S103-Discovering Science

 

 

 

Intro and general comments

Block 1: Water for life

Block 2: A temperate Earth?

Block 3: The Earth and its place in the Universe

Block 4: Unity within diversity

Block 5: Energy

Block 6: Our world and its atoms

Block 7: The quantum world

·         Chapters 1-5

·         Chapters 6-11

Block 8: Building with atoms

Block 9: Continuity and change

Block 10: Earth and life through time

Block 11: Universal processes

Block 12: Life in the Universe

Final Thoughts

Results

 

 

 

Intro and general comments

Having completed S194 – Introducing Astronomy with a good result my interest was established.  I was in the process of completing another Science Short Course (SSC), S151 – Maths for Science, but this was due by the end of October and S103 was not due to start until the end of January (ha!) so I booked up for it.

Well before the course conference opened or materials were delivered, there were discussions going on in various places.  Many people on the SSC conferences seemed, at least interested in the course and many of these had already signed up for the 2004 presentation.  When the conference opened there seemed to be 3 main topics of conversation:

1) Whether people had done the right thing

2) The first delivery of course materials

3) SXR103 – the residential school (summer school) associated with S103.

1) Well, even now (11-Feb) I’m still not 100% convinced and probably will not be until after I get my ECA back again…

2) The first delivery arrived after the expected date on the OU web site, though only by a few days for me [1].  There was great excitement and people were talking about how they planned to get ahead, which seemed like a good idea based on what previous students had written.  I had promised not to even open the boxes let alone start work until after I had finished the S151 ECA, but then the best laid plans of mice and men…it was like asking my kids not to open their Christmas presents on Christmas Day!  There were 3 nice shiny books loads (and I mean LOADS) of papers, where the bloody heck should I start?  Then I saw a note saying ‘Eat Me!”  OK, so I didn’t, but I certainly felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland, there was, however, a sheet that said, “Start Here” and this is a useful bit of advice.  It explains what all the bits are for and what should be done when.

Now everything was set up, it was put to one side.  I still had the S151 ECA to do and the 2003 Rugby World Cup was in progress (along with other less important things like work), so I thought it best to just ignore it until the end of November, when I could get stuck into it with no distractions…hmmm, I do like my plans, it’s just a shame none of them seem to work out!!

3) There were a couple of factors that caused my delay in booking this – work and money.  Come the new year I had enough money and work had (as I had heard it would) changed it’s schedule so the peak time no longer covered the whole of July and August but now finished at the beginning of July.  Quick OK from THE Boss then I asked my Manager at work for a week off, then it was booked.  There is a separate file detailing my experience with SXR103.  I will say that the only comments I’ve heard about residentials is they are the best part of any course.

 

[1] It seems this is when dispatching starts so wait a few weeks before going off the deep end.  I received my materials in October; the course didn’t officially start until the end of January.

 

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Block 1: Water for life explores the nature and importance of water, on which all life depends.  It also introduces the study, writing and mathematical skills that you will need and that are developed throughout the course.

After the initial excitement, other distractions put this on hold until January 2004.  It is fairly basic and equally dull.  It is very much the start, everything is basic, a couple of complaints I’ve heard are “patronising”, “boring” and my own “dull”.  The whole thing about S103 is it is an introductory course and as such NO assumptions of abilities beyond an interest and basic arithmetic are made.  The pro of this is that the information is there if you need it, the con is that some bits get VERY repetitive.  It is just a case of remembering where the course is coming from and getting the TMA done.  Mine was complete by the 1st tutorial, 14th Jan, so I saved the postage and handed it direct to my tutor.

TMA 01 Result – 90% I was very chuffed with this, then the first person I discussed this with got 98%, I also heard of several others getting in the high 90s and at least one got 100%!  I’m still chuffed with my result.

 

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Block 2: A temperate Earth?  investigates global temperature changes, and the phenomenon of global warming as a consequence of both natural and human-induced activity.

Oh dear.  This seems to take off where block 1 finished, but the pace soon picks up.  There was a lot of talk on First Class (FC) about the perils of chapter 5 but how things pick up after that.  It was with trepidation I approached it and with great satisfaction, I finished it.  This left me a concern that, unlike others, I’d hate chapter 6, but I was wrong.  Chapters 5 and 6 were definitely the best 2 in the block.  Then, I’m afraid my expectations caught up with me, I found the remainder of the block was like wading through treacle.  It was a relief to finish it!

