Dr Steph Lay

Experience

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  Past Times

  Jan 1997 - Jan 1999

  Retail Store Manager

  I supported my time at university with retail management work, and was responsible for purchasing, merchandising, budget handling and staff management.

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  Norwich Union

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2000

  Motor Claims Handler

  I trained as a claims handler, swiftly learning the policy and practices of motor insurance and was keen to develop expertise in vehicle case law. I was able to apply my previous psychology research to develop and expand my knowledge in a very short period of time.

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  De Montfort University

  Jan 2001 - Dec 2001

  In this role I was responsible for ensuring the effective distribution of staff and venue resources to meet faculty requirements. It was a highly technical role, using advanced software to analyse and model patterns of student demand and meet their needs. I worked as a faculty assistant for the Humanities faculty, providing support to academics and students, maintaining student records and keeping curriculum documentation up to date.

  • Timetabling Officer

    Apr 2001 - Dec 2001

  • Faculty Assistant

    Jan 2001 - Apr 2001
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  The Open University

  Apr 2002 - now

  I'm currently leading the 'Survey Systems Refresh' project, a cross-university initiative to redevelop the way that we collect feedback on the student experience by integrating our student data with Qualtrics, an industry-standard research platform. I also run the OU’s student research function, responsible for institutional and bespoke pedagogical projects involving OU students. This involves operational management for our institutional surveys (including the National Student Survey and Graduate Outcomes Surveys and internal student experiences surveys) and leading a team to deliver tailored research. I am responsible for student feedback data, ensuring survey results are compiled accurately and securely, in line with data protection and confidentiality regulations and have a keen interest in how we report trends and insight highlights on what it's like for our students to learn with the Open University. Show less I have been a core member of the Panel since 2008. This group is responsible for all research conducted with OU students as participants. We review proposals for educational research, and work with applicants to ensure the quality and usefulness of all projects involving Open University students. My particular specialism is in scrutinizing proposals for sampling strategy, defining appropriate audiences and ensuring that the right methods are used for each project. We put the student at the heart of the process to make sure that their experience of OU research is as good as it can be and that their valuable time will be used well. Show less This was a part-time role, taken on in addition to my substantive post and PhD studies, to give me experience of working as an OU tutor. I worked on the online versions of two ‘summer’ schools, both of which had a highly practical research element and involved forming students into cohesive groups to complete their research projects. Statistics knowledge was also important as students often had queries about the best way to analyse their data. I was offered double contracts on three occasions, which reflected positively on my ability to manage the workload and provide high-quality support to students. Show less

  • Senior Manager, Student Research

    Aug 2009 - now

  • Student Research Project Panel: Working Group and Main Panel member

    Aug 2008 - now

  • Open Survey Project Leader

    Jan 2008 - Jan 2009

  • Tutor (DZX222 and DD303)

    Jan 2004 - Jan 2008

  • Project Officer for Statistics

    Jan 2003 - Jan 2008

  • Head of Business Information Team / MI Co-ordinator

    Apr 2002 - Jan 2003