- An undergraduate course
in
Business and Management.
Working and learning: developing effective performance at work
- On this page
This course enables you to put your work experiences to practical use in your academic study of business and management. It provides a first taste of work-based learning with the Open University and helps you develop the study skills needed in higher education. The course will be useful for anyone looking to change or improve their working life or for anyone wishing to incorporate personal and professional development in their OU study programme. As work-based learning is highly personal, you will take control of your learning and choose what you want to learn and how you learn.
There is a version of this course specifically designed for people working in delivering public services – see course code BUXS130
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | BU130 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
This course will help you to develop skills to improve your performance at work – and as such is quite different from many other courses that are designed around a particular subject (for example, management or marketing) and that have a bounded academic area for learning. In contrast, BU130 provides you with an opportunity to make your own decisions about what you will learn to improve your performance in the workplace and you will draw up your own learning contract to guide your studies. You will draw on a range of course resources which will help to develop your study skills in reading, writing, reflective learning and critical thinking - and you will practise all these in carrying out your work-based learning inquiries. You may find it challenging at first to take control of your learning in this way but you should also derive great satisfaction from doing so.
Online learning will be a major part of this course. You will be directed to learning resources to help you to develop your study skills and to prepare your learning contract. Other resources are provided to support your work-based learning, covering a range of topics including self-management, work-life balance, persuasive skills and decision making. These learning resources will focus on helping you to try doing things differently in your work role, rather than just acquiring more academic knowledge.
These learning resources and activities will be supported by tuition that will include active involvement with your tutor through online tutor group forum activities and two day schools, plus collaborative work via online forums with a community of peers. The assessment for this course focuses on your personal learning experience and your reflection on that experience.
You will learn
In practical terms, the learning outcomes of this course are that you will be able to demonstrate:
Knowledge and understanding
- an understanding of your learning and selected work-based learning topics.
Thinking skills
- basic skills in reflective learning, including insights into experiences and making decisions upon future action.
Practical and professional skills
- an ability to plan, manage and communicate your learning within chosen work-based learning topics.
Key skills
- an ability to use relevant knowledge and key skills to engage critically with a range of problems and issues in your workplace.
Vocational relevance
To get the most out of this course you should be doing some kind of work as you will be doing two work-based learning projects as part of your learning learning (but it does not matter whether this is paid, or unpaid, or voluntary work). The course content is directly relevant to providing you with the skills to develop your ability to learn.
Entry
This is a key introductory Level 1 course providing knowledge development and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2.
It is an ideal first course if you are thinking of studying at university level, and might want to go on to a foundation degree in business or an undergraduate degree in business studies or management. You should be doing paid, or unpaid, or voluntary work as you will need to complete two work-based learning projects as part of your learning.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Outside the UK
This course is relevant to students in both a UK and non-UK context.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
The course is taught using printed and online texts, which will be available as readable PDFs. Content from the ‘Learning through Work’ website is available as Word documents. The course also uses interactive online activities, resources and forums, all of which will be accessible. You will be expected to submit your assignments electronically. If you think you may have difficulty handling text material or operating a computer, please talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service about the support that can be given to meet your needs.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Website, online activities and resources, including the course study guide, a course file, writing skills booklet, online forums and a printed text.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course which includes online activities. You can only access these using a web browser with Flash and Java.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2006 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.5 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will support you with the study material, facilitate online collaborative work through the tutor group forum, mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. If you are new to The Open University, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. This course also offers group tutorials or day-schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where tutorials are held depends on the distribution of students taking each course.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
The end-of-module assessment (EMA) must be submitted online using our eTMA system.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May and October 2012. We then expect it to be available twice a year, in April and October.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Student Reviews
“On the whole I did not enjoy this course. All of the learning was done online and I found writing ...”
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“This is no ordinary textbook based course. I think you get this much from all the previous comments. This module ...”
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | BU130 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Undergraduate
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
Study explained
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