Appendix 1 Topics for Research
Academic reading: student experience of using Spritz
'Spritz' is a new piece of software for e-reader apps that claims to increase reading speeds up to
a 1,000 words per minute (http://www.spritzinc.com). Spritz presents words at their Optimal
Recognition Point on screen, by doing so the eye needs to make fewer adjustments helping
readers get their content faster, with less effort, across any device or screen size. Students often
face significant time pressures, combining study with full time employment and childcare. As such,
this new e-reader technology could be a useful tool to save time. The proposed PhD would inform
the decision as to whether distance-learning institutions should be adopting this technology for its
students. Does increasing the speed of reading compromise the comprehension of the text? How
does Spritz delivery of course material compare with traditional text delivery? What is the student
experience of using Spritz to study academic material where there might be a greater need for
critical reflection?
For further information prior to application contact: paul.ibbotson@open.ac.uk
Accessibility
Online learning provides opportunities for people to overcome barriers that would otherwise thwart
their ability to learn, and to enhance their lives. However, social, organisational, and technical
complexities abound, and those with access challenges still face inequitable difficulties and
additional work throughout their learning. This studentship would focus attention beyond simplistic
‘tick box’ approaches to accessibility, and research the potential to design and evaluate new
approaches with regard to:



Conceptualising and implementing more equitable and inclusive experiences of online
learning throughout a learning pathway, including critical exploration of the application of
current models and concepts such as universal or inclusive design, and social models of
disability.
Open innovation processes and platforms that support new forms of dialogue across
stakeholders (learners, educators, technologists and more), to identify accessibility
challenges grounded in learner’s lives, and devise creative solutions to these.
The particular challenges to accessibility and inclusion that are found in learning with open
educational resources and MOOCs.
For further information prior to application contact: patrick.mcandrew@open.ac.uk
Assessment
The search for ways of generating and delivering effective feedback has been a strong theme
throughout the history of technology enhanced learning. The provision of timely formative
assessment is one of the major challenges for higher education today, especially due to the rise
in demand for a) constructivist approaches to learning b) uses of e-learning and c) institutional
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accountability. This studentship will be investigating the assessment feedback cycle though a
number of potential projects which include:

Exploring Effect of Hints: The expectation in this research is that hints will be beneficial if
they support learning and help to set goals for the learner

Investigating the effect of feedback on self-regulation/metacognition: The results should
relate different kinds of feedback and presentations to measures of Self-Regulated
Learning/metacognition.

Peer Assessment: The new features in this work will be the investigation of a socio-emotive
strand to a peer feedback model
For further information prior to application contact: denise.whitelock@open.ac.uk
Developing geographical understanding through 3D immersive environments
This project will focus on the design of learning activities to facilitate students’ development of map
interpretation skills within avatar-based three-dimensional (3D) simulations of urban and rural
landscapes. Realistic 3D simulations will be used to support 'learning in context' by layering
geographical/geological data over the landscape models that users can interactively explore.
Potential studies could also investigate students’ understanding of the interconnections between
physical geography and human geography, for example, with regard to the impact of river erosion,
coastal flooding or deforestation. The potential user-groups and stakeholders that could inform
and adopt the findings of this research include: education providers within the geosciences, such
as schools and universities; commercial organisations involved in activities requiring spatial
decision-making, such as city planning; and relevant public groups, such as ramblers and tourists.
Depending on the successful applicant’s interests and background, the project could include the
technical development of 3D landscape models and simulations (e.g. using a platform such as
Unity), and/or evaluating how the affordances of 3D simulations (such as realism and authenticity
of spaces, sense of presence, sense of space and collaborative learning) foster spatial literacy and
map interpretation skills.
