1. Using a dedicated website in the continuing evolution of the mathematics and statistics community of learners
Rachel Hilliam and Gaynor Arrowsmith
eSTEeM conference April 2018

2. A community of learners
The old days – course choice events
Access to module material
Chance to talk to academic and support staff and fellow students
Able to discuss content of future modules
Able to discuss options in different subject areas
Includes ALs, STs and Senior counsellors (that's my recollection)

3. An online community of learners?
The mathematics and statistics programme website (1990s)
Online course choice forum for students
Aims:
to provide mutual support and advice in conjunction with expert input from members of the School and subject-specialist educational advisors.
gave students the opportunity to engage more fully in issues such as curriculum development and delivery of student support.

4. What information is needed for course choice?
The growth of the programme website
Long, long ago the OU published an annual summary of exam results in the student newspaper, useful to have a long-term tracking of these available (roughly 4 years)
The same applies to student feedback survey results
Results of pass rate for students who have and haven’t studied recommended pre-requisites 
Idea being that students make informed choices whilst keeping an element of flexibility rather than rigid rules
Mists ??
Studied
informed

5. And now we have the Subject site
One-stop shop, regardless of whether majoring in M&S, or not

6. Connect To link with the M&S community at the OU and beyond
Mathematics and Statistics Advice forum
Information on professional organisations which accredit study on M&S qualifications and guidance about who to contact
Active Mathematics Education forum
Links to student voice and consultation forums including “you said, we did”
organisations

7. Discover
Resources for students before they study a mathematics and statistics module
Advice about preparing to study (MU123/ MST124)
Revise and refresh resources (MST124/ MST224) 
Are you ready for? quizzes for all M&S modules
Early units from all UG modules
More in the pipeline

8. Skills Resources specific for students on M&S modules
TMA preparation and submission guidance
Information about mathematical typesetting
Good academic practice and plagiarism
Exams and calculator guidance
Accessibility
Study skills

9. Plan Resources about what to study next
Formal and informal pre-requisites in M&S
Pass rates and student feedback
Links to the accreditation information, and the early units
Only title given in all-caps

10. Succeed Information for beyond study
Relevant careers and developing employability
Further study, including Maths and Open MSc
Also further study: Maths and Open MScs and going into teaching

11. The ethos of the forum has remained the same over the years to provide a space for the entire OU mathematics and statistics community to engage