- An undergraduate course
in
Arts and Humanities.
Voices and texts
- On this page
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | A150 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
Designed to follow our key introductory course in arts and humanities, The arts past and present (AA100), which you are strongly advised to study first, this course focuses on language in a wide range of contexts and from the perspective of different academic subjects. These include subjects familiar from studying The arts past and present - classical studies, history, literature, music, religious studies - and two additional subjects, creative writing and English language studies. Voices and texts will help you to prepare for your studies at Level 2 by giving you opportunities to sharpen your analytical skills and to develop new approaches to your own writing.
Register for the course
What you will study
In the first week you will be introduced to several major recurring themes that you’ll encounter during your study of Voices and texts. You’ll complete short activities both online and from the printed Study Companion. Here – and throughout the course – the text-based materials are supplemented by audio-visual examples provided on the course DVDs.
During this week you will also make your first contact with your tutor and other students. This will be through the online forums in the Virtual Learning Environment, in readiness for your first assessment, which involves online group working. The rest of the course is presented in three books, each covering four weeks of study, and separated by assessment weeks. You will be expected to study for about fifteen hours a week.
Book 1: The Voices and Texts of Authority
In Book 1 the theme of authority is considered through examples drawn from religious studies, literature, classical studies and music. The opening chapters examine how authority is sometimes conferred on texts through establishing approved ‘canons’ of selected works, whether they are religious, literary or musical. The second half of Book 1 focuses on modern works that draw on Ancient Greek texts. These show how authority is ‘re-made’ through conscious use of traditional sources, developing fresh and sometimes challenging resonances. The materials for this book range from a Buddhist prayer to South African drama, illustrating the breadth of the book’s theme and laying an interdisciplinary foundation for the whole course.
Book 2: Identity and Expression
English language studies and creative writing are introduced in Book 2. Chapters on ‘Spoken Voices’ and ‘Written Voices’ examine the communicative process through a variety of real-life examples. These focus on the relationship between language and identity, and the way language is used in different social settings. A chapter on ‘Invented Voices’ examines in more detail the artifice involved in representing ‘constructed’ rather than actual voices, using the techniques of creative writing as a means of exploration. The final chapter, ‘Poetic Voices’, investigates another fundamental distinction, that between prose and poetry. It also covers creative writing strategies that will help you to experiment with ways of shaping language.
Book 3: Voices and Texts in Dialogue
In the final part of the course, history and literature come together in a case study centred on mid-Victorian Britain. Book 3 begins in Manchester in the 1840s. It introduces the topic of industrialisation, with a particular focus on the way that ideas about social order were produced and exchanged. This first chapter shows how economics was embedded in Victorian culture, a theme that is then taken up in discussion of Charles Dickens’ novel Hard Times (1854). The central chapters of Book 3 open up a number of different approaches to reading nineteenth-century fiction. These include understanding the conventions of the genre, as well as the relationship between Dickens’ popular novel and the society in which it was produced. In the final chapter, more historical sources from the 1860s will be added to the textual mix to explore how political culture gave voice to some, and not to others. Throughout the book you will develop your skills in inter-textual reading as you trace significant ’tropes’ and rhetorical patterns across a range of different source materials.
Entry
Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2. As this course builds on the skills and knowledge developed through the study of The arts past and present (AA100), we strongly advise you to study AA100 first.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
We strongly recommend that you study The arts past and present (AA100) before registering for Voices and texts, as it builds on the skills and knowledge gained from studying that course. However, if you have successfully completed one of our previous introductory Level 1 courses in arts and humanities – such as A103 (now discontinued) – this may be suitable preparation for you to study this course.
Our Moving on to A150 website highlights key sections of the course and will help you to decide whether you already have the recommended background knowledge and skills to study this course.
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
Written transcripts of any audio-visual components and 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 foreign language or diagrammatic 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.
Elements of the course are delivered through a website and include the use of online forums for group working towards your first assessment. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet and have concerns about accessing this type of material you are advised to talk to the Student Registration & Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs.
If you have particular study requirements please tell us as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Visit our Services for disabled students website for more information, including:
- help to determine your study requirements and how to request the support that you need
- Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs)
- using a computer for OU study
- equipment and other support services that we offer
- examination arrangements
- how to contact us for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVD videos, website.
You will need
A DVD video player.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 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 10.6 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Dickens, Charles: Kate Flint (ed) Hard Times, Penguin £6.99 - ISBN 9780141439679
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material, mark and comment on your assignments, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of group tutorials (in a local study centre and online) and any day schools that might be arranged in your area.
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.
One TMA involves online group work with fellow students.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2013 when it will be available for the last time. From October 2014 Voices and texts (A150) and Making sense of things: an introduction to material culture (A151) are being merged into one 60-credit course Voices, texts and material culture (A105).
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.
Student Reviews
“A150 is a very good module that will hone your skills in analysing texts and working with language in general. ...”
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“I found A150 to be a really interesting course. I never thought I would like studying modern history, but now ...”
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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 or study adviser 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 read Distance learning explained.
Undergraduate
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | A150 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | |
| No residential school | |
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
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