Open mathematics
On this page
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| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | 5 Computer-marked assignments (CMAs) |
| No examination | No residential school |
Register for the course
| Start | End | Fee | Register |
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| - | - | - |
No current presentation - see Future availability |
| This course is expected to run until October 2009. | |||
Summary
This introductory course will build your confidence in mathematics and help you incorporate mathematical thinking into your everyday life. It looks mathematically at matters of general interest including prices, earnings, health, music, art, maps, motion and rainbows. Alongside mathematical skills, it will help your communication and learning skills. You'll cover statistical, graphical, algebraic, trigonometric and numerical concepts and techniques, and an introduction to mathematical modelling. Formal calculus is not included. As an integral part of the course, you'll learn how to use a graphics calculator and get advice on recommended models. You are not expected to have any previous knowledge of algebra.
Course content
This course is about the relationship between mathematics and the world in general and assumes only the literacy and numeracy skills needed in everyday life. It will be of interest to students with a variety of study plans. It offers an introduction to mathematics and its uses that’s of interest in itself, even if you have no plans to use or study mathematics further. We hope that by the end of the course you’ll find mathematics so fascinating that you’ll want to find out more. The skills introduced will be valuable to those who intend to specialise in mathematics courses. It is also suitable for all those who will be users of mathematics in other areas, such as computing, science, technology, social science, humanities or education.
The course looks mathematically at a variety of fields, indicated by the titles of study texts below and examines general questions such as whether people are becoming better off in relation to income and prices. Among the mathematical ideas are statistical, graphical, algebraic, trigonometric and numerical concepts and techniques. It also introduces mathematical modelling and looks at the interpretation of slopes or gradients of graphs, but leaves formal calculus techniques to the next Level 1 course, Using mathematics (MST121). Although there is some overlap with the topics taught for GCSE, A-level and equivalent courses the approach is very different. You will be interpreting your mathematical results in context and explaining the relevant concepts at a level appropriate to Higher Education. Throughout the course you will learn how to use a graphics calculator (the TI-83 or TI-84). Alongside mathematical skills, the course should also help you to develop your communication and learning skills. These key skills are readily transferable to other subject areas.
It will take you one to two weeks to work through each study text. The titles are Preparing for open mathematics, Mathematics everywhere, Prices, Earnings, Health, Seabirds, Maps, Graphs, Symbols, Music, Predictions, Movement, Growth and decay, Baker’s dozen, Space and shape, Repeating patterns, Rainbow’s end.
The amount of time you need to spend studying the course is likely to depend on your previous experience. For example, if you have not previously met any of the concepts covered by the course, and/or have no recent experience of studying, then you should expect to spend substantially more than the eight hours per week taken by an average student. Alternatively, if you have studied recently and are familiar with some of the mathematics in the course, you may need less time. Many of the topics covered in the course depend on your understanding of topics in earlier units. So if you have not fully understood earlier material, you may find later material more difficult and time consuming. This is particularly true of graphs, formulas and algebra. Naturally, the study time required for the course tends to increase before an assignment deadline.
MU120 involves more reading and writing than many students anticipate on a mathematics course. If you are not able to read a document such as this course description reasonably fluently, then it may take you more time to study the course. You will be encouraged to develop skills in interpreting and explaining mathematics, and this aspect of the course will be assessed in some of the assignment questions.
There are samples of the course material, including example assessment questions, available at the Maths Choices website.
Entry
This course is part of the mathematics entry suite, leading to Using mathematics (MST121) and Exploring mathematics (MS221). Your choice of which of the three to take depends on how much mathematical knowledge you already have and on the degree you have in mind. If you are not confident with algebra and trigonometry to the level of a good pass in the highest-level GCSE mathematics, or equivalent, you should start with MU120. You could then go on to MST121. For advice about which course to take, please ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for the leaflet Maths Choices, or look at the Maths Choices website.
The Maths Choices leaflet and website also contain a self-assessment quiz to help you decide if MU120 is the right course for you.
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. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
Preparatory materials will be sent to you several weeks before the course begins. However, if you want to do some reading beforehand, any of the following would be useful:
L. Graham, D. Sargent Countdown to Mathematics Volume 1 ISBN 0201 13730 5
A. Graham Teach YourselfBasic Mathematics ISBN 0 340 64418 4
H. Cooke Success with Mathematics ISBN 0415 298 61 X
If you do not feel quite ready for MU120, or if you have time before the course starts, you might consider taking a relevant short Openings courses first - Starting with maths (Y162).
