Sample Course Materials

Most of our courses have extracts from study materials online. You can also view course books and study guides at many public libraries and at OU regional and national centres. The samples featured here mostly come from OpenLearn and iTunes U. They are taken from various points in the courses - some are relatively simple introductions but others are more complex extracts from the later weeks. Read the information below for some tips on the best way to approach them.

Using the OpenLearn extracts

The OpenLearn website gives free access to learning materials from The Open University which you can study independently at your own pace. Each study unit has its own discussion forum so you can join a group and use the free learning tools to work with others if you like. Please note that the materials on OpenLearn are not presented in the format in which you would study them. These materials are usually sent to students as printed books, or sometimes presented online on course websites. The extracts range in scope from a couple of hours' work to up to 20 hours - this would be more than a weeks' study. You can work though the 'units' or just dip in to the bits that interest you. Although these extracts appear as free-standing units, in practice they are usually supported by additional materials such as audio or video essays, advice from the study guide, or online exercises.

Some of the extracts come from a fairly advanced stage in a module. If they seem difficult, bear in mind that by the time you come to study them you would have already covered more basic materials. Don't forget that as an OU student, you always have your tutor to support you.

Using the iTunes U extracts

iTunes U lets you download Open University educational resources free. The albums are a mix of extracts from audio and video materials which are usually sent to students on CD or DVD.

To access The Open University on iTunes U you will need to have the iTunes software installed. If iTunes is not installed on your computer, download iTunes, which is available for both Macintosh and Windows. Simply follow the appropriate install instructions and then return to this page.

If you do not have iTunes installed on your computer, you can access the same material using your web browser from the OU Podcast site.

Tasters and course information websites

Course tasters and module information websites usually include short extracts of study materials and sometimes include sample calendars and study guides. They often have a frequently asked questions section.

Explore taster materials by level

Follow the links on the left to explore study materials by level.