Making your learning count
This innovative and flexible OU level 1 module allows you to count different types of learning towards a formal OU qualification. The type of study you can count includes courses from the OU’s free learning website, OpenLearn, other open educational resources (OERs) or learning programmes you may have undertaken through work or elsewhere. Through a series of topics and assessment tasks, you will explore what you have learnt whilst developing the skills you need to be a successful student. The courses that you choose to study is up to you, making this learning experience an entirely personal one. Your tutor will help you plan your study and identify what you are hoping to achieve through this module and your future study plans.
Modules count towards OU qualifications
OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.
This is an optional module in our:
Certificate of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities (T32)
Certificate of Higher Education in Business Management (T27)
Certificate of Higher Education Open (T09)
Foundation Degree in Combined Professional Studies (X13)
Diploma of Higher Education in Arts and Humanities (W59)
Diploma of Higher Education in Business Management (W51)
Diploma of Higher Education in Combined Professional Studies (W13)
Diploma of Higher Education Open (W34)
BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities (R14)
BA (Honours) Business Management (Q91)
BA/BSc (Honours) Open (QD)
BSc (Honours) Combined STEM (R28)
What you will study
Open educational resources (OERs) provide a valuable platform for learning about a wide variety of topics and subjects. This module allows you to take what you have learnt and use it towards the OU qualifications outlined above. You will have a tutor to offer help and advice, and fellow students with whom you can share ideas.
You will need to select 150 hours of learning to bring to the module, some or all of which may have been completed already. This may come from the OU’s free learning website, OpenLearn, or other specified OER sites. This includes FutureLearn, edX, Coursera and OERu. To get an idea of what you could choose to study with this module, check out our example study pathways.
You will also study consolidating material and complete a number of assessment tasks on the module website, which will ask you to analyse and reflect on your OER study. These assessment tasks will help you develop your study skills over the course of the module. These will focus on developing the ability to plan and reflect on your learning. This will be done by supporting you to decide on the courses you will study and when. You will learn how to communicate your learning through a variety of tools, and then develop an appreciation of multi and interdisciplinary study. You will be able to look at other students’ work and comment on it, and develop the ability to learn about how assessment can consolidate your learning. All this will be carried out while you have a very wide choice of materials to give you a taste of a variety of topics and disciplines.
The final assessment task provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning as you approach the completion of this module.
You will learn
The module will help you explore what happens when you bring different knowledge, skills and learning experiences together. You will discover the richness that comes from thinking about a topic from a variety of angles. This new insight may confirm that your learning goals are exactly as you had originally planned, or it may open a whole new world of possibilities.
Entry requirements
Although there are no formal entry requirements, this module is most suitable if you have completed some study using The Open University’s free learning website, OpenLearn. or other specified OER. This includes FutureLearn, edX, Coursera and OERu or any other open educational resources.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
What's included
You'll have access to a module website, which includes:
- a study planner
- course-specific module materials
- video content
- assignment details and submission section
- online tutorial access
You'll also have personalised support and one-to-one telephone tutorials.
Computing requirements
You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS (11 'Big Sur' or higher).
Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.
To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.
It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.