The OU Online Journal Club (OJC)

What is an Online Journal Club (OLC)?

The purpose of the Club is to share an item of news related to a module you have been studying. Participants will have the chance to share their story (in a 3-5 minute time slot) with other OU students in an online room.

How to attend

First of all, have a browse through the information and resources at the Online Journal Club website to find out more. If you decide that you would like to participate – and we hope you do - visit the OJC forum where a facilitator will be ready to answer your questions. There is a welcome thread and a thread 'OU Online Journal Club sign-up information' containing sign-up details and a link to your sign-up form. We do recommend that you sign up for any OJC events.

When it is time for your club, go to The OU Online Journal Club (OJC) and select 'Journal Club online room' tab. The room remains closed until the facilitator has entered - this will usually be 15 minutes before the start time.

Clubs are limited to no more than 10 students in the first instance, so it would have to be on a first come, first served basis. However, if demand is high we will try to offer more clubs.

Benefits

The purpose of the Club is to share an item of news related to a module you have been studying. Participants will have the chance to share their story (in a short 3-5 minute time slot) with other OU students. We have previously offered Clubs within STEM – which have proved very popular – and we are now expanding to offer Clubs to students across the University – yes, to anyone studying an OU module!

You will have a chance to talk about your study interests, be part of a community and enhance your employability skills.

Who's it for?

We believe that it’s great to hear what others are studying on different modules, different levels – and in different faculties, so that we can develop academic communities of students across the University, sharing their passion and interests by researching and presenting news and developments in their fields of study.

The Club does not intend to test knowledge - so please don't worry if you don't fully understand all the finer details behind the story. There is no assessment and presentations are not recorded. Remember – although the club is very informal, it will give you the chance to practice some of the skills you will be using as you progress through your studies as well as developing key employability skills. There is also an opportunity to claim a microbadge which you can proudly display on your CV.

Whichever module you are currently studying - and whatever your particular interest - we think you’ll find the Journal Club a valuable experience.

Learning outcomes

Here’s a quick round-up of some important competencies and skills you can develop while working on different aspects of OJC (you’ll notice that there is a bit of overlap where these skills are re-enforced during different activities):