Student Voice Week 2020 Timetable
In order to attend a particular session please click on the associated link to register for the session or to join on the day and time of the event. We would advise checking this page regularly, in case any of the details are updated.
Click here for our colour version - Student Voice Week 2020 PDF
Sunday 15 November
18:00-19:00
What is Student Voice? How to get involved
OU Students Association
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 15-11-2020
Monday 16 November
12:15-13:00
Student Voice, What's It All About?
Faculty of Business and Law
We will highlight what student engagement activity we have undertaken over the last year and then find out from you about what we can do going forward to improve student voice in the Faculty. We will also discuss how we use the student consultative process. As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
14:00-14:45
Study More Than 60 Credits - what do you think?
Faculty of Business and Law
Are you studying more than 60 credits this year? This is an opportunity for students who are studying more than 60 credits and staff to meet virtually and discuss the benefits and challenges. We want to hear what you, our students, think. As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
16:00-17:00
Making it work: Navigating Digital Tools at Work – online focus group
Do you feel lost with the digital tools and technologies now in the workplace? Are you unsure what skills employers are looking for? As an OU student your digital skills may be better than you think, or you may just need a steer in the right direction to become digitally confident. OU Careers and Employability Services and the OU Library would like to hear from you in our focus group. Share your experiences and thoughts on your digital skills and find out what support is available. We’ll also talk you through a Digital Capabilities tool to assess your skill level and next steps forward. You’ll also receive a £20 Amazon voucher for taking part. We have 10 places available so if you’d like to take part please book your place now. You'll also receive a consent form which you'll need to complete before taking part.
18:00-19:00
The Student Mental Health Agreement: working in partnership to support student mental health
Open University in Scotland
This session will provide information on the OU in Scotland's Student Mental Health Agreement (SMHA) developed in partnership with the OU Students Association. We will provide an overview of the SMHA and the commitments we have made to support students' mental health. We will then seek participants' input on how we can best work together to achieve our objectives.
18:00-19:00
Getting work experience and securing a graduate job in Wales
Open University in Wales
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 16-11-2020
Now more than ever, securing work experience and graduate roles are key activities in the student journey to success, particularly during the Covid pandemic, where employers have reduced the number of face to face opportunities and vacancies.
We hope to promote the schemes that we have in Wales, where we have pivoted online to provide relevant, robust and realistic work experience and access to graduate jobs.
Participants will be able to:
- Find out how to access schemes
- Know where to look for opportunities and vacancies
- Contact people to get support with applications
- Gain work experience with a wide range of employers in Wales
- Develop employability skills
- Improve chances of obtaining sustainable, graduate level employment when leaving University
- Access one to one support with an adviser
18:00-19:30
Postgraduate Business Student Networking Session
Faculty of Business and Law
Please join an online networking session with Professor Devendra Kodwani, Executive Dean for the Faculty of Business and Law, Professor Siv Vangen, FBL’s Associate Dean Research, Enterprise and Scholarship and incoming Head of the Business School, and Dr Michael Ngoasong, Director of Teaching for the Masters Programme, for students studying postgraduate qualifications in the Business School.
This will be a great opportunity for you to meet and socialise with fellow students across all the postgraduate business qualifications, learn more about the programme and share your views on the future directions for the School.
19:00-20:00
The OU Library: Referencing & Plagiarism Webpage – What do YOU want to see?
We know referencing can be a worry and we’re here to support you! Join this focus group hosted by the OU Library to look at the current Referencing & Plagiarism support page and let us know what works, what doesn’t and what you want to see in a new and improved webpage.
Tuesday 17 November
10:00-11:30
Student Representative Huddle
Faculty of Business and Law
Registration link to follow
11:00-12:00
Getting work experience and securing a graduate job in Wales
Open University in Wales
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 17-11-2020
Now more than ever, securing work experience and graduate roles are key activities in the student journey to success, particularly during the Covid pandemic, where employers have reduced the number of face to face opportunities and vacancies.
We hope to promote the schemes that we have in Wales, where we have pivoted online to provide relevant, robust and realistic work experience and access to graduate jobs.
Participants will be able to:
- Find out how to access schemes
- Know where to look for opportunities and vacancies
- Contact people to get support with applications
- Gain work experience with a wide range of employers in Wales
- Develop employability skills
- Improve chances of obtaining sustainable, graduate level employment when leaving University
- Access one to one support with an adviser
11:30-12:15
Let's Hear from the Younger Student Voice!
