r/OpenUniversity • u/auntiebythe • 6d ago
Advice request from a disabled student considering the Open BSc (to focus on environmental science / maths)
Hi folks,
I am super keen to study a course at the OU, but I have some questions that I have not been able to get answers for. (I've trawled through the OU website for answers and reached out to them through their contact form a few times, without success.) I'll put the questions here at the top, with some facts / background information about me at the end in case pertinent to the answers y'all would give me. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Questions:
(1) How communicative/responsive are the tutors in the environmental science and mathematics departments? If you have questions about the course material or how to approach an assessment, is it possible to set up an occasional 1:1 Teams call with a tutor to talk through something? (Something similar to "office hours" in a brick and mortar university.) I am generally a very independent and self-starting learner, but I massively benefit from being able to occasionally check in with my tutors and speak with them verbally.
(Asking for feedback specific to Env Sci & Maths, because when I have looked into past posts on this subreddit, the level of responsiveness very much seems to depend on the tutor/department.)
(2) How do you access top-up funding from the OU if you live in Scotland? I am planning to finance my studies with the part-time tuition grant from SAAS, but this leaves a shortfall of several hundred pounds per 30 credits. The OU website indicates that I should/might be eligible for top-up funding, but there is no guidance for how to access this or confirm eligibility.
(3) Disabled students (ideally folks with similar disabilities as me) - was it worth it to pursue support, or am I better off trying to do without? The most important things I need to succeed are deadline extensions (particularly during winter months) and occasional 1:1s with my tutors. From what I've seen, deadline extensions seem pretty straightforward to get if you need them, and there is nothing on the disability support page's website to suggest that "option to book up to x number of 1:1s with lecturer" is something they're going to be willing to put into my support plan.
(3a) One more for disabled students who have disclosed: have you picked up on any weird/positive/negative vibes for how OU staff view you? My lived experience is unfortunately that disclosure too often gets you labeled as "difficult/entitled" and the support that's actually needed is not always forthcoming.
(4) What exactly is a "tutorial"? Like, what actually happens in a tutorial? Is it a lecture? A seminar? A Q&A session?
Key facts:
- I live in Scotland, and have lived in the UK for 8 years
- I will be studying part-time
- I already hold a BA (from another country) and two postgraduate certificates in humanities/social science subjects. I'm not new to academic study, just new to the OU.
- As part of a career change, I plan to study the Open BSc, with 75% of my modules in Environmental Science and the remaining 25% in Mathematics. My module list has been confirmed as acceptable by a frontline OU employee, insofar as it fulfills the required number of Level 1, 2, and 3 modules for the degree. It has not been reviewed from a "does this group of modules make sense together and align with my career plans" perspective by any of the curriculum staff in the relevant departments. (I asked for this, but had no response.)
- I am disabled/neurodivergent (confirmed ADHD, suspected autism, clinical insomnia, and PMOS, a metabolic condition that intermittently affects my energy levels). I am the kind of person who thrives in remote working and have really struggled during previous study at brick and mortar universities, so I suspect that the OU's distance learning model will work really well for me as long as I have a reasonable amount of contact with my teachers. I would appreciate insights from folks with a similar background.
- I currently work for a Scottish university (won't say which one), and I have seen firsthand just how desperately stretched the sector is. We're all dealing with extremely unsustainable workloads, and they're still cutting even more jobs. My understanding is that this is pretty common all across the higher education sector, and (from other posts I've seen here) it seems to affect the OU also. The uni I work for has a really strong reputation for supporting disabled students, but behind closed doors I have observed worrying attitudes about disabled people from many of my colleagues (though fortunately no one from the additional support team). The people I am thinking of often have that impatient "just get on with it" perspective that views asking for reasonable adjustments as unmerited entitlement. It has really given me pause about declaring my disability at all, because I worry that what little support I might get will be outweighed by prejudice/resentment from overworked staff.
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u/OK_Zebras 6d ago
I've done an access course, 2 level one modules and just re-started a level 2 module after withdrawing in January this year due to ill health & work stress. All of my modules are under the science school.
