An undergraduate course.

This 15-week online course takes you on a wide-ranging journey through the many technological, economic and social aspects of sustainability that impact on Scotland. The course is designed to be accessible to a wide range of students; those seeking to play a more active and informed role in a sustainable future, those interested in contemporary Scottish society; and those who are looking for a broad-based introduction to Open University study. This course is taught entirely online with study support via an online discussion forum.

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What you will study

The course delves into key areas of the sustainability agenda, such as the way we manage waste, how we produce and use food, our choice of energy sources, how we use information technology and transport issues, and also compares how these issues are dealt with by other countries. To complete the picture, the course looks at some of the less well explored aspects including cultural and community sustainability.
This course will help you to:

• understand the terms ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ 
• follow current debates on environmental issues
• apply the concept of sustainability to different aspects of Scottish society.

This course is taught entirely online with a website at its core through which all the specially prepared teaching, assessment and other course materials are presented.

You will be able to use case studies either from your own local area or access ones that interest you from relevant Scottish websites.

You will be expected to spend around 10 hours a week on this course. While studying, you will need to carry out a range of activities: working through the course materials, interacting with your fellow students, and completing end-of-week activities. The course has been planned so that there is time to carry out all the necessary activities.

Entry

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.

You need to be a fairly confident computer user, able to access the internet and use a browser and a word processing package.

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

Outside the UK

All the material is online. There will be documents to download from websites and podcasts to watch. Learners who use screen readers or who cannot use a mouse will not be able to access some study material or some course activities without assistance.

Preparatory work

There is no set preparatory work. However, you will find that taking notes on environmental topics you have read in ‘quality’ newspapers and seen in TV programmes will be very helpful.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

Written transcripts of OU audio components and external audio resources that are essential to the learning outcomes of the course will be available to download from the website. Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of OU study materials can be provided on request from the course team. Some Adobe 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. Students with visual impairments may find accessing parts of the study materials and activities challenging and are advised to consider the support of a sighted assistant. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

This course is taught entirely online and includes use of tools such as a forum and submission of assessments online. 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 study materials outlined you are advised to talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs.

Study materials

What's included

Online study materials, a website and online forum.

You will need

We recommend that you have broadband internet access to shorten the time required to download the audio files and podcasts.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course as it includes online activities, which you can access using a web browser.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2007 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
• If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
• If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.6 or later.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Study support

The course is taught entirely online. You will not have an individual tutor, but you can use the online forum to ask for help and advice about any aspect of the course. The online discussion forum is an integral part of the learning experience,  overseen by experienced academic moderators and is an excellent source of support and information.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

There is no examination. Instead, there is an assessment at the end of the course in which you are asked to provide two reports on case studies chosen by yourself. There are formative activities at the end of each week to help you develop the necessary skills to produce these reports. You can use case studies either from your own local area or access ones that interest you from relevant websites. To pass the course, you must also participate in the discussions on the online forum. 

You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-module assessment (EMA).

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013 when it will be available for the last time.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Environment: journeys through a changing world (U116)
• Digital photography: creating and sharing better images (T189)
• Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis (S186)
• The frozen planet (S175)
• You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)

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.

Student Reviews

Distance learning

The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information read Distance learning explained.

A taste of OU study

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