For further information prior to application contact: shailey.minocha@open.ac.uk
Digital narrative and museum learning
Cultural heritage artefacts can be effectively used as a learning resource both in formal and
informal learning contexts. Narratives can be used in both online and physical contexts to support
learning and teaching around cultural objects. Curators and museum educators use narratives to
create context and support interpretation of the artefact. Humanities research and learning is often
demonstrated through the construction of narratives. Digital narratives increasingly comprise a
broad range of media, deploy interactivity and include social elements such as sharing, liking and
commenting. The aim of this studentship is to study the application of museum storytelling within
an educational context and investigate how museum storytelling can be better supported by new
technologies such as online data sources, social platforms and mobile devices.
For further information prior to application contact: paul.mulholland@open.ac.uk
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Education and training for globally distributed virtual teams: preparing the workforce
for the future
The aim of this research project is to investigate whether/how virtual team-working, in modules
such as The Open University's M258, could adopt three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments
(along with supporting 2D environments such as forums or blogs) to facilitate the development of
employability skills such as building and managing virtual teams. The research will also involve
evaluating the role of 3D affordances such as a sense of co-presence and space, the authenticity
of 3D spaces and support for game-based learning in socialisation, which is an antecedent for
effective virtual collaboration. The outcomes of this project will inform educators about the design
of online collaborative activities that will enhance the student experience and student attainment
in STEM disciplines. It will enable organisations to better prepare employees to lead, collaborate
and commit to common goals in teams that work across geographical, national and cultural
boundaries.
For further information prior to application contact: david.morse@open.ac.uk
Embedding innovation in Technology Enhanced Learning
Embedding innovation in Technology Enhance Learning (TEL) involves moving beyond research
prototypes into developing and deploying scalable and sustainable applications that fit the resulting
context of use. Understanding the factors that influence the uptake, use and impact of TEL within
organisations requires an interdisciplinary approach. A studentship in this area would be
encouraged to explore these issues within specific learning contexts, and could build on existing
research frameworks for systemic technology innovations to develop further guidelines or
recommendations for the adoption of TEL. There would be opportunities for the successful
applicant to engage with development projects within the OU and through established
collaborations with other education providers. In particular our new OpenSTEM Labs initiative is
on the point of embedding online practical work into teaching modules. Undergraduate students
will be connecting to electronic circuits, robots microscopes, telescopes, spectrometers and
various other instruments. They will conduct experiments collaboratively. The OpenSTEM Labs
project is itself a rich laboratory for TEL studies
For further information prior to application contact: trevor.collins@open.ac.uk
How are digital tools and technologies influencing participation in citizen inquiry
initiatives?
This project will combine several lines of complementary research to explore citizen inquiry
activities. Building on the findings of previous doctoral research, you will explore developments
with digital tools and technologies and how they mediate interaction and online activity, influencing
and extending opportunities for participation and collaboration, and the ways in which the greater
visibility and value afforded to stakeholders and publics is shifting and extending academic
scholarly practices. We are particular interested in proposals that address one or more of the
following issues in relation to citizen inquiry initiatives: 1) what role does gender play in
participation; 2) what are the factors affecting participation in different disciplinary domains, e.g.
comparing arts-focused and science-based projects? 3) how does participation translate into
learning in technical environments such as a publicly accessible telescope service offering images
of the night sky 'on demand’, or a community-building biodiversity website for proper identification
and logging of flora and fauna?
For further information prior to application contact: Richard.Holliman@open.ac.uk
3
How e-learning might contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals
The proposed Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2014) includes Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and
equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Within that goal are
7 targets, some of which deal with adult education such as 4.3 ‘By 2013 Ensure equal access for
all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including
university’. This project would examine the drivers and barriers to the uptake and use of e-learning
in both a developed and developing country.
For further information prior to application contact: andy.lane@open.ac.uk
Inclusion and digital literacy
Digital literacy is an important life skill. Developing digital literacy in higher education through the
application of digital technologies also holds the potential of greater accessibility for some groups
of disabled students. However, the same technologies can create accessibility barriers for other
groups limiting the scope for digital literacy. This project will investigate student experiences to
understand these opportunities and challenges for different disability types to improve support for
disabled students at a distance and enhance their study experience.
