Developing an Evidence-Informed Framework for First Tutor-Marked Assignment Support in Distance Higher Education

A five-study Design-Based Research Approach to co-design an Institutional AI Digital Assistant
Rienties, Bart, Bektic, Duygu, Coughlan, Emily, Coughlan, Tim, Domingue, John, Edwards, Chris, Ekuban, Audrey, Herodotou, Christothea, Kwarteng, Joseph, Sanders, Chris, Maciel Tessarolo, F. and Ullmann, Thomas 2027. Forthcoming. A five-study Design-Based Research Approach to co-design an Institutional AI Digital Assistant. Computers & Education. 256 105746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2026.105746

Developing an Evidence-Informed Framework for First Tutor-Marked Assignment Support in Distance Higher Education
Felipe Tessarolo, Christothea Herodotou and Emily Coughlan 2026. Developing an Evidence-Informed Framework for First Tutor-Marked Assignment Support in Distance Higher Education. 12th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’26). Valencia, Spain 15 - 18 Jun 2026 Polytechnic University of Valencia Congress. https://doi.org/10.4995/head26.2026.21665

Evaluating Agentic AI: The Multi-Layer Evaluation Model (MLE-A)
Whitelock, Denise, Maciel Tessarolo, F., Bektik, Duygu and Edwards, Chris 2026. Evaluating Agentic AI: The Multi-Layer Evaluation Model (MLE-A). EDEN 2026 Annual Conference. Porto, Portugal 14 - 16 Jun 2026

Before the First Prompt: Understanding Students’ Pre‑Use Perceptions of an AI Digital Assistant in Higher Education
Edwards, Chris, Whitelock, Denise, Maciel Tessarolo, Felipe, Bektik, Duygu, Coughlan, Emily, Herodotou, Christothea and Ullmann, Thomas 2026. Before the First Prompt: Understanding Students’ Pre‑Use Perceptions of an AI Digital Assistant in Higher Education. EDEN 2026 Annual Conference. Porto, Portugal 14 - 16 Jun 2026

AIDA on OU Ready: A final report
Maciel Tessarolo, F., Coughlan, Emily, Edwards, Chris, Ullmann, Thomas, Bektik, Duygu, Whitelock, Denise and Herodotou, Christothea 2025. AIDA on OU Ready: A final report. Open University.

Review of existing TMA support interventions. PVC-S Challenge Response July 2025.
Maciel Tessarolo, F., Coughlan, Emily and Herodotou, Christothea 2025. Review of existing TMA support interventions. PVC-S Challenge Response July 2025. Institute of Educational Technology (IET), The Open University.

AIDA on OpenLearn: Design and Evaluation Report, Quality Enhancement and Innovation (QEI)
Coughlan, Tim, Rienties, Bart, Bektik, Duygu, Ullmann, Thomas, Herodotou, Christothea, Maciel Tessarolo, F., Edwards, Chris, Coughlan, Emily, Devine, Peter and Domingue, John 2025. AIDA on OpenLearn: Design and Evaluation Report, Quality Enhancement and Innovation (QEI).

PVC-S Challenge Response July 2025. Summary report. QEI. The Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University
Herodotou, Christothea, Coughlan, Tim, Edwards, Chris, Bektik, Duygu, Ullmann, Thomas, Gaved, Mark, Maciel Tessarolo, F. and Coughlan, Emily 2025. PVC-S Challenge Response July 2025. Summary report. QEI. The Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University. Milton Keynes, UK Open University.

Developing an institutional AI digital assistant in an age of Industry 5.0
Bart Rienties, Thomas Ullmann, Felipe Maciel Tessarolo, Joseph Kwarteng, John Domingue, Tim Coughlan, Coughlan, Emily and Duygu Bektik 2025. Developing an institutional AI digital assistant in an age of Industry 5.0. Applied Sciences. 15 (12) 6640. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126640

Holding a lead, or the tail wagging the dog? Exploring educator influence over the behaviour of AI Digital Assistants
Tim Coughlan, Bart Rienties, John Domingue, Christothea Herodotou, Thomas Ullmann, Duygu Bektik, Chris Edwards, Denise Whitelock, Coughlan, Emily and Maciel Tessarolo, F. 2025. Holding a lead, or the tail wagging the dog? Exploring educator influence over the behaviour of AI Digital Assistants. EDEN 2025 Annual Conference. Bologna, Italy 15 - 17 Jun 2025

A Design-Based Research Approach to what distance learners expect and value from an Institutional AI Digital Assistant
Bart Rienties, Felipe Maciel Tessarolo, Tim Coughlan, Christothea Herodotou, John Domingue and Denise Whitelock 2025. A Design-Based Research Approach to what distance learners expect and value from an Institutional AI Digital Assistant. European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning. 27 (2) 4.

Students’ Perceptions of AI Digital Assistants (AIDAs): Should Institutions Invest in Their Own AIDAs?
Bart Rienties, Maciel Tessarolo, F., Coughlan, Emily, Tim Coughlan and John Domingue 2025. Students’ Perceptions of AI Digital Assistants (AIDAs): Should Institutions Invest in Their Own AIDAs? Applied Sciences. 15 (8) 4279. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084279

What distance learning students want from an AI Digital Assistant
Bart Rienties, John Domingue, Subby Duttaroy, Christothea Herodotou, Felipe Maciel Tessarolo, Felipe Tessarolo and Denise Whitelock 2025. What distance learning students want from an AI Digital Assistant. Distance Education. 46 (2), pp. 173-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2024.2338717

Student use of ChatGPT to prepare for assessments. PVC-S Challenge Study 4 Report
Aristeidou, Maria, Maciel Tessarolo, F. and Coughlan, Tim 2024. Student use of ChatGPT to prepare for assessments. PVC-S Challenge Study 4 Report. Institute of Educational Technology (IET), The Open University.

Comparing practical use and perceptions of GenAI in higher education with current published insights
Maciel Tessarolo, Felipe, Chris Edwards, Duygu Bektik and Denise Whitelock 2024. Comparing practical use and perceptions of GenAI in higher education with current published insights. EDEN 2024 Research Workshop & PhD Schools’ Masterclass. Timisoara, Romania 16 - 18 Oct 2024

Accessible by Design? Exploring How Barriers faced by Disabled Students are Resolved in Online and Distance Learning
Tim Coughlan, Maciel Tessarolo, F. and Coughlan, Emily 2024. Accessible by Design? Exploring How Barriers faced by Disabled Students are Resolved in Online and Distance Learning. International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 24). Linz, Austria 08 - 12 Jul 2024

Literature Review of support mechanisms to aid tutors in teaching Level 1 students
Mark Gaved, Andrew Brasher and Felipe Maciel Tessarolo 2024. Literature Review of support mechanisms to aid tutors in teaching Level 1 students. Quality Enhancement and Innovation, The Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University.

First year student perspectives on their early study experiences of tutor support and teaching: Insight from seven cross-faculty focus-groups
Simon Cross, Felipe Maciel Tessarolo and Andrew Brasher 2023. First year student perspectives on their early study experiences of tutor support and teaching: Insight from seven cross-faculty focus-groups. Open University.

PVC-S Challenge Response. Summary report. QEI
Christothea Herodotou, Maria Aristeidou, Mark Gaved, Simon Cross, Maciel Tessarolo, F. and Andrew Brasher 2023. PVC-S Challenge Response. Summary report. QEI. The Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University.