When I started studying with OU I was under the impression that tutorials and day schools would be mainly online with some face to face opportunities. The modules originally stated that the day and residential schools would be face to face.
Once I'd actually started, it became clear that everything, even the residential school, is online. My experience of online tutorials and day schools with OU is that many attending have connection issues, sound quality is poor and tutors don't respond well when we tell them we can't hear them. This impacts discussions and learning, and it feels like tutors are really just reading from the PowerPoint.
I totally understand that OU is distance learning, but I cannot understand that why day schools and residential schools are (in some subjects) only being offered online, when the student experience is so poor for many of us. I struggle with anxiety over attending online events and would perform so much better, particularly in longer situations such as day schools, if they were in person. I've spoken to tutors about this but have got nowhere.