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SES 222 - for web 8/11/04 3:14 PM Page 1 SNEAKPREVIEW Exam The How History score other imaginative on tactics medicine are you? foot G page 4 G page 7 G page 9 G page 11 esame July/August 2004 ReachingS the Open University community worldwide Issue Number 222 Picture: Halden Photography OU at centre of social research G page 17 Sesame website: www.open.ac.uk/sesame SES 222 - for web 8/11/04 3:14 PM Page 2 2 Sesame July/August 2004 Issue 222 Letters lettersletterslettersletterslettersletters £20 book token for published Star letter Write to: Letters, Sesame, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA £10 book token for published letters and email: [email protected] Fax: 01908 652247. £5 book token for contributions to just a thought Only letters supplied with full postal address can be considered for publication. note. Is it moving towards providing a wholly face-to-face Exam ratings Down to earth computer-based teaching? I support model may be find OU course books excellent appropriate due to factors such LAST year, I took my first ever RON Ainsworth asked Sesame and enjoyable to read. I can as subject area, course level or Just a academic examination for (issue 221) that ‘these take one to bed or on holiday, geographic spread of students. B200, prior to which I had philosophers come down to read it in the lounge or in the For other courses, providing a never sat an exam except earth’ and tell students earlier garden or on the train. While wholly online support model a few GCSEs over 16 about the change of studying I can have more than may be appropriate because of thought years ago. presentation dates for AA308 one open on my desk different positions on the same Unfortunately, when the Thought and experience: accompanied by glossaries, factors. I am sorry that you have results were announced I was themes in the philosophy of Here’s a selection from maps, study guide and notes. I misunderstood the position the quite disappointed with my mind and AA311 Reading our big postbag on the can annotate the text with my OU is adopting. There is no grade and couldn’t political philosophy: Machiavelli Fifth Column (issue 221) own references and comments University policy to stop all face- comprehend where I had to Mill. on getting TMAs in on and place stickers between to-face tutorials in favour of online. gone wrong. Responsibility for the change time. pages for quick reference. The situation with electronic After exchanging lies with the Faculty as much as While reading I can jump from TMAs is slightly different. Ideally correspondence with the the philosophers and I’m afraid page to page using fingers and this decision should be with the WHILE congratulating Eddie Examination Board, I was that it has been made just Elms (Fifth Column, Sesame post-it stickers to temporarily student rather than the course finally sent an assessment because we are aiming to be 221) on submitting 60+ link things together. Moreover, team, but as your letter sheet which showed how the down to earth, and to ensure TMAs, all before cut-off, I after a while one develops a indicates, for some courses this markings of my paper had the long-term security of our nevertheless think he mental map of where things may cause some difficulties for been rated. This restored some curriculum and our finances. should count himself are in the course material – a tutors and may need a different fortunate that external and confidence in me and, most We do try to tell students of big help in revision. approach to structuring unforeseen circumstances importantly, gave me an idea our plans as soon as they are To parallel this learning questions or marking schemes. have never got in the way what I had done wrong not to firm; if we were tardy this time, experience using a computer However, there are ways of of his doing so. score a higher grade. I apologise. does not seem to me to be overcoming these difficulties It is part of my duty as a Although the problem In the current financial climate tutor to be sympathetic to viable. I do use computers and and in due course the OU aims wasn’t so much to do with we have to look at all our costs. the sort of harsh blows consider the internet great for to give students more choice in achieving a higher grade, a Presenting only one of the two which fate can sometimes communication and as an submitting eTMAs. year’s long effort would have courses each year keeps down deliver. While I will always information resource but paid off, had I known our costs, while keeping both question why an extension inadequate for in-depth studies. is needed, my experience is beforehand how to approach courses in presentation over a the exam paper and perform Anthony Davis that few students make number of years gives a wider Art for art’s sake such requests casually. Altrincham better than I had. choice for students. Norman Thomson As the examination period is IT is very disappointing that it is Alternate year presentation is Lanarkshire fast approaching us, I would new in Arts. When we thought impossible to get an OU degree like to request the Examination about how it would work here, Tutorials stay totally in art history and why, if THIS article and the and Assessment Board have a we thought that it would be you have studied art history at attitude of the writer really policy set in place ensuring all good to be a bit flexible. THIS is my third year as an OU levels 1, 2 and 3, is there no got up my nose. While I students are sent these agree that some students AA308 is a new course; we student. I am currently studying diploma? Why isn’t there a full assessment sheets which show may be lax in the planning wanted to give students U210. My tutor has informed me range of OU courses in what is a the ratings of each section of of their TMAs and thus need wanting to take it the choice that the OU is considering truly amazing subject? I am their paper. For me, this single extensions to compensate of 2005 and 2006, and ourselves stopping all tutorials in favour of studying A354 (13th/14th sheet of paper was a great for this, the writer obviously two years of experience of the an ‘online’ service with century) at the moment and the has no understanding of source of strength which course before starting a stricter tutors/students, which go task of taking the huge jump those of us with more helped me wrap up the rotation. I am sorry if this has hand-in-hand with TMAs being into the 20th century is very serious and genuine situation and move on with worked against some students’ sent via email to tutors (as I daunting. What is wrong with art circumstances that do need my studies. plans. believe was mentioned in a from the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th this facility. It is fair to say that we get I note the writer plans to Dr Richard Allen previous letter) – which gives all and 19th centuries? feedback on our TMAs, which become a customer service Dean of Arts tutors the daunting task of Please give us some more... we use to better our officer. If so I suggest he printing off every TMA received anything, but don't just leave us performance. Feedback from brushes up on his people prior to marking. with the two extremes of the examination papers would skills before starting his If the OU is so against the spectrum. We want the juicy bits new career. His draconian equally help us perform better Paper still best ‘personal’ touch – which in the middle as well. approach to life will not in the next round. SO the e-University (UKeU), see excludes many students who Caroline Dowson make him very popular with Koasar Malik Sesame 221) has foundered. don’t have a computer – why Northumberland his customers. London Perhaps the OU should take don’t they just change their Elaine Hughes name to the CLOSED Cheshire University? After all, it does Give the ISBN EDDIE Elms makes a salient Don’t duck seem intent on shutting its doors point about TMA extensions, Star letter on the non-PC-owning student. WOULDN’T it be a good idea to but seemingly ignores exams Mark Rushton include ISBN numbers of set what may be the cause of at Manchester books in course details? I’m sure least a significant minority of extension requests: I HAVE been reading the (ECA) or attends the exam) I’m not the only Arts student who Peter Wilson, from the Learning likes to buy set books in disability. exam results page (Sesame and £2,000 for a 60-point I have a set of conditions 221) with interest. I've also course. That means that the and Teaching Office, replies: advance of doing the course so which are variable and/or been following the various OU lost out on approximately as to be able to read them at unpredictable in their debates about funding and £70 million worth of funding THE importance of tutorial leisure. As it is important to use effects upon my health and how the OU only receives the last year alone – no wonder support is a keystone of the OU the stipulated version of the I am sure other students government subsidy if we are seeing courses vanish! supported open learning text why not supply the with disabilities are in a students complete their I realise that there will model.