 in Environmental Science

Fiona Aiken Iris Verhagen Chris Hutton

With ever increasing focus on the need to support progression in our diverse student body, we are seeking to identify the most important skills gaps that present challenges to students on environmental and Earth science modules in EEES as they move from stage 1 to stage 2 and from stage 2 to stag

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Facilitating and evaluating the use of virtual reality tutorials within the school of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences

Lucy Anderson Janette Wallace Sarah Daniell Trevor Collins

This proposal seeks to improve student engagement and skills development (specifically, collaboration and communication skills) through the introduction and evaluation of web-based virtual reality (VR) tutorials within the School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences (LHCS).

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Do students benefit from having continuity in their module tutors between level 1 and level 2 on Q71, Health Sciences?

Sarah Daniell Fiona Moorman Katie Acutt

Students currently have little continuity of contact with their allocated tutors on the different modules throughout their qualification. Currently student retention on Q71 Health Sciences is concerning.

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Exploring life competences and green skills for 21st century designers

Emma Dewberry Vera Hale

This project aligns with current developments in the Open University to explore the relationship between Sustainability goals, curriculum design and opportunities for progressing employability outcomes.

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Investigating the value of online ‘quiet’ tutorials for Level 1 Interdisciplinary Environment students

Alice Fraser-McDonald Maria Townsend

Autistic and neurodivergent students, as well as others with declared mental health issues, may find attending live online tutorials challenging (Hunter, no date).

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