For further information prior to application contact: rachel.slater@open.ac.uk
Interactive live webcasting in distance learning
Distance learning online involves embedding the use of both synchronous and asynchronous
communication tools as a means for supporting students’ engagement in group learning activities.
Live and interactive web broadcasts are being developed as an example of a scalable synchronous
communication channel for practical demonstrations and presentations. A web architecture with
a collection of interactive widgets and online simulations has been developed and trialled in live
webcasts on OU science courses (referred to as labcasts), online conferences and student
induction events. Depending on the successful candidate’s interests and experience, a
studentship in this area could study the application of these types of educational technology,
develop further tools and/or evaluate the impact of the use of these tools on the student experience.
For further information prior to application contact: trevor.collins@open.ac.uk
Investigations of the design and efficacy of technology enhanced assessment (TEA)
Assessment is an important element in strategies for active learning as it has the potential to
provide immediate feedback on progress. There are several ways in which technology can
enhance assessment through enabling sophisticated (interactive) questions, online peer
assessment, online collaborative assessment, and assessment analytics. This project will involve
a comparative studies of current TEA tools and a review the technologies on which they are based.
The work will be done in the context of the STEM curriculum, where the technological challenges
and opportunities are significant. The findings will be used to provide guidance for fulfilling the
primary aim which is to propose the agenda for the evolution of the next generation of assessment
technology.
For further information prior to application contact: sally.jordan@open.ac.uk
Learners’ experiences of online intercultural exchanges
Language learners have for the past two decades used a succession of tools and environments
(from e-mail to videoconferencing) to engage in online intercultural exchanges, with the aim of
developing foreign language proficiency and intercultural competence. Much of the research in
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this field has been carried out by practitioners and reflects the perspective of those organizing such
exchanges. This project uses the strong ongoing relationship between members of the Languages
and Literacies Cluster and the telecollaboration community to facilitate third party research into the
experience of learners taking part in such exchanges. A mixed methodology will be employed, to
construct a picture of both the affective dimension of this experience and of the nature of any
learning that takes place.
This builds on work that has
http://www.slideshare.net/Intent_eu
http://uni-collaboration.eu/
attracted
funding
from
the
European
Commission:
For further information prior to application contact: Timothy.Lewis@open.ac.uk
Literacies for learning in a digital age
The theme of literacies across modes and media opens up a range of possible areas for research
in educational contexts and beyond. We need a fuller understanding of the changing nature of
literacies including literacies mediated by different digital practices. A possible study could focus
on how people learn informally in everyday practices. E.g. what are the implications of using social
media for learning purposes? How do learners make meaning in multimodal environments?
Technology can enhance the development of literacy practices across modes and media and
harness these for teaching and learning but we need to explore how learning can be supported
most appropriately for learners with different levels of digital competence. Another area to
investigate is in what ways are new technologies shaping discourse and literacy practices in
different contexts across the life span, e.g. in the context of professional practices.
For further information prior to application contact: Theresa.Lillis@open.ac.uk
The use of social media for learning
The use of social media for formal and/or informal learning Social media is ubiquitous in
contemporary society. Emergent online platforms such as blogs, social network sites and Twitter
require new and reconfigured literacy practices and skills, and have great potential for enhancing
learning through increased participation, collaboration and motivation, while digital technology
makes available a vast array of multimodal tools and resources. Importantly, social media also
expands the potential for informal, independent and mobile learning. We are interested in
supervising projects that aim to understand the use of social media in formal or informal learning
contexts; design and/or evaluate teaching interventions; explore digital literacy practices; and other
related areas.
