You Said, We Did
How your voice has made a difference
This page provides an opportunity to see the valuable feedback received from students across a wide range of communication channels, and to see what the OU has done in response.
Please note this video is now a couple of years old so some people no longer have the same title. The current Students Association leadership can be seen on their website.
Choose a topic from the drop-down list below to see how students can have an impact on their university experience and be empowered to help shape the University. Next time you are asked to give your opinion, you know that the OU is taking this feedback seriously and will respond.
You said...
You wanted more options for starting routes for physics qualifications.
We did...
The Integrated Masters qualification (MPhys) will have three different starting routes to match the background, experience, and interests of our students. Psychology
Physical Sciences
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You said...
The assessment on some of the 24-hour remote exams that replaced invigilated exams were unfair because some students could afford to spend at most 3 hours on preparing the answers while others might have spent the whole day on perfecting their answers.
We did...
We agree that the communication on the determination of exam grades was incomplete and potentially disadvantaging some students on a small number of modules. We helped the University design a new appeals process for remote exams, offered all students on affected modules to re-sit their exam in June 2021, and provided a fast-track alternative assessment for those with an urgent need to review their grades.
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You said...
The learning curve for Python use in SXPS288 is very steep, particularly for those who have not studied SM123 beforehand.
We did...
We have prepared the self-contained resource Python for Physical Sciences which provides an introduction to the basics of Python that is accessible to physical sciences students with no prior knowledge of programming. The resource is open to OU students at all times, with tailored forum support by tutors at certain periods of the year.
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You said...
It would be advantageous if the pdf version of the online module material of Physics: from classical to quantum (S217) could be made available in the form of printed books.
We did...
Printed books are now supplied at the start of each presentation.
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You said...
Smaller sessions, especially tutor-group sessions, are better suited to working through activities, asking questions and ‘interactivity’. Larger sessions have their place in clarifying concepts and synthesizing information, drawing out the more important points. A mixture of types of session is needed. Frequent tutorials are beneficial.
We did...
We recommended to the level 3 physics re-write module team to maintain a mix of tutor-group tutorials and module-wide tutorials. We are encouraging ALs to deliver more interactivity in their tutorials. We abandoned plans to dispose of tutor-group tutorials in the current level 3 modules. We will promote the concept of recorded “lectures”, with a separate live question and answer session. Posted on:
You said...
There is a need for both online lectures and also more informal, interactive, small-group sessions. The purpose of the sessions should be clear. Activities within online sessions need to be well thought out and authentic. Small-group sessions should be opportunities for students to try out ideas, explaining and problem solving.
We did...
We will design future modules with a mix of both types of online events. We will develop guidance notes for ALs with suggestions on how to best deploy interactivity in a tutorial setting. Posted on:
You said...
Recorded tutorials, and most particularly recorded lecture-style tutorials, are very useful, while recordings of the interactive elements of sessions are perhaps less useful.
We did...
We will continue to make use of recordings of the lecture-style elements of tutorials. We will remind tutors that the recording of interactive or discussion elements is optional. We will also look at making recordings of lecture style tutorials we can reuse, freeing up more tutor time for interactive tutorials. Posted on:
You said...
...what a potential new Master of Physics (MPhys) qualification should look like, and how this should be developed from the existing Stage 3 curriculum.
We did...
Your views and suggestions helped guide the discussions within the School of Physical Sciences and influenced the draft plans for an MPhys which will be considered further by the School and the Faculty.
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You said...
Programming skills are important for a physics-flavoured undergraduate degree and should relate to programming in the Space Science and Technology MSc. They should be taught throughout the degree, be project-based and/or embedded in activities in modules, relate to problem-solving and impart transferable skills. The use of programming and computing should be authentic and not included for its own sake.
We did...
We agree that programming skills need to be developed throughout our BSc qualifications. We have already made the first step towards this goal: the new Stage 1 module SM123 “Physics and Space” contains some basic elements of coding in the context of physics examples, using Python as the language of choice. We hope to be able to develop this further at Stages 2 and 3, possibly as part of a project. While it is true that we wish to develop generic coding skills, not the peculiarities of a particular language, one language still has to be chosen, and given its popularity, for now this will be Python. This approach is also consistent with what we heard from employers on the SEPnet (South East Physics Network) employer engagement panel.
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You said...
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) material and resources of online-only modules such as Questions in science (S111) should be made available from the start of the module.
We did...
The full suite of resources of Questions in science (S111), Physics: from classical to quantum (S217) and Practical science: physics and astronomy (SXPA288) will be made available when their respective VLE sites open.
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