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A Virtual Telescope for the Open University Science Foundation Course

from 2 - Distance Learning and Electronic Media in Teaching Astronomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2011

A. J. Norton
Affiliation:
Astronomy Group, Department of Physics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
M.H. Jones
Affiliation:
Centre for Educational Software, Academic Computing Service, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
L. Gouguenheim
Affiliation:
Observatoire de Paris, Meudon
D. McNally
Affiliation:
University College London
J. R. Percy
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
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Summary

Introduction

The Open University is the UK's foremost distance teaching university. For over twenty five years we have been presenting courses to students spanning a wide range of degree level and vocational subjects. Since we have no pre-requisites for entry, a major component of our course profile is a selection of foundation courses comprising one each in the Arts, Social Science, Mathematics, Technology and Science faculties. The Science Faculty's foundation course is currently undergoing a substantial revision. The new course, entitled “S103: Discovering Science”, will be presented to students for the first time in 1998.

The University has always aimed to make use of appropriate technologies for delivering its teaching material. For the first time, this new version of the Science Foundation Course will make extensive use of fully integrated CD-ROM based activities. One of these is a “Virtual Telescope” package designed to give students an appreciation of what is required to measure the expansion of the Universe.

S103: Discovering Science

The four science disciplines of biology, chemistry, Earth sciences and physics each contribute in equal measure to the course. Whilst parts of the course are deliberately multi-disciplinary, in order to give students a feel for science as a whole, other parts of the course reflect the very different natures of the four component disciplines. The course will be studied over a thirty-two week period and is accredited at 60 CATS points at level one. (CATS stands for Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme and is the national scheme within the UK for classifying higher education courses.) A degree is awarded for an accumulation of 360 CATS points, split between levels one, two and three.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1998

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