For further information prior to application contact: caroline.tagg@open.ac.uk
New technologies for levelling the playing-field in science education
Recent work has been addressing the specific challenge for Visually Impaired (VI) students in
learning chemistry at tertiary level. There are specific issues associated with graphical
representations of chemical interactions. Building on this preliminary work this project will
generalise the enquiry to incorporate a wider range of scenarios and to include a wider range of
topics in science. Investigations will then address the extent of differential performance on onlinelearning tasks by students with disabilities that impair interactive online learning. A parallel study
will be performed on students in other areas of differential performance such as that correlated
with different genders and ethnicities. The aim will be to establish appropriate ways in which the
gap between different groups of students can be reduced.
For further information prior to application contact: clem.herman@open.ac.uk
5
Online collaborative learning: approaches, issues and solutions
Online collaborative learning is a key pedagogical approach in distance education, both within the
Open University and in other HE institutions. However, it raises many questions: How is it received
by learners? How should it be designed and assessed? What are the benefits and problems of
different online tools? Using approaches from computing and education disciplines, the proposed
project will investigate these issues across a range of learning contexts, shedding light on the
perspectives of learners and teachers. The project outcomes will inform educators developing
learning designs in online collaborative learning.
For further information prior to application contact: karen.kear@open.ac.uk
Self-regulated learning in MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses [MOOCs] have received attention for their potential to reshape
learning. However, there is growing concern that MOOCs have not had as profound an impact as
anticipated, and that completion rates can be low. Studies suggest that MOOC learners who can
self-regulate their learning employ more effective learning approaches. The proposed PhD study
explores this hypothesis through the research question: ‘How do self-regulated learning strategies
support learning in MOOCs?’ This work, bringing together perspectives from computing and
education disciplines, is of relevance to the future design of MOOCs across the Open University
and worldwide.
For further information prior to application contact: allison.littlejohn@open.ac.uk
Technology enhanced approaches
development/coordination
to
group
interaction
and
joint
project
Group work or working in teams is seen as a key skill for employability. While this is usually
conducted face to face on campuses or at residential schools it is becoming more commonplace
for organizational, and especially inter-organizational projects, to have more virtual, distributed
team working or for there to online consultation and engagement with customers and stakeholders.
This project would investigate student attitudes to and behaviours within specified modules
presented by the Department of Engineering and Innovation that develop and assess online group
work.
For further information prior to application contact: simon.bell@open.ac.uk
How can technology enhance fieldwork learning?
Practical science fieldwork provides authentic learning opportunities that enable undergraduate
students to apply their learning and develop field skills, as well as effective teamwork skills that
improve employability. A studentship in this area would explore the use of technologies to enhance
the fieldwork experience. Depending on the interests and skills of the candidate, this could focus
on the design and development of activities or technologies and/or the evaluation of technology
enhanced field courses. A student would have the opportunity build on established research from
across the OU, including: accessibility in fieldwork teaching; mobile and wireless network
technologies for fieldwork; and 2D and 3D virtual field trips.
For further information prior to application contact: trevor.collins@open.ac.uk
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The availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability of online learning for
higher education students
Digital technologies offer much scope for changing the way in which teaching and learning can be
structured and offer the potential to increase participation and attainment in higher education.
However, these technologies may still exclude many people from participating and attaining their
goals without appropriate adjustments to the learning design. This project will examine the relative
impact of the four As, availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability, on the attitudes and
behaviours prospective and current students.
For further information prior to application contact: andy.lane@open.ac.uk
The battle for open and engaged research
Public funding for research is increasingly founded on the requirements for researchers to be both
open and engaged. This project will address current theoretical, practical and policy developments
in open and engaged research, exploring how calls for greater openness and transparency, and
engagement on the part of researchers with other forms of expertise, is reshaping and extending
the social practices of research. We are particular interested in proposals that explore practices
of open and engaged scholarship in relation to the roles that digital tools and technologies play in
mediating information, interaction and participation.