The TMA was ready by the middle of Feb, but I heard some information that made me thankful I had held onto it.  It was finally handed into my tutor at our scheduled tutorial on the last Wednesday in Feb, another 42p saved…

TMA 02 Result – 85% Hmmmm, although I’m chuffed with the score there are a few points I’m not happy with.  I have sent my tutor an e-mail but don’t expect a response until after Easter (return the TMAs and run?).  This could yield, potentially 3 or 4 extra marks though answers to my queries either way will be enough.

Got a response from my tutor, answered my queries to an extent, but also seemed concerned that there might be bad feelings – this shocked me as my original mail was in no way aggressive (especially compared with some I’ve written!).

 

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Block 3: The Earth and its place in the Universe introduces the galaxies that comprise the Universe, and our solar system as a tiny speck in the Milky Way Galaxy, and then focuses on the Earth to examine its internal structure and dynamic behaviour.

This is more like it!!  Chapters 1-3 were completed within an hour of starting, chapter 4 took a little longer but not too bad (I admit to quite a reasonable previous knowledge on those chapters).  After this came less familiar territory, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, still I estimated by the halfway point in the book and study file, I’ll be comfortably ahead. 

The 2nd mailing arrived the day before the dispatch date on my homepage so no studying took place on the Saturday morning as the entire family were rummaging through its contents.  The timing couldn’t have been better as I reached chapter 9 and the first activities using the practical kit the following week.  The kids helped me and we all found it fascinating putting the sandstone in vinegar. 

Had a rough week after that, ½ no motivation, ½ being distracted by the later books and TMAs.  Have already decided 2 of the 3, this leaves me with a choice of biology and chemistry (TMA 07) or geology and early life (TMA 08) and neither particularly float my boat.  Still I haven’t got to make up my mind until the end of May so will have a far better idea by then.  I have noticed that the early books seem to introduce what is covered in greater detail in the later books.

Back to block 3 – even with such an appalling week I still managed to get well into chapter 10 and they are all fairly short now.  I’m trying to keep one TMA ahead meaning I’ve got 2 weeks to finish the block and get my final draft of TMA 03 ready, I think I’ll need to pull finger a little!  After that I’ll only need to make adjustments to allow for the comments from TMA 02 and it’ll be ready.

Hmm, I’m now in my final week according to my original plan and I’ve still got 8 chapters to go.  The final activity for chapter 10 states “You are now a little over half way”, oops.  I don’t think I’m going to meet my original target of 23rd March.  Still,  this is the main reason, as I see it, for trying to keep a little ahead of study calendar.

I got a bit jaded about this block, by the time I’d completed chapter 13, it seemed like the whole book had done nothing but talk about rocks.  Chapter 14 picked up a little talking about the subduction of tectonic plates.  Maybe it’s just the destruction I enjoy, I liked the chapter on volcanoes also…

Finally on the last Monday in March (22 days ahead) I put the final touches to the TMA and finished of the block (the TMA only needs up to chapter 15), well nearly I just have a diagram to do, but the best this will get is a very rough sketch until I’ve seen the comments on my first few diagrams.  The TMAs are starting to trickle back to other students so hopefully I won’t have to wait long then I’ll be able to put this to bed once and for all. 

In the meantime I finished off the book (arrrggghhhh as if there wasn’t enough about the water and carbon cycles in block 2 there’s now a rock cycle and we just have to find out where that fits into the scheme of things!!!) and the CD activities.  Some of the CD activities are quite lengthy, but this is before block 4….

I was quite chuffed with myself, the other day I was watching a programme about volcanoes with my wife and she asked what caused pyroclastic flows; I explained it to her, roughly.  Later I slipped off and referred to the book – not only did I remember correctly, I also knew where to look up the information.

TMA03 has been ready (all but) for a couple of weeks.  Once I received the comments on TMA02 back I spent and hour or two reworking my draft and finalising everything.  I then stuck it in the post – outrageous I had to spend 42p on postage… :-)

TMA03 was back with a fantastic result, my expectations of myself must be going up as I was seriously kicking myself over some of the stupid mistakes that lost me marks.

