Hi,
I started this September U.O.W. and it went rigjt into the deep with no introduction or overarching module.
There is so much I coykd write from my observations,
The lectures are basic 7 mins slides with a a speaker who sometimes get stuck on their sentances which sounds like she is reading something she did not write, I have been using lectures on u tube from other universities, as theirs are so bland and barely touch on anything. They couldnt evem fully explain the self concept fully or fuly explain theories. A lot is left for you to discover, obvs reading papers is a guven but If expect some decent thourough lectures for the established stuff.
And although there is a regular pastoral support tutorial (which is a kind of teams hang out where even peoples cats are discussed and nothing much about the work, as it is with pastoral tutors and they wil not let you discuss the work at all, not even in teams CHAT group).
The online facilitator (aka academic tutor ) I have allocated does weekly tutorials but they are mainly about study skills (except just the first one was about the work, classicl experiemnts Milgrham and Zimbardo and ethics).
The study skills tutorial is great for learning about whats required for the level of writing however there are study skills videos and more via the library for this, I kind of thoiught the tutor would lead more subject discussion or at least talk about the subject more so.
The good thing is My allocated online facilitator does respond very promptly to queries when emailed and he is coherent unlike the module power point reader!
However i discovered that i will not have the same online facilitator throughout the course , in fact they change for every module!
I guess thats probably normal as they all specialise in different things, however if they are all post Doc tutors surely they can all teach the topics on a conversion (basically a condensed BSC).
Oh but the pastoral tutors the support ones that you cant ask about academic stuff, they stay with yoi throughout.
Incidentally on the topic of reading lists (someone asked of this i saw)
No one recomemded the fab book Critical thinking skills by Stella Cottrel and this could have easily been guven as a reading suggestion when i asked back in june when i asked upon gaining a place.
NO READING WAS SUGGESTED AT ALL.
No intro module, or even starting with A logical module like Research methods and annalysis
I have an assigment to do asking to method overhaull the same classic experiemnt discussed at the start of the module, however Ive yet to do anything in the module teaching pertaining to modern Methods used. There is a brief intro to methods... on the last week lecture, when this heavy assigment is due in.
Go figure...
So.....
Woykd i recommend this course,
So far nope.
Im looking at going elsewhere.
And the mental health and well being bit is literally 2 modules of 15 credits each, and is what makes this courae sound attractive.. but at derby there are option modules also. They are starting in January.
Most start January, May, September.
UOW runs on a carousel system with all the modules going on and on.. so tjere is no provision for being a new student, let alone being ine who is doing a CONVERSION course.
Ive done science before, there are some who have not so would need a decent intro to methods and critical annalysis more so that i and ive seen the stress and overwhelm in some of the group posts which are sent tentatively as the personal tutors joined it, in the name of plagiarism!. People just wanted a place to freely talk without being spied on.
Lol.
ive been wondering about Coventry as well as Derby as tjey jave been running online the longest.
The Proff at Derby actually made the firat course and all otherscame after.
Ive linked up to Derby, ove signed up to a taster section and see all the intro to all the modules with an intro book Recomemdations, intro lectures (probably not theor own making but recomemded, which helps, better than sifting through YouTube yourself wondering if the one you found is good enough!).
And best of all i emailed a DR leader of the course and theu replied amd engaged with me.
I never jad the opportunity to engage woth amy Dr or lecturer pre applying to WOLVES, just some admissions admin person, who was very nice and helpful, but could not get me a recomemded intro book to read over the summer!
Im sorry if Its not what you wanted to hear.
If you are thinking to start in Novemeber then perhaps you will join the research methods module that is due to come next.. but also featured is Life span development module (you do both if full time) and i even do not evem know how I make sure i do the research methods one.
You need to k ow all about methods to understamd the research papers and annalyse them well, you see. Thats why it needs to come early!
Even Derby highlights this!
may i ask what youve heard bad about Derby?