For further information prior to application contact: Richard.Holliman@open.ac.uk
The impact of digital technologies on the use and usefulness of visual artefacts in
online teaching and learning
Much of higher education practice is dominated by word or text based forms of communication and
yet some disciplines rely heavily on the creation and sharing of visual artefacts such as diagrams,
designs and videos. This project would examine student attitudes and behaviours in relation to
the creation and sharing of such visual artefacts on specified modules presented by the
Department of Engineering and Innovation. The online microscope and other visualisation facilities
in the OpenSTEM laboratories will be available to provide a rich and technical variety of student
enagements with specific artefacts.
For further information prior to application contact: andy.lane@open.ac.uk
The role of online informal learning in the development of financial capability
There has been a significant increase in the complexity of financial decision-making facing the
average citizen. To date, public policy responses have emphasised increased information
provision, increased transparency and latterly (in the UK) the introduction of some elements of
personal finance into the school curriculum and improved resources to improve public
understanding of personal finance. The extant research on the role of formal learning in improving
the financial capabilities of the general public is disappointing, both in its scope and depth but also
in that the most rigorous studies suggest little impact. Online learning technologies offer the
possibility of providing engaging informal learning to adults at the point of need; and there is
increasing provision of such resources for informal learning in personal finance. This includes
provision by government (e.g the UK Money Advice Service), by industry (banks and other financial
services providers) and educational institutions (e.g. MOOCs on personal finance and investment
produced by the OU’s centre for the Public Understanding of Finance). To date there has been
little systematic evaluation of the individual and social impact of such informal learning initiatives,
or the conditions which may moderate their impact. We welcome proposals which examine the
7
impacts of such learning on knowledge, attitudes and behaviour; and the conditions which
influence such impacts.
For further information prior to application contact: allison.littlejohn@open.ac.uk
What does eyetracking tell us about the relationship between visual behaviours and
cognitive processes in online learning?
Using eyetracking as a method to inform us about the attention focus of online learners, this project
will develop a solid methodology for investigating learning strategies and behaviours displayed
during synchronous online language tutorials. Reflective and introspective methods will
supplement the collection of eyetracking data, to generate a rich picture of the challenges facing
online learners the mechanisms they develop to cope successfully with these. The proposed study
will investigate students at different levels of a) technological and b) language competence.
This builds on work that has attracted funding from BAAL/CUP and also fits in with the research
expertise of a recently appointed chair in languages.
For further information prior to application contact: Ursula.Stickler@open.ac.uk
Education and training for globally distributed virtual teams: preparing the workforce
for the future
The aim of this research project is to investigate whether/how virtual team-working, in modules
such as The Open University's M258, could adopt three-dimensional (3D) virtual environments
(along with supporting 2D environments such as forums or blogs) to facilitate the development of
employability skills such as building and managing virtual teams. The research will also involve
evaluating the role of 3D affordances such as a sense of co-presence and space, the authenticity
of 3D spaces and support for game-based learning in socialisation, which is an antecedent for
effective virtual collaboration. The outcomes of this project will inform educators about the design
of online collaborative activities that will enhance the student experience and student attainment
in STEM disciplines. It will enable organisations to better prepare employees to lead, collaborate
and commit to common goals in teams that work across geographical, national and cultural
boundaries.
For further information prior to application contact: shailey.minocha@open.ac.uk
Establishing concept inventories using free text questions
Inventories used to establish conceptual understanding (for example the force concept inventory
which is widely used around the world as a measure of student understanding of Newtonian
mechanics in physics) frequently rely on the use of multiple-choice questions. These may falsely
represent student understanding; recent work has shown that the frequently observed gender gap
in attainment on the force concept inventory may be reversed if the questions are framed as free
text questions. Work is underway to develop automatic answer matching for free-text responses
received for a version of the force concept inventory; this will enable testing across the world. This
project will establish a range of concept inventories using a variety of question types, and
investigate the reliability and validity of such measures. It will test the accuracy of the automatic
marking and inspect the responses for characteristic similarities and differences with the distractors
used in the multiple-choice versions of the inventories.
