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The Open University
Course code
E112
Credit points
60
OU Level
1
SCQF level
7
QAA level
4
5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-course assessment No residential school

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This course is available for study in the countries shown.


Start End Fee* Register
Oct 2010 Jun 2011 Not yet available Click to register

Registration closes 09/09/10

This course is expected to run until October 2014.

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Summary

This course is for you if you have a general or professional interest in sport, recreation and fitness. It will provide you with a sound knowledge of some of the key underpinning concepts required to practise effectively within a sport or fitness setting, including: the organisation of sports/fitness provision in the UK; the health benefits of physical activity; fitness training principles; nutrition; legal and safety aspects; and customer care. You’ll be able to apply your understanding to your own participation in sport or exercise, or to careers in the field – such as fitness instruction or sports facility management.

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Course content

The course comprises a range of study topics, which includes:

  • Putting sport and fitness in context – an overview of the participation patterns, sector structure, regulation and management of the sport, recreation and fitness industry in the UK
  • Physical activity and health – an evaluation of the beneficial effects of physical activity on various aspects of health, and the role of pre-activity health screening
  • Training for health, fitness and sport – training principles and methods for improving muscular and aerobic fitness for health and sport
  • Valuing your customers – the significance of customer care and a consideration of how organisations can improve customer satisfaction, thus retaining members
  • Eating to win – an overview of nutritional strategies and practices aimed at maximising sports/fitness performance and encouraging weight control.

The study topics will be supported by a study guide, two text books, and a DVD containing a range of case studies. The course will also include a website where students will be able to access electronic materials. All students will be provided with a heart-rate monitor, which will be used to complete some of the study activities.

Vocational relevance

This course is aimed at people with an interest in sport and fitness, and also those wanting to develop their career in the subject area.

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Entry

The course is a broad introduction to sport, fitness and management, and no assumptions are made about the knowledge or education you bring to it. As a Level 1 course, it provides core subject knowledge and the study skills required for higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2 and beyond.

There are no requirements concerning a person’s level of fitness to take the course. There are no activities that require any sort of strenuous exercise; even the activities that involve the heart-rate monitor may be carried out by a friend, with only the monitoring done by you.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

There are no formal qualification requirements for students joining the course. However, if you have no prior experience of higher education, or if you have not studied for some time, we would strongly advise you to make use of the OU’s wide range of introductory courses and packs.

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Qualifications

E112 is a compulsory course in our

E112 is an optional course in our

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.

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If you have a disability or additional requirement

The course has been designed so that the (teaching and) activities do not prevent students with a disability or additional requirement from achieving the learning outcomes of the course. Written transcripts of any audio 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 mathematical, scientific and technical materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

The course makes significant use of audio and video materials that are made available to students on DVD. These can be played on either a standard DVD player or a personal computer with a DVD drive.

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.

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Course materials

What's included

A study guide, assessment guide, two text books, DVD, heart-rate monitor and course website.

You will need

Either a DVD player or a computer with a DVD drive.

Although it is not essential, we recommend that you have a broadband internet connection for this course, in order to get the most out of the website activities and to participate in online tutorials.

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.

You will need a headset with a microphone and earphones to talk to your tutor and other students online during some of the course activities.

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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 assignments, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor will be particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. Contact with your tutor will be through the following methods:

  • online tutorials, which we strongly encourage you to participate in since most students find these extremely useful
  • online forum (email conference) within your tutor group
  • personal email or telephone.

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.

Equal weighting is given to the TMAs and the end-of-course assignment and you must pass both parts to pass the course. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, therefore you are required to complete all assessments. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

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Professional recognition

E112 has recently been recognised by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), for continuing professional development (CPD) purposes. This means that if you are a member of REPs, you will be able to claim 16 CPD points on completion of the course.

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Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2009. We expect it to be available once a year.

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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.

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Study explained

Course
- a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
Credit points
- show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
Level
- indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
Financial support
- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
Study explained
- all you need to know about studying with the OU.

Student Reviews

This was a totally different direction of study for me having worked and studied childcare over the past 15 years. ...
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E112 'Introduction to sport fitness' is a fantastic course. It's made up of six study topics with each unit a ...
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