Investigating the value of online ‘quiet’ tutorials for Level 1 Interdisciplinary Environment students

Project leader(s): Alice Fraser-McDonaldMaria Townsend
Theme: Access, Participation and Success
Faculty: STEM
Status: Current
Dates: May 2025 to March 2026

Autistic and neurodivergent students, as well as others with declared mental health issues, may find attending live online tutorials challenging (Hunter, no date). As students who attend tutorials tend to perform better in OU modules than those who don’t, it is important to provide varied opportunities for students to engage with tutorials (Shepherd and Voigt, no date).

This project applies principles from ‘quiet hours’ and ‘relaxed performances’ in public spaces and the findings from a classical studies ‘relaxed tutorial project’ (Fraser et al., 2024), to a level one interdisciplinary environment module (U116). The module attracts students from diverse backgrounds, including those with declared mental health issues (5-10%) and neurodiversity. Some of these students may avoid attending tutorials. ‘Quiet’ tutorials which are designed to be more accessible for such students, will be piloted during the U116 Environment: journeys, February 2025 presentation and include these adjustments:

They will not be recorded.
Students will not be expected to use their microphones or webcams. The chat box will be available, but engagement is not required.
Students will never be put on the spot
Break-out rooms will not be used.
There will be regular breaks to pause and reflect.
Students will not be expected to attend the entire tutorial.
Slides will be sent out in advance.

This project aims to determine if U116 students attend ‘quiet’ online tutorials and whether they reduce ‘tutorial anxiety’. Data will be analysed to determine the impact on tutorial attendance. A survey will ask students about their motivations for attending tutorials, whether they attended ‘quiet’ (or other) tutorials, and what their experiences and the benefits of these tutorials were. Focus groups with tutors facilitating the ‘quiet’ tutorials will gather their feedback on the pilot (one near the start of the presentation and one at the end).

This work will hopefully contribute to increasing retention and decreasing the awarding gap for students with declared mental health issues. The findings will inform future U116 presentations and aid in understanding the impacts of ‘quiet’ tutorials on student experiences in a STEM context.