Neighbourhood nature
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| 3 Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Neighbourhood nature is one of a series of short, flexible 10-point courses introducing fascinating topics in science. The fascinating world of nature is all around us and this course shows you how to study the plants and animals in your neighbourhood. It also enables you to try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. It has a choice of start dates, and you decide how long to take over your studies: eight to ten weeks, or up to five months.
Course content
Wherever you live, be it in a city or the countryside, you will find areas that support a range of wildlife. This course will provide you with basic scientific and observational skills so that you can go into your local neighbourhood to discover the animals and plants in open spaces. It is an ever-changing scene, different as the seasons progress; and there are longer-term changes over years. You will learn how to observe, identify and record the wildlife around you, building up a picture of a small part of your local environment. When put together with the observations of hundreds of other people, recorded on the iSpot website, a much broader picture of the wildlife of the country will be created. Changes over time will also become apparent as data accumulates.
This course covers a variety of different habitats that you might encounter. It introduces you to the common plants and animals that are found in them and their scientific significance. You will learn about the methods used in science to identify, classify and record plants and animals, including the use of simple biological keys. Information collected from different habitats is included in the course and you will learn to make deductions from data sets such as tables, flow diagrams and graphs.
At the end of the course you will have acquired basic skills that will enable you to approach the study of natural habitats using scientific methods, and you will have an understanding of the links between different organisms that make up the fascinating web of life around you.
Entry
This Level 1 course does not assume any previous scientific background and teaches the ideas and skills needed as and when they are required. It’s designed for people who are new to the subject area and, although a little basic knowledge of general science would be useful, all you need is an interest in studying natural history in your own local area. The course will include some practical work and you will have to be prepared to study and understand some basic biology and some observational techniques in order to do this. Mathematically you need only to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
S159 is an optional course in our:
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it can help to weight your degree towards a 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.
S159 cannot be counted towards the Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70).
If you have a disability or additional requirement
A proportion of the course, and all the assessment, is delivered online via the course website so you will have to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. If you have severely impaired sight you may not be able to achieve some of the course learning outcomes, as the course relies heavily on coloured images and visual identification. Part of the course is based on educational software, delivered on the internet, that must be studied in order to complete the course. This software is not yet fully accessible to screen reader software. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in operating a computer or the internet and have any concerns about accessing the types of course materials outlined you are advised to talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs.
As part of this course you will need to undertake simple outdoor practical work over a period of several days. You will be able to choose the area you work in and the type of observations that you make. The course website will provide guidance on the public open spaces where you can go to make observations.
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
OU-authored book, DVD containing short sequences about different habitats and a course website. The iSpot website is used for recording your observations.
You will need
You will need a basic calculator.
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
Study support
You can telephone or email a study adviser, who can help you with academic questions to do with the course and the assessment. There will also be an online discussion forum that you can use to get in touch with study advisers and other students.
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 end-of-course assessment (ECA) online. To be eligible to complete the ECA you must have contributed observations to the iSpot website. There will be three short online practice assessments that will not form part of the overall course assessment.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts in February, May, September and November of each year. We expect it to be available at the same time four times each 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 Science.
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.
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