I'm getting edumucated (Open University in general)

Member Name: Fiver29

Product:	Open University in general
Date:	16/01/09 (234 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Study from home, in own time.

Disadvantages: Central OU don't understand regional problems

I began my first course with the Open University in October last year, so these are my impressions of the OU as a whole so far.

~Background Information~

The Open University is based in Milton Keynes began in 1971, it is the UK's only distance learning university. Students are 'taught' via workbooks, audio cds and DVDs. Initially the DVDs were actually television programmes broadcast on BBC2.

There are regular tutorials for students at regional centres, or these tutorials can be held via the telephone or by email. Some courses even have day schools, or residential schools.

Most courses are assessed by a series of assignments which can be manually submitted by post, or electronically submitted via the OU's ETMA system (Electronic Tutor Marked Assignment). Some courses also have a final exam, or some type of timed assignment.

There are different levels of courses, each level is assigned 'points' a short course is generally worth 10 points, there are 30 point courses, 60 and 120 point courses. To achieve a degree you generally need 360 points. If you are studying for a specific degree these points must be obtained from the relevant courses. However, if you are studying from an Open Degree the points can come from a variety of courses depending on what interests you.

Financial support is available for people on low incomes, this can mean the course fees, or partial course fees are paid.

~My Experiences~

So far there have been some bad points and good points (so pretty much the same as everything!)

*Bad Points

I live in the North West of England, so I was somewhat surprised when I received the details of my tutorials and regional study centre, and found that I had been assigned to a tutor based in the North East. This meant that my tutorials would be over the other side of the Pennines and in order to attend a 2 hour tutorial at 7pm, it would mean setting off about 4pm (and therefore having to find a babysitter who could collect the children from school). Attending the tutorial and then getting back about midnight, not forgetting the cost of the petrol as well.

I phoned the OU who were initially reluctant to change the tutor, which annoyed me somewhat because they didn't seem to understand that the North is not as blessed with motorways and open roads as the South, and the distance might be short as the crow flies. But the twisty, turny back roads we have mean you go miles out of the way before you get to where you want to go.

Eventually they changed the tutor for on in Manchester, again this was quite a distance, and a one and a half to two hour drive, but at least it was motorway. This time though the tutorials were all at the weekend, and as a single parent I would struggle to find someone to babysit at a weekend, and no childcare services are supplied.

Finally I was transferred a third time, however I will speak more of this tutor in the good points.

The only other bad point of note is the way in which the OU do not want extra research for the lower point courses. The course I'm doing at the moment is a 60 point course, and we have been told that all the material needed is in the course workbooks, extra research is not required. In fact several students were marked down on their assignments for using sources outside the OU. I find this somewhat limiting, although the authors of the course books garner their knowledge from various sources, they still have a bias toward their own opinion. I prefer to read from many sources in order to get an overall view from every side.

I do know that the higher level courses require this extra research, but I think it should be standard across the board.

*Good points

As I mentioned earlier my current tutor is certainly one of the good point. When I was transferred the third time I was assigned to a tutor who lives only 20 minutes away. And although the tutorials are supposed to be held at a centre approximately an hour away, she understands the difficulties with childcare and distance. Therefore we have arranged to meet up in my home town for individual tutorials, she did say she'd come to the house, but my house is never tidy enough to have visitors lol.

The ETMA system is also a good point, it saves assignments being lost in the post, it also means you get your results earlier. Otherwise the tutor needs to send them to Milton Keynes before they are sent from there to you.

The course books are sent out at reasonable intervals, meaning if you get ahead you are not waiting around for the next block to begin, nor are you overwhelmed with books arriving whilst you are still two blocks behind.

~Is it Worth it?~

I would have to say, for people like myself who are not able to attend a standard university, then the OU is a life saver. It means I can still work whilst studying, and I will (touch wood) obtain my degree without having £20k+ of student debt by the end of it.

(PS: Having lived in the north and south, I know that open roads aren't usually a way to describe roads in the south due to the high volumes of traffic, I just couldn't think of a fitting word to describe roads that aren't country roads lol).

Summary: A good way to obtain extra qualifications.