Equitable Outcomes Challenge Day - Session 22 (F2F)

Presented by: Janet Haresnape, Associate Lecturer and Heather Fraser, Staff Tutor, STEM.

Practical investigations are designed to help students develop practical, numerical and problem-solving skills and also important additional employability skills such as perseverance, creativity and resilience. Surveys of Open University Biology students identified that many students do not appreciate the employability skills developed during these investigations and hence would not be able to state attainment of these skills when applying for further study or employment. This session will outline the evolution of a series of workshops which were designed to support students in their realisation and articulation of employability skills and offered to OU students in the School of Life, Health and Chemical sciences at during summers of 2022, 2023 and 2024. The aims of the workshops were to enhance and enrich our students’ experience, help them to understand and appreciate the employability benefits of engaging with practical science investigations in their modules, recognise their employability skills they have developed and employment possibilities, and feel a sense of belonging to a scientific community. Scrutiny of feedback comments submitted by students who attended indicated that the workshops had been successful in helping students to appreciate and articulate their employability skills and had led to an increased sense of community among students. It also provided an opportunity to maintain engagement over the summer months when there is a break in module presentation for many students leaving them in danger of losing their study momentum.

Meeting room details will be confirmed w/c 18 November - please check the Challenge Day's intranet page here for event updates.

Host or Publisher The Open University