The last Online Student Forum of the 24/25 academic year. There was a lot of discussion around learning and teaching and opportunities and careers
The last Online Student Forum of the 24/25 academic year was hosted by the Union of Students and the University of Derby Online Learning team on Monday 30th June. There was a lot of discussion around learning and teaching and opportunities and careers and these points have been summarised below:
- There were questions expressing concern over limited live teaching or pre-recorded lectures and this being a disadvantage over in-person students. Ian Whitehead replied that the approach to online learning is designed around the online learning experience rather than trying to replicate a virtual learning experience. There is embedded video footage throughout the units and live sessions are recorded. Additionally, all modules are encouraged to have interactive discussive sessions scheduled at different times to allow students from different time zones to be able to attend. Hannah Stanley Scott also added that the online activities and discussion boards as another way to engage with students and the academics.
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A student asked about how to track the number of hours they spend on studying each week. Sophie Williams commented that within her programme they encourage students to think of directed and independent study, with directed study being the time spend on reading the unit materials, the recommended reading, and engaging with the activities, whereas independent study would be reading material outside of the reading list and engaging with media outside of the module to emphasise the learning. Other suggestions included having planners to manage time and actively diarising can really help.
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Some students asked about career opportunities for online and overseas students so Hannah Stanley Scott reached out to the Careers Service for a response. They stated that
We want to reassure you that this is not an unfamiar area for our service, and many overseas students already access online appointments with our Careers Advisors and Coaches. During these sessions, they receive personalised guidance on navigating the UK job market, including CV advice, application tips, sector insights, and job search strategies.
We also offer a variety of online resources at www.dby.ac/careers, which can help students understand what UK employers are looking for and how to make strong applications from abroad.
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A student asked what is being done to foster a sense of community and belonging for online students. Ian Whitehead responded that a lot of programmes are designed around creating opportunities for interactivity, such as group assignments and discussion forums. Additionally, the Union of Students have societies, and any student could set up a new one for online students with support from the Union. More information on this can be found on the Union website.
Other links which students may find useful that were shared during the forum are:
If you missed the Forum, you can catch up via the recording: Online College Forum (3)-20250630_100142-Meeting Recording.mp4