The results of the National Student Survey (NSS) 2024, commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS) have been published, with The Open University (OU) receiving scores higher than the sector average for teaching, organisation and management, assessment and feedback, and learning resources.
The OU has continued to perform particularly well for its teaching and learning offer, with over 90% of students naming courses ‘intellectually stimulating’ and responding positively on how teaching staff explain content.
Another strong area is assessment, with over 92% of students responding positively when asked about receiving their assessment feedback on time – this is nearly 13% higher than the sector average.
In all four nations, the OU has surpassed last year’s results and even ranked number one for overall student satisfaction in Scotland and Northern Ireland and number two in Wales.
Professor Ian Pickup, Pro Vice Chancellor – Students at The Open University, said:
“It is wonderful to see that this year’s student feedback continues to reflect a positive picture of studying with us. In particular, our performance in teaching, which remains above the national average, and is testament to our delivery of high quality distance learning education and the hard work of all our staff and students.
“We are also grateful to see that many of our students have taken the time to share their views on the OU through this year’s survey, feedback which is vital for us to assess where we can improve and ensure they have the student experience they deserve.”
Margaret Greenaway, President of the OU Students Association, said:
“It is fantastic to see another set of positive results for the OU in this year’s NSS. On behalf of the Students Association, I would like to thank everyone for their contributions which are invaluable in helping us to improve student experience.
“We are delighted and proud to have received a positivity score of 80.5% in how well we represent the academic interests of students, nearly 10% higher than the national average and even better than was achieved last year.”
The full NSS survey results are available here.
What is the National Student Survey?
The NSS is an annual survey of almost half a million students final-year undergraduates studying for higher education qualifications at publicly funded higher education institutions (HEIs) and further education colleges (FECs) in England and Wales, and HEIs in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The survey consists of questions that relate to aspects of the student experience – teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, learning resources, learning community and student voice.
