Making sense of the arts
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| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| 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
This Openings course introduces some of the key ideas and ways of thinking involved in studying the arts and humanities. You’ll explore poetry, history, and art history – at the same time as developing a range of study skills. We’re not assuming that you have any recent experience of studying; just that you’re interested in some aspect of the arts, and that you want to discover more. The course will help to prepare you for degree-level study by drawing on and developing skills that you already have and use every day, as well as introducing new skills and knowledge.
Course content
The course is made up of an introduction, three main sections and a conclusion.
Section 1 begins by showing you how to analyse a variety of poems to see how they are constructed. You will then be introduced to traditional Japanese haiku poetry. You will gain a good grounding in how to approach poetry in general before starting to develop expertise in the study of haiku poetry.
Section 2 looks at a momentous event in world history. In 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her part in the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma. We will consider the various viewpoints regarding Aung San Suu Kyi’s actions and beliefs. We will then look at the events that led to her imprisonment by the government, which, in turn, led to the popular uprising against the Burmese government.
Section 3 introduces the discipline of art history by examining the work of a selection of Turner Prize winners. The Turner Prize is awarded annually to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to art in Britain during the previous 12 months. You will be able to look at many different types of art and explore the techniques used by art historians and art critics when they analyse a work of art.
The conclusion encourages you to use all the skills you have developed throughout the course, by studying:
- a modern song (drawing mainly on the skills learnt in your study of poetry and history)
- a traditional Buddhist work of art (drawing on your knowledge of Buddhist material gained from studying haiku and Aung San Suu Kyi; and your art history skills)
- the idea of values associated with the issue of prizes, touched on in all three sections.
The course materials have been prepared with the needs of new learners in mind. They assume no special knowledge and no experience of studying. Taking examples from everyday life, they enable you to start from your general knowledge and interests and gradually build up to degree-level study. Study skills are key to the course, and skills such as time management, note taking, reading for study purposes and reflection on your own learning are explored.
Entry
There are no entry requirements. The course is designed for students who have not studied before or who may have studied a long time ago.
This Openings course would be useful if you are interested in going on to our longer Level 1 course The arts past and present (AA100).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
This course can count towards most of our degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. 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
Alternative questions will be provided for any assignments that depend on visual or aural material. Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of the course material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation, foreign language or illustrative materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. The course materials are available on audio in DAISY Digital Talking Book format as well as in comb-bound format. Large print versions of the printed course material can be provided on request. 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
Course books and a DVD.
You will need
Access to a telephone (preferably a landline) for contact with your tutor; and the equipment to play and watch a video DVD e.g. a television and DVD player or a personal computer with DVD-ROM.
A computer is not essential to study an Openings course. However, if you wish to send and receive emails and use our online service, you will need access to both the internet and a computer.
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
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will keep in touch by telephone. There are no face-to-face tutorials; all tutorials are conducted by telephone. Your tutor will help you to plan your work and to think about the ideas explored in the course. They will also comment on and help you with your written work. At the end of the course you will discuss your progress with your tutor, and you will work together to produce a review of your study plans.
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 can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
You will be asked to submit an end-of-course assessment (ECA) as well as a learning plan and review. If you submit at least one TMA and achieve the appropriate standard in the ECA you will gain 10 credit points at Level 1 that can count towards a degree.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts four times a year, in March, June, September and November. Each course lasts for a maximum of 20 weeks, although you can take less time if you want to.
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 Arts and Humanities.
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
This short 20 week course is an excellent place to start for anyone interested in studying within the Arts faculty. ...
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A great course! I took it originally to keep me studying over the summer, and it was worth it for ...
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