Exploring psychology
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| 6 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
How humans think, develop, and experience the world around us has been fascinating psychologists for over 100 years. Using a historical and biographical framework, this course introduces you to a wide range of psychological approaches, including biological, social, and cognitive psychologies. It looks at areas such as identity, learning, memory, and language. But you won’t just learn about psychological theories, you’ll learn how to do different types of psychological research too. You’ll undertake practical work using quantitative and qualitative research methods and learn to analyse data using SPSS software. All in all, Exploring psychology will give you a thorough overview of psychology, relevant to your daily life.
Course content
This course covers a wide range of psychological theories, concepts and methods and demonstrates how they are typically applied in various contexts. The course explores the scope of contemporary psychology and its historical roots, and assesses the role played by very diverse perspectives on understanding human behaviour and experience.
The course is divided into two parts, each with a different focus and approach. Each part is presented in a course book with accompanying software, video and audio material on CDs, CD-ROM, DVD and DVD-ROM.
Book 1, Mapping Psychology, is in two parts and together with its linked materials makes up about two thirds of the course. The book maps out a basic set of approaches to psychology (e.g. cognitive, biological, social, individual differences) and provides you with a conceptual ‘bag of tools’ – the basic equipment needed to start mapping psychology in the twenty-first century.
Books 2, Challenging Psychological Issues, and its associated materials, make up the last part of the course and builds on the foundations presented in the first book. Book 2 presents three topics that epitomise current debates about what is ‘distinctively human’ psychology. The discussion of each topic (lifespan development, language and meaning, and sex and gender) draws on theories and empirical research from the biological, cognitive and social-psychological approaches introduced in Book 1.
Accompanying both Books 1 and 2 is a third book, Exploring Psychological Research Methods, which takes you through the range of methods employed by psychologists to investigate questions in psychology, and gives you an introduction to designing both quantitative and qualitative research projects and to gathering and analysing data. A separate booklet will guide you through using a computer for performing statistical analyses so that you develop information technology skills in handling and analysing data. A workbook that accompanies the main texts develops study skills such as using evidence, understanding the research process, structuring an argument, writing essays and undertaking critical evaluation.
Associated residential school course
The 15-point residential school course Exploring psychology project (DXR222) and its online version Exploring psychology on-line project (DZX222), offer tuition and activities that support and extend the academic aims of this course. If you want to count DSE212 towards an Open University qualification, you may need to include either DXR222 or DZX222 as well.
If you decide to attend the residential school, you must register for DXR222 or DZX222 separately, for which an additional fee is payable.
Entry
This is a Level 2 course, but you are not expected to have any special knowledge of psychology. Although statistics are used and you will analyse data on a computer, the techniques are fully explained in a separate text. You are expected to have basic knowledge of how to use a computer, so that you can for instance use the mouse or keyboard to open a document or program, navigate around a standard screen and windows on a PC, print a document and use a word processor. Guidance is provided on installing software.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
When you register for the course you will receive preparatory information.
Qualifications
DSE212 is a compulsory course in our
- BSc (Honours) Psychology (B07)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Criminology and Psychological Studies (B48)
- BSc (Honours) Computing with Psychological Studies (B49)
It is an optional course in our
- BA/BSc (Honours) Social Sciences (B06)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Social Sciences (B06) (with Psychology)
- BSc (Honours) Life Sciences (B28)
- BA (Honours) Philosophy and Psychological Studies (B43)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Nursing Studies (B47)
- BSc (Honours) Nursing Practice (B53)
- BA (Honours) Social Work Studies (B59)
- Foundation Degree in Counselling (G14)
- Diploma in Psychology (Conversion for Postgraduates) (D15)
- Diploma in Health and Social Care (D10)
- Diploma in Life Sciences (E05)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Social Sciences (E50)
It is also part of our Advanced Diploma in Education programme; if you would like to know more about that, please ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for the Education prospectus. It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The written course material is available in comb-bound format. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. The course units and supplementary material are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The text is provided and, where available, a real voice recording. You will need your usual interface to access the material, e.g. a screen reader with synthetic speech output, screen-enlargement software or Braille facilities, or assistance from a sighted helper for working with the SPSS CD-ROM. You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer.
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 booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and 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.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, CDs, DVD, DVD-ROM and CD-ROM, course website.
You will need
The ability to play CDs and DVDs.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you can use an Apple Mac or Linux computer if you can run Windows using Boot Camp or similar.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the 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 must use the online eTMA system to submit some of your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs). Your assignment booklet will tell you which method of submission you should use for each assignment.
Two assignments are based on project work. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score’. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Professional recognition
This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for Recognition leaflet 3.1 British Psychological Society.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2009. We expect it to be available at the same time once a year.
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.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Engineering and Technology, Psychology, Science and Social Sciences.
Study explained
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- Study explained
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Student Reviews
I enjoyed the course very much and it has prompted me to continue my psychology studies into Level 3. ...
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The course was quite generally focused on psychology and methods. It does thoroughly prepare you for BPS preparation in all ...
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