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...
Many students mentioned the use of technologies such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams and would welcome their use in an OU context for greater online interaction
We did...
We will investigate roll out of Microsoft Teams and Skype to ALs, and protocols around use of these for student engagement.
Student Consultations
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You said...
There was overwhelming support for a single honours, named degree in Geology/Earth Science at the OU.
We did...
Support for a single honours, named degree in Geology/Earth Science at the OU. We have drafted a formal business case and will submit this to the University approval process later this year.
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You said...
Key skills highlighted for a proposed new Geology degree include GIS, team working and report writing.
We did...
We are currently developing GIS material for the Master of Environmental Science and plan to introduce some basic GIS teaching at Stage 2 Earth and Environmental Science. We also plan to improve our support of report writing tasks in several modules.
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You said...
A new Geology degree should teach a range of practical skills and offer students diverse practical experiences, for instance considering how placements might be included.
We did...
To supplement existing field schools, we are scoping plans for new virtual field experiences via the OpenSTEM Labs and are designing a model to allow students’ external practical experience (such as work placements or courses from other providers) to gain credit on S831. Plan
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You said...
Field learning is critical to an Earth Science degree and every effort should be made to enable students to access and benefit from it.
We did...
We have improved the information on field schools so attendees know more what to expect. EEES staff are investigating how to design more inclusive field teaching, via OU projects and in collaboration with international geoscience educators.
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You said...
Students gave us detailed feedback on our design and content of quiz questions in the Badged Open Course Looking Globally: The Future of Education, which we wanted to be both appropriate to postgraduate study and accessible for a wider (open) audience. Without prior knowledge of the course content, students identified which questions required knowledge of course, rather than general knowledge and also guided us on which questions needed greater clarity in their instructions
We did...
We significantly refined the wording and content of the quizzes as a result of this feedback. This was important to help assess material in a way which prepared those students who wanted to use the badge from the course for their first assessment of a linked Masters module (EE830).
Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport
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You said...
Students were asked for their feedback on building in Activity Weeks (weeks designed to offer different ways for students to study and engage with one another within the study guide). The vision was for this to be a collaborative space and use on wikis. We offered students alternatives about what this might best look like.
We did...
Student feedback was enthusiastic about the use of wikis and unanimous that they found it most intuitive to move from the module site into wikis for each activity, rather than base the weeks wholly within wiki spaces. Students have been able to navigate these weeks as evidenced by some great engagement, including a student-generated poster session in May.
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You said...
Students advised, through surveys and interviews linked to scholarship, how and in what ways Microsoft Office365 OneNote can be useful in supporting personal development planning (PDP) as an ePortfolio tool.
We did...
We now offer Microsoft Office365 OneNote templates for students to adopt and adapt (including advice for Mac Users), and activities within our modules which link to these templates should students want to use them. The activities similarly work if other ePortfolios or mechanisms for personal development planning are needed. Student/peer PDP coaches have been able to exemplify how they use OneNote.
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You said...
You want to be able to apply to extend the time limits for a qualifying law degree during your studies, instead of having to wait until the completion of their last module.
We did...
We changed the regulations governing the LLB to enable students to apply to extend the time limits at any point during their studies, so they no longer need to wait until the complete the degree.
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You said...
Students starting their studies at level one feel isolated due to the distance learning nature of OU studies
We did...
We introduced a pilot peer mentoring project for students starting their first law module in February 2020, Students who asked to be part of the project were placed in small groups with a peer student mentor who had completed the module in the last 2 years. The groups could meet online or communicate through a forum.
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