3.4 Module websites
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NARRATOR
When you start studying with The Open University, you can usually access your module website a couple of weeks before you need to start studying. All you need is a computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone and internet access. Once you're on the website, you can start working through your study materials and contact your tutor. You can watch videos, complete quizzes, and take part in discussion forums and online tutorials.
Your study planner gives you a step-by-step guide through your studies. It can also tell you if you've got an assignment or a tutorial coming up. And by tracking your progress, you can decide what you need to prioritise and focus on next. All our modules are structured to prepare for your assessments. You can access all the important information, including your grades, whenever you want.
You can also take part in the Community and Module forums, which are a really important part of your studies. And here, you'll be able to talk with your tutor and other students and find support if you need it. And finally, your online materials are available in a range of different formats which you can download onto your devices. So you can study when you're on the go. Welcome to your module website. It's with you every step of the way.
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The Study Planner is your week-by-week guide to studying the module. Online study materials and activities that are specific to particular weeks are listed in this study planner. At the top of the study planner, you can switch between viewing just the current weeks or the entire planner, showing all the weeks in the module. The current week is always highlighted.
Use the Expand and Collapse arrows to customise the weeks you see. You can also use the Expand Collapse All tab at the top of the study planner. If you scroll down to the bottom, you'll find options to export or print the study planner. Most items have progress tick boxes so that you can mark your progress through the module by ticking off the materials and activities as you complete them. Doing this will update the progress bar at the top of the study planner, showing at a quick glance how far through the module you have come or highlighting any studying you might have missed.
Hovering your mouse over a particular part of the progress bar will show you the item that part of the bar relates to. Note the blue help box with the question mark. You can click on this for help and information. These help boxes are found in several places throughout your module website should you need them.
If you are studying using a smaller monitor or mobile device, your module website may appear slightly differently. No information is lost, but items might have moved or might be found within a new menu if not located as expected. You can find information about your tutor and a link to contact them to the right of your study planner.
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The Forums page holds all of your module forums, including those within the study planner, and can be accessed via the navigation menu. The table at the top of the page lists any website forum not found in the study planner. The table will show when the last post to a forum was and if there are any new posts or messages. When a forum has new posts or messages you haven't read, this is shown using an envelope icon next to the forum title.
The forums in the planner table lists any forum that is also in the study planner as well as its location within the planner. On the right-hand side of the page, the Edit Settings option allows you to set your preferences for email notifications from forums to which you have subscribed. The Online Appearance link enables you to edit your profile.
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).
Students have access to a dedicated website for each module they are studying. In addition to the online materials, this site includes a study calendar with details about module deadlines and an indication of which part of the module is due to be studied during each study period – on level 1 modules this is on a week-by-week basis.
The module website has links to assessments, forums, tutorial details and other resources. Tutors can see the same information as the students they are working with and can offer students links to specific pages in response to queries or to support assignment feedback.
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3.3 Teaching and learning at a distance