Open University - Your experiences?
Discussion
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.
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.
I'm doing a Professional Certificate in Management via the OU at the moment and on the whole theynare very good. The tutors have been very supportive, the study material comprehensive and provided you can accept the distance learning and probable lack of real interaction with others on the course, it could be for you.
Most courses are facilitated through online fora where you have weekly activities to submit. The truth is that you are not timed or marked to submit these by a set date and therefore many on my course cram it all in at the last minute which can be stressful.
Good luck, I'd say it's worth it.
Most courses are facilitated through online fora where you have weekly activities to submit. The truth is that you are not timed or marked to submit these by a set date and therefore many on my course cram it all in at the last minute which can be stressful.
Good luck, I'd say it's worth it.
Conversely I'm studying for a BEng (Hons) with them & am finding that the course material is increasingly lacking of key information, contains errors even after the modules being taught for several years, and is to expansive for the time given/suggested for study.
My modules (all technology/engineering/maths based) have set deadlines that must be met, you can obtain extensions but that just gives you less time for the next one so you will concertina your time towards the end of the course. Tutors are on the whole good & I have found most have done some OU study so know where you are coming from
If I was considering doing it again I would think long and hard and very likely choose another method, my experiences with my current 2 modules have been enough to put me off using the OU to study for an MEng after I complete my BEng.
I think it would be worthwhile you ascertaining what credit transfer you can get from your previous studies, you may find that they will lend towards a named degree quite nicely.
My modules (all technology/engineering/maths based) have set deadlines that must be met, you can obtain extensions but that just gives you less time for the next one so you will concertina your time towards the end of the course. Tutors are on the whole good & I have found most have done some OU study so know where you are coming from
If I was considering doing it again I would think long and hard and very likely choose another method, my experiences with my current 2 modules have been enough to put me off using the OU to study for an MEng after I complete my BEng.
I think it would be worthwhile you ascertaining what credit transfer you can get from your previous studies, you may find that they will lend towards a named degree quite nicely.
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.
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.
I'm thinking about dipping into a single module in a specific area.
I was all for the idea of distance learning, have run such courses myself in the past. In fact, a friend is a tutor for the OU, doing it all remotely from her house. She's never been near their headquarters.
But the fact that it's timed (as a poster notes above, the course runs to a schedule) and you are expected to put in 15 hours per week (not sure where that will come from!), is giving me doubts.
So, it's distance learning, but not flexible learning.
Trouble is, I need to know the stuff they're teaching.
I was all for the idea of distance learning, have run such courses myself in the past. In fact, a friend is a tutor for the OU, doing it all remotely from her house. She's never been near their headquarters.
But the fact that it's timed (as a poster notes above, the course runs to a schedule) and you are expected to put in 15 hours per week (not sure where that will come from!), is giving me doubts.
So, it's distance learning, but not flexible learning.
Trouble is, I need to know the stuff they're teaching.
trix-a-belle said:
Conversely I'm studying for a BEng (Hons) with them & am finding that the course material is increasingly lacking of key information, contains errors even after the modules being taught for several years, and is to expansive for the time given/suggested for study.
My modules (all technology/engineering/maths based) have set deadlines that must be met, you can obtain extensions but that just gives you less time for the next one so you will concertina your time towards the end of the course. Tutors are on the whole good & I have found most have done some OU study so know where you are coming from
If I was considering doing it again I would think long and hard and very likely choose another method, my experiences with my current 2 modules have been enough to put me off using the OU to study for an MEng after I complete my BEng.
I think it would be worthwhile you ascertaining what credit transfer you can get from your previous studies, you may find that they will lend towards a named degree quite nicely.
Which modules are you doing?My modules (all technology/engineering/maths based) have set deadlines that must be met, you can obtain extensions but that just gives you less time for the next one so you will concertina your time towards the end of the course. Tutors are on the whole good & I have found most have done some OU study so know where you are coming from
If I was considering doing it again I would think long and hard and very likely choose another method, my experiences with my current 2 modules have been enough to put me off using the OU to study for an MEng after I complete my BEng.
