Mrs Bernadett Dunn

Bernadett Dunn is a Lecturer and Student Experience Manager at the Open University Business School, where she is programme lead for the postgraduate taught Master’s in Management qualification. She has worked at the Open University since 2021 and brings over 15 years of experience in Higher Education, including earlier work at McGill University, Middlesex University and Hult Ashridge International Business School.

Bernadett is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and holds an MBA and a BA (Hons) in Business Studies. Her scholarship explores how learners experience transition, support and belonging across the educational lifecycle, with a particular focus on distance learning. Through research spanning school-to-university transition in the Young Applicants in Schools Scheme (YASS), postgraduate learner experiences, and inclusive teaching and learning with neurodivergent students, she seeks to understand how support systems enable students to navigate key transition points and achieve success.

Conference Presentations

Dunn, McDowell, Bassett (2025). Unlocking Success: What postgraduate taught students really need to thrive in distance learning. In the Innovating Higher Education Conference 2026, 25-28 October 2026, The Hague, Open Universiteit, Netherlands

Dunn, McDowell, Bassett (2025). Exploring Postgraduate Learning Experiences and support systems. In: Advance HE 2026 Teaching and Learning Conference, 30 June-2 July 2026, Sheffield, UK

 Gamester, Mooney, Dunn (2026). ``Once I felt safe, I could focus on taking part`` Co-inquiry to improve collaborative learning with autistic students and educators. In SCiLAB Collaborative seminar series in partnership with: Manchester Metropolitan, Leeds Beckett, Cardiff and Lancaster Universities: Innovation in Education. 8 May 2026

 Dunn, McDowell, Bassett (2025). Unlocking Success: Exploring Postgraduate Learning Experiences and support systems. In SCiLAB Collaborative seminar series in partnership with: Lancaster, Cardiff, and Manchester Metropolitan Universities: ‘Enhancing Student Success’. 30 June 2025

Blog:

Unlocking success: what taught postgraduate students really need to thrive in distance learning | The Scholarship Centre for innovation in online Legal and Business education (SCiLAB)