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 don’t want to wait until level 2 to start studying your chosen subject in depth.
We did...
What we've done is create two new modules for the second part of Level 1. Each new module contains just four arts and humanities disciplines rather than eight, and by the end of both modules, you are working exclusively in the discipline you intend to go on and study at level 2.
Arts and Humanities
Posted on:
You said...
Our induction resources and bridging materials are a bit disorganised, and you don’t find out about them soon enough.
We did...
To address that, we have refreshed our induction and bridging resources as well as updated the Arts and Humanities subject site as a whole to make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. You can find these resources here: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=1698471.
We also now send out regular messages over the summer to both new and continuing students to let them know about these resources and where to find them, as well as including relevant information in the MILLS M1 message.
Posted on:
You said...
You want access to a tutor and other students in your discipline in between modules.
We did...
In response, we have introduced year-round discipline forums on the Arts and Humanities subject site. These are moderated by tutors who are experts in that discipline, and often feature threads where specific modules can be discussed. These forums are linked to from module websites so that you can find them quickly and easily. You can find them here: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=207009&area=forums
Posted on:
You said...
Studying full-time can be a real challenge. Extra support and advice would be a big help.
We did...
We’ve put lots of extra resources on the Arts and Humanities subject site, including, planning advice, a time management tool, combined study guides for popular module combinations, top tips from other full-time students, and links to material helping you to decide whether full-time or part-time study is best to you. We have also introduced a dedicated forum for students studying full-time. You can find the resources and forum here: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=207009&cmid=1534296. In addition, our Student Support Team contacts everyone registering full-time on level 1 to see if they need any help.
Posted on:
You said...
There is a lack of clarity about the support that students studying collaborative modules at other institutions are entitled to from the OU.
We did...
We recognise the difficulties here. Since 2019 new modules have followed a simpler format: start online, move to a print chapter, and then finish online. We are also encouraging modules undergoing midlife review to consider making changes which will facilitate a better study pattern between print and online. We hope that this approach will make it easier for students to study in this blended way.
Posted on:
You said...
Timings of online tutorials could be more flexible: including weekday daytimes, as well as evenings and Saturday mornings.
We did...
Modules with larger student cohorts are already experimenting with a wider range of online tutorial slots, including Friday mornings and on Sundays. This is not always feasible in modules with fewer students and tutors, but we are aware of the need to run tutorials across a range of different days and times wherever possible.
Posted on:
You said...
You don’t like assignments requiring you to produce shared work for a shared mark.
We did...
Whilst interacting with others is a really important part of the learning process for most students, we recognise that collaborative assignments can be a challenging experience. Many modules still have assessed activities that ask you to work and engage with other students, but that work is always your own and so is the mark that you get for it.
Posted on:
You said...
You would like more help and direction to get going with modules before they officially start.
We did...
We are working towards piloting several different approaches to this in three Arts and Humanities subject areas for autumn 2021. If any of those prove successful, we will look at rolling them out across our curriculum more widely.
Posted on:
You said...
It's not always clear what recordings of online learning events are available or where to find them.
We did...
We have committed to ensure that key information is visible and readily accessible to students at the beginning of the module. In addition, a university-wide policy on tutorial recording is in preparation.
Posted on:
You said...
The content and/or purpose of learning events is not always clearly explained in advance.
We did...
Module teams have been directed to make use of module-wide forums to publicise further details about learning events in a timely fashion throughout the module.
Posted on:
Latest Opportunities
Student Consultation Meetings 2025 - Get involved!
United Kingdom and online
National Student Survey 2025
Online/Virtual