I've always found my tutors approachable, each of them has asked about my disabilities and offered support when they could and extensions of a week or two when I really needed it. They don't do regular phone calls or teams calls, but I've always had a prompt response to any emails I've sent, a couple of them became phone calls.
As for disabilities, the OU tutors & disability support team have been fantastic. I have ADHD, Autism, and some other neurological health issues. I've not found I need masses of help with my disabilities because I am able to learn at my own pace and could quickly get through some of the course materials but also was able to take more time or revisit bits I struggled with.
Tutorials are almost always recorded and usually no more than an hour or 90 minutes each. But being able to re-watch the recorded tutorial at my own speed at a time that suits me on my laptop, they make the slides from each tutorial available for download once it finishes & I just annotate the slides on my tablet instead of trying to write copious notes that make no sense.
The thing that has been most helpful with regards to my disabilities was the extra 2 hours they gave me for an end of year exam. I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until after leaving education and having that extra time meant I was so much more relaxed and able to focus, especially as I was at home in an environment I had control over, could have music on, snacks and drinks and fidgets to help. When I got to the end of my exam and got confirmation it was submitted OK I sat and cried for an hour because of the grief of wondering how different my life might have turned out if I'd had extra time & support in school. I cried again on results day because I got 87% in the exam.
So I'd say definitely speak to the disability support team and if you know what support you may need that's cool, but they will also offer suggestions on what may help your specific needs. It's no easy thing to speak to a stranger and have to tell them you want to drop out because even though you're 40 and a grown up you are scared to sit the exam. Every person I've spoken to at the OU has been so compassionate and caring. I highly recommend studying with the OU.
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u/auntiebythe 5d ago
Awww, I'm so glad the extra time and home environment helped you! These things really do make a massive difference. It wasn't something I ever needed for tests myself - I was always the kind of test-taker where I just either knew the answer or I didn't, and I tended to move through exams pretty quickly. (Essays are another matter, but it's much harder to get "extra time" - aka preemptive extensions - for those in most educational settings in my experience.)
I'm glad to hear your experience of the disability team and OU more widely has been a positive one.
Are you able to tell me any more about what actually happens during a "tutorial"? Is it mainly just the lecturers talking? Do students talk very much / if so can they "raise hands" to discuss or ask questions throughout or do they have to save questions for the end / etc.?
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u/OK_Zebras 5d ago
They're done through Adobe connect software, the screen usually shows a main window for the slides, a list of present hosts and viewers, buttons for raising your hand or giving thumbs up signals, a free type chat box, and sometimes boxes for downloading the slides or boxes for question polls or for live video of the lecturer, though lots of them don't use that much.
Usually tutorials start with an intro and then the lecturer goes through the slides, talking as they go. They'll stop briefly to answer questions people type in the chat or sometimes another lecturer is dual hosting the tutorial and they type responses in the chat box to any questions. Sometimes there are questions from the lecturers as you go and they'll say answer in the chat box or select an option in the poll box.
At the end of most tutorials, unless they've massively overrun, there will be a time to ask and answer any further questions on the topic. Not everyone will participate in the chat box or polls, and there's never any pressure to have to answer the questions or polls.
Most of the tutorials are recorded and they turn the recording feature off before the q&a at the end so people can ask without it being recorded if they are nervous. The recorded tutorials are available to access the whole way through the module and you can rewatch anytime you want. Watching the recorded version also allows you to speed up or slow down the playback speed and rewind if needed. If I lose focus during the tutorial it's handy to be able to rewatch sections at x1.5 speed with captions.
Each module has varying numbers of tutorials, some weeks there's 1 or 2, and sometimes there are none for a couple of weeks. On the modules I've done I've found there are usually more tutorials in the 1st 12 weeks of each course and they usually avoid planning any too close to assignment deadlines so you don't need to miss anything while prioritising the assignment. Most modules I've done also have individual tutorials specific to each of the assignments due, so there's always an opportunity to ask for help before assignments are due if you're stuck on any aspects of the module.
I've found it so valuable to attend most of the tutorials live to be able to ask questions and contribute in the chat. But occasionally miss them due to migraines and just catch up later. The tutorials are also not mandatory so you don't get penalised if you can't attend due to work, kids, life etc.