Faculty of Business and Law
Are you young or young at heart? Please join us to talk about what it is like to study at the OU in the Faculty of Business and Law. As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
12:30-13:30
Business Student Virtual Cuppa
Faculty of Business and Law
Are you a Business student? Join OU Business students and Mychelle and Giacomo from the Faculty for an informal chat. We want to hear what you think! As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
13:30-15:00
Your Voice Matters - Careers Facebook chat
Is your student voice being heard? The Careers and Employability team would like to hear from you. Join our Facebook chat to tell us your thoughts and ideas on the different ways we can support you and how you’d like to access our support.
You can also see how we use your comments to improve and develop the service. Don’t worry if you’ve never used our services before, your opinions matter. Have your say and help us to help you better.
15:00-15:45
Making the Most of Social Media
Faculty of Business and Law
In this session, we will explore with you how students can make the most of social media to enhance the learning experience. In the second half, we will listen to you to find out how you would like to communicate with staff, what the Faculty could do better on social media and how we can use social media more creatively. As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
16:00-17:00
Studying across different subjects and 'opening' up new opportunities
Open programme
18:00-19:30
What do you think about the Association's student community? A Consultation with students from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
OU Students Association
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 17-11-2020
19:00-20:00
How to use PDP to get the most out of your studies
Peer coaching team
Join Adobe Connect event on 17-11-2020
- What is Personal Development Planning (PDP) and how can it be used by you as students?
- How can students support one another with PDP (using peer coaching and mentoring)?
- What interests do you have in developing a peer support community?
19:30-21:00
The 2nd eSTEeM Annual Student Conference: Engaging Students as Partners in Scholarship
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
eSTEeM is the STEM Faculty’s Scholarship and Innovation Centre. Scholarship refers to a set of activities which lead to evidence-informed innovation that enhances teaching and learning for the benefit of students; this is commonly referred to as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning or SoTL.
This conference will showcase a small selection of the innovative projects being carried out by our project teams all with the common aim of enhancing the learning experience for STEM students. We hope you will join us to learn more about our work and find out how you could get involved with scholarship projects in the future.
Wednesday 18 November
16:00-17:00
Digital Skills for Career Confidence - Online focus group
Are you confident about the digital skills needed to reach your goals? Have you learnt new ones since the pandemic? Or has your confidence been knocked? As an OU student you’re using digital skills all the time, probably without realising. But you may have gaps or areas you’d like to brush up on.
Whatever your situation OU Careers and Employability Services and the OU Library would like to hear your thoughts in our focus group. We’ll be asking you what skills you need for your career, what might be holding you back and how we can support you to develop your skills further. You’ll also receive a £20 Amazon voucher for taking part. We have 10 places available so if you’d like to take part please book your place now. You'll also receive a consent form which you'll need to complete before taking part.
17:45-18:30
Periodic Quality Review: How students can make a big difference at the Open University
Join Microsoft Teams event on 18-11-2020
Description: Periodic Quality Review (PQR) is the big six-yearly quality assurance and enhancement review of each of the OU’s curriculum areas, our Open degrees, access courses, research degrees and courses delivered by our validated partners across the world. This session will focus on:
- What is Periodic Quality Review
- Student involvement in preparing for the review
- Student Reviewers
- Students meeting with the PQR panel
- How we plan to involve even more students in PQR
- How you can get involved
- Q&A
18:30-19:30
Meet the OU Senior Team - Q&A
Registration for this event and submit your questions
Join Microsoft Team meeting on 18-11-2020
Ask the OU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and other members of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive questions and find out a bit more about why the OU wants to hear from you.
19:30-21:00
Decolonising the Curriculum: Involving Students
Join Microsoft Teams event on 18-11-2020
This session will set the context of what decolonising the curriculum means. We will provide the academic background and an update on the OU's recent work, and share the experience of two recent graduates from the University of Nottingham, who worked on decolonisation and now both work at the OU. We will then open up discussions to explore ways in which students can become instrumental in decolonising of the curriculum, making a positive contribution to change.
Thursday 19 November
10:00-11:00
Law Student Virtual Cuppa
Faculty of Business and Law
This is a chance to socialise with peers from across the law programme. Anyone who is registered on an OU qualification is invited to attend. While anyone is able to attend, you will achieve the most from this event if you are able to contribute using a microphone.
11:00-11:45
Diversity in Student Voice
Faculty of Business and Law
We welcome anyone and everyone to come and talk about student diversity at the OU, particularly focusing on the Faculty of Business and Law. We want to hear from you about what it means to be part of a diverse student population and how we can best engage with you so that your voice is actively listened to. As we want to hear from you, we would love you to turn on your video or audio at points during the event. Of course if you just want to listen, that's fine too.
11:00-12:00
Essential Study Skills for OU Students
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 19-11-2020
When students are beginning their study there is a wealth of advice around how to prepare, and what skills would be most helpful. Research has given us insight into which skills and behaviours are useful at the outset, and which can be acquired and developed throughout the learning journey.
