Sally Caird
Dr Sally Caird is a Research Fellow (part-time) with the Design and Innovation Group in the Department of Engineering and Innovation. She has a BA(Hons) in Psychology (University College Dublin), M.Ed in Education (Trinity College Dublin) and a PhD in Innovation (The Open University). She has worked at Durham University, the University of Stirling and The Open University.
Her research interests span multi-disciplinary fields including: low carbon technologies in the built environment; sustainability in higher education; and enterprise and innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). She has developed educational tools and resources including in the areas of enterprise, innovation and environmental education. She works on the development of study units for OpenLearn, and OU modules for qualification programmes. She has worked in collaboration with organisations in the areas of: environment & pollution control, low carbon technologies and vehicles, higher education and innovation services. She has published many refereed journal articles and other academic publications.
Current Projects
2011-2013 SusTEACH -Sustainable Tools for the Environmental Appraisal of the Carbon Impacts of Higher Education (HE) Teaching Models using ICTs
SusTEACH examined the transformative impact of ICTs on HE teaching models, with funding from the Jisc Greening ICT Programme. SusTEACH research involved a carbon-based environmental assessment of 30 HE courses and modules http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/susteach/. This led to the development of the SusTEACH Toolkit to model and assess the carbon impacts of HE courses and qualification programmes and support the design of low carbon teaching and learning, and thereby contribute towards achieving HE sustainability targets. http://www9.open.ac.uk/SusTeach/. SusTEACH was a finalist in the Green Gown Awards 2012. The video is available http://youtu.be/FyqhQ1W5rA8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj2KC2_9Ong. SusTEACH has led to a new study unit for Openlearn on 'The environmental impacts of teaching and learning'.
2008-2011 Heat pump Field Trial Adoption of microgeneration technologies is part of the UK strategy to reduce carbon emissions from buildings and meet climate change challenges. Funded from the Higher Education Innovation Fund's UEA 'Carbon Connections' programme, with co-funding from industry, The OU and The Energy Saving Trust undertook the first large-scale Heat Pump Field Trial in the UK to monitor over 80 domestic ground and air source heat pumps in private and social dwellings to address the lack of independent evaluation of this technology. The OU team investigated the experience of using heat pumps and evaluate the effect of user behaviour and other influences on measured heat pump system efficiency. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11200063.
2009-2011 U-Stir -User -driven STImulation of Radical new technological steps in surface transport The U-Stir pogramme investigated the key transport innovation areas beyond 2050 which offer the greatest opportunity to reduce carbon emissions. Funded under EU Framework 7, this identified the most effective mechanisms to engage users, intermediaries and organisations with radical surface transport innovation concepts to support the developing infrastructure for Low Carbon Vehicles (e.g. electric, hydrogen fuel-cell),within the industry to achieve successful market transformation. This led to the creation of the Open2Innov8ion webtool -to support reflection on organisational innovation http://design.open.ac.uk/itool/.
2007-2008 Carbon Connections YIMBY -Yes In My Backyard. The OU worked with the Energy Saving Trust to examine the reasons why UK householders adopt or decide not to adopt micro-generation heating technologies, including solar thermal, heat pump and biomass heating systems. Funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund's 'Carbon Connections' programme, this project examined the experience of using microgeneration technologies, ideas for design improvements and policies to facilitate mass-market diffusion.
2004-2006: People-centred eco-design of low and zero carbon (LZC) products and systems. The OU team collaborated with the National Energy Foundation and Milton Keynes Energy Agency to examine the factors influencing consumer adoption, non-adoption and effective use of low and zero carbon (LZC) products and systems, ranging from low energy lighting and heating controls to solar water heating, photovoltaics and micro-wind turbine systems. It aimed to identify user-centred technical/design improvements to LZC technologies.
2001-2005: Ecological footprints of UK households This analysed data on the Ecological Footprint (EF) gathered from over 1,000 OU student households differentiated by size and geographical locations, and explored ideas for more sustainable lifestyles. EF was measured using EcoCal software and the households also contributed their ideas for sustainable living, in terms of reducing their transport, energy, waste, water and food environmental impacts. Some spin-off interactive multi-media tools included ‘Postcards from the Future’ on the website associated with the 2005 OU/BBC Coast series, http://www.open2.net/sciencetechnologynature/worldaroundus/postcards_interactive.html, as well as an adult and student ecoquiz on the educational website www.soil-net.com
Enterprise education and sustainable development This began with research to develop the test of General Enterprising Tendency (GET test) at Durham University Business School, leading to the development of an enterprise website in 2005 (Link). This has been widely adopted by international educationists and researchers to support enterprise development over the past 20 years and is ongoing.
Contact Information
Department of Engineering and InnovationFaculty of Maths, Computing and Technology,
Email: sally.caird@open.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1908 654635
ORO Publications
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Software tools
Caird, S. Swithenby, E and Hallett,S. (2012) Website, ‘SusTEACH Toolkit’ http://www9.open.ac.uk/SusTeach/.
Caird, S. and Hallett, S. (2012) ‘Open2Innov8ion Tool’ http://design.open.ac.uk/itool/.
Caird, S. and Hallett, S. (2007) Website, ‘General Measure of Enterprising Tendency Test’ http://www.get2test.net.
Caird, S. and Hallett, S. (2005) Website, ‘Postcards from the Future’, in collaboration with OU team linked to the 2005 OU/BBC Coast series open2.net http://www.open2.net/coast/postcards_interactive.html.
Caird, S. and Hallett, S. (2005) Multi-media website product, Eco-lifestyle Quiz for the environmental e-learning ‘SoilNet’ web portal “http://www.soil-net.com” in collaboration with Cranfield University.
Page Last Updated: 7 June, 2013