FASSTEST

FASS Centre for Scholarship and Innovation logo

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.

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills

Project leader(s):  Sue Nieland Ian McGarry Amita Sen-Gupta

In the age of digital information and high levels of technology in academic life, critical thinking skills are not just considered as an element of academic literacy; they have been interpreted in terms of the ability to use Microsoft Office and reference managing software effectively when underg

Challenges of Distance Teaching Masters in International Relations

Project leader(s):  William Brown

In the age of digital information and high levels of technology in academic life, critical thinking skills are not just considered as an element of academic literacy; they have been interpreted in terms of the ability to use Microsoft Office and reference managing software effectively when underg

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.

Communication Strategies and the Tutor-Student Relationship

Project leader(s):  Wendy Humphreys Vicky Johnson

One of the findings of our completed project, The Quality of Tutor-Student Early contact in Post Level 1 Modules, was the extreme variation in both the interpretation and practice of tutors, in terms of early communication within a module.

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.

An Examination of Motivation and Engagement of Students Studying at Different Intensities

Project leader(s):  Cathy Schofield Alison Gisby

With respect to contributions to the larger body of literature, motivation has been an important area of educational research for many years, but with more online courses being offered there has also been a move in focus towards engagement with the course in a way that was not so necessary

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.

Arts-based Collaborative Digital Eco-Pedagogies for Teaching about the Climate Crisis and Intersecting Global Challenges in Higher and Distance Education

Project leader(s):  Maria Nita Yoseph Araya

The project aims to start a cross-faculty conversation about the current use of novel reflective, digital, public engagement and teaching methodologies in Higher and distance education (Cooke, Araya, Bacon, et al. 2021; Walsh and Powell, 2019).

Flexible Study Intensity in Arts and Humanities: Classical Studies and History

Project leader(s):  Elayne Chaplin Trevor Fear Anna Plassart Suzanne Forbes

The Open University provides opportunities for flexible study, with the majority of our students opting for part time engagement (studying only one module in each academic year and completing a degree in 5-6 years).