I think it would be worthwhile you ascertaining what credit transfer you can get from your previous studies, you may find that they will lend towards a named degree quite nicely.
tank slapper said:
Which modules are you doing?
This year T224 Computers and Processors and T207 Engineering: Mechanics, Materials, DesignI will add, I have enjoyed it in the most part but as mentioned it may be distance learning but it is not flexible learning and my view is what flexibility there was is reducing
OP: do you have an entire plan of what modules you would study to achieve your Open degree if you went that direction? how many you intend to study at a time etc?
Edited by trix-a-belle on Wednesday 31st August 14:56
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.
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.
Very interesting. I wasn't going to say anything for fear of being shouted down, but, as someone else has already mentioned it, I feel I should add my 5p worth.
My background is that I did a conventional B.Sc.(Hons) in I.T., followed by another conventional M.Sc.(Eng.) in Radio Comms. Despite being in electronics now, I am aware that there are chunks of theory that have passed me by, and I would really like to do some electronics degree modules, so a few years ago I looked at the OU. Nothing seemed remotely useful (what ever happened to those chemistry courses with huge chemistry sets they had on late night OU TV progs?) so I put it on a back burner.
Anyway, a year or so later a friend of mine started to do a computing degree with the OU and I offered him any help he needed, so I got to see quite a bit of the material. I realise a lot of the level 1 stuff is to bring people up to speed, but to be honest it was quite a long way below even GCSE standard, with very little explanation of why things happen the way they do. Subsequent (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.
My background is that I did a conventional B.Sc.(Hons) in I.T., followed by another conventional M.Sc.(Eng.) in Radio Comms. Despite being in electronics now, I am aware that there are chunks of theory that have passed me by, and I would really like to do some electronics degree modules, so a few years ago I looked at the OU. Nothing seemed remotely useful (what ever happened to those chemistry courses with huge chemistry sets they had on late night OU TV progs?) so I put it on a back burner.
Anyway, a year or so later a friend of mine started to do a computing degree with the OU and I offered him any help he needed, so I got to see quite a bit of the material. I realise a lot of the level 1 stuff is to bring people up to speed, but to be honest it was quite a long way below even GCSE standard, with very little explanation of why things happen the way they do. Subsequent (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.
Xaero said:
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?
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.They sometimes change them slightly year to year but it should give you the main bulk to read through to get an idea and some background & I can throw in the assignment books from my year too which should give you an idea of what you are going to need to throw together, the questions do change but to some extent its all along the same lines.
I did start writing a review of it but its possibly getting a bit too personal opinion & rambly so will pop it on the email.
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.
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.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.
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.
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.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.
Seems a shame if the detail is not there, it is high level stuff after all so details matter.
Zad said:
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'm studying for a science based degree (BSc Natural Sciences) with them at the moment and so far it's been largely full on science with fairly minimal "soft" skills and the like. As for below GCSE level, definitely not. I've not had any problems trying to get enough into word limits, more the opposite - trying to condense stuff down to fit in. Also I'd say more than half of the assessments so far have been basically pages of equations rather than written accounts.I'm not sure if computing is a different matter though - it seems a subject which is frequently poorly taught.
It might sound pretty obvious, but make sure you pick the RIGHT course. I'm currently undertaking an Engineering module, and even though the course description made it sound interesting, I've found it anything but. I enjoy the maths elements of the TMA so will probably look at doing a Maths module next.
ben_h100 said:
It might sound pretty obvious, but make sure you pick the RIGHT course. I'm currently undertaking an Engineering module, and even though the course description made it sound interesting, I've found it anything but. I enjoy the maths elements of the TMA so will probably look at doing a Maths module next.
which module Ben?very true Pferdstarke, i've done one (week long) & got another 1 (week long) that has to be done to satisfy the terms of my degree
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