Open University - Your experiences?

[Xaero]

So after completing my apprenticeship and foundation degree 6 years ago I'm now looking at studying again, but with the Open Uni.

I should get 240 credits so only have to study 120 credits at level 3 to graduate with a bachelor with honours.

Because the open uni don't offer the subject I studied (electronic engineering) (nor am I interested in this subject anymore) I am pretty much stuck with going for the 'open degree' unless I do more level 1 and 2 modules to get a named degree.

I prefer to do it quickly so am going with the open degree, and wondering what experiences other people have with the open uni? I did a search but not much propped up. Looking at starting with this module: http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/... as it seems the most relevant to my life and interests at the moment.

[Xaero]

Thanks for the responses, 2 quite different ones though!

I've considered a named degree similar (Portsmouth Uni where I got my Fd offer a top up to Electronic systems engineer) but I really can't stomach that subject anymore. The only one at the Open Uni that looked reasonable and similar was 'technology' in which they said I maybe able to transfer 60-160 credits for it.

But as I said I really just want it done asap, so the open qualification is best for me here.

[Xaero]

Was still gathering info but called their advisor team today and got a bit more information. I didn't realise how scheduled the timing of the modules were (I was hoping to put in a lot of hours at the start and getting ahead on course material).

I am abroad now and returning mid october, starting in november hopefully. So I won't have a job to start with and hoped to get ahead on the course material, but it seems putting in more than 16 hours weekly might be wasted effort/not possible.

Planned to start with B322: Investigating entrepreneurial opportunities http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/... in November and start T307: Innovation: Designing for a sustainable future http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/course/... in February.

For the final 30 credits I've not decided yet, although I noticed that will cost me around £1250 if I leave it until after September next year to start it.

I'm mostly interested in business based courses at the moment. I have a little relevant experience (money paying for the course comes from online businesses I've run over the past 2 years during my travels) but no academic background here.

[Xaero]

Can you pass it over at all? I'd be interested in knowing your experiences on it! Any prior knowledge to the subject? How did you find it?

[Xaero]

Zad said:

Higher level material all seemed to be very - how can I put this - Arts rather than Sciences. For example, a lot of it seemed to be based on social implications of <whatever the subject was> and "soft" people skills. All very touchy-feely rather than facts and skills.

The main challenge of the coursework submissions was not, as you might expect, being able to find sufficient depth and breadth of information and form structured and reasoned arguments, but in being able to squeeze enough into the word count allowed. The required depth of understanding just wasn't there.

So far as I can tell, the post-grad courses follow the same pattern. With engineers studying professional ethics and management rather than technical matters. I'm sure it is great for would-be managers and people interested in social aspects, but it seems scientists and engineers are out of luck.

I did a 3 hour couse I found in the open learn section (certainly didn't take me 3 hours to read through) on the concept of innovation and it seemed to touch on that quite a bit too (maybe 30-40% of the course). Their example was desktop publishing reduces jobs in the print trade and hurts the computer illiterate as negative effects.

Not sure how they can change a subject like maths or a language into that style though. But it's odd engineering ones are. My foundation degree didn't touch on those elements and was more technical.

[Xaero]

trix-a-belle said:

Yeah of course, it may take a few emails as there is a quite a few pdf books. Drop me an email so i've got your email address.
Zad
Not sure I'd totally agree with entry level material being of such a low standard, one of the courses i'm doing now, albeit level 2, assumes no prior knowledge the texts are not ridiculously hard but certainly not basic numpty level but seem to miss out what I would consider to be key principals or skim over them in far to little detail considering no prior knowledge is assumed.

The direction all the texts seem to be going in; too many topics being covered in too little detail and lots of jumping around back and forth in no particular order. 16 hours a week to get a full grasp is not realistic for most of the courses imo.

Sent you a mail trix-a-belle.

Seems a shame if the detail is not there, it is high level stuff after all so details matter.