Ormond Simpson

Senior Lecturer in Institutional Research

Tel: 01908 654767
Email: o.p.simpson@open.ac.uk

Research

(a) Research interests
Student retention
- the role of interventions and especially motivational activity
- institutional attitudes
- course choice and retention
- assessment
- post-dropout destinations and experience
- financial aspects of retention
Student support
- online
- informal (from families friends employers and other students)

(b) Current research projects

1. ‘Proactive support and retention’ – currently evaluating the ‘PASS’ Project in Student Services
2. ‘OUTalk’ – using chat rooms for intending student support. Funded by OU Widening Participation Project. (£5000 over 3 years)
3. ‘Disadvantaged students and the experience of e-learning’ (continuing). Funded internally from Regional resources (£2000)
4. ‘Overcoming Social exclusion through online learning’ (continuing). Joint research project with NIACE funded by Community fund (£450,000 over three years).
5. ‘Voicemail tuition’ (writing up stage) – originally funded by OU LTIC grant (£5000).
6. ‘Using text messaging for student support’ – originally funded by OU LTIC grant (£3000)
7. ‘Evaluating Course choice materials – ‘Student Comments’ and Preview materials’ (funded from regional resources)