Learning to change
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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 introductory course is for people who are thinking about making changes in their lives, such as returning to study or taking a different direction at work. It will help you build on what you already know; consider the choices open to you; use your skills and qualities to achieve change; and make plans for the future. There are opportunities to develop your study skills, such as active reading and using evidence, as well as your everyday skills, such as communication, problem solving and organisation.
Course content
Being unsure of what you want to do in life (or what you want to study) is not unusual. How to deal with the changes that we want in our lives can be more challenging. This course is for anyone who is uncertain about what might be the best starting point for them. You may be unsure about what subject you are interested in or whether you can cope with study at university level. You may be unsure about what path in life to pursue or you may have something in common with Karen, Levene or Shehnaz:
- Karen left school as soon as she could and started work the day after. She had no qualifications and couldn’t see what she was going to do with her life
- Levene left school at sixteen and started work in construction but was made redundant and had to find a new career
- Shehnaz is the mother of two children, balancing family demands, study and work.
This course takes your life as its starting point. It helps you to think about what you can do already. It then uses this to build up your confidence in your abilities. It uses a mixture of personal reflection, case studies (including three real-life case studies) and ideas about how we learn. This combination equips you to move your life forward.
The course book is divided into 5 chapters which cover the following topics:
Chapter 1 Introduction – outlines how the course aims to help you to use learning to achieve change. The idea of learning as a journey is introduced. This journey is likely to have many challenges but it can also offer many benefits, such as enjoyment or excitement. The course focuses on your learning. It uses selected personal qualities and skills and encourages you to think about how you can develop these to achieve your goals.
Chapter 2 You and your learning – is based on the importance of having a clear picture of who you are and where you are at this point in time. The chapter aims to increase your awareness of what you already know, and what qualities and skills you already have. The chapter also encourages you to see how you have used different sorts of learning to add to what you know, to develop your personal qualities and improve your skills.
Chapter 3 Preparing to change – helps you prepare for change by introducing techniques that help you learn more effectively. The chapter offers opportunities to use these techniques in order to see if they are helpful. The chapter also develops your awareness of the importance of the wider social context in which your learning takes place.
Chapter 4 Where Next? – takes you through a sequence of steps that enables you to take forward what you have learned on the course. These start with you developing a personal vision. This is the basis for thinking about what might help you achieve this vision and what might get in the way. The chapter explores the ways in which you set about setting goals and planning for the future.
Chapter 5 Looking Back – is where you look back over what you have done and what you have learned as a result of your study on the course. It highlights how personal change becomes more likely when you can use different ways of learning.
Having decided on a direction for study during this Openings course, you could decide to go on to one of the subject-based courses offered within the Openings Programme. The approach and structure of this course is similar to some foundation degrees, so you could consider this as a possible option.
Entry
There are no entry requirements. The course is designed for people who have not studied before, or who may have studied a long time ago.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
Y165 is an optional course in our
- 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)
- BA (Honours) Business Studies (B04)
- BA (Honours) Leadership and Management (B54)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. 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
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course materials can be provided on request. The course materials are available on audio in DAISY Digital Talking Book format. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. 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; television and equipment that plays DVDs.
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. Your tutor 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.
Tutors are equipped to help you with the academic aspects of your work, but are not trained counsellors. If you feel that reflecting on your past experience may be a challenging process, you may want to seek further advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering on this 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 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 September, November, March and June. Each course lasts for a maximum of 20 weeks, although you can take less time if you want.
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.
Study explained
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