FASSTEST

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FASSTEST brings together colleagues from across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 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 outcomes. FASSTEST supports a rolling portfolio of approximately 40 active scholarship projects under a number of themes which include:

  • Online and blended tuition
  • Assessment
  • Employability/careers
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Mental health and wellbeing
  • Multisensory/multimodal learning

If you are interested in learning more about a particular project or connecting with a project team, please contact us at FASS-Scholarship@open.ac.uk. 

Projects

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34 results found

The Relaxed Tutorial Project

Project leader(s):  Trevor Fear Naoko Yamagata Cora Beth Fraser

‘Relaxed’ events are held across the Arts sector, primarily as a means of accommodating neurodiversity, but also as a way of suiting other specific needs.

Developing an Approach to Networked Audio for Distance Learning in Music Practice

Project leader(s):  Sean Williams Naomi Barker

This project examines the use of networked technologies for group music practice, within the context of a small group of 3-7 players.

Enhancing Student Retention, Progression and Attainment at Level 1 in Arts and Humanities by Increasing Student Recruitment to the Access Programme: An Investigation into Declining Student Numbers on Y031

Project leader(s):  David Grummitt

The purpose of the project is to carry out an investigation into reasons for declining student numbers on Y031 J and B presentations. While there was some fluctuation across presentations in the first five years of the module, the overall trend since 2018J has been a marked decline in studen

Tracking retention and building community in distance music study

Project leader(s):  Alexander Kolassa Lilian Simones

There are three objectives of this project (presented in order of priority):

Closing the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Enquirer and Recruitment Gap in FASS

Project leader(s):  Karen Hagan Lystra Hagley-Dickinson Pepta Joefield-Beeby Anna Clarke

The BAME Insight Factsheet produced by Marketing demonstrated that there is a BAME enquirer gap in the OU.

Exploring Students’ Experiences of Full Time and Flexible Study Intensity on English and Creative Writing Qualifications

Project leader(s):  Hannah Lavery Natalie Lewis Clare Spencer Derek Neale Liz Ford

There is data suggesting that a significant success rate gap exists between students studying on our English and Creative Writing undergraduate degrees at full-time and part-time intensity.

‘Work of the Week’ Activity in A226: Assessing its Application as a Teaching Tool

Project leader(s):  Angeliki Lymberopoulou

The ‘Work of the Week’ activity is based on a selection of a single work per week from the module materials of the second level art history module Exploring Art and Visual Culture (A226).

The Next Chapter: Understanding the Career Aspirations of Students on the MA in Creative Writing, and Developing Teaching and Assessment to Support Them

Project leader(s):  Heather Richardson Ed Hogan Claire Blanchard Lindsey Smith

Creative Writing MAs in traditional bricks and mortar universities such as University of East Anglia and Lancaster are highly selective in their intake and attract students who intend to pursue literary writing as a career.

Better Understanding Study Motivation and Module Choice

Project leader(s):  Suzanne Forbes Elayne Chaplin Sara Wolfson

This project is concerned with identifying the reasons for falling new student registrations on a second-year History module with a view to supporting module teams in developing effective interventions.

Diversifying End of Module Assessment Project Options on a Level 3 Classical Studies Module – A Pilot Study to Evaluate Pedagogic Strategies and Assess Benefits and Challenges

Project leader(s):  Astrid Voigt

This pilot is related to the production of a new module on Greek and Roman myth which places a dual emphasis on developing students’ skills for independent academic research and communicating to non-specialist audiences.