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Leveraging Learning Analytics to Support Institutional Efforts in Addressing Awarding Gaps
No full textAwarding gaps, the persistent disparities in academic outcomes across student groups, remain a major challenge in education. These gaps, often observed along dimensions such as ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability, and gender, reflect broader structural inequalities and can limit the life opportunities of marginalised learners. Addressing them is a priority for institutions aiming to deliver fair and inclusive education.
This thesis investigates how Learning Analytics (LA) can contribute to addressing awarding gaps. While LA is increasingly used in institutional decision-making, its equity impacts remain underexplored. Using The Open University as a case study, the research addresses three questions: (1) To what extent do existing LA systems mitigate awarding gaps? (2) How fairly do predictive LA models perform across student demographics? (3) How can equity-focused LA tools be co-designed with institutional stakeholders?
A mixed-methods approach is employed across three empirical studies. The first evaluates the existing LA system, OU Analyse, and finds that, when paired with active teaching practices, it can improve outcomes for students from ethnic minority and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The second examines fairness in LA predictive models, revealing disparities in false positive and false negative rates across ethnicity, gender, and disability. It also evaluates bias mitigation strategies, showing that subgroup-specific models do not consistently improve fairness.
The third study focuses on the co-design of a novel Equality, Diversity and Inclusion LA dashboard, developed with institutional stakeholders to address awarding gaps. The dashboard provides intersectional, longitudinal views of awarding gaps and demonstrates how user-centred design can support equity-driven analytics. It also raises ethical questions, highlighting the need for fairness, explainability, and privacy in LA systems.
Together, these studies offer empirical evidence, methodological guidance, and design principles for developing more equitable LA systems. The thesis concludes with directions for future work, including broader demographic modelling, responsible AI integration, and human-in-the-loop evaluations
Determinants of Anti-Seizure Medication Non-adherence and Response to Treatment Among People with Epilepsy in Kilifi, Kenya
No full textThe epilepsy treatment gap (ETG) and poor adherence to antiseizure medications (ASMs) remain major challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study assessed adherence, evaluated the effectiveness of short messaging service (SMS) reminders, and investigated ASM-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in epilepsy patients from Kilifi and Nairobi, Kenya.
A cohort of 1,692 people with epilepsy was assessed for medication adherence, with 38% having drug level data. In Kilifi, a randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 1,038 participants tested SMS interventions (text, audio, both) versus control. Drug levels were measured at baseline, three, six and twelve months and a third of these were available at the time of analysis. At baseline, adherence was low—overall gap was 68% (71% in Nairobi, 65% in Kilifi). Factors associated with poor adherence included active epilepsy (aOR=1.80), ASM polytherapy (aOR=3.1), and low quality of life (β=-0.007).
The SMS intervention in Kilifi reduced non-adherence over time. ASM levels below the quantification limit decreased from 34% at baseline to 29% at follow-up. Suboptimal levels dropped from 64% to 57%. However, overall incidence rate of non-adherence showed no significant difference across intervention groups. Proportion of secondary outcomes improved: daily seizures fell from 22% to 3%, severe disability from 33% to 16%, and negative beliefs from 29% to 20%. SMS reminders reduced the incidence rate of poor quality of life in those with adequate ASM levels but increased incidence rate of severe disability in those with low/suboptimal levels.
ADRs affected 68% of 138 participants with mainly psychiatric (59%) and movement symptoms (51%) reported. Risk factors associated with ADR included polytherapy (aOR=2.3) and phenobarbital use. Psychiatric comorbidities were associated with polytherapy use, including depression (aOR=2.9) and psychosis (aOR=1.9). Electrolyte imbalances were found in 19.4% of 1,495 participants, notably hypomagnesaemia (associated with CBZ use) and hyponatraemia (associated with polytherapy use).
