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Potter, Andrew and Butler, Diane
(2024).
URL: https://i-he2024.exordo.com/programme/presentation...
Abstract
Open and online education faces a challenge: ensuring diverse participation in student co-creation projects. Traditional unpaid in-person internships often exclude underrepresented students. This session explores a solution – paid virtual internships – implemented within a STEM faculty co-creation project at the Open University, UK. Interns were recruited exclusively from underrepresented student groups identified by the university's access and participation policies.
The session focuses on the project's impact on diversity and inclusion:
- Removing Barriers: Paid virtual internships ensured participation from a wider range of students, enriching teaching and learning practices.
- Empowering Students: Evaluations emphasized the importance of intern autonomy in project design, leading to impactful contributions.
- Improved Staff Experiences: Student voices directly informed staff development, promoting better understanding of diverse student needs.
In addition, the session explores the following challenges:
- Virtual Collaboration: Strategies for fostering collaboration and engagement in a virtual environment.
- Supervision and Development: Approaches to providing meaningful mentorship and fostering skills relevant to STEM careers.
This session presents a practical case study for educators seeking to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives within open and online learning. Paid virtual internships offer a model for promoting student co-creation, ensuring a wider range of voices are heard, and fostering employability for underrepresented students in STEM fields.
REFERENCES
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Cook-Sather, A. (2020). Respecting voices: How the co-creation of teaching and learning can support academic staff, underrepresented students, and equitable practices. Higher Education, 79(5), 885–901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00445-w
Forsyth, J., & Cowap, L. (2017). In-house, university-based work experience vs off-campus work experience. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 7(3), 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-11-2015-0054
Hall, J., MacDonnell, J., McConnell, C., & Jones, J. (2022). Student-staff partnerships for diversifying and decolonising the higher education curriculum. Equity in Education and Society, 1(3), 327–341. https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461221109870
Irwin, A., Perkins, J., Hillari, L. L., & Wischerath, D. (2022). Is the future of internships online? An examination of stakeholder attitudes towards online internships. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 12(4), 629–644. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-05-2021-0102
Reid, K., Butler, D. L., Comfort, C., & Potter, A. D. J. (2023). Virtual internships in open and distance learning contexts: Improving access, participation, and success for underrepresented students. Distance Education, 44(2), 267–283. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2023.2209029
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
