written by Carryc216 on 17/11/2015
I studied a English degree with the open university. The university have cut back on tutorial so you hardly see your tutor. The textbook don't contain the relevant information that can help you on the course. The open university degree marking is ridiculous. Durham and red brick university grade scores of 60 as 2:1 degree. Open university you need 71 plus to get a 2:1. I once argued to the open university they should lower the marks. The open university responded back they mark under an American grading system which is redundant since we are in the UK.
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Worn_Out's Comment
Written on: 19/11/2015
Erm for someone who has studied English that wasn't the finest grammar.
As for the grading it's not harder it's just a different scale, the OU make more use of marks over 80 whereas scores in the 90s are very rare at brick universities. As for textbooks they shouldn't contain too much material you can blindly churn out to gain marks without understanding, there has to be an element of reading between the lines and reading around subjects to gain understanding otherwise the degree is meaningless if it becomes too spoon fed. Brick universities don't usually teach from a specially created, set textbook (they may have a reading list) but OU doesn't have lectures so it's their mode of delivery.
The OU is far from faultless (more so after so many changes in policies, format and removal of services) but I wouldn't say it's ridiculous.