Addressing side effects, monitoring ASM levels, and implementing comprehensive interventions are essential to reduce the ETG and improve adherence in LMICs
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Assessment: Implementing Change at Scale
No full textLearn how The Open University (OU) is redesigning assessment at scale to be more AI-enabled and less AI-vulnerable. Through faculty-wide assessment mapping, clear AI-use categories, staff development and a focus on ethical, authentic learning journeys, the approach aims to reduce misconduct, reflect real-world AI use and better prepare students for an AI-shaped futur
Reimagining DEI Education in Business Schools: Building Empathy-Based Competence in Future Managers
No full textBusiness and management schools are charged by policy makers and the public to equip students with skills for inclusive and responsible management practice. The Empathy Framework developed in this study offers an evidence-based approach that bridges the gap between DEI awareness and competence, balancing principlebased learning with action-oriented skill development
Vulnerability and Coloniality in the Pacific
No full textThis chapter examines the politics of ocean vulnerability discourse through the concept of coloniality. After discussing how vulnerability is framed in climate science and politics, it identifies examples of how colonial violence in the Pacific has been justified through claims of its inherent vulnerability, provides insight into how vulnerability is politically produced, and reveals how the power structures of colonialism endure through climate vulnerability narratives. It concludes with a discussion of how Pacific peoples are resisting colonialism and offering decolonial counternarratives of oceans and vulnerability
A Reflection on Opportunities for a Radical Change in Accounting Education in the Era of AI
No full textDespite five decades of calls for reform and development in accounting education, the curriculum, teaching methods, and assessments at higher education institutions have undergone minimal change. This inertia is largely due to the need to satisfy the technical requirements of professional bodies, institutional constraints, and learner perceptions. However, recent discourse surrounding advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the evolving landscape of higher education presents a timely opportunity for a radical change in accounting pedagogy—both at the university and professional levels. This shift has the potential to address the issues associated with the functionalist view of accounting profession. By leveraging AI to automate routine tasks and enhance the strategic contributions of accountants, we advocate for the adoption of a dialogic approach to accounting education. This approach can stimulate learners to cultivate the skills necessary for authentic engagement with society. Specifically, dialogic forms of accountability encourage students to appreciate societal power differentials and the heterogeneity of stakeholders’ interests, fostering a more inclusive and socially responsive mindset. As a result, learners are more likely to engage constructively in ongoing discussions about the ethical and social responsibilities of accountants and businesses. In this chapter, we critically evaluate existing literature on accounting education and explore the challenges and opportunities emerging from technological advancements. We argue for the integration of dialogic pedagogy in universities as a means of broadening students’ understanding of the inherently social nature of accounting
SAGE-RAI: Design Patterns for Transparent RAG Systems
No full textRetrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems are increasingly deployed in web-based educational environments, yet transparency can be seen as a primarily ethical, and, too often, optional, concern, rather than foundational. This paper presents design patterns for building transparent RAG systems, derived from developing and deploying SAGE-RAI, an advanced multi-purpose RAG system, in an educational context. Through systematic evaluation combining quantitative rating data (n=26, mean rating=4.62/5) and qualitative interviews (n=4), we demonstrate that transparency serves dual pedagogical and ethical functions. Our empirical findings reveal high user satisfaction (92.3% rating 4-5 stars) while identifying critical tensions between AI assistance and learning independence. Our findings suggest that as RAG systems increasingly mediate access to web-based knowledge, transparency must evolve from an optional feature to an architectural requirement
Dignity, Respect, and Meaningful Engagement with Boys in the Classroom
No full textDespite two decades of policy attention, attainment gaps for boys eligible for FSM remain stark. Nationally, only 24% achieve a grade 9–5 in GCSE English and Maths, and gaps in progression to Higher Education are stark.
The report highlights three central insights:
1. A disconnect between teacher perceptions and young men’s experiences
While 90% of teachers believe they create environments grounded in dignity and respect, young men frequently describe respect as inconsistent, compliance‑driven, and transactional.
2. Misaligned definitions of respect
Many educators equate respect with rule‑following; students emphasise empathy, fairness, and relational authenticity as the real markers of respect.
3. Boys don’t always feel listened to
Although teachers report strong active‑listening practice, young men often experience interactions as tokenistic or focused narrowly on academic performance, rather than their broader lives, identities and pressures.
These findings underline the importance of cultivating educational cultures that echo the Taking Boys Seriously relational principles: communicating to boys that they are inherently valuable and worthwhile, irrespective of their academic ability
Unleashing the Power of Learning Analytics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
No full textThis chapter explores how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven learning analytics (LA) might help how students learn. With the increased use of digital tools in education, massive volumes of student data are produced, necessitating effective analysis to improve learning processes and results. LA provides a systematic way to measuring, collecting, and analyzing data, allowing for insights into student performance, engagement, and targeted interventions. The incorporation of AI, particularly generative AI (GenAI), expands the capabilities of LA by offering predictive and prescriptive models that provide real-time feedback, and identify at-risk learners. However, using AI with LA is not without its challenges. Ethical considerations for data privacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance remain critical. This chapter emphasizes the need for strong frameworks and regulations, such as the European Union’s AI Act and UK guidelines, to ensure responsible AI use in education. It also discusses the practical uses of AI-powered LA with four applications, such as early alert systems and personalized career guidance, while emphasizing the significance of clear legal frameworks. It continues by advocating for a balanced strategy that prioritizes ethical issues in order to assure both educational impact and student well-being
