Chance, risk and health
On this page
|
|
|
|
|
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
Register for the course
| Start | End | Fee | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
No current presentation - see Future availability |
| This course is expected to run until November 2009. | |||
Summary
Does statistics play a major role in science in general and in medicine in particular? This course unequivocally answers ‘YES’ and aims to convince you of that fact. Chance, risk and health is one of a series of short, flexible 10-point courses introducing fascinating topics in science. Try out a new area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. This course 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
This course will introduce you to some of the main ideas of modern statistics, from scratch, in the context of important health issues. It will show you how statistics can shed considerable light on such topics as the controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine and the link between smoking and cancer. The course is not a ‘how-to/cookbook’ introduction to basic statistics. Rather, its role is to help you appreciate the importance of statistical analysis and thinking, particularly in modern medicine. Its emphasis is on understanding the kinds of statistical tools that are available; what issues they can address; and how to interpret statistical results.
The course is based on large parts of the book Dicing with Death: Chance: Risk and Health by Stephen Senn. Senn’s book provides an introduction to some of the key ideas and controversies in medical statistics, enhanced by historical sketches of important figures in statistics and science. There’s also a specially written OU study book, which guides you through Senn’s book and adds explanation, consolidation and, in places, a little more depth. It also provides numerous exercises.
Entry
If you are new to studying at university level, you are advised not to take this course as your first course. It would be better to try one of the other Level 1 science short courses, which provide more support (for more information, see the Where to start in Science website. There is also a course taster pack available, designed to give you a feeling of what it is like to study SMK184.
The course requires the use of some basic mathematics. It assumes that you have encountered negative numbers before and that you can add, subtract, multiply and divide positive and negative numbers and understand the use of brackets in numerical calculations. You should know how to express numbers as fractions and decimals and know what simple powers mean (e.g. know that 23 means 2 x 2 x 2).
You should be able to use symbols to represent quantities, and to substitute numerical values into simple formulae. You will find the course more straightforward if you know how to add and multiply numerical fractions, interpret simple graphs and rearrange simple algebraic equations. However, the course does not assume great confidence in all these topics and they are introduced gently and used sparingly.
A maths skills ebook is provided to help you with, for example, fractions, percentages, reading graphs and tables, and scientific units as required by the course. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
SMK184 is an optional course in our:
- BA (Hons) Leadership and Management (B54)
- Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70)
- Certificate in Health Sciences (C78)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Business (E42)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Leadership and Management (E43)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Health Sciences (E49)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Paramedic Sciences (E52)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Operating Department Practice (E58)
- Foundation Degree in Business (G07)
- Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management (G08)
- Foundation Degree in Paramedic Sciences (G11)
- Foundation Degree in Health Sciences (G12)
- Foundation Degree in Operating Department Practice (G19)
This course is particularly suitable if you are doing a degree in Life Sciences (B28) or Natural Sciences (B16). It can also count as 10 points towards an Open University bachelors degree. We advise you to refer to the relevant award descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Some of the printed course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. The books are available in a comb-bound format.
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
Two books: the study book Chance, Risk and Health, which includes explanations, expansion of material where appropriate and many exercises, and Dicing with Death: Chance: Risk and Health by Stephen Senn; study guide; maths skills ebook; website; and two associated TV programmes on DVD.
You will need
Basic scientific 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 will be able to 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 must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs).
For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit the single piece of assessment: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April.
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 the last starting date to be November 2009. A replacement course is not planned.
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.
About this page
An undergraduate course.
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
I enjoyed this course, and had only taken it to fill in a gap between my first and second OU ...
Read more
This course is terrific. I'm perplexed by the negative comments from some other students. It's hard to believe they are ...
Read more
Got a question?
Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90
Browse the prospectus
Request a print prospectus
Share
This PageThe University wishes to emphasise that, while every effort is made to regularly update this site, the material on it is subject to alteration or amendment in the light of changes in regulations or in policy or of financial or other necessity.