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...
Some of the course material is quite dated and examples can refer to information dated 10 to 20 years ago. So it would be good to have some fresh information that is more relative to students today.
We did...
The production time scales on our modules are relatively long (up to about two years). The standard life time for a module is about eight years, so potentially some content on a module could be up to ten years old. We have recognized this can be problematic, especially in fast-moving areas of technology, and have adapted our module design to try to mitigate the issue. We make use of the online environment to allow us to update materials more frequently than is practical with printed material (although there are opportunities for new editions of module books midway through a module, we update the module website every presentation). However, we also recognize the advantages of the blended learning materials and your strong preference for a mix of print and online content. Therefore, during the design phase of new modules we think very carefully about how content is best divided between media.
Engineering and Innovation
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You said...
Add links to modules on the new Science and Environment Websites
We did...
Included a list of modules on the Science website (under the ‘Plan’ tab), as well as module tasters under the ‘Discover’ tab.
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You said...
Add links to student groups and external organisations on the new Science and Environment Websites.
We did...
Provide links to student societies and external organisations in the ‘beyond the OU’ section under the ‘Discover’ tab of the Science website, and to professional bodies under the ‘Succeed’ tab.
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You said...
You work hard for the continuous assessment components of the module and would like more to count towards your final grade.
We did...
We are changing the assessment strategy on a number of our modules to include a greater contribution from the continuous assessment tasks in the module. This will be evaluated and rolled out across other modules as appropriate.
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You said...
You would like more opportunities to develop laboratory skills.
We did...
We have developed two further laboratory schools in biology (SS032) and chemistry (SS031) following on from the Level 1 laboratory school (SS011) and those in biology and chemistry at Level 2 (SS022 and SS021 respectively). Please see the Science study site for details. We are also expanding the opportunities for remote operation of analytical equipment in our modules.
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You said...
While in general you value the tutorial provision provided on modules you would like to see a greater variety in style.
We did...
We are piloting different types of tutorials on a number of modules, including workshops as well as enrichment activities such as the online journal club.
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You said...
Many of you have a preference for printed materials.
We did...
The move to online delivery reflects the policies of the Faculty/University aimed at making learning more interactive and accessible. The move to online delivery is a general trend, even in traditional face-to-face Universities. The module teams recognise that it can be hard to study online, particularly if you spend considerable time looking at a screen outside study and are working hard to make materials more engaging as well as providing a variety of alternative formats.
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You said...
You would like more options at Level 3 in the Chemistry pathway through the BSc Natural Sciences (Q64) in particular for those with an interest in physical sciences.
We did...
As well as S350, Evaluating contemporary science, which has options for those with an interest in physical science, T356, Engineering small worlds: micro and nano technologies, is now an option for students in the Chemistry and broad pathways in Q64.
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You said...
You would like more flexibility in study order within the BSc Natural Sciences to enable you to continue your study in a specialism at Level 3 immediately after the prerequisite module at Level 2 (eg S315 directly after S215).
We did...
We have removed the prescribed study order at Stage 2 in the biology, chemistry and broad pathways in the BSc Natural Sciences to enable you to study your Level 2 modules in any order.
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You said...
You would like more exam preparation assistance, in particular practice quizzes, sample solutions, more sample exams with solutions and advice on exam technique.
We did...
As part of a review, resources for examination preparation will be considered together with individual support on modules.
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