 

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Block 4: Unity within diversity looks at the nature of the life that inhabits the Earth's surface: the features that all life-forms have in common, how organisms are related to each other and how they differ.

I now have 3 books on the go – 1 I read when I’m having a cigarette (I don’t smoke in the house so I can be sociable to a book), 2 the relevant block book, 3 I read when otherwise occupied (like when I was re-building my PC last week).  Well I decided that the number 3 book would be the next block – just read the words, ignore the questions and activities and let the whole thing wash over me.  Block 4 is the 1st block I’ve tried this with, so I gave myself a week off between block 3 and 4 to finish reading it before I start studying it next week.

Hopefully this new technique will improve my studying as this block is basically biology and block 6 is chemistry.  Ironically I’ve been looking forward to the biology less than the chemistry yet <ahem> years ago my last exams of each produced 50%+ and 8% respectively so I would have expected the opposite.  We’ll see…

This week is getting used for a tutorial, tidying up my study file and archive file ready for block 4, sorting out my new laptop (CD activities without having to climb over everything in the spare room), planning my study of block 4, etc.

I worked out the plan last night – it is supposed to be a 2 week block, but going on the OU’s estimated times and planned not too excessively, I think I could have this done in a week – excellent catch up (to my original plan) time.  Talking of CD activities there are 2 related to 2 chapters whose allotted time is the same as that for the chapters, one of which is 5 hours.  And I thought the 2 hour activities in block 3 were long!!!

Well original plan plus 1 week and I’m a couple of pages into chapter 3 of the book and have done the introduction to the 5 hour CD activity – maybe that is why they call them blocks…

The 1st question was based around the CD activity so once complete it was pretty straight forward, but the activity is quite a slog.  The 2nd question is from the text and the block was still there so in the end I resorted to looking up specifics for the TMA and putting it to bed.  I got as far as page 18!!  I think I’ve made my decision about my options….

TMA 04 is spilt 50:50 between this and block 5.  I feel fairly comfortable with the 1st question and would not be surprised to get 25+/30, I have little hope for the 2nd question and have resigned myself to the other questions dragging me up.

 

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Block 5: Energy considers the fundamental physical property that keeps you alive and active, keeps the sun shining and (literally) makes the world go round.

Lovely!!  This block is all maths, basic algebra and basic calculations, stuff that I’m very comfortable with.  I breezed through this block.

I had mixed feelings about the TMA as I expect to get close to 50/50 for the 3rd and 4th questions it would have been nice to have such a high mark, that said these marks will help to drag up the average due to the marks lost on the biology.

The TMA was handed in at the tutorial (another 42p saved!!) with sincere apology for the state of question 2.

TMA04 is now back, this is horrible, exam result nerves each month.  I can’t print initial words upon opening it, that is after I had checked it 3 times to make sure it was mine.  I was flabbergasted – 27/30 and 50/50 for questions 1, 3 & 4 – fairly close to what I expected (though another silly mistake cost me a mark), but somehow I managed 15/20 for question 2!!

The main trouble now is my expectations are high, perhaps too high.  Marks I would have been chuffed with before starting with the OU, I’m sure I’ll be miffed about now – is this a good thing or a bad thing?  Whatever a little competition seems to have developed between a couple of the people from my tutor group and me, so I’ve got to keep going.

Now then do I really want to do rocks if I can scrape 84% for the biology part but then….

 

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Block 6: Our world and its atoms explores the nature of atoms, the basic building blocks of all materials.

Chemistry…what more can be said, oh yes, my last chemistry exam at school earned the outstanding mark of 8% (no there are no missing ‘0’s!)

The last tutorial covered aspects of this and the TMA changed from being a foreign language to reasonably straight forward (well, the relevant parts, anyway).  Although there was probably a lot of information left over from school, this was the first time it had actually been pulled together to make any sense.  It isn’t often I am excited after a tutorial, that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed or learnt anything from the previous ones, just that a fog was partially lifted that night.  I was moved to send the tutor an e-mail to thank her for it, she certainly seems to have a knack of gaining interest (after the biology one I caught myself categorising plants!)

