Glad to say T209 has now been completed. Can't say it was the most interesting course I have done so far but it was useful. None of the technology elements were particularly enlightening, having worked in IT for 15+ years, and done plenty of other IT courses this was to be expected from something designed to give a broad understanding. The course was getting long in the tooth, many technologies having been superseded, and this was the last presentation before its replacement.
T209 was a 60 point, course for the degree BSc (Honours) Information Technology and Computing and in its favour I can at least say I have gained the ability to write reports. Or I think I have anyway...
The end of course assessment, in place of an exam, was a sustained piece of report writing comparing WiMAX, HSDPA and other 3G technologies. The time suggested for this was five weeks, and with four full days off work after the August bank holiday I thought I had plenty of time. Bring on the gods of complacency, or is it sod's law. Anyway, I was out mountain biking on the August bank holiday, had a good day out, and at the end of the ride was heading down a steep, very rocky descent towards the Snake Pass. Of course I fell off. And of course I landed on my head. A quick wiggle of the extremities and I leaped to my feet, fortunately with no broken bones, I have no idea how I didn't break anything, the surface was just boulders.
Black eye, smashed cycling specs, blood from the side of my nose, bruise on left side of head, left shoulder, left arm, left leg, both ankles (handlebars...), bleeding from left eyebrow, etc. If I had a quid for everyone that said 'were you wearing a helmet', I would have almost 10 pounds. No I wasn't. A full face helmet might have made a difference, the sort that I wasn't wearing and everyone else was wouldn't have made a difference either.
Fortunately it was the end of the ride and we came back in the car. I should have gone to A&E straight away but my pupils were evenly sized, not dilated, I had no leakage from my ears, I felt fine, and I checked my blood pressure when I got in and that was fine too. I felt OK other than a bit of a headache, and a bit shaken up.
A day or so later I found I was unable to look at my computer monitor for more than a few minutes at a time, and I was feeling really dizzy. I couldn't do any work on the assignment that I had taken the few days off for. I eventually went to A&E, the doctor said that as I had taken a substantial blow to the head I would be unable to concentrate for a while, and I should avoid reading, watching TV or using a computer, other than that I was fine. I was hoping to be ok within a few days, but unfortunately the dizziness went on for a long time, nearly six weeks later I still have the odd moment.
It was two weeks after the event that I was back to being able to get on with the assignment, giving me two weeks to get the thing complete and handed in. I did it, just, but didn't do it justice, I could have done with one more week. My nose is still misshapen, and the few pictures I took are still not up on Google Earth. Oh well!
Sunday 4 October 2009
Friday 19 June 2009
The M255 exam
That's M255 completed.
What advice would I give to the younger me regarding study for this course if I could go back in time?
I'd say pay more attention to what you've said about studying already, particularly reviewing work. One of the most useful elements I've found has been keeping a glossary of terms, start it earlier, check and revise it more often. Some courses give a list of relevant terms at the end of each unit, M255 for example, use it and if there are learning outcomes highlighted use those too.
I typed up all the terms that were unfamiliar and many that were familiar in to one big document, I ignored only those terms that were second nature. I used the glossary and appended it with my own explanations and code examples, I reviewed it to make sure I was remembering the terminology. It is also useful to do this for terminology ahead of the units being studied, it makes it easier to skim read and speed read and provides conceptual understanding. Do more of this and do it more often.
Those methods paid dividends when it came to revision, I had a good idea where my weak spots were and I could concentrate on them, matching knowledge against the required learning outcomes. If that sort of help is there in the units and modules then don't ignore it, it almost is like learning by numbers. I bought every past paper available from the OUSA online shop and did almost all of them under exam conditions. I struggled with some of the part two questions for all of the papers so I put a lot of effort in to practicing and understanding all the coding concepts, admittedly I only really did this in the week before the exam but by the end of that period I felt much more comfortable.
Part of the reason for struggling is that no matter how much you pretend the conditions are that of an exam it obviously isn't, and the temptation to throw the towel in and look for further assistance is great rather than actually having no option but to sit there and think about it. I still thought there may be difficulty with some parts of those questions but was surprised that they appeared easier than expected, probably a sure sign I've cocked them up... One of them was a very close re-working of one on a past paper, which was comforting, for another the question was longer than two pages, which was unsettling.
I have no idea when the results will be available.
What advice would I give to the younger me regarding study for this course if I could go back in time?
