The books make interesting reading, but the course isn't very well executed. The TMAs only cover a portion of the literature with a disproportional amount of marks being allocated to an ill guided experimental thread. There is little room for free thinking on this course - you only get marks for regurgitating 'accepted knowledge'.
The scientific content is half decent, but then the psychology hokum comes into it's own with section after section of theoretical waffle. This will annoy those of a scientific mind as there is little hard evidence offered but plenty of anecdotal evidence and half-baked theories proffered by numpties in suits.
In short - buy a second hand set of the course books on ebay, but don't spend more than a tenner for the lot.
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: February 2013
Faculty response
Thank you for your comments, we are pleased that you found the books interesting reading but we have to disagree with your comments that there is little hard evidence presented. The module takes a scientific approach to the study of biological psychology which includes the key findings and results of experimental research. The experimental strand has been planned to ensure that key features of experimental design have been taught and assessed and this approach has been commended by our external assessors and examiners. The TMAs encourage an evaluation of the material presented and do not reward marks for regurgitation of facts.
An interesting course but the jargon completely threw me and it was hard to follow as I kept having to go back and check the where abouts of the various brain parts. The reading was quite relaxed and there was plenty of time to catch up if you had a bad week! The tutorials were good but the EMA complicated when I had not done experimental design before. I just scraped through but if you've got the time to read the bits that weren't essential it would probably make more sense.
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: January 2013
Like many of the other reviewers, I completed this course as of part of a psychology degree. I found the materials very interesting and really enjoyed the course, although it was hard going at times. I think it provided a lot of knowledge that will be helpful in future studies.
Like others have said, my only criticism would be that the TMA questions seemed to often be worded in an overly complicated way. I found this frustrating as I felt I had missed out on marks that would be obtainable if the questions were clearer.
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: December 2012
The first thing to realise with SD226 is that it's a science module. There's a lot of biology - which for me was great because I'm doing a science degree. I enjoyed this in-depth look at the working of the brain and it's impact on behaviour. Most particularly the study of drugs and addiction. I learnt a lot, but it's not the easiest of materials to get your head around. I worked hard and I did fine.
My only criticism would be the wooliness of some of the TMA/EMA questions - and I suppose that's the psychology part - that I found hard. But my tutor was good.
Although there is no exam, the end EMA is difficult and cannot be done in a hurry.
If you are a scientist, do not be put off by psychology students who hated it, I think the biology was too in-depth for some of them, hence the high drop-out rate. So go for it, but go with eyes wide open, not the easiest 30 credits, but the subject matter is fascinating.
Sheilagh Margaret Rawlins
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: December 2012
A truly exciting journey into the exploration of the brain! The reading and understanding of the module materials at times seemed overwhelming - and the TMAs were quite daunting and required lots of revising materials to really understand the complexity of the content before even the question could be understood. However, I was extremely fortunate to have a wonderfully inspiring and patient tutor who explained troublesome aspects to me (quite frequently!).
If you are fortunate enough to land yourself with a good tutor then you will be okay - as long as you are prepared to put in the hard work. I did attend all the tutorials and found these very helpful, particularly face-to-face explanations of module materials I was struggling with - it was also comforting to know others were struggling too!
All the sweat and tears paid off in the end as I completely surprised myself with getting a Distinction. There is no exam at the end, however the EMA is considerably lengthy and complex in comparison to the TMAs and does eat up rather a lot of time, energy and concentration!
A thoroughly enjoyable module though! I learnt a lot.
Catherine McDermid
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: December 2012
This was my fourth unit towards my BSc. Psychology and as I also have a Biology degree I hoped it would be an interesting one. Unfortunately unlike other reviewers I did not enjoy this course as much as others. Part of the reason for this was that the TMAs were very ambiguously worded leading to a lot of confusion and frustration even before the TMA was started.
Secondly,the TMAs were so huge with respect to the amount of preparation needed it is hard to believe that this is only a 30-credit module. Halfway through I found that from next year this is no longer a compulsory course and if I had studied units in a different order I could have avoided it altogether and chosen another one. I gained a reasonable pass 2 but a disappointing time all the same.
Course starting: February 2012
Review posted: December 2012
I really enjoyed this course, it is the most scientific of the modules I have so far completed towards my Psychology degree. I did it at the same time as ED209 Child Development and found it both more interesting and slightly more in keeping with what I expected.
I completed the course with a distinction (my first). This result surprised me as before the course I expected it to be by far the hardest of the modules, not that it was easy.
I am surprised and a little disappointed to see this is due for it's final year and is not being replaced. I took both this and human biology (as a free choice) and found both greatly improved my understanding of the subject. The absence of modules specifically related to the biological side of psychology, (this is touched upon in other modules.) can only be to the detriment of the course and future students.
Perhaps this is to come in future course additions. As for the course itself two thumbs up, get it while you still can.
Duncan Rossiter
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: June 2012
Having read the reviews before taking this module I could see it would be hard work...however I wanted to study behavioural neuroscience (akin to biological psychology) and after a lot of research there was little, if anything in the way of academic study at this level so I was simply pleased to find an opportunity.
It wasn't particularly easy but the subject area itself is not that simple, especially if its new to you (as it was to me).
Having completed it I would say the module and subject is amazing and rewarding in what you learn. Understanding about neurotransmitters, brain regions, biology etc. and how this can affect behaviour is in my opinion a subject that needs more attention as it is profound and especially when you think of diet and fitness.
