OUBS academic to present at OU’s Covid-19 research seminar

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OU-funded projects which have aimed to improve and support aspects of online learning and education during the pandemic are being showcased on Thursday 27 May.

The OU COVID-19 Research: Online Learning and Education free online seminar (10:15 – 12:30) will highlight research projects led by academics and researchers, responding to the Research, Enterprise and Scholarship (RES) unit’s call to explore areas affected by Covid-19.

One of the projects being presented is from Dr Hilary Collins, Senior Lecturer in Corporate Programmes in Executive Education, on the ‘Impact of COVID-19 on CPD requirements for organisational development in the UK’. This involved in-depth online workshops with mid and senior management across industry sectors affected by Covid-19, notably hospitality and retail, leading to the co-creation of training solutions with company professionals. It helped inform the content and online pedagogy of a new microcredential in organisational development.

The seminar will also feature a panel discussion and Q&A with high-profile researchers from across the higher education sector, chaired by Prof Denise Whitelock who is Director of the OU’s Institute of Educational Technology (IET). The panel members are Prof John Domingue from KMi at The Open University; Prof Allison Littlejohn (University College London); Prof Mpine Makoe (UNISA, South Africa); and Prof Albert Sangrà Morer (Open University of Catalonia Barcelona, Spain).

Covid-19 has raised unprecedented challenges for learning and education globally. This online shift has been difficult for institutions with face-to-face tuition. However, it has accelerated an appetite for Technology Enhanced Learning which can allow both learners and teachers to survive and thrive.
Prof Denise Whitelock, Director, OU’s Institute of Educational Technology (IET)