Dr Donna Smith
Dr Donna Smith is Senior Lecturer in Politics, as well as Deputy Associate Dean Teaching and Students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University. Donna also became Director of The Open University’s Tuition Programme in spring 2022. This programme aims to enhance the tuition experience for both staff and students, building on Donna’s strong expertise in the development of tuition policy and teaching and learning strategy both internally and outside the University.
Donna’s research and scholarship interests are three-fold. Building on her experience of working in Westminster politics, her research has focused on UK politics and media, as well as active citizenship. As an experienced higher education manager, designer, writer and teacher, her focus also includes teaching and learning in the social sciences (politics in particular). Current teaching projects include the ‘Media, Politics, and Society’ short course which launched in 2021, and the forthcoming ‘Global Challenges: Social Science in Action’ undergraduate course launching in 2023.
Donna was co-chair and founding member of the Political Studies Association’s Teaching and Learning Network (until spring 2022). The Network made an exceptional contribution to the politics discipline over the last few years, providing practical support to PSA members during the COVID-19 Pandemic through multiple webinar series, that provided not only practical help, support and advice, but also a sense of community for members at a time of crisis. One of the key functions of the webinars was to raise the profile and status of teaching and learning within the discipline, and in particular issues linked to online teaching.