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...
That some of the L2 and L3 materials are outdated and there is a limited number of drills in materials.
We did...
We produce a new edition of level 3 modules in French, Spanish and German is currently that will be available in 2021.
Languages and Applied Linguistics
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You said...
Assessment: You said that you found EMAs intimidating, especially at the end of level 1 modern languages modules, and many of you dropped out before EMAs.
We did...
We have amended our assessment strategy and all of our level 1 modules are now only assessed through TMAs marked by your own tutors.
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You said...
Study preference: You said that you prefer to study language by language rather than studying stage by stage but this option needs to be better signposted.
We did...
We have planned to fully redesign our qualification / subject website in 2018, and we will feature this information more prominently.
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You said...
Concurrent study and assessment: You said that when you study more than one module, especially at level 1, you feel under pressure when there are clashes of TMA or EMA dates.
We did...
We have started a review of our assessment calendars across all level 1 modules and drawn a plan of actions to provide better support to students taking several modules concurrently. The Student Support Team (SST) has planned proactive phone calls to students enrolled on concurrent modules to discuss study plans and potential issues of TMA deadline clashes.
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You said...
Concurrent study and tutorials: You said that clashes in tutorial dates on different modules meant you had to choose which to attend when you study more than one module.
We did...
We have amended module tutorial strategies and revised our group tuition provision, changing the number and size of tutorial clusters to address the issue of tutorial clashes and offering more options and more flexibility to students.
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You said...
Advice about module choice: You said that you would like to have more sample materials available online to help with module choices (across the OU).
We did...
We are developing online sample materials and modern languages diagnostic tools to help you choose the right module. We are also revising our Information and Guidance document to better support advisors with your queries.
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You said...
Exploring languages and cultures (L161): You said that not all of the content of L161 is relevant to all students.
We did...
We have introduced real-time feedback surveys on the L161 website which allow for recommendations to be made about more personalised pathways through the module materials.
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You said...
Vivace - intermediate Italian (L150): You said that working with a DVD-ROM was impractical as many computers are no longer fitted with DVD-ROM players.
We did...
We have transferred all the DVD-ROM activities to the module website without loss of any functionality to the audio-visual interactive material.
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You said...
Exploring English grammar (E304): You said that you needed more support with the use of the module corpus tool.
We did...
We have run a corpus tool online forum moderated by a specialist AL to provide help on the module website. We have also briefed and trained ALs and IT helpdesk staff to ensure that they are more confident and can provide more advice to students.
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You said...
Level 1 languages EMAs are stressful, especially speaking EMAs.
We did...
From 2017, all of our level 1 modules will be assessed through continuous assessment only.
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