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Widening participation in action

From the outset the OU has regarded access as a key driver in the development of our curriculum and student support.

Courses and qualifications

All our programmes of study are designed to enable students to build confidence and develop study skills as they progress. As of 2009, as part of annual strategic planning, each Faculty is required to develop an action plan that outlines how it will contribute to widening participation. Some activity is already underway and a few examples are given below:

  • A range of course tasters so that enquirers can get a feel for the level, style and approach of particular courses. These materials are available online through the OpenLearn website or from regional and national centres.
  • Openings courses are short introductory courses specifically designed to give a gentle introduction to OU study and a subject area. They start by focusing on students' own life experiences and gradually build up to the kind of work required for university-level study.
  • The delivery of certain courses can be adapted to improve flexibility of learning. For example, the Writing Development Pathway pilot offers an alternative route through the course An introduction to health and social care (K101) for students who need extra support in developing basic writing skills.
  • A number of Foundation Degrees have been developed that include work and/or practice-based elements. These degrees acknowledge the importance students and employers place on skills that can be learned from and applied in the workplace.

Faculty action plans

The Widening Participation Strategy 2009-2012 was approved by Senate in January 2009. It followed a review in 2008 of the University's widening participation action plan. The review took into account changing internal and external contexts, including funding changes, changes in the student body, the increasing importance of employer engagement and of elearning.

The Strategy emphasises the role of Faculties in contributing to recruitment, attainment and retention targets, whilst recognising that individual units will contribute in different ways to the widening participation agenda.

An underlying principle of Faculty activity is expected to be closer integration with regional and national student support services, marketing and the Community Partnerships Programme.

As from 2009 each Faculty is required to develop an annual action plan setting out the contribution it will make to the University's widening participation objectives for recruitment, retention and attainment in delivering its courses and programmes. It is recognised that Faculty contributions will differ, and depend to some extent on the nature of the curriculum, pathways and qualifications that they support. Plans should look ahead over the next three years.

Learner support

As well as supporting widening participation through the curriculum, the University is also developing the support we offer our students. For example:

  • The Learner Support Framework aims to ensure that students receive holistic, consistent and high quality support throughout their individual student journeys.
  • A range of online study support resources, such as study skills tools, careers advice and library services, are complemented by financial and practical support in using ICT for study to ensure that all students can benefit.
  • Lessons from community partnership projects are fed back to a wide network of practitioners and academic staff in order to break down barriers faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.