Advantages: Excellent materials, tutors and support, good value for money, interesting assignments Disadvantages: It's expensive (although there is financial support available), can be hard to motivate yourself
...I am currently half way through my first Open University course: A210, Approaching Literature. I was apprehensive at first, as I have had bad experiences with other distance learning companies! But from the online registration process, to receiving all the materials, to going to the monthly tutorials, to actually writing the assignments, I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it! I am lucky as I have already been to university, but I could see how someone who has no experience of higher education could find it quite daunting. However, you receive a lot of support and guidance from the tutors and fellow students. The electronic TMA system, which allows you to send your assignments to your tutor through the internet, is really good and saves on postage costs! It is quite a constant workload. There are 7 TMA's (tutor marked assignments...
nearlyfivefoot
22.06.2007 ·Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Literature
Advantages: Excellent introduction to programming Disadvantages: Group work
...an excellent tutor to provide help and encouragement if required (which it was from time to time). The final grade for the course is comprised of 2 elements each of which account for 50% of the final grade. These elements are an examinable component and continuous assessment (which is 7 tutor-marked assignments). The added bonus for those people who are time-pressed and miss or perform badly on an assignment is substitution.
This means that you can substitute your average TMA grade/examination grade for the TMA that you missed or did badly in. Got that?
Overall verdict: Excellent introduction to computer programming. You can pay the course fees over 8 months at a good rate of interest.The course cost £460 and i paid £60 per month ( x 8) at 8.8% APR. The fees go up each year but only marginally. And there are no entry requirements. How fantastic...
Advantages: Fantastic distance learning support and a great way to make friends. Disadvantages: New courses may have some teething dificultiies so best to go for 3rh presentation.
...I was stuck in a rut at work, bored out of my brain by what was on offer on the TV and having a few problems with my self confidence. Then in the post I received my Tesco vouchers with a booklet telling me how I could spend them. The advert for the Open University struck me as interesting so I jumped on the web and browsed through their list of courses. I was unsure as to what to study as there was such an array of choice so decided on an Openings Course called 'Open to Change'. Openings courses are designed for those returning to study after some time or if you have never studied via distant learning before. They offer a great amount of guidance including a tutor who contacts you regularly via telephone and e-mail. They mark your TMA's (tutor marked assesments) and give advice on how to improve your essays so that by the time you...
Advantages: Good development of Mathematical knowledge Disadvantages: No web-based or CD-based course material
...with functions
Functions and calculations
Modelling with sequences
Modelling with matrices
Differentiation and modelling
Integration and modelling
Choosing a function for a model
Chance
Modelling variation
Estimating
Comparing
Looking for relationships
The workload of the course is fairly light (it is a level 1 course) and assessment is comprised of a 50% examinable component and 50% continous assessment which itself is comprised of tutor-marked assignments (TMA's) and computer-marked assignments (CMA's).
I do feel though that the course media (cassettes and video tape) could have been either CD-based or Web-based. This is a very minor criticism though.
Overall this is an excellent course for those with a basic Mathematical knowledge - whether they want to take the subject to degree-level or use it as part of another degree course....
oranges76
05.10.2001 ·Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Mathematics
Advantages: well written, comprehensive course Disadvantages: you need some self descipline to stick to the timetable
...sciences and (6)is the end of course review. Each block is structured and comes with a workbook to help guide you through each textbook, audio and video tapes along with BBC2 programs. Their are 7 TMA's (assessments) and the final one is taken under exam conditions although this is more to prepare you for future study and counts towards only a small percentage of your overall mark.
When you recieve your first pack of material you will also get a timetable showing what you should be working on that week, this makes it easy to stay up to date although you do need some self discpline to stick to it. You should allow 16 hours a week for this course.
I intend to complete a degree in Social Science and upon completion this course will give me 60 points towards my degree although DD100 would be equally well suited to someone who was just...
Jess99
22.02.2001 ·Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Social Sciences
Advantages: flexible, well thought out courses Disadvantages: not as much choice as at other universities, expensive
...of hard work, but are very rewarding and I had good tutors while I was studying with the O.U. They understood that sometimes I needed an extension for my TMA, because my kids had been ill or something. Being mature adults themselves, they have a good understanding of the "real world" and I found them more sympathetic than the tutors I had at Portsmouth University.
The text books are of a high standard, plus you also work from tape cassettes and video cassettes, as well as the O.U. programmes being on TV. By now, I should think the computer aspect of the courses has began to play a greater focus too, but at the time I was studying, I did not own a computer.
There are advantages and disadvantages to studying with the O.U. It is a very flexible approach to studying, which makes it highly convenient, but you might miss the camaraderie you get...
Advantages: Flexible Study, no travel! Disadvantages: Hard to keep motivated!
...The cert in EYP takes one year to complete IF you take both E123 and E124 together. If this is your first time studying with the OU or the first studying you've done in a long time, I'd suggest you do both courses seperately (as I did) or you could find yourself a bit strecthed!
I found E123 quite dull to be honest, E124 was a bit better. I constantly found myself putting off doing the work as long as I could. I was torn between saying yes or no to recommending the OU.........I've put yes, but it would really be between a yes and a no!!!
There are 3 TMA's (Tutor Marked Assignments) for each of E123 and E124 (you are given dates as to when these must be handed in by) ending with an ECA (the exam bit!!) Word of warning, the ECA is FAR harder to get a good mark in than the TMA's!
You basically get a folder that has all the study...
Advantages: Excellent material, only distance learning MBA accredited by AMBA, Disadvantages: As with any MBA, a tough commitment when holding down a demanding full time job
...are that it is very much tailored to your organisation and experience, and because you are learning as you go, it quickly starts to make you think a little bit differently than what you used to. It also reinforces, your gut feel, in a lot of managemet areas, and makes you more confident as a result.
You have to complete eight Tutor Marked Assignments in the year. To pass the exam, you need an average of 40% in TMA's plus pass the end of year exam. These TMA's are typically 2500 words. Tutors are flexible to a point regarding submission, however this is not a course you can afford to get to far behind in. However, if you average 64% for TMA's 1-5 (as I did) in theory you dont have to submit the last three. This is not a recommended practice however, as completing the assignments does consolidate the learning, and this is what is...
Advantages: Concise and well presented Disadvantages: Submission and retrieval of assignments by mail
...course nor are any web-based activities required. However, the tutor-marked assignments have to be sent and received by post, which seems rather bizarre especially considering it’s a Computing/IT course and that M206 TMA’s can be submitted and retrieved electronically.
This course really gets to the nitty-gritty of programming rather then have to spend too much introducing the basics and is a very good course, especially following on from M206. The workload is fairly light but then it is only a 30-point course....
oranges76
04.10.2001 ·Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Computing
Advantages: Opions to study at home Disadvantages: price of course(s)
...send your exam papers through their site securly. The good thing about this is that you wont ever need a postal stamp to contact them. All you have to do is send a short e-mail along with the new piece of coursework you wish to submit. Then usually if the tutor is busy or not you are guaranteed to recieve your TMA (Tutor marked assignments) within the next 2 days even sooner than that in most cases. If for some unknow reason you get made redundant they offer a guarantee that you will finish the course if you cant afford it. What they would do is pay the £75 per month untill you can get back into work. My mum used to be on this after losing her job at Safeway. She tried to get a job but she said to herself, whats the point i might as well wait after my course has finished as i wont have to pay them another penny. Lifestyle insurance is...
Sexy_Young_God
28.03.2004 (17.04.2004) ·Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Scheidegger
Haven´t found the product you´re looking for? Please look for it in Advanced Search
| 
