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You Said, We Did

How your voice has made a difference

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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...

We found the guidance for the assignments was too long and confusing because there was too much information in the Assessment Guides.

We did...

We have redesigned the Assessment Guide to present information and guidance on assessment more clearly and in more straightforward language.

Access

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You said...

We were uncomfortable being asked to reflect on personal experiences in several of the activities.

We did...

Although many students benefit from connecting the module material to their own personal experiences, we have included advice to students that, if they find it emotionally challenging, it is possible to complete the module successfully without doing so. We have also included a link about a range of organisations that offer support to people experiencing emotional difficulties.

Access

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You said...

The online school design activity was frustrating to use and not well designed so work was usually lost.

We did...

While this is an interesting and useful learning activity, there have been some software issues which we are looking into resolving by redeveloping the tool to make it more reliable for students to use in the future.

Access

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You said...

We would like more flexibility to complete assignments around holiday times.

We did...

The submission date for the second TMA has been moved to a later date to allow students more time to complete their assignment.

Access

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You said...

It is not always clear how your arts and humanities studies are relevant to your work or career.

We did...

Skills developed through studying the arts and humanities are highly relevant and valued in the workplace, and we will explore ways of articulating these more clearly on module and qualification sites.

Arts and Humanities

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You said...

Independent study at level 3 can be daunting.

We did...

We are working on some additional bridging materials to help you prepare for independent study at level 3. These will be made available ahead of the October 2017 presentation.

Arts and Humanities

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You said...

Tutorial provision has become an area of heightened concern because of the introduction and implementation of the Group Tuition Policy.

We did...

The Board of Studies is reviewing the presentation of every module in each qualification in order to identify improvements that can and will be made under this policy for the next presentation of each module, as well as providing feedback to University-level reviews of the policy.

Computing and Communications

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You said...

An ongoing concern continues to be the provision of online and printed materials and the balance between them on individual modules.

We did...

While online delivery permits greater use of internally produced interactive materials we recognise that printed resources are also highly valued, and many students would like the best of both worlds – desiring both online and print materials so that you choose when, how and what to study. To this end, we endeavour to ensure that module materials are available in as wide a range of formats as possible and can be accessed by a wide range of devices.

Computing and Communications

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You said...

The workload on some of our modules continues to be an issue.

We did...

We are developing a ‘Student Resource Portal’, where we are providing ‘quizzes’, ‘taster’ material and other resources, to support you when choosing a module and so that you know what to expect from each module. We are also trying to make it clearer, through the Portal and other means, including your Student Support Team, what prior knowledge and skills are required by modules, including where a module requires completion of another module first.

Computing and Communications

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You said...

You said you weren’t satisfied with the assessment on some level one modules.

We did...

We review our assessment every year and where possible integrate student and tutor feedback into any changes we make. As part of an OU initiative we will be reviewing our assessment in level one modules and will be removing the end of module assessment across all of our level one modules over the next few years.

Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport

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