For further information prior to application contact: sally.jordan@open.ac.uk
MOOCs and Open Educational Resources for people aged over 55 years
People aged over 55 years are the most digitally unskilled in the UK. This group includes: people
in late middle age/early old age’ (c. 55 - 65 or state pension age), people in their ‘third age’ (65 or
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state pension age - 79) and ‘fourth age’ - 80-85 and over. Being digitally included for people aged
55 and over has many benefits: being employed or employable, improved quality of life by utilising
online social networks to combat loneliness and isolation, empowerment as consumers,
volunteering opportunities, digital health literacy, and greater civic participation. The aim of this
research project is to investigate whether and how MOOCs and Open Educational Resources
(OERs) can support development of digital skills of people aged over 55 years, support their
lifelong learning, help alleviate social isolation, and facilitate their up-skilling. Further in this project,
the opportunities that MOOCs offer to utilise the expertise of people aged over 55 years as content
creators (e.g. capturing social histories), and educators or mentors of MOOCs will be explored.
The project will also focus on how MOOCs and OERs should be designed to support the
accessibility requirements of older people, so, looking beyond Web accessibility, how these
environments could, for example, work with assistive technologies that older people might use.
For further information prior to application contact: shailey.minocha@open.ac.uk
MOOCs for professional development of school teachers
MOOCs could be suitable for continuing professional development of school teachers –
particularly, when novel ways are now required to embed ICT across the curriculum. However, a
global study by The Open University’s Open Educational Resources (OER) Research Hub has
found that more awareness is required amongst the teachers on how OERs (of which MOOCs are
a subset) are a way to share their teaching experiences with one another, and also how to make
use of OERs and MOOCs for training and professional development. Further, little is known about
what constitutes effective MOOC design within professional development contexts of teachers and
how MOOCs should be delivered by integrating social media to support knowledge exchange,
sharing of resources, cross-disciplinary interactions, and resource building. This project will
investigate how MOOCs should be designed for continuing professional development of teachers:
for example, using the design principles of effective professional development and online learning,
designing to foster self-directed learning, peer-supported learning, case-study and project-based
approaches, and to support integration into blended (hybrid) learning contexts (e.g., teachers
within a school completing the course together could meet in person to discuss material or
complete tasks).
For further information prior to application contact: shailey.minocha@open.ac.uk
School-university engagement with research work
School-university engagement with research is a high priority for UK research funders. Young
people are the talent from which the next generation of expertise will develop. They are also
prospective citizens with a stake in how research agendas are framed and prioritised. However,
school-university engagement remains an under researched area. In this project, you will explore
a range of technologically-enhanced, research-based activities involving secondary school
students. You will investigate the effects of these activities, e.g. in whether and how they inspire
young people to consider a range of careers in research and raise ambition to succeed in these
ends; influence the development of transferable skills in learning, communication and citizenship;
raise awareness of different types of academic research; and generate awareness of the nature
and challenges of contemporary research.
For further information prior to application contact: richard.holliman@open.ac.uk
Technology Enhanced Learning related to formal and informal learning in science
Technology enhanced learning offers opportunities to engage people with science. These
opportunities include learners in both formal and informal settings. A research project in this area
could be focussed on learners in higher education using tools such as those available in the Open
Science Laboratory (such as nQuire) , or learners in school settings using mobile devices as
9
science toolkits. Alternatively, a project could involve an investigation of the opportunities for
learning afforded by informal settings such as museum visits, or participation in citizen science
activities (e.g. iSpot or nQuire- it).
Research questions could include:
 How does involvement in citizen science activities impact learners’ attitudes towards and
understanding of science processes and concepts?
 How do theories of science learning developed in formal settings need to be adapted to
apply to informal settings or vice versa?
 How can we design mobile and collaborative technologies to support inquiry science
learning?
