The Open University in Scotland

6. Recommendations

Sense of belonging is key, especially for introductory modules.  It needs thought about at learning design stage (right at the start before anything is written) and reviewed regularly.  Opportunities for students to engage should be embedded in with key learning objectives.  They cannot be just added as a bolt on.  

Encouraging student collaboration and tutorial attendance is always a challenge and remains a challenge across the sector.  We would recommend including opportunities and activities early on in the module for students to collaborate using the different groupings and tools in order to encourage this from the start.