I know I said I was taking a break from all things OU, but it has been 9 days since the DD303 exam and my thoughts are now turning towards DD307 next year. I’ve been lent a few books by a fellow student (thanks Ruth) and I have had a quick look through a couple of them.
The first one I had a look at was Alexa Hepburn’s “An Introduction to Critical Social Psychology”. It’s quite interesting, as it tackles the subject from a number of different perspectives, but boy does it lay on with a trowel the old Marxism stuff. If the best thing that can be said about Marxism (according to Alexa) was Marx’s committment to ending poverty and oppression, then I can’t see what makes it distinct from the vast majority of other political or religious philosophies of the last 3,000 years or so. And I certainly don’t believe for a moment that the worst thing about Marxism is “the clumsiness of his materialist philosophy”. Surely the worst thing about Marxism is the venal and genocidal nature of some of the regimes his political philosophy inspired during the 20th century?
Anyway, after a while I found myself too wound up by her book to continue (I hope that’s not a sign of things to come next year) and so started to read the Wendy Stainton Rogers book “Social Psychology – Experimental and Critical Approaches”. This seems rather more measured in tone and I enjoyed her explanation as to why there is no “fluffy bunny” solution to the differences between the psychological approaches of experimentalists using the Scientific method (capital ‘S’) and critical social psychology.
One other thing I’ve noticed through StudentHome is the way in which DD307 will be assessed next year. There are 6 TMAs and an examination (fairly standard stuff), but TMA04 (which I assume is the project) is counted towards the examinable (OES) component of the module rather than the continuous assessment (OCAS) piece.
This means that the exam proper only counts for 80% of the examinable component. (That sounds odd to people who don’t know the OU, but it does make some kind of sense as courses like DXR222 which have no exam but a project, are assessed as 100% OES, rather than 100% OCAS.)
This would definitely have been a “good thing” for me on DD303 this year, as I did well in the project and it would have been nice to have those marks “in the bag” going into the exam a few days ago. I hope I can therefore manage an equally good DD307 project next year, as if I do, it will take some pressure off towards the end of the module.
No fluffy bunny! That is shocking. Interesting to see your views although I was initially worried I don’t have my books. I much prefer the exam bing worth 80% seems a fairer more balanced take on it, as long as I am happy with TMA04 result ;o)
Hi Emma,
The books I have aren’t the course text books (I think they’re due to be dispatched around 19th November) – they’re ones that others have found useful when doing the course in the past. The real text books will be with us soon enough, though …
Tim.
Hi Tim, could you let me know which books they are please, I am a bit lost without TMAs to do!
ok I am being really thick, the titles are in your blog, too busy ebaying & flicking throgh different things!
Tim.
Hi Tim
I’ve just finished ED209 and found your comments and notes an absolute godsend! So thanks…..:-)
I’m doing DD303 and DD307 together next year so really need to get a head start on one of them…. I’m also ploughing through Hepburn’s book…. in small chunks……heavy going but love all that critical theory.
I’ve read your blog of DD303 and I see that the courses are very different…. Looking forward to following your blog this year .
Hi Diane,
Good luck with doing both at the same time – I think my head would have exploded if I’d have tried to do that!
I’m getting on a bit better with the Hepburn book now – I particularly enjoyed the discourse chapter. As you say, small chunks is probably the best way to approach reading it.
Tim.
Hi Tim, Thanks for the plug. Sad to say I and re-writing the book and the Fluffy Bunny has gone! (I likeed it too, but the world has moved on, and it’s less of a battle now. The point still stands though.
Anyway, as an author frantic to finish by a deadline so doing serious amonts of before-dawn writing, it was lovely to find your post and that you like me better than Alexa (a joke, of course, she is very nice).
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for the comment – and thanks for the book too, which I’ve now read all the way through and has been really helpful. I’m getting on better with Alexa’s book now as well, so maybe DD307 won’t be too much of a struggle next year (but I’m still not a Marxist – yet!)
On the fluffy bunny front, my house rabbit (Archie) is devastated to hear that he’s not made the cut for the new edition. Oh well.
I was going to buy my own copy of your book – so is it worth hanging on for your new edition to appear or will it be too late for me for use it as a companion to DD307 next year?
Tim.
Hi, Tim,
I’ve been impressed by your revision notes in the past and decided to ‘drop in’ to see what you are up to. I’ve just completed DD307 and I have to say it is by far the worst OU course, or any course, I’ve ever done. (This is my second degree). It is anti-scientific, anti-rationalist and ideologically driven throughout, with discredited French philosophers and their acolytes as ideological touchstones.
The course texts are turgid and badly written and it is, IMHO, worth investing in the texts of ‘Hogg & Vaughn’ and ‘Hewstone, Stroebe and Jonas’. These will give you a clear, concise and rational intro to most/all of the major topics and put the really rather silly ‘critical’ perspective in, er, perspective. I hope this is helpful to you.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for stopping by. DD307 certainly seems to polarise people’s opinions and I’m looking forward to it (sort of) – provided that my DD303 grade from this year is such that my DD307 mark doesn’t count for too much towards my final classification!
I’m trying to keep an open mind about it all and have indulged (for the first time ever) in some pre-course reading – I’ll add the ones you suggest to my list.
Tim.
I failed the exam for DD307 last oct. I’m resitting the exam in may. Its the first exam that I failed for psychology degree and I totally didn’t expect it. I’m struggling with revision, is anyone else in the same position as me?
Hi Louise,
Sorry to hear that. Have you tried getting hold of a copy of Linda Corlett’s revision materials – http://www.erikacox.co.uk/DD307.htm ? I’m already finding them really useful and I suspect they are of even greater use when it comes to revision.
hi louise
in the same boat but was one mark away from being able to resit so have to redo the course in jan 2012. when i walked out of the exam room i was please with me self for remembering so much just shows you cant tell youve flunked until the marks are in. just sat the dd303 exam so i am hoping i have done better this year lol
nicky
Hi Tim,
Thanks for sharing your first thoughts. This is really helpful, as I’m in the very same boat, having just finished DD303. Incidentally, you may be pleased to learn that TMA05 in DD303 also counted as 20% of the exam: “The examinable component comprises TMA05 and the examination. Your overall examinable component score (OES) is determined from your scores for these assessments weighted as follows: TMA 05 – 20%; Examination – 80%” OU course website). Having been totally inspired by your message and incredible enthusiasm, I am thinking of purchasing both books. As for revision materials – wow! I think I’ll wait just a little… Have a successful 2012!
Rena
Oops- just realised that I’m a year behind everybody! Sorry folks! But still – very inspired for 2012!
You’re welcome – hope you enjoy the course!
It’s never too early to get hold of revision materials – Linda Corlett’s were very useful throughout the course, particularly for help with focusing on what was important / less important for the non-project related TMAs.
Hi doing DD307 as my third year and a little bit scared, so will keep eye on here for help. Did DD101 and DD208 so not sure these help at all!!!!
Hi Liz, I completed DD307 last year. If I can help in any way, please do ask or email me at ecommoford [-at-] yahoo [-dot-] co [-dot-] uk.
I am on DD303 now and not exactly interested in it. Finding ‘attention’ ‘perception’ chapters boring.
Eli