Jay Rixon is a Senior Manager, responsible for the MA or MSc Open qualification. In this post, Jay reflects on the recent student ‘Have Your Say Day’ session held on Wednesday 15th of November.
We think that students studying an Open qualification or module are ‘brave learners’, as they often have to navigate their way across different subject areas or disciplines and make connections between their learning. Wednesday 15th of November was ‘Have Your Say Day’ and the Open Team held a fun, informal and engaging session.
The Open team were joined by two Open graduate students who have studied an Open qualification and who powerfully shared their reflections and top study tips. The Open team also discussed how we could help students with their study with our backpack of resources. We asked students to tell us what they thought was missing from our resources: what ideas could we take forward or what could we work on together.
For those who are new to The Open qualifications, they cater for:
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- Students who wish to combine a set of subjects not catered for by the University’s named degrees
- Students who want freedom from having to take some of the compulsory modules associated with existing named degrees
- Students on other OU programmes who started off with the intention of a named degree but in the course of their studies have decided they want and/or need more flexibility in their studies or wish to change their subject focus
- Students who want to maximise credit transfer or prior learning
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We started off our session by getting to know the people in the online room, engaging in a few polls, exploring the levels people were studying and the subjects and qualifications or Open modules being studied.
In the session chat, students shared which subjects they were studying: we had students of Maths and History, Public Health and Health Promotion and English Language and Creative Writing. As well as Science, Art & Classics modules, there seem to be as many combinations of subjects as there are students. With the Open degree being the largest qualification at the OU, that’s a lot of students and combinations!
We asked our Open student graduates the questions below:
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- What skills has studying on an Open qualification given you?
- How have you mapped your study journey pathway?
- How has studying different subjects helped you to make connections between disciplines?
- What support have you needed along the way?
- What top tips can you share with other students?
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One of our graduates commented that studying on an Open qualification ‘opened’ her eyes to looking at things differently (no pun intended)! She said it made her into a critical reader and thinker, and that she went into an Open degree and came out thinking very differently. She said that this way of learning gave her ‘360’ vision, which I liken to this image of the ‘T-Shaped Student’ by the artist behind ‘Visual Thinkery’.
I often think of this image when talking about students who study an Open qualification. They are brave learners who bring together subjects, ways of thinking, different ways of working and make connections across all those areas- what a great asset that student is to a person, a work environment and an employer.
One discussion the Open team had with our Student graduates was about the benefits of mapping your Open study journey before you start studying as over time your personal and/or professional interests might change, and the benefit of being able to follow your interests as you study an Open qualification. A theme that was really clear in the session was the role of tutors in supporting students with their studies. One of our students said how early in her studies her tutor was invaluable with advice that ‘got her through’. She even came to the conclusion that ‘failing is part of the journey’ which I think was useful for other students to hear.
‘Failing is part of the journey’
From the chat, the message really was that you are not on your own. Studying at a distance can be isolating but there is so much support to be found from your tutor. One of the members of the Open team commented that tutors want to help you, that’s what they are here for, so don’t ever think you are being a nuisance by reaching out.
We then chatted about the many ways there are to get involved with the OU community, such as The Open University Student Association. They have numerous ways to get involved, from volunteering to be a Student Representative, to the many, many different types of clubs you can get involved with: ‘baking club’, ‘reading nook club’ to our fave, ‘the Open degree club’!
Another great resource that we talked about in this session was Student Hub Live (SHL) which is a fantastic offer for OU students. SHL offer Live Broadcast sessions as well as Study Skills sessions on topics from ‘developing your problem-solving skills’, ‘managing your time better’ to ‘wellbeing for students’. Do have a look at their website and watch the trailer below to see all the ways they support the academic development of students as well as finding a place for students to come together, share ideas, share study tips, ask questions and have some fun.
The Open team then shared a couple of resources for students to support their study on an Open qualification. These courses are hosted by the OU’s fabulous OpenLearn team and have been written based on feedback from our students.
We wrapped up the session reviewing the remarks from our Open graduates and the comments of our students involved in the session, and asking if there was more we could be doing. We shared how and where we as the Open team get student feedback and how we respond to it: always seeking to improve the student experience, work with our students and involve them in what we do.
We are so excited as a team to work on these exciting qualifications and wholeheartedly agreed when one of our students said:
“My top tip for studying is just to enjoy the journey! It’s a bit like a rollercoaster – terrified to jump on at the beginning, but when you get to the end you don’t want to get off!”
Student Voice activities at the OU are crucial in ensuring every student has the opportunity to have their voice heard. Your feedback and engagement leads to positive impact and change. For more information on Student Voice at The Open University, take a look at the Student Voice website.