We did it! The role of study support in student success
Transcript
‘We did it! The role of study support in student success’ was created by Suki Haider, Alice Uwizera, Allan Kavuma, John Butcher, Rehana Awan and Darren Gray. Suki is an OU Associate Lecturer, and Alice and Allan are two Black students studying at the OU. John Butcher is Professor of Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education at the OU and Rehana Awan and Darren Gray were part of a small working group, set up under the OU’s Access and Participation Plan, to explore the reasons why Black students are less likely than White students to declare a mental health condition.
If you’re already registered on an OU module you can contact your Student Support Team (SST). The number is on your StudentHome page.
If you’re a student at the OU you can find more resources to support your mental health, wellbeing and welfare on the HelpCentre.
Feeling part of the OU community can support your studies and help you feel less isolated and more connected. Check out the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Group (oustudents.com).
Further resources
Below is a selection of free resources of different types provided by The Open University.
-
Advice on studying with a mental health condition
Watch now to access more details of Advice on studying with a mental health conditionWhat happens when you declare a mental health condition at university? Are there any concerns when it comes to studying with a mental health problem? Open University student, Patrice Belton, sheds some light in these videos.
-
Challenging ideas in mental health
Learn more to access more details of Challenging ideas in mental healthTake a new and different look at mental health. This free course, Challenging ideas in mental health, invites you to think differently about life's dilemmas by taking account of the views of all concerned, especially people experiencing mental distress. It explores ideas and practice in mental health, and will appeal to a wide range of people.
-
Cultural differences in mental health?
Read now to access more details of Cultural differences in mental health?The OU's Jonathan Leach asks: Are mental health problems the same across the globe?
-
What happens ‘When East Meets West’?
Read now to access more details of What happens ‘When East Meets West’?What benefits and obstacles are there when postgraduate students with East Asian heritage partake in distance learning with a Western university? Laura Tan investigates...
-
Making sense of mental health problems
Learn more to access more details of Making sense of mental health problemsOver the past century there has been a radical shift in responses to people who experience mental health problems. In this free course, Making sense of mental health problems, you will learn about how key perspectives in the field have made sense of mental health problems. By directly relating key perspectives to a case study, you will reflect ...
Check
out this list of further resources collated by the Health and Wellbeing
pillar of the OU’s BME network.
Afterword on the animation
by John Butcher, Professor of Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education
I would just like to acknowledge this resource had its origins in a piece of institutional scholarship initiated in the Access Programme. The Access team are committed to providing learning for all and have a strong record of supporting students from all backgrounds to succeed in Higher Education. Access modules build learner confidence in study skills, as well as developing academic skills to prepare for undergraduate study.
We noted that Black students are less likely to succeed on Access than white students (sadly, this is true of the OU and the rest of the university sector). We were also aware the Black students were less likely to declare a mental health difficulty – and thus were proportionately missing out on the support triggered by a declaration.
Reviewing the academic literature, we discovered little research had investigated the intersections of these two critical aspects of disadvantage. So, two of our Black tutors interviewed a sample of Black students studying the People, work and society Access module (Y032). As a result, we elicited a rich seam of (often unheard) Black student voices. Following analysis, and to preserve anonymity, we merged the findings into a series of personas which have been well received at numerous conference and workshop presentations.
As a final application of the research findings, we have worked with Black students and a Black tutor to produce this animation as an accessible source of advice for all students (but particularly those from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds). We hope it makes a small contribution to removing institutional barriers and taboos about mental health declarations.
Rate and Review
Rate this video
Review this video
Log into OpenLearn to leave reviews and join in the conversation.
Video reviews
Will their be more videos to come?