The book is quite a slog, but I’m getting there, there seem to be a number of moans about the style of this block, so maybe it’s not just me.

One of the questions on the TMA seems to have caught a number of people out (myself included).  It gave a chemical but was very ambiguous whether we used that and no more or whether we used it as a base to build on when balancing the equation.  As far as I’m concerned with all the information we had been taught up to the end of chapter 10 (the chapter according to the TMA by which we should be able to do the question), it was the latter – I was wrong.  There are subtle hints about changing valencies (you’ll understand if you do the course), but all the emphasis in chapter 10 is on them being the obvious ones…it created a bit of debate on FC, to say the least.  Until I saw it queried there I was very happy with my answer, I feel sorry for those that don’t use FC.

My, what a busy couple of weeks, Tuesday last week I signed up for one of my courses for next year (2005) – MST121.  Then last Friday the 3rd mailing arrived, things are looking a bit heavy, it makes me wonder how I’ll cope with later courses as this stuff seems pretty advanced.  Then there was the argument about the TMA question.  Finally, last night (Thursday), the mailing for SXR103 arrived.  I really didn’t expect so much, though I can’t pin down exactly what I was expecting.  Still I’ll do other commentaries for that and MST121, for now it’s back to the chemicals.

Finally finished the block and the TMA.  The style of the book doesn’t improve much right to the end, however, that with info picked up from FC and tutorials the TMA was surprisingly straight forward, I hope.  We were given a day’s extension as a tutor group as our tutor was away, I’m glad to say mine was ready for the post by the Friday before the deadline.

Still not sure about plants or rocks for my option.  Plants is all short answer (well a couple of 200-300 word essays), rocks is 50% a 1000 word essay plus a 300 worder in the short answer section.  Short answer questions I do well with, but the biology in block 4 killed me.  Rocks are OK, boring as hell but do-able and other aspects of the block (early life, volcanism, etc) are quite interesting.  But the TMA!!!!  2 questions, both based around the formation of rocks – mind numbing or what!!!

2 weeks after handing it in and I hand not received it back where others had…although she’s not supposed to my tutor told me my mark – I nearly fell over – 94%!!  I was bouncing of the walls with this.  I finally received my TMA back at the end of the week – what’s this?  97% can’t be – well it wasn’t, the marks for each question actually added up to 96% (e-mailed my tutor to let her know).  Either way it was fantastic and I still lost a couple of marks for silly things.  And with that mark, goes my last hope of taking advantage of substitution as this relies on the overall course average and I really can’t see that being over 91%

All that said I’m half way through the next TMA and I really don’t hold out much hope of getting anywhere near the marks in the 2nd half that I had in the 1st half.

I have e-mailed my tutor saying I’m going to do the rocks….

 

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Block 7: The quantum world is studied in two parts.  The first part, studied after Block 6, takes you inside the atom to look at atomic structure and nuclear decay.  The second part, studied just before Block 11, investigates the most fundamental, tiny particles of which the hundred or so known types of atom are made and that help to determine their differences.

Chapters 1-5

Quantum mechanics is not the most straightforward or logical subject there is.  Some parts are truly weird (I understand the fun really starts in the 2nd half!)  There are parts of this block that seem impossible personally I found the best thing to do was just accept what I was being told.  It is surprising how much started to make sense by the end of the block.

There is only 1 TMA question and having completed the text and activities it is almost too easy – what have I missed?

 

 

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Block 8: Building with atoms looks at how atoms bond with each other in different combinations, through chemical reactions, to produce the enormous diversity of materials known to humankind, from fertilizers to polymers and pharmaceuticals.

Despite my earlier plans of reading ahead, time constraints have put an end to this and to be honest I’m not sure if it was a help or a hindrance.  The more boring aspects were even more boring 2nd time around and either stopped me or I skipped them only to need to return to remind me….

