Travellers' Tales: Reflections on the way to learner autonomy

Student opinion is an important source of information in any quality audit. This paper reports on the views of a small group of 11 part-time UK Open University students taking their first course with the university. The paper reports their views on their experience in the 'phoney' period between application and the start of their course, as well as their views on what the Level 1 (entry-level) courses demanded of them, and of the support they received; the demands on their time and the extent to which they learnt how to study is brought out. The paper then looks at the students' response to assessment-and the extent to which the assignments kept them going, with success as measured by good marks increasing their motivation. Finally, the paper reports on the students' feelings about their developing ability to study, and their awareness of their increasing confidence, fluency, and self-worth.