Computing: a work-based approach
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| 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.
Summary
Becoming a computing professional needs more than just academic study. You’ll also need to learn how to make the most of your opportunities in the workplace. As a student on M226, you’ll learn to map and plan your work activities against industry-wide standards, using British Computer Society software. To take the course, you’ll need to be an employee or a volunteer working as a computing practitioner in an IT-rich environment. You’ll also need the support of a supervisor, – normally your line-manager – who can authenticate your work records and help you identify career development opportunities.
Course content
Making the most of your opportunities in the workplace involves being aware of how your work activities relate to the computing profession as a whole; knowing how best to apply knowledge and skills you’ve gained from study or training; and reflecting on how well – or otherwise – you’ve performed in your work. You’ll then be able to assess yourself in relevant skills, and start to plan your future career development.
M226 will support you as you start to develop your computing career. You’ll use British Computer Society (BCS) software to map and plan your work activities over a nineteen-month period against industry-wide standards. As you work through the course, you’ll be supported by an Open University tutor, who’ll visit you at your place of work and help you to plan - with your supervisor - your work activities over the period covered by M226. All of your work activities will continue to be for your workplace, as normal; it will be your engagement in the process of recording and reflecting on your activities, achievements and progress in your work that will enable you to gain university credit.
Entry
Throughout the length of the course, you must be working – either as an employee or as a volunteer – as a computing practitioner (not just as an end-user) in an IT-rich environment. You’ll need the support of an appropriate supervisor from your workplace – normally your line-manager – who’ll be able to authenticate what you record about your work, and to help you identify opportunities for developing your career. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
M226 is a compulsory course in our
- Foundation Degree in Computing and its Practice (G06)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Computing and its Practice (E41)
M226 lies at the heart of the Foundation Degree and Diploma of Higher Education in Computing and its Practice and constitutes one of the three pillars of these qualifications: academic study, work-based learning and work-related skills. It is recommended that you have completed or have embarked upon Level 1 study before registering on Computing: a work-based approach (M226). It’s quite possible that - while studying M226 – you’ll identify appropriate training that could enable you to gain credit that you can use towards your qualification for one or both of the work-related skills courses, Accreditation of Certificated Practitioners 1 (MT127) and Accreditation of Certificated Practitioners 2 (TM227) – and you may well complete that training within the nineteen months of this course.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
If you satisfy the entry requirements, you’ll be unlikely to experience difficulties in studying on M226 over and above that which you’d normally meet in the execution of your work. The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). 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 course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
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
Online access to the BCS’ University Professional Development Scheme (UPDS) software and accompanying documentation. Course Guide. Online forums. Application form for discounted Student Membership of the BCS.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new 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.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll have a tutor who will normally visit you in your workplace twice during the course; who will mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. You’ll be able to contact your tutor by telephone, email or post. 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 TMAs each will allow the tutor an opportunity to provide feedback on how you present evidence and engage with the process.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of M226 will provide you with accredited experience that will be recognised by the BCS as equivalent to four years outside of the UPDS or equivalent, i.e. it provides a route to Chartered Professional status.
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 once a year.
How to register
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept online registrations for this course. Instead, please read the Entry section of this course description and contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Computing and ICT.
Study explained
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