Block 8 takes up a little bit from where block 7 (the 1st part) finishes.  Then it rapidly moves onto a thing called equilibrium, before diving into organic chemistry – basically a thin disguise for biology.  It seems biology is a real problem – as soon as I got to the more organicy part of this book my brain froze again…  Work stopped at the end of chapter 9 – my best hope is that I get the majority of the 60% for Q1, 2 and 5 as Q3 & especially 4 were dug from the book rather than learnt.  Printed and photocopied the TMA at work but forgot the PT3 form – D’oh!!!  So, it was a rush to get home, get the form and rush down to the post office to get the last post.  Made it, hopefully it will arrive in time for an early marking – it seems if we get our stuff to our tutor by the weekend before the cut-off they are marked and returned by the end of the cut-off week – quick enough not to suffer for too long.

But not this time…Still it was just over a week after cut-off when I got this back, so I can’t complain, more to the point I’ve been spoilt before.  Well I got my hope – 57 out of 60 for the 3 parts.  More than that 19 out of 21 for Q3, excellent, and 12 from 19 for Q4 surprisingly good considering.  Overall, excellent considering and it takes the pressure off TMA 08 a little.

 

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Block 9: Continuity and change is about the chemistry of living organisms and the chemical processes that provide the energy to maintain life, moving on to consider how a blueprint for development is passed down from one generation of organisms to another (genetic theory).  It also asks how changes within populations of organisms take place (evolution).

The decision was made not to do this block, though my son keeps reminding me I can read it after October – maybe….yeah right!!

 

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Block 10: Earth and life through time looks not only at how life has evolved since it began about 3,800 million years ago, but also how the pattern of continents and ocean basins and the rocks they are made of have evolved over geological time.

This is going to be my first experience of running 2 courses together.  By the time I plan to have this TMA in the post I will also be leaving for summer school and will need to have completed the necessary work for that…fun times ahead!

Oooooh – rocks….OK I’ll give credit where it’s due the 1st 2 chapters (No. 1 is the introduction) don’t deal with rocks – chapter 2 is about the fossil record and early life so that’s OK.  Chapter 3 is very sneaky as it slips quietly into rocks and then we’re off!  There are 4 chapters on the formation of rocks and 2 TMA questions, it seems almost a waste putting the other chapters in.  As I do at the start of every block I read the TMA in detail and found that some of the marks are “given” in one of the activities from an earlier block – so this is something to keep an eye out for.

I’m now into my second rocks (igneous) chapter and it is doing my head in.  I’m reading loads and taking in nothing.  Having had a brief furore into the PSSB the first chapter after the intro is, you guessed it rocks…more on the SXR103 commentary.

Sedimentory rocks – bits squeezed together, am I being too cynical?

I have been doing this block with TMA to hand, as always, and things are starting to come together which has improved my confidence, though not my attitude.  

I seem to be getting more and more jaded about this course at the moment, it all seems such a struggle.  I’ve more or less completed the first part of the TMA and started the 2nd, but I’m not all that confident in what I’ve written.  There is a serious temptation to just cover the topics recommended, hand in as is and take the hit.  This is a marked improvement on last week when the temptation ranged between not bothering with this block to jacking the whole course in.  Of course logic took over at this point, 2½ (out of 8) months left (and that’s not including Nov-Jan), my marks so far mean that I only need 32 out of the last 2 TMAs to pass the TMA aspect (percentage wise I’ve already passed, you just need an average of 40% over each of TMAs 02-05 and 06-09).  Then it’s just 40% for the ECA and I’m there.

Well I got 79%, major mixed feelings about this.  I was really pleased with the result and it means I've passed the Continuous Assessment part of the course already, unfortunately it means I only need 70% on TMA 09 to get an overall 85% for the TMAs, which means another 1000 word essay….

 

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Block 7: The quantum world is studied in two parts. The first part, studied after Block 6, takes you inside the atom to look at atomic structure and nuclear decay. The second part, studied just before Block 11, investigates the most fundamental, tiny particles of which the hundred or so known types of atom are made and that help to determine their differences.

Chapters 6-11

Does exactly what it says on the tin - dealing with alpha, beta and gamma decay, electromagnetic radiation.  Surprisingly it's not too heavy and the TMA question was fairly straight forward.

 

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Block 11: Universal processes takes you beyond the Earth and the solar system once more, and back some 11,000 million years to the moment when the Universe originated in a cosmological 'big bang'; and we look at what happened in the first second of its existence.