Please join us as we share what we have learned and for the chance to share your own experience.
13:00-13:30
Student Support, Data and You
Faculty of Business and Law
Join us to learn how the Faculty and the Student Support Team use statistical evidence to proactively support our students.
15:00-16:00
Student Co-creation in the Law School
Faculty of Business and Law
In this session we will highlight the co-creation the Law School has undertaken with students and Associate Lecturers so far and will consider how we will continue to co-create.
17:30-19:00
Meet the student support chatbot
Join Adobe Connect event on 19-11-2020
Join us in an interactive session where we share the latest members of our digital student support team; Betty, Q-Bot and OU Bot. We want to hear your thoughts and feelings around how chatbot could support you in the future.
18:00-18:45
Student partnership, voice and volunteering
Open University in Wales
Join Microsoft Teams event on 19-11-2020
The Wales Student Volunteer panel is a collaboration between the OUiW and the OU Students Association and chaired by our Area Association representative. It is comprised of students who have volunteered to be part of the panel and Student Association and Wales staff members. The agenda and approach is largely driven by students, for students and covers a wide range of areas and interests relating to the OU and HE in Wales more broadly.
For students in Wales attending the event, we hope that they will be engaged and interested in the work of the panel, and the views expressed by the students currently involved. We view it as potential recruitment opportunity to increase membership of the Panel, with a particular interest in students across the breadth of Wales, and welsh speakers. We hope to demonstrate some of the benefits of involvement within the Panel such as transferrable employability skills and the opportunity to be involved within the wider Wales student community.
18:00-19:00
The Big Blether
Open University in Scotland
The OU in Scotland and OU Students Association invite you to join us for a blether. A good blether can help us through a tough time, give us the confidence to overcome a hurdle or just put a smile on our face at the end of a long day. You'll have the opportunity to put your questions to OU in Scotland staff and OU Students Association representatives on a range of topics.
19:00-20:00
Community Voice
Community Partnerships Project in Northern Ireland
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 19-11-2020
Join an open discussion and debate about the value of the Open University having a community presence and what this actually means in real terms - using the example of the OU in Northern Ireland's own Community Partnerships Project. Former/current participants from this project, centre staff and the project AL will be taking part in the session.
19:30-20:30
Law Student Virtual Cuppa
Faculty of Business and Law
This is a chance to socialise with peers from across the law programme. Anyone who is registered on an OU qualification is invited to attend. While anyone is able to attend, you will achieve the most from this event if you are able to contribute using a microphone.
19:30-20:30
STEM - Listening event - student experiences in 2020 and looking to the future
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
If you are a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics student we want to hear from you. The pandemic situation in Spring and Summer 2020 led to a rapid change in the way in which final module assessments or examinations were conducted across the university. In STEM a number of different solutions were deployed. We are aware that not everything went smoothly for all students but as a faculty we are very keen to learn from this experience. We hope to become increasingly innovative around assessment in the future and your views and experiences are important to us.
This STEM faculty listening event is an opportunity for you to voice your views on the shape of future assessment in STEM, informed by the unique situation you found yourself in this year.
Friday 20 November
10:30-11:30
Help us to lift the lid and demystify Distance Learning - the OU way
Join Microsoft Teams meeting on 20-11-2020
Research has shown that whilst most people have heard of the OU and think it is a respected and trusted institution, many people do not understand what the OU actually offers or how we deliver distance learning in a supportive, innovative and engaging way.
Please join us to discuss your own experiences and help us ‘lift the lid’ on Distance Learning - the OU way.
11:30-12:30
Virtual Social: Exploring Student Hub Live
18:00-19:00
OU Wales OpenLearn Wellbeing & Mental Health Collection – A student led project and opportunity
Open University in Wales
This is a closed workshop. Registration is required and participant numbers are limited. Please contact wales-events@open.ac.uk by 13 November to register your interest and the team will get in touch with further instructions.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing collection (Wales) provides a hub of free, bilingual resources. The collection aims to promotion positive wellbeing and support good mental health for students studying at Higher or Further Education level. A central element of the collection’s development has been student voice.
In this session we will be asking Wales-based OU students to act as a critical friend and discuss their views on new resources that have been created following earlier student engagement. As well as a reflection on the collection as a whole, including the look and feel.
Saturday 21 November
09:30-11:00
Study under lockdown: What's your study style?
OU Students Association
Join Adobe Connect room on 21-11-2020
11:00-11:45
Student Voice Week Round-up Session
Join Microsoft Teams event on 21-11-2020
Come along and tell us about your experience of activities during the week, what you enjoyed and how we could do better.
19:00-20:30
"I'm a student, get me OUtta here!" Virtual Quiz
The OU and OU Student Association
Join Adobe Connect room on 21-11-2020
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