You are going to read a text about a distance learning university. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-I for each part (1-7) of the text. There is one extra heading which you do not

The Open University UK

While reading task

You are going to read a text about a distance learning university. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A-I for each part (1-7) of the text. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0). Mark your answers on the separate answer sheet.

A) The Open University: Facts and Figures

B) Programmes of study at the Open University

C) Foundation

D) Degrees and other qualifications

E) Degree ceremonies

F) Teaching methods

G) Students andStaff

H) Introduction

I) Assessment methods

Introduction

Many of the students who stay at home during university do so for monetary reasons and some of these students are unable to cut back to even part time work in order to become full time students. Distance learning, or learning which takes place at home, is very popular with students who can not abandon their jobs or schedules in order to get to a university campus on a regular basis. In the United Kingdom, The Open University has come to the rescue of any student who would like to return to higher education but would prefer to do so through distance learning.

The Open University (commonly Open University or OU, but officially the is part of its name) is the UK's distance learning government-supported university. It was established in 1969. The OU accepted its first 25,000 students in 1971,adopting a radical open admissions policy. At the time, the total "traditional" university population in the UK was around 130,000. Since its foundation, the OU has inspired the creation of many similar institutions around the world. The majority of students are based in the UK, but its courses can be studied anywhere in the world. The administration is based at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, but has regional centres in each of its thirteen regions around the UK. It also has offices in other European countries.

The Open University is a university that was founded, and still operates, strictly for distance learners. Sometimes it is referred to as an “invisible” university because there is no single physical structure that acts as a traditional centre of teaching and learning. At the moment it is the UK’s largest university with over 150,000 undergraduate students enrolled in courses, and 30,000 students taking postgraduate courses. There are also over 25,000 students studying overseas. Since it was founded, more than 3 million students have studied its courses.

Most of these students study part time, and many of them are even sponsored by their employers - which is proof that a degree or qualification from the Open University is recognized and respected in the job market.

The Open University offers over 600 courses across undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes. Courses at the Open University can be taken just for fun or with a view towards finishing a certificate, diploma or degree. General subject areas include business, education, humanities, information technology, law, social sciences and more. The majority of students choose to undertake social studies and biological and physical sciences, as well as historical and philosophical studies. All courses start, and run, throughout the year. The Open University is a wonderful, flexible option for students who are unable to commit to full time student life at a traditional university.

People from all walks of life and all ages take advantage of the OU; for most courses there are no entry requirements other than the ability to study at an appropriate level, though most postgraduate courses require evidence of previous study or equivalent life experience. Approximately 70 percent of students are in full-time employment, often working towards a first (or additional) degree or qualification to progress or change their career, with over 50,000 being sponsored by their employer.

Most undergraduate students are female, while males are slightly more than females in postgraduate courses, and the majority of the students are in between 25 and 44 years old, the median age of new undergraduates being 32. 37 852 students receive financial help, and the typical cost for UK students of a Bachelor's degree at the OU is between 3150 and 4225 GBP (EU and international students pay more as the university does not receive government funding for them). Most students come from England, while others are from Scotland, Ireland, and the rest of the European Union.

The majority of staff are associated lecturers as, there are over eight thousands working for OU. There are also salaried academic employees, others who are also academic-related, and support staff (including secretaries and technicians).

Most of the studying done with the Open University is done on the student’s own time, from the student’s own home. When a student registers for a course, a package of materials is sent out to support his or her learning. The OU uses a variety of methods for distance learning, including written and audio materials, the Internet, disc-based software and television programmes on DVD. As students work through the materials, they submit assignments and sit an examination for the course at one of the Open University’s regional centres. When students require support, they can turn to the course tutors ("Associate Lecturers") who provide feedback on their work and are generally available to them at face-to-face tutorials, by telephone, and/or on the Internet. Some courses have compulsory day schools. These are day-long sessions which a student must attend in order to pass the course. Similarly, many courses have traditionally offered week long summer schools offering an opportunity for students to remove themselves from the general distractions of their life and focus on their study for a short time.

The Open University offers courses that are generally assessed using an equal weighting of examinations and coursework. The OU offers a large number of undergraduate qualifications, including certificates, diplomas, and Bachelors degrees, based on both level and quantity of study. Students generally do not undertake more than 60 points per year, meaning that an undergraduate degree will take typically six years to complete.

Unlike most UK universities, degree ceremonies at the Open University are not the occasion on which degrees are formally conferred. This happens in absentia at a joint meeting of the University's Council and Senate ahead of the ceremony. The University's ceremonies – or "Presentations of Graduates" – occur during the long summer throughout Britain and Ireland, as well as one ceremony in Versailles. These ceremonies are presided over by a senior academic at Pro-Vice-Chancellor level or higher, and have the normal ritual associated with a graduation ceremony, including academic dress, procession, and mace.

Notes

in absentia - in the absence of (Latin)

GBP - Great Britain pound sterling, буквенный код для английский фунт стерлингов

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Дата добавления: 2015-09-29