WOW - prepare to have your mind fried.  This book, although small covers a heck of a lot of ground and some of it is daunting.  The TMA is split 50-50 between short answer and a 1000 word essay on the weak interactions.  The short answers are easy enough, the essay is a pig - there just seems like there is so much information to include.  Still only a week left and it will get posted whatever condition.  I think this the main problem here is the amount of information and the lack of time.  If I did this course again, I'd definatley get the 1st 2 blocks and TMAs done before Christmas and, hopefully the 3rd by the official start.  Once done I'd stay that far ahead to allow the extra time for the later TMAs.  2 weeks off for summer school and a holiday didn't help the time factor, though I think I may have jacked it in given my feelings toward the end of Block 10.

Result back and very nice too - At this stage I've got enough, weighted, marks to pass the course.  Trouble is there's the pesky ECA to get through too.  39/50 for the essay is good for me, they seem to be improving, we'll see.

 

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Block 12: Life in the Universe Finally, we speculate on how and why life on Earth began and whether it is likely to exist anywhere else - a question that may very well be answered before the twenty-first century draws to a close.

The ECA arrived while I was on holiday, ha!!, been fooled again.  OK so overall we need 40% to pass the ECA, it is actually split into 2 parts and 40% must be achieved on both parts1.

The 1st part is based on the rest of the year, 4 short answer questions that are fairly straght forward.  The 2nd part is based on block 12 - a 1000 word essay on the origins of life from cometary materials…not quite panspermia but close…  And what a pig it is - unlike an exam (which this is supposed to replace!!) we have been given a whole new block of information to work through.  OK so perhaps I should have looked closer, earlier but I'd thought it was a guide to the supplementary articles and how they tied in with the course.

You have been warned!!

1Note that this is 40% of each set of 50 marks giving an overall result of at least 40%.  NOT 2 lots of 40% equalling 80% overall.

It went in plenty of time and wasn't too bad once the essay was underway, though on reflection there are a few things that could have been improved and a couple of silly mistakes that could have been corrected had I checked the 1st part again.  Never mind, it's just the wait that's the killer and by December I'll be working on other courses, sort of takes the edge off.

 

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Final Thoughts

The 103 courses (S and SXR) seem very biased towards biology and geology.  Although I can see that all the sciences are connected, the connections for these 2 were highlighted everywhere.  Because of this the other 2 main sciences, chemistry and physics, suffer.  Chemistry has nearly 2 complete TMAs specifically to itself, with a dash of quantumn physics.  In terms of TMA questions, physics has to share with biology, chemistry and geology.  Although block 7 is quantumn physics it is split in 2, the 1st half with chemistry (quite appropriately)  the 2nd with the comology block.  It might have been better extending the 2 blocks and dropping the distinct QM block altogether.  So if it is mainly physics you are after, you don’t get a lot of it standing on its own in this course and what you do get can easily be overshadowed by other things, like the next TMA, the next block, the next tutorial, rush, rush, rush, there's enough time to stop and think when you've finished….

 

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Results:

 

TMA

Relevant Blocks

Score

Weighting

Overall

 

 

01

1

90%

N/A

N/A

 

 

02

2

85%

12.5%

10.63%

 

 

03*

3

91%

12.5%

11.38%

 

 

04*

4 & 5

92%

12.5%

11.50%

 

 

05*

6

96%

12.5%

12.00%

 

 

Average (2-5)

 

91%

50% (of TMA)

45.50%

 

 

06**

7 (Ch1-5) & 8

88%

16.6%

14.66%

 

 

07**

9

 

16.6%

 

 

 

08**

10

79%

16.6%

13.16%

 

 

09**

7 (Ch 6-) & 11

86%

16.6%

14.33%

 

 

Average (6-9)

 

84.33%

50% (of TMA)

42.15%

 

 

Average TMA

 

87.67%

50% (of course)

43.87%

 

 

ECA

 

 

50% (of course)

 

 

 

Overall

 

 

100%

 

 

 

*Substitution is applied to blocks 3-5

**Choice of 3 from 4 TMAs – OU strongly recommends TMA 06 plus 2 others.

 

 

The above table is an extract from a spreadsheet I set up to track my progress.  If you would like a copy drop me a line either here or at my OU account.

 

 

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