Beyond Google: working with information online
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| 1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
This ten-week online course offers a structured journey through the world of information. If you’re new to internet searching, it will develop your skills and your confidence, and encourage you to question the quality of the information you find. You’ll also reflect on the value of different kinds of information for different purposes. Experienced internet searchers will be able to experiment with some new approaches, perhaps discovering that some familiar search tools aren’t quite what they seem. The course is friendly, accessible and fun and includes interactive activities, podcasts and blogging.
Course content
This course will appeal to you if you are interested in using the internet to find and publish your own information. It’s also ideal to support university study, if you work in a library or information service, or if you simply want to be part of the ‘information age’. The course will help you recognise when you need to look for information; search for it systematically; look at it critically; organise it efficiently; and present it clearly. Study is mostly online, with interactive activities and opportunities to experiment with electronic resources. You will need to study for about ten hours a week.
The course aims to:
- explore the information landscape and how it has changed with the growth of the World Wide Web
- appreciate the importance of search in the information landscape
- introduce techniques to help you to conduct effective searches
- encourage you to explore new kinds of content available online
- teach you to critically evaluate information you find online
- encourage you to value your own information and be able to organise and share it effectively with other people.
Entry
This course will appeal to you if you use information every day and want to make the most of libraries and online resources; or if you intend to continue your studies (perhaps towards a degree) and so will need skills of this kind. We assume that you might be fairly new to computing but are not a complete beginner.
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.
Qualifications
TU120 is an optional course in our
- BA (Hons) Leadership and Management (B54)
- BSc (Honours) Technology (B20)
- Certificate in Business Studies (C63)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Business (E42)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Leadership and Management (E43)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Financial Services (E54)
- Foundation Degree in Business (G07)
- Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management (G08)
- Foundation Degree in Financial Services (G16)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc, though you will have to think carefully about fitting 10 points into a programme of study that consists largely of courses worth 30 or 60 points.. 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.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Please note that this course makes substantial use of information and communication technology (ICT). You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). 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. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
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
Access to the course website; online discussion forums.
You will need
You are likely to be spending about five hours a week online, which may mean extra charges to your telephone bill.
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
The course is taught entirely online. You will not have an individual tutor, but you can use the online conference to ask for help and advice about any aspect of the course. The conference will be moderated by experienced tutors. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the online forum, because it 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
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).
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 May and October 2009. We expect it to be presented twice a year, in May and October.
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 Computing and ICT.
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
A fascinating online course, extremely well presented allowing for a thorough understanding of a medium we all take for granted. ...
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This was a fabulous course. It was very helpful for learning literature review research skills and social bookmarking. This course ...
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