The Open University has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its OpenSTEM Labs initiative.
The OpenSTEM Labs are online laboratories that allow students from anywhere in the world to participate in authentic experimental work, acquiring real data interactively as if they were in the laboratory. Many activities are available 24/7.
The OpenSTEM Labs challenge the traditional methods of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teaching and the need to be in a lab during specific hours by offering learning online where time and distance need not be a barrier.
From virtual microscopes and wind tunnels on the OU’s Milton Keynes campus to observatories in Tenerife students have access to quality STEM facilities at the touch of a button.
The OpenSTEM Labs grew out of initial grant funding from the Wolfson Foundation in 2013 followed by capital investment from the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2015.
Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:
“We are honoured to be receiving this award, a testament to our commitment to innovation and delivering quality distance learning for all. The OpenSTEM Labs have successfully enabled over 120,000 people to study practical STEM subjects at a distance, embodying our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.”
Professor Nicholas Braithwaite, Executive Dean of the STEM Faculty and founding Director of the Labs, said:
“By creating the OpenSTEM Labs as “an Internet of Laboratory Things” we have realised our vision for inclusive and accessible facilities for practical work in The Open University’s distance-learning setting. This award is a fitting tribute to the efforts of the team and we look forward to further developing OpenSTEM Labs in conjunction with our new OpenXR Studios, bringing the power of VR and AR to distance-learning.”
Dr Helen Lockett, Director of the OpenSTEM Labs (2019-2023), said:
“I’m deeply proud of what the team have achieved. From telescopes in Tenerife to wind tunnels on our Milton Keynes campus the OpenSTEM Labs allow people wherever they are to learn and develop their skills.”
Sir Damon Buffini, Chair of The Royal Anniversary Trust, said:
“The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education are an integral part of our national Honours system, shining a light on the ground-breaking work taking place in universities and colleges across the UK. All 22 Prize-winners demonstrate excellence, innovation and impact, with many tackling some of the toughest problems we as a society face today. They are to be commended for reaching this pinnacle of achievement in the tertiary education sector. Congratulations!”
The OpenSTEM Labs initiative celebrated its tenth anniversary in September, marking a decade of connecting students to authentic practical experiences and remotely operated equipment no matter what their location.
The initative has now been recognised by the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education. The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are part of the UK’s national Honours system, recognising outstanding work by UK colleges and universities, which demonstrates excellence and innovation and delivers real benefit to the wider world.
Prizes are granted every two years by the Sovereign on the advice of the Prime Minister following a rigorous and independent process of review carried out by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity.
The winners of the fifteenth round were announced at St James’s Palace on 16 November, 2023. The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes will be presented at a formal Honours ceremony in February 2024.
For more information about the Open STEM Labs visit https://stem.open.ac.uk/study/openstem-labs
