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Bonjour tout le monde
by cc0028 @ 2007-04-14 - 22:31:02

Yup. Definitely into this French stuff. And getting back into Open University speak, as well.

It's many years since I last did an OU course. About eight in fact. At that time I had this stupid idea that I might get an MSc in Computing. I saw the light, of course, and gave up after the taught modules, earning myself a Post Graduate Diploma in Computing for Commerce and Industry. Doing the dissertation for the MSc would have been far too hard.

The OU, though, like blogging is catching: and it comes with its own terminology. People say things like, "Oh, I'm in TMA avoidance mode", meaning that they are finding excuses for not doing their Tutor Marked Assignment. And then there are SMAs and CMAs, Lyceum sessions and OUSBA accounts.

From my point of view, Lyceum is one of the most interesting things. It's a Java program that sets up a virtual classroom where learners and teachers can interact in multiple ways - via documents, charts and, interestingly, speech. Unfortunately, Lyceum, which is written by the OU itself will only work on Windows boxes, and isn't even very reliable on those. The technology is interesting, though, and I'm sure it will become more sophisticated and reliable as time goes by.

The OU are currently considering teaching Welsh in addition to their current language offerings. I'll be very interested to see how that goes.

As for the French, I've currently earned 24.45% out of the 40% of the total number of marks for the course that are needed for a pass. So things are going quite well.

******

Now I have to include a paragraph for my eldest daughter...

She phoned the other day to tell me that she'd found my blog. "Do you like it?" I asked.

"Well," she said,"It does sound as though I only meet you to get a meal out of you!"

So this is for Maxine...

I, Peter Bradley, do solemnly swear and declare that I do not believe I have to buy a meal for her in order to enjoy my eldest daughter's company.

OK, Max?

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menhirmenhir [Member]
19/05/07 @ 21:17

Hi Peredur,

I've been missing your blogs. I have been missing them in two ways;

1. I have visited; I promise you, I have visited this site and seen rare movement. (Rare in the sense that blogs haven't appeared often). Accordingly, I have rationed my visits. Lo! Behold! I have two blogs, at least to drool over.

2. Having found at least two blogs here, I see I have been missing your output of gems.

Now, back to business; I have heard a variety of reports about OU computer contact arrangements. Some of it comes from technophobes who do really need to take an extra steep learning curve to handle what needs to be done. That's not easy if you are a relative newbie to studying the OU way, pre computer chatrooms etc. and having to get to grips with the IT aspect as well.

Other people who are more comfortable once they get to grips with the set up, find a bit like you, that the technology doesn't work as well as it should and is a time waster, precious time for many who have timetabled slots for their OU studying.

When I did an OU course group communication was limited to telephone contact with individuals, with permission and tutoring by phone; too few students to make it worthwhile arranging live group tutorials However, other courses, especially the IT ones, were starting to operate with bulletin boards, chat rooms and online real time typed tutorials.

Where I am, ever so remote, Cyber communication only, would, I think reinforce for me my sense of isolation which was bad enough without it. On the other hand, perhaps a bit of student interaction on thoughts about the course material, guided seminar type arrangements could be helpful and address the lack of actual live campus information sharing.

I am not thinking about doing anything just now, so I can only surmise how it might be for me. It must be really pleasant to be working on a subject that is of interest with your wife. This idea, I must mull over.

:)

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menhirmenhir [Member]
19/05/07 @ 21:22

PS my punctuation is all over the place. Some of it my fault, some of it blog wobbles.

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cc0028cc0028 [Member]
http://www.peredur.uklinux.net
19/05/07 @ 22:30

First, you are definitely too kind. It's flattering, though, to have someone say that they enjoy your blog. And flattery will get you anywhere! Quite frankly, I haven't had much to say recently, and I don't want to bore people with pointless articles.

As to the points you make about electronic communication, I think a lot depends on how it's done. There was a marked difference between the methodology employed by the University of Liverpool and that employed, in my experience and that of my wife, by the Open University.

On my MSc course, you had to log in just about every day; and you had to contribute, both with assignments and with discussion contributions. This has not been my experience with the OU. The UoL system worked very well, I thought, but it was an IT course, so the learners themselves may have made a big difference and contributed to that success. Having said that, though, I've tried to study computer courses online with the OU and they have not really worked - because there was not that same compulsion to login and contribute.

I do know that many universities are now looking very carefully at online learning, including the department where my wife works. From what she says, it seems as though they will make some success of it. They recognise that it is not enough just to put existing materials online. You have to develop materials that reflect and take advantage of the medium.

Finally, I should say that Carole made it most of the way up to where you are. She attended a conference in Aberdeen, and came back very impressed. A place of great interest, in her opinion.

Always nice to hear from you Menhir. And thank you once again.

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menhirmenhir [Member]
20/05/07 @ 09:10

Carole made it most of the way up to where you are. She attended a conference in Aberdeen, and came back very impressed. A place of great interest, in her opinion.

She needed to trek at least another 200 miles to where we are, but getting to Aberdeen isn't bad.

The city itself is okay, the architecture is of more interest to me. I believe there is quite a good cultural life there, but I have say, I found our local artists exhibition of more interest than that of Aberdeen's local groups. Aberdeen is known as the granite city here. It has the main uni, Robert Gordon's Uni, teacher training colleges attached to RG I think, and Grays Art School. Places around and about would be quite different, geologically speaking, to where you are and areas of Yorkshire that you know.

We don't go to Aberdeen much as it is not an easy or pleasant journey for us. It takes as long for us to trundle there as it does to cities like Edinburgh or Glasgow which, I have to say, I greatly prefer. There has to be good reason for us to go to Aberdeen or nearby areas. Many people from here go or get transferred to Aberdeen for medical services that don't exist in our regional hospital. A number of our young people study there. One of my daughter's friends is taking medicine at Aberdeen and another is doing the same thing in Edinburgh. In fact, the majority of her peers are either in Edinburgh, or where she is. A sprinkling are in universities in Glasgow and Stirling.

Edinburgh and Glasgow are are so very different from Aberdeen, and different between themselves too. What interesting life and history there is all around those two areas; people could, and do, have a field day with what is in those two places. I am hoping to get to the refurbished Kelvingrove museum very soon. It is three or four years since we visited Kelvingrove. News tells us, that Kelvingrove museum is the most popular in terms of numbers of visitors, in the whole of the U.K

Where we live is different again and hard to explain - it is a centre that has to be experienced.

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