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

120 results found

The use of peer assessment/review in distance teaching via the Moodle VLE

Peter Taylor

This project undertook an investigation of the use of peer assessment in distance teaching. After reviewing evidence from within and outside the institution a number of pilot studies were undertaken. The Workshop tool in the Moodle VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) was evaluated.

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ArguEd Argumentation Education

Paul Piwek

This project investigated the use of the argument mapping technique for helping Computing and Technology students with developing their argument analysis skills. The focus was on scaffolding of these skills through interactive computer-marked assessment.

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Transforming retention and progression in a new Level 1 course

Chris Dobbyn

This project was set up to evaluate the effectiveness of the models of assessment devised for the new Level 1 course, TU100: My Digital Life. Assessments and tutor guides based on novel models had been prepared by a small group of staff, including the investigators.

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Assessing 'alternative media' elements: is there a generic model?

Soraya Kouadri Mostéfaoui

Nowadays, new digital technologies provide educators with increasingly diverse opportunities for assessing students’ understanding through media other than conventional text – for example web pages, videos, posters, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts and graphics, all of which can be submitted el

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Evaluation of assessed collaborative wiki activity and comparison with similar collaborative online activities in other contexts

Janet Haresnape

This project centres around an online collaborative activity which was adapted from a face-to-face tutorial activity developed for students on S366 (Evolution).  In the activity, students each provided data, and suggestions about its interpretation, by contributing to a series of wiki pages.

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Developing practice in online synchronous tuition by peer observation, feedback and reflection

Mark Jones

An issue in adoption of online synchronous tutorials (such as OU Live) is that training and development tends to focus on technical usage rather than reflection on teaching practice.

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Thresholded assessment: does it work?

Sally Jordan

Many Science Faculty modules have moved from their previous summative continuous assessment to formative but thresholded continuous assessment. The aim of the project was to evaluate this Faculty-wide change in practice.

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SDK125 Student Intentions and Retention Study

Basiro Davey

SDK125 (Introducing health sciences) registrations have increased from <400 students in 2007 to a combined total of >2,000 in dual presentations in 2012/13, but in the last two years, retention has inexplicably fallen from previous sustained levels around the Science average rate.

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An investigation into the use of Artificial Neural Networks to predict student failure, and the efficacy of sustainable additional support for those students

John Woodthorpe

The project analysed Virtual Learning Enviornment (VLE) data with Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), in order to identify patterns of behaviour that correlate with the likelihood of a student failing the End of Module Assessment (EMA).

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How students’ use of language relates to learning, retention and performance in assessment on TU100

John Woodthorpe Jim Donohue

This project built on previous work between MCT and WELS (formally FELS) on language use and student attainment at level 1, including in the production of TU100.

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