Mrs Georgina Curry

George has over 25 years’ experience of developing and delivering curriculum and working to widen participation in Higher Education. She have led many innovative projects and is responsible for curriculum designed to attract and retain a diverse range of students and has a deep understanding of how education can change lives. She holds a post-graduate and under-graduate degree in Music and believes strongly that an Arts education provides not only important employability skills, but also enables the development of empathy and understanding.  Her experience of working across a large, complex organisation has required her to have excellent communication and networking skills.  George is adept at problem solving with a creative, yet pragmatic approach to identifying and delivering workable solutions.

George is an experienced manager and teacher with expertise in the fields of curriculum design, widening participation and the Arts.

Her current research interests include:

• Meaningful Musical Experiences – how to ensure equitable access to meaningful musical experiences for primary school children.
• Digital Inclusion – to better understand what the University can do to mitigate the barrier of digital poverty in entry-level learning in order to enable more students to reach their goals.
• Flexible Study – to better understand the student experience of studying modules at different levels of intensity (e.g more hours per week) and to understand how the freedom to control module length affects student decision making.

Her contributions to conferences include:

• Webster, A. and Curry, G. (2023) ‘Designing and delivering student-led optional interdisciplinary teaching’ Blurring Boundaries Open University Conference (Online) (2023)
• Curry, G and Butcher, J. (2023) Exploring Digital Poverty as a barrier to Access 16^th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, (March 2023) INTED2023 Proceedings, pp. 972-977
• Curry, G and Butcher, J. (2022) Fast-track Access: a model for widening participation in the future? One Voice: fusing diverse perspectives into collective action, Forum for Access and Continuing Education.  Southampton, (June 2022)
• Butcher, J. and Curry, G. (2022) Exploring digital poverty as a barrier to Access.  Lifelong Learning for Inclusion and Sustainability Conference 2022, Universities Association for Lifelong Learning. Glasgow, (June 2022)
• Robson, L. & Curry, G. (2022) ‘Student motivations and choices in a ‘pick and mix’ curriculum module at the Open University, UK’ Future of Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning at the OU, The Open University (Virtual), (June 2022)
• Curry G. & Butcher, J. (2021) ‘To what extent does structure and voice in Access level curriculum improve the learning experience of widening participation students?’ 6^th Biennial International Conference on Access, Participation, and Success, The Open University (Virtual), (March 2021)
• Curry, G. & Walker, C. (2021) ‘Changing assessment strategy on the Open University’s Access programme’ 6^th Biennial International Conference on Access, Participation, and Success, The Open University (Virtual), (2021)
• Curry, G. and Walker, C. (2021) ‘Changing student confidence in online learning’ 6^th Biennial International Conference on Access, Participation, and Success, The Open University (Virtual), (2021)
• Curry, G. & Robson, L. (2021) ‘Open Box’ curriculum at the Open University – How we are helping students to make their learning count’ Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference: ‘Interdisciplinarity: Learning from Each Other’, University of Warwick (virtually), April 2021
• Robson, L. & Curry, G. (2020) ‘Student motivations and choices in a ‘pick and mix’ curriculum module at the Open University, UK’ 14^th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, (March 2020) INTED2020 Proceedings, pp. 972-977.
• Curry, G. & Butcher, J. (2020) ‘Widening Participation, lessons from Access and Scholarship’ The Open University and University of Gothenburg, Pedagogical Development and Interactive Learning (PIL) seminar series, March 2020
• Curry, G. & Butcher, J. (2019) ‘To what extent does structure and voice in Access level curriculum improve the learning experience of widening participation students?’ Forum for Access and Continuing Education 26^th Annual Conference, ‘Delivering the Public Good of Higher Education’, Sheffield Hallam University, July 2019
• Curry, G. & Robson, L. (2019) ‘Pick & Mix Curriculum @ The Open University: designing innovative opportunities for students and stakeholders’ (Poster presentation), 9^th Pan-Commonwealth Forum, Edinburgh (September 2019).
• Curry, G. & Cooke, H (2019) ‘Empty box curriculum @ The Open University: designing innovative opportunities for students and stakeholders’ (Poster presentation), Advance HE, Teaching and Learning Conference ‘Teaching in the spotlight: Innovation for Teaching Excellence’, University of Northumbria (July 2019)

Her publications include:

Butcher, J. Bhandari, R, Foley, K, McCormick, M and Curry, G (2024) Preparing to succeed: the impact of an Access module. Journal of Further and Higher Education.

Butcher, J. and Curry, G. (2022) Digital Poverty as a barrier to Access.  Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning.

Curry, G and Butcher, J. (2020) To what extent does structure and voice in Access level curriculum improve the learning experience of widening participation students? In S. Broadhead et al (Eds) Delivering the Public Good of Higher Education: Widening Participation, Place and Lifelong Learning, Forum for Access and Continuing Education, pp. 91-106.

Marr, L., Curry, G. and Rose-Adams, J. (2013) ‘Autonomy, legitimacy and confidence: Using mainstream curriculum to successfully widen participation’ in N. Murray and C. Klinger (Eds), Aspirations, Access and Attainment: International perspectives on widening participation and an agenda for change, London: Routledge, pp 123-135.