Life through a lens

BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities

From poetry to string quartets, and from sculpture to short stories, the extraordinary range of human culture offers rich possibilities for study. This broad and absorbing course develops a deep understanding of the world we live in and how we got here, covering a fascinating variety of perspectives, periods and subjects ? including art history, classical studies, creative writing, English language, English literature, history, modern languages, music, philosophy, and religious studies. You'll learn from the OU's world-class academic research, through high quality module materials and engage with fellow students from around the world.

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BSc (Honours) Computing & IT and Design

You will need a computer with internet access to study for this qualification. For most OU qualifications a Microsoft Windows (new since 2007), Apple Mac (OS X 10.6 or later) or Linux computer should be adequate. However, some qualifications require more specific IT equipment, in which case you will need additional software to use an Apple Mac or Linux computer. A detailed technical specification for your modules will be made available when you register. Please note, technical specifications do change over time to match computer developments and the way we teach.

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BA (Honours) Social Sciences

In a fast-changing world the social sciences seek answers to the big questions we face as a society. Those answers inform the work of anyone needing to base their decisions on the best available evidence ? civil servants, policy makers, business executives and many more. Half of your studies will be interdisciplinary social science and sociology, giving you a firm grounding in knowledge and ideas central to the social sciences. For the other half, you can specialise in criminology, economics, geography, politics, philosophy, psychology, religious studies or sociology, or you can choose a combination of modules that most suits your interests. Whatever path you take, you will acquire valuable transferable skills opening up employment opportunities in private, public and voluntary sector organisations.

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Introducing the social sciences

This OU level 1 module provides an ideal introduction to the social sciences ? psychology, social policy and criminology, geography and environment, politics and international studies, economics and sociology. You'll explore a wide range of topics which shape the nature of contemporary UK society; from questions of identity, inequalities and differences to consumerism and environment, and issues of social order, disorder and governance. Using a blend of text, audio, video and online materials, you'll be equipped with a range of skills for independent study and for your personal and working life.

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Cultures

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Introduction to computing and information technology 2

This module builds on (TM111) and prepares you for further study of computing and IT modules. You will:

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Reading visual images

What does a picture or an image tell you? This free course, Reading visual images, is an introduction to analysing and interpreting photographs as social data. Who controls what the image is saying? You will look at how photographs provide visual evidence and how they can illustrate and support our ideas about society.

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Designing the user interface: Text, colour, images, moving images and sound

Why is the way something looks important? Text, colour, images, moving images and sound all interact to produce a user-friendly environment within a user interface. This free course, Designing the user interface, will help you understand the effect each software component has on the user and explain how a consistent and thoughtful application of these components can have a significant impact on the look of the final product.

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Word and image

Why does the way a page looks influence how we interpret the information it contains? This free course, Word and image, will examine how typography and images can be combined to improve literary creativity and allow a document to communicate more readily with the reader.

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Detecting fake images

Is seeing believing, or have we all become a bit cynical with the rise of fake news? Read on as Patrick Wong shares some tips on how to detect a fake image.

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A brief history of the lens

Have you ever thought about the history of the lens, how technology has impacted on what the human eye can see, and extended the possibilities of what humans could explore? 

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Seeing life through a lens: the age of image-makers

From critiques of the ubiquitous selfie to proclamations about the end of privacy, the impact of the camera phone continues to be the subject of fierce debate.