 In what ways can technology enhanced learning support the development of skills in
inquiry learning?
 How can sustainable online communities be developed to support science learning?
For further information prior to application contact: eileen.scanlon@open.ac.uk
What factors influence the uptake and sustained use of technology-enhanced learning
research?
Embedding innovation in Technology Enhance Learning (TEL) involves moving beyond research
prototypes into developing and deploying scalable and sustainable applications that fit the resulting
context of use. Understanding the factors that influence the uptake, use and impact of TEL within
organisations requires an interdisciplinary approach. A studentship in this area would be
encouraged to explore these issues within specific learning contexts, and could build on existing
research frameworks for systemic technology innovations to develop further guidelines or
recommendations for the adoption of TEL. There would be opportunities for the successful
applicant to engage with development projects within the OU and through established
collaborations with other education providers.
For further information prior to application contact: trevor.collins@open.ac.uk
What is the impact of interactivity in live web broadcasting for distance learning?
Distance learning online involves embedding the use of both synchronous and asynchronous
communication tools as a means for supporting students’ engagement in group learning activities.
Live and interactive web broadcasts are being developed as an example of a scalable synchronous
communication channel for practical demonstrations and presentations. A web architecture with
a collection of interactive widgets and online simulations has been developed and trialled in live
webcasts on OU science courses (referred to as labcasts), online conferences and student
induction events. Depending on the successful candidate’s interests and experience, a studentship
in this area could study the application of these types of educational technology, develop further
tools and/or evaluate the impact of the use of these tools on the student experience.
For further information prior to application contact: trevor.collins@open.ac.uk
Online teaching skills and strategies
How does pedagogy need to change in an online environment? Given that communication itself
takes different forms online, how can online teaching meet the expectations of digitally literate
students? Can teaching skills acquired in face-to-face contexts be transferred to an online setting
without loss of effectiveness? These are some of the fundamental questions to be asked by
researchers investigating the skills and strategies employed by online teachers. Methods for
investigation include but are not limited to online ethnography/netnography, surveys and
interviews, eyetracking, participant observation in online communities of practice, etc.
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Researchers associated with the Technology Enhanced Learning area are conducting studies
aiming at the pedagogic applicability of their finding but also at enhancing our theoretical
understanding about the link between online presence - projected and perceived - and the role and
self-image of the online teacher.
For further information prior to application contact: ursula.stickler@open.ac.uk
The impact of technology mediation on multimodal communication in language
learning contexts
The new media have the potential to transform language education, with technology enhancing
the orchestration of meaning across modes and media. Although technology is embedded in
students’ lives, there still seems to be an assumption by many teachers and policy makers hat its
use is transparent, inconsequential, or a distraction. We need a fuller understanding of how
mediation by new technologies impacts on learning and teaching practices. A possible study could
focus on how learners make meaning in multimodal environments. At the same time we need to
explore how learners with different levels of digital competence can be supported most
appropriately. So another area to investigate is what knowledge and skills teachers need to use
the new media to best effect.
For further information prior to application contact: Regine.Hampel@open.ac.uk
Multiliteracies: language learning in a digital age
The notion of literacy has changed with the ubiquitous use of technologies, being reconceptualized
as multiliteracies to reflect our changing times and new social practices (New London Group 1996;
Cope and Kalantzis 2009). A key concept in a pedagogy of multiliteracies is design with its
dynamic conception of representation. A possible study could examine a blended or online
language classroom to gain greater awareness of how learners and teachers use semiotic
resources in a digital environment. This would involve examining available designs (that is, found
representational forms), the designing that the learners do to make meaning and transform
available designs, and the redesigned (which includes both the learner and the context). This
would contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means that ‘in a pedagogy of multiliteracies,
all forms of representation, including language, should be regarded as dynamic processes of
transformation rather than processes of reproduction’ (Cope and Kalantzis 2009, 175).
For further information prior to application contact: Regine.Hampel@open.ac.uk
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