Effortmark Case Study: The Open University : Booklet of Notes

Comment 1
Booklets for different groups of students looked similar.

Comment 2
Text repeats information from the letters. Why should the student read it?

Comment 3
Students used the booklet for reference, not for instructions.

Comment 4
Important instructions are easily overlooked.

Comment 5
Nothing to guide the student to the notes.

Comment 6
Financial awards only apply to a few students, but are on the front page.

Comment 7
Vocational Tax Relief only applies to a few courses, but is on the front page.

Consultancy and Training	Case Study	About	Resources
	Problem Method Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Results

Example 3 : Booklet of Notes

Before	After	Side by Side
Image Text

How to Register and Pay for Open University Courses for 1997/98

This leaflet tells you how to register for the courses we are offering you, explains the implications of registration and tells you about the different ways you can pay your fees. If you have any doubts or questions about accepting your offer please ask your Regional Center or the Registration and Fees Center (address on page 8) for advice.

To register as a student you are asked to:

Complete the enclosed registration agreement.
Sign and date the agreement.
Enclose your payment or authorisation of payment (eg. OUSBA agreement, sponsorship agreement, direct debit form).
Enclose a completed VTR1 form if you are claiming tax relief.
Enclose the necessary evidence if you have been conditionally offered a financial award.

Return your registration agreement and all other documents in the addressed envelope or through your group sponsor. Your reservation will lapse if you do not do so by the date given in the covering letter.

Your Registration.

This section shows you the course(s) we are offering you and the fee for each course. 'NA' in any of the boxes means 'Not Applicable'.

If you have been granted a financial award, it will be shown here. A 'C' means that the award is conditional: you must provide the relevant evidence, which you should send in with your registration agreement. You should show in the Your payment section of the registration agreement how you are paying your personal contribution. of Ł30, and enclose the payment if you are not putting it on an OUSBA account.

If a course offers vocational tax relief, the tax deduction is shown and a vocational tax relief form (VTR1) is enclosed. To claim tax relief you must be a UK taxpayer and be paying your own fees. You should complete and sign the VTR1 form and return it with your registration agreement. If you later have part of your fee paid by a third party, ask the Registration and Fees Centre or your Regional Cenre for a revised VTR1 form.

You may have chosen a course that includes a residential school:

Open University Business School and MA in Education courses. If any of these courses has a residential school, the fee for the school is included in the course fee.

Further Information

Effortmark Limited is a usability consultancy based in the United Kingdom. Contact us.
caroline dot jarrett at effortmark dot co dot uk