eLearning Community Event: Student Voice. Understanding our students and learning from them

eLearning Community Event: Student Voice. Understanding our students and learning from them

You are welcome to attend for all or part of the event, and we will aim to stick to timings to enable you to do that. Please note that this event will be recorded. You can also join the event via live streaming on Stadium.

10.00-10.30  Student consultation in the framework of student voice

Rachel Garnham and Jack Orbell  (Academic Services, PVC Students)

This presentation will look at how the University’s Student Voice framework and Action Plan have been established and the role of the Student Voice Steering Group, particularly in light of the introduction of the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Students. We will look at the next steps needed in meeting the University’s commitments to student voice as set out in the Student Charter and the OU-OU Students Association Relationship Agreement. We will also introduce the University’s student consultative process and take a look at the role it plays in enabling students to talk to staff about areas for improvement at all levels. We will look at some successes and areas for improvement, paying attention to all elements of the feedback cycle – involving students in setting the agenda, participating in the consultation, analysing and acting on student views and – hugely important – closing the feedback loop!

10.30 – 11.00 Developing community among a diverse student body: research students at the OU

Emily Yossarian and Robert Wilson (Graduate School Network, OU Grad School)

The OU Postgraduate Research Student (PGR) community is a small but vital part of the OU’s mission, doing PhDs and professional doctorates. There are around 1000 students in all disciplines, distributed across campus, working remotely and in affiliated research centres across the globe. Our challenge has been around fostering inter-disciplinary communities, across on-campus and off-campus students. We strive to balance a vibrant online network with an equally supportive research community in our physical spaces here at Walton Hall.  In each case we encourage student-led initiatives, celebrate students successes and acknowledge struggles in a supportive manner.  In this talk, we’ll present some of the events and interventions that worked, and some that really didn’t.

11.00-11.25  tea/coffee break 

11.25 – 12.00 The Unheard Student Voice

Ruth McFarlane (Students in Secure Environments Team, Widening Access and Success Services)

There are currently 1800 people studying an OU module in prison, who achieve results on a par with general population students in spite of the many barriers they face. Having only very limited access to the VLE (via learn7 – a locked down version of learn2), most students make full use of their printed offline pack and many still write their assignments by hand. Students in prison are not allowed to use the tutor group forums or to have direct contact with other students and they often feel very isolated. The Students in Secure Environments team (SiSE) is working in prisons to offer opportunities for students to give direct feedback on their study experience and to share study experiences, via Student Councils, Study Skills sessions and Academic Seminars. This session will introduce a student profile and some images and experiences of the study environment, as well as some comments from students in prison about their involvement in these activities and feedback from the SEaM survey.

Thursday 7 February 2019 10.00-12.00.  Library Seminar Rooms 1 & 2 / Live Streaming on Stadium