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Thank you for choosing to study YXM130 Making your learning count. YXM130 is a special Open University module as it gives you the option to select your own curriculum, so you can study the subjects you are most interested in. This gives you the opportunity to learn more about the subjects you have chosen for your Highers or broaden your studies to include topics that are not offered at your school or that you want to go on to study after you leave school. 

Structure of YXM130

YXM130 covers 300 hours of learning. This is split between your choice of curriculum and the materials and assessments provided via the YXM130 module website. You will select 150 hours of learning that you import into YXM130. Of those 150 hours, you can include 50 hours from your Highers study. The remaining 100 hours of imported learning will come from OpenLearn courses that you select. The module team will then provide materials and assessments, through your module website, which will consolidate your learning, filling the remaining 150 hours. 

Once registered for YXM130, you will be required to use two different online learning platforms: StudentHome and OpenLearn. 

1. StudentHome: This is the name of your Open University account. Sign in to StudentHome and familiarise yourself with your StudentHome account as soon as you receive your log in details and confirmation of enrolment email from our YASS team. It’s through StudentHome that you will access your module website when it opens in September. Your module website is where you will find the key resources for your module, including your assessment questions, module forums, and tutorials. 
2. OpenLearn: This is the Open University’s free learning platform. OpenLearn is open to everyone and provides hundreds of free learning resources and short courses, many of which are based on Open University modules. It’s through the OpenLearn website that you will choose the courses you would like to do as part of your YXM130 studies. When you have picked your first course, you can get started on it by using the same password details you use for your StudentHome account.

Choosing what to study

To give you an idea of the range of courses available on OpenLearn, we have grouped together some example courses, by the popular subject areas shown below. Although the YASS registration form asked you to indicate if you were interested in a specific subject for example Health and social care, and Sport and Exercise, the choice you indicated on your form does not restrict your actual study choices. You don’t have to stick to the subjects suggested below, or what you entered on your registration form, you are free to mix and match any combination of subjects and courses, as long as the courses you choose support your study goals.   

The OpenLearn website groups courses into 9 broad subject areas to help you find the things you are interested in: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/subject-information    

You can explore the courses available for each subject by using the ‘refine by’ options to filter each list to show you the level 1 courses available.  

One thing we do suggest you think about before you start concerns challenging or emotive content. Your 150 hours of imported learning may cover a wide variety of material and resources. Depending on your lived experiences, you may find some of this challenging or even distressing. Once the module starts, you can contact your tutor to discuss any concerns, and they will support you. 

Making your choices – top tips   

• There are lots of resources on OpenLearn, including videos, activities, articles and courses. Your 100 hours of imported learning must be made up of OpenLearn courses. This is the number of imported hours of learning required if you include 50 hours from your Highers study.
• Each course has a Course Description page. This provides more information, including the number of hours it will take to complete, the level of study and the rating it has been given by other learners. We recommend that you start with Level 1 courses.
• Choosing courses from at least two different subjects will ensure you can complete all the assessment tasks involved in your YXM130 studies.
• It’s also a good idea to choose at least one study skills course. Developing your study skills will help you perform well in your school studies and YASS course, as well as help to prepare you for further study, after school.  

Remember: The OpenLearn courses you choose must add up to 100 hours of study (if you import 50 hours of learning from your Highers study). 

You can start working through the OpenLearn courses as soon as you like, or you can wait until the course starts. You will be allocated a tutor, so you may wish to wait, so you can chat to your tutor about your choices, before starting work on them. We also recommend that you attend the first tutorial for this course as it will help to explain what’s involved and how to get the most from your studies.  

There are also some example study pathways created by OU members of staff, based on subjects they would be interested in studying if they registered for the module. If you would like to look at these example study pathways, click here: Making your learning count – Example study pathways (YXM130) | OpenLearn - Open University.