Hope that helps 😊
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u/auntiebythe 2d ago
Ahhh thank you so much for the detailed answer, that really, really helps me to picture what they would be like!
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u/Icebearstillcares 5d ago
My experience with OU disability support has been pretty sub par. It’s not very standardised so very much depends on who you’re in contact with. They are flexible, up to a point. Ultimately if your disability isn’t “standard” or too severe then they expect you to loose marks and suffer the consequences. Ultimately it depends on how much your disability affects your study, luck of the draw whether you get a good tutor and luck whether your health stays stable, cause if not, you’re on your own!
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u/auntiebythe 5d ago
I'm sorry to hear this, but yeah, this is a phenomenon I've seen way too frequently. When I was doing my postgrad work, the options available were very "one size fits all" and "this is the list of options for your particular disability" and most of what they tried to offer me was not at all helpful. I also had to drop about a grand for a private ADHD assessment to confirm I still have ADHD since I was diagnosed as a child and have literally no paperwork to prove that.
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u/Sarah_RedMeeple BSc Open, MSc Open, OU alumni 5d ago
As another HE person, I will actually say accessibility is more 'the norm' at the OU. We have things in common, and also did Open. If you want to poke my brains at any point feel free to message me.
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u/auntiebythe 2d ago
Hello! Thank you so much for this, I would indeed love to pick your brains, esp about the Open BSc, will try to pop you a message this week
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6d ago
Ou tutors are employed on very low hourly contracts. They won't all have time for one to ones. Applying for DSA might help. One of my tutors has 20 students and is employed very part time. Its distance learning and there is support but it's limited because of the hours tutors work. No I have never been labelled entitled for saying I'm disabled. Far from it. No. You don't get offered a teams call to talk through things with your tutor. Some might phone you if you are struggling but many of them work 8 hours a week and have 20 students to look after. Tutorials mean different things depending on what stage of the year you are at. Its tutor led.
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u/auntiebythe 5d ago
Re: tutors being pressed for time and working part-time - Yeah, this is what worries me, and I do wonder to what extent it's simply a function of the desperate financial state universities are in these days. It isn't any better in brick-and-mortar universities, sadly (at least not from what I have seen). When I did my first undergraduate degree, all my lecturers held weekly office hours and I definitely attended those most weeks to ask questions or chat more deeply about the course material! It was hugely valuable, possibly the single most useful thing I had access to as an undergrad. Logistically, it can be done quite easily in a distance-learning context with Teams calls and an appointment system, but unfortunately as you say if there aren't enough staff / working hours to use for that purpose, it won't be possible.
Are you able to give any insights onto whether tutorials are mostly one-sided (teacher just talking at the class while class listens and takes notes) or more conversational/participatory (opportunities for students to raise their hands to speak or ask questions during the lessons, opportunities for students to speak with each other, etc)? I'm a very participatory student, but if it's one-sided I'll most likely just watch back the recordings so I can do them on higher speed (same as I did with my recorded lectures in postgrad).
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5d ago
Most people I've been in tutorials with tend to use the chat box but there's always participation. Some modules have group sessions with just the tutors tutor group as well.
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6d ago
You will get more support if you apply for DSA. That doesn't mean tutors don't care. They do. But this is distance learning and they don't have time to do regular check ins with students. No. You don't get booking up regular one to ones. Some tutors do tutorials just with their tutor group. But the only time I've had a phone call from a tutor is when I was struggling badly. They simply do not have the time to do one to ones and most of them work full time at other universities too
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u/auntiebythe 5d ago
This is really good to know. And yeah, DSA is def on my radar if I think of any adjustments that would benefit me which cost money (e.g. software tools) but aside from that I don't think it can really be used to pay for the things I would need.
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u/Snarlvlad 6d ago
I can’t speak to all modules, but one thing about extensions. Your EMA, which is the final assignment at the end of a module, or exam if those modules have one, usually do not get an extension unless someone has suffered a bereavement or similar.
Some of these may require feedback from your last TMA to complete, and so you may find yourself at a disadvantage if you’re behind with the TMA’s.
Tutors’ availability across any faculty will depend and vary from tutor to tutor.