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...
MSc in Finance (F67) students, in particular, wanted the option of having more printed materials.
We did...
Course books have now been made available.
Business Postgraduate
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You said...
Some students have found the Fast Track MBA workload un-manageable and support inadequate.
We did...
We now telephone all students who register on the Fast Track MBA so that they are clear on the demands and expectations. We have also provided additional opportunities for face-to-face events. A short review of the programme has been undertaken and findings are informing support from Student Experience Managers.
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You said...
There is sometimes inconsistency and variability of tutor support.
We did...
We are always looking to improve our engagement with Associate Lecturers (ALs) which helps support best practice. The Faculty AL Development Group is looking to increase its impact. Currently we are refreshing our approach to tutorial monitoring. Tutor Career Development and Staff Appraisals (CDSAs) are focusing more on promptly addressing any performance concerns. However, if any students do have concerns about the support being provided which they are unable to resolve directly with their tutor, we advise them to contact their Student Support Team for additional advice and guidance and escalation as appropriate.
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You said...
You wanted a greater voice in how decisions were made about the Undergraduate (UG) Business Programme and to find out how your feedback is used.
We did...
We are proud to have three student representatives working with the UG Business Programme to represent student views on committees and strategic groups. We have three UG Business Board of Studies representatives, who also take turns attending Student Support Team strategic and operational meetings. Together with the student representatives on the Faculty’s Teaching Committee, these students serve a crucial role in ensuring that student views are heard and addressed. We hope to enhance this work in the coming year and to identify more ways for students to participate in our UG Business academic community.
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You said...
In general you dislike modules that are presented online only, with no printed materials. Some reasons given for this dislike are: that it’s not easy to learn new concepts from a screen; you find it useful to have a book to write notes in; it’s not always possible to get access to online content (e.g. if there’s no internet connection); you feel it represents a lowering of production values and value for money, and you can’t be sure how long after module completion you will continue to have access to online content.
We did...
We are applying the principle that our default position for new modules is to present a mix of online and printed content. We will consider presenting modules entirely online only if there is compelling evidence that the pedagogic benefits outweigh any drawbacks and that students prefer it this way. The Engineering and Innovation Board of Studies will continue to be led by the evidence of which we are aware: currently this evidence shows that students overwhelmingly prefer (or need) a mix of online and printed material on every module. This approach has recently been strongly endorsed by the external advisors to our Board of Studies in their annual report. We have sought clarification from the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive on this issue and have received the following reassurance: “There are no plans to ban print. Making use of innovative pedagogies designed to deliver a better learning experience will enable more students to succeed, and these pedagogies require use of the digital space. Digital materials can be updated regularly, analytics can be used to support student engagement, and interactive activities can be included to embed learning. However, there are areas where the printed format is better, and can be used alongside digital materials, and thus print will be retained where pedagogically relevant.” For practical reasons, modules already in existence that are online only will have to continue this way until the end of their design lives, but we will work to find ways in which to improve students’ experiences on them. Any replacement modules will be created according to the principles set out above.
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You said...
Many responses have mentioned a feeling of isolation and a desire for an environment that enables a more active and visible student community to be built within a subject area. In Engineering, such comments have often been made at the same time as praising the residential schools for providing some measure of community.
We did...
In this coming year, we will be launching websites for each subject area that will replace the existing Qualifications Online sites. Extensively designed and tested in conjunction with OU students, we think the new sites will be a great improvement. Together with your StudentHome, the intention is that it will be your preferred portal to your studies. With this site we mean to bring together all the students who are studying for qualifications in similar subject areas, not just on the same module. We will post interesting enrichment experiences for you to keep active and prepare for your next module during any breaks between them. There will be a virtual meeting-place with fellow students, some of whom will already have studied modules you are considering doing next. The site will also contain announcements of upcoming events and meetings that might be of interest to students in that subject area. This is also the place from which you can gain access to the University’s careers service and pastoral help.
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You said...
Diagnostic quizzes were welcome but it was felt that they should be more prominent. They were particularly valued at the start of study and between levels when prior knowledge from another area was required.
We did...
We have placed all these quizzes in a more prominent place on the new subject site. In addition we will remind students about these resources through news items on the subject site. We are hopeful that there will be an IT solution in place to provide links to these quizzes from Module Chooser.
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You said...
The 'Revise & Refresh' website was a useful resource for students registered to study Essential Mathematics (MST124), and other Modules, but the website needed to be more prominent.
We did...
A Revise and Refresh for MST224 was created in summer 2017, and that will soon be broadened out in order to help students going onto other modules after MST124. There are also plans to develop a Revise and refresh for MST210 / M208 and level 3. All these resources are now hosted on the Mathematics and Statistics subject site and we have been doing much to ensure that it, and the Revise and refresh resources within it, are promoted to students at every appropriate opportunity.
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You said...
Quizzes, video clips and applets (in that order) were welcome and it would be good to have exercise booklets or additional exercises available in more modules than was currently the case.
We did...
We will incorporate such tools and exercise booklets into modules where appropriate as modules are refreshed.
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You said...
With regard to employability, what was of utmost importance was the actual mathematics skills rather than generic study skills. Quite a number of students expressed the opinion that the assessment of employability skills should be optional, but given the compulsory nature of these activities more people were in favour of report-writing and team work over the more generic skills which were assessed at level 1. There was general dislike of the assessment of these skills at level 1, however it was felt that it would be useful to have guidance in how to turn skills, such as analysing problems into notable points for a CV. Optional career advice would be helpful. Modules were successful at linking material to the real world, with M249 being cited as an example.
We did...
We will strengthen the advice and links with the OU Careers and Employability Services and any generic advice on employability skills. The SUCCEED section of the Mathematics and Statistics subject site contains extensive resources relevant to careers and employability. We have reviewed which specific skills are important for each module and amended the module assessment strategies accordingly. This process will continue as modules are refreshed and updated.
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