Sustainable Scotland
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This 15-week online course takes you on a wide-ranging journey through the many technological, economic and social aspects of sustainability with a focus on how such issues affect Scotland. Online discussion of these issues with your fellow students will be an important learning tool. There will be information from a community of students past and present for you to access; you will also be encouraged to use social bookmarking. Activities throughout the course will help you develop the skills to produce a report on your case studies as the final course assessment. The course is taught entirely online with study support via an online discussion forum.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T123 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
The course looks briefly at issues such as environmental justice, information technology use, waste management, transport, energy production and use, food production, and cultural and community sustainability, comparing how the small North Atlantic countries surrounding Scotland deal with such issues, and explores ways to tackle a sustainable future positively.
At its core is a website for registered students through which all the specially prepared teaching, assessment and other study 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.
At the end of the course, you should be able to:
- understand the terms ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ with respect to local energy use and Scottish renewable energy initiatives
- apply the concept of sustainability to different aspects of Scottish society, e.g. crofting, fisheries, mining, island life
- understand the ambiguous role of technology within sustainability and sustainable development
- understand the issues surrounding environmental justice.
You will be required to study approximately ten hours per week for fifteen weeks, including time for exercises and assessment. The course is quite an intensive study experience, so if you miss a week, especially near the beginning, you may find it hard to catch up.
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.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
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.
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 publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study 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.
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
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 2005 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
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 forum will be overseen by experienced academic moderators and is an excellent source of support and information. You must take part in the discussions on the online forum to pass 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.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-module assessment (EMA).
There are formative activities at the end of each week to help you develop the necessary skills and to pass the course you must take part in discussions on the online forum.
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 2012 and February 2013. We expect it to be available twice a year.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T123 |
| Credits | 15 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Your questions
We may have already answered it in our frequently asked questions.
Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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