Qualifications
MU120 is an optional course in our
- Certificate in Mathematics (C46)*
- Certificate in Computing and Mathematics (C50)
- Certificate in Quantitative Studies for Business (C56)
- BA (Hons) Leadership and Management (B54)
- BA (Honours) Business Studies (B04)
- BSc (Honours) Computing (B29)
- BSc (Honours) Physical Science (B27)
- BSc (Honours) Computing with Psychological Studies (B49)
- BSc (Honours) Secondary Education in Physics (B56)
- Foundation Degree in Information and Communication Technologies (G04)
- Diploma of Higher Education in ICT (E39)
- Diploma of Higher Education in ICT (E39)
- Foundation Degree in Business (G07)
- Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management (G08)
- Certificate in Business Studies (C63)
- Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences (C95)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Computing and its Practice (E41)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Business (E42)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Leadership and Management (E43)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Social Sciences (E50)
*You only need to successfully complete any two courses out of MU120, MST121 and MS221 to gain this certificate.
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level (including named degrees in Mathematics and Mathematics and Statistics), 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
We are trying to make the course materials accessible to as many people as possible. All the printed course texts are available in comb binding and also in audio format. The course makes considerable use of video and audio material and transcripts of these are available.
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. However some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
It is possible to get an enlargement of the calculator screen by borrowing either a TI-graphics calculator projection screen, or a TI-presenter to put the image of the screen onto a television monitor. Contact the Disability Resources Team for details. If you are not able to press calculator keys or read the display, even if projected onto a larger screen, you will need a mathematically-minded helper for two or three hours each week.
An Ordnance Survey ‘Outdoor Leisure’ map is used in two sections of the course. A copy of the map is available on CD-ROM – contact the Disability Resources Team for details. However, if you are likely to have difficulty in reading the detail of such a map, you will need the help of someone who can do so, for a few hours when studying Unit 6, and for an hour or so when studying Unit 14.
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, audio CD, DVD (for video material), CD-ROM.
You will need
Audio CD and video DVD playback facilities.
When you register for the course we will tell you how to order the graphics calculator (TI-83 or TI-84), which cost £65 in 2007. The calculator is an essential part of the course, which you will need from the start of your studies on MU120. Students who live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and receive a Government grant to support their study of MU120, will be contacted by the University about acquiring the calculator. Please note that this arrangement does not apply to students in Scotland. Scottish students can email or telephone 0131 226 3851 for advice.
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 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. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. We may also be able to offer local group tutorials or day schools that you are strongly 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.
Please note that TMAs for all undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses must be submitted on paper as – due to technical reasons – we are unable to accept TMAs via our eTMA system.
(The first CMA is associated with the preparatory materials and your score for it will not count towards your course result.) The final TMA and CMA both cover the whole of the course, and the final TMA is compulsory if you wish to pass the course.
The first TMA is in two parts, with the first part to be submitted about a month after the start of the course. A TMA on MU120 typically consists of four questions, each of which covers the material in one unit of the course, plus a question where you are asked to describe your progress in one aspect of the course e.g. using the course calculator, planning your study, consolidating your understanding of a mathematical topic. Each of the unit-based questions typically involves some calculation, creating and/or interpreting a graph, using a formula, using the course calculator, and some written work to explain your interpretations and conclusions. The latter is one factor that makes MU120 a university-level course and it is a new approach to some students, who may find it challenging. As there is no examination, the final TMA aims to consolidate your learning in different themes, which run through the course. However you will have a choice of questions in this TMA. The skills required to answer the TMA questions are developed throughout the course.
The first CMA (which doesn’t count towards your course result) is submitted two weeks into the course. Each CMA on MU120 typically consists of up to 25 multiple-choice questions (typically five questions per unit). They involve calculation and/or interpretation of information, sometimes using the course calculator. The final CMA covers the whole course.
You are advised to tackle the assignment questions relating to each unit alongside your study of the unit. However, you should check over your answers in the lead up to the submission of a TMA or CMA and possibly increase your study time then. You should schedule your study to allow plenty of time in the post for your assignments to reach your tutor, and ensure that the postage covers the size and weight of the envelope and its contents.
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or under-perform in an assignment this course allows you a ‘substitution score’, calculated as an average of all your scores for assignments during the course. In MU120 this rule can apply to one TMA and one CMA but not the final TMA and final CMA.
Professional recognition
This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. You can download our Recognition leaflet 3.3 Professional Engineering Institutions or ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for a copy. It is recognised by the Teacher Training Agency as an alternative to GCSE mathematics.
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 when it will be available for the last time. A new 30-point course, Discovering mathematics (MU123) is available from February 2010.
How to register
We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.
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