The workload is doable. Perhaps expect a slightly heavier workload if you are new to this subject but the outcome is worth it in what you learn.
The Open University cover the subject excellently and the course material is top quality. Studying this module has helped me in other modules - so the effort put in pays in more ways than one.
Overall I would say this was my best module (out of 8 OU modules) and has only furthered my interest in this area of which I intend to pursue further. It would be a shame if the OU ever dropped this module because as I state - there is so little out there on this fundamental subject at this entry level.
Shanel Cuthbert
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: March 2012
I thought the books were excellent - very well written and interesting. I hadn't done any biology previously but didn't particularly feel like this was a disadvantage. I also found the psychology elements familiar from other courses and the statistics/experimental side was straightforward because I had already done DD303 (Cognitive Psychology).
The only frustration for me was the TMAs - the wording of the questions made it hard to understand and it took a lot of time to track down the answers in the text. Sometimes I felt like they were testing understanding of the question not the actual content! Nevertheless I was pleased with the result I got. My tutor support was excellent and the forums generally helpful. I did the course at the same time as DD307 which many final year psychology students do and found both together hard work but manageable.
Katie Stanley
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: December 2011
I found this course extremely challenging and wish that I had done more preparation reading before starting the course. This was particularly so as my previous studies have been in social sciences and psychology. A great deal of time needs to be put aside for the assignments, as a lot of unpicking is required to clarify the understanding of the assignment questions.
That said it provided me with the most rewarding learning experience that I have had in years. My advice is buckle in and try to enjoy the ride!
Rachel Wood
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: December 2011
Highly recommended. This course has so far been my favourite on the road to my psychology degree. It is more scientific than the other psychology courses which means it is easier to establish exactly where marks can be earned in the TMAs. As it is more scientific there is less scope for opinion as the answers rely on biological facts. The content is extremely interesting.
Negatives- I am astounded that it was only worth 30 credits as the assignments took me far longer than those on a 60-credit course with up to 3 times the amount of work required for each (don't expect just an essay), a problem confounded by the very badly written TMA questions. Many students have pointed this out to the course writers and hopefully it will be addressed by next year.
Tip: There is no need to go outside the course materials in order to get a good mark, I did really well on the course (my first distinction!) by sticking to just the materials sent.
A really enjoyable and fascinating course.
Caroline Jane Miller
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: December 2011
This course could so easily be a jewel in the crown of the OU. It is a fascinating subject that is clearly explained in the most part. Having not studied biology even at O-level I was expecting a tough time. My OU Region piloted a scheme that offered additional online tuition and tutorials for anyone worried about not having studied biology. With this help and the excellent course books I had no problems, though to start with I did have to devote more time to the materials than I have on other pure psychology courses. Tutors at day schools were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and my personal tutor was excellent. So what's the problem with SD226?
The TMA questions were often cryptic and unclear in what they were asking. This is a constant source of enquiry on the course forums and it beggars belief that when dozens of students are saying they don't understand what the question is asking that the questions aren't changed. This really does let the whole course down. The OU's reply to critical reviews mentions above average completion and pass rates for SD226.
Before taking this at face value consider that many students on the BSc (Hons) Psychology degree do this as their last course and are happy just to get through it regardless of pass grade. Also, 'above average pass rates' doesn't tell us a lot by itself. Surely what students (and hopefully the course management) are interested in is the quality of those pass grades. These concerns about TMAs have been aired consistently for several years and it's a shame that the course hasn't been updated to address them.
Another point to bear in mind for psychology students is that the expected writing style and what gets you top marks in this course is different to pure psychology courses. Often you are expected to give as many examples as will fit the word count without the critical analysis that psychology students are usually expected to provide. This isn't peculiar to this course - it's just the way natural scientists write.
Overall I loved the content of this course. I would go so far as to say that if you are doing the Psychology post-grad conversion diploma and don't have to do this course then you are leaving a large gap in your knowledge. The later material covers schizophrenia, addiction and psychosis and leaves you wanting to know more - truly the sign of excellent course materials.
Despite the cryptic TMA questions I managed my best ever exam mark (though the 'exam' is a TMA of epic proportions).
Highly recommended.
Course starting: February 2011
Review posted: December 2011
For me, this course was interesting and eye opening. The textbooks were clear and well written, the TMAs mostly straight forward and the final ECA was challenging (as an exam replacement would be!) but fair.
Overall, I recommend this course, but beware - as others have stated, it does at times feel like you are studying a '60 pointer', so give yourself enough time to absorb the content.
Jason Lines
Course starting: February 2010
Review posted: October 2011
I realy enjoyed this course - I find biopsychology fascinating but I have to admit there was a lot of biology in this module and sometimes it was hard to get my head around the technical terms. I did not mind this because I am intereted in this area but you do need to keep up with the reading so you can do your best in the TMAs. Overall a really enjoyable course and it gives you a good understanding of this area of psychology.
The SD226 module team would like to thank the students who completed the survey and gave their feedback. We are very pleased to receive such positive comments on the content of SD226 and the module materials. We are aware that some students find the TMAs challenging and time-consuming, particularly those students who are less familiar with the scientific approach used on SD226. The TMA questions are re-written each year in the light of student feedback and are designed to assess understanding of the module materials and also the ability to use skills relevant to a science degree module.
SD226 Module Team
Review posted: November 2012
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