I'd say pay more attention to what you've said about studying already, particularly reviewing work. One of the most useful elements I've found has been keeping a glossary of terms, start it earlier, check and revise it more often. Some courses give a list of relevant terms at the end of each unit, M255 for example, use it and if there are learning outcomes highlighted use those too.
I typed up all the terms that were unfamiliar and many that were familiar in to one big document, I ignored only those terms that were second nature. I used the glossary and appended it with my own explanations and code examples, I reviewed it to make sure I was remembering the terminology. It is also useful to do this for terminology ahead of the units being studied, it makes it easier to skim read and speed read and provides conceptual understanding. Do more of this and do it more often.
Those methods paid dividends when it came to revision, I had a good idea where my weak spots were and I could concentrate on them, matching knowledge against the required learning outcomes. If that sort of help is there in the units and modules then don't ignore it, it almost is like learning by numbers. I bought every past paper available from the OUSA online shop and did almost all of them under exam conditions. I struggled with some of the part two questions for all of the papers so I put a lot of effort in to practicing and understanding all the coding concepts, admittedly I only really did this in the week before the exam but by the end of that period I felt much more comfortable.
Part of the reason for struggling is that no matter how much you pretend the conditions are that of an exam it obviously isn't, and the temptation to throw the towel in and look for further assistance is great rather than actually having no option but to sit there and think about it. I still thought there may be difficulty with some parts of those questions but was surprised that they appeared easier than expected, probably a sure sign I've cocked them up... One of them was a very close re-working of one on a past paper, which was comforting, for another the question was longer than two pages, which was unsettling.
I have no idea when the results will be available.
Friday 13 February 2009
Reflective learning and T209
On the news this morning was a story about academic Diplomas and Prof Smith's attack on them, comments which he later retracted. Comments were made in the news story about reflective learning, as this was the radio they didn't cover it in much depth and tried to set up a two-sided argument of opposing views. Reflective learning is a part of the T209 course and it caused an outbreak of messages on the First Class conference system. All the comments seemed to be opposed to it, it was seen as a waste of time, interfered with more serious work, was patronising and time consuming.
I don't really agree with those views, although in some cases I can see that they might be valid. If I want to really learn and understand a course subject then the type of activites used in reflective learning do help in committing information to long term memory. On the other hand if I am doing the course purely because it gives me 30 or 60 points and I am never going to touch the subject area again then the time spent reviewing might be considered a waste and I would use other techniques to commit information to memory for just as long as is required. However, I think the techniques are valuable in all areas of study and should aid in faster understanding of and ability to retain information.
Here's a rough analogy. Like riding a bike, if all a person does is want to ride to the end of the road as fast as possible they might learn rudimentary balance skills and the technique of turning the pedals quickly. But practise, repetition and reinforcement of the techniques of cycling would give the confidence and skill to ride anywhere.
In some respects the course material could be viewed as patronising. Many on the course have already well developed learning skills. My view is that if the work appears to be easy I get on with it and am happy that something can be covered quickly and if I pick up useful, new information on the way it is a bonus.
A topical reference, whatever next.
I don't really agree with those views, although in some cases I can see that they might be valid. If I want to really learn and understand a course subject then the type of activites used in reflective learning do help in committing information to long term memory. On the other hand if I am doing the course purely because it gives me 30 or 60 points and I am never going to touch the subject area again then the time spent reviewing might be considered a waste and I would use other techniques to commit information to memory for just as long as is required. However, I think the techniques are valuable in all areas of study and should aid in faster understanding of and ability to retain information.
Here's a rough analogy. Like riding a bike, if all a person does is want to ride to the end of the road as fast as possible they might learn rudimentary balance skills and the technique of turning the pedals quickly. But practise, repetition and reinforcement of the techniques of cycling would give the confidence and skill to ride anywhere.
In some respects the course material could be viewed as patronising. Many on the course have already well developed learning skills. My view is that if the work appears to be easy I get on with it and am happy that something can be covered quickly and if I pick up useful, new information on the way it is a bonus.
A topical reference, whatever next.
Thursday 12 February 2009
M255 TMA02
Pleased with the result for this, 97%. Dropped a mark for not removing a line of test code, another for not commenting a method - although I had included a comment but I had commented two methods at once, tsk. Third mark dropped for having a sentence of gibberish when trying to explain an advantage of interface types, "Your last sentence doesn't make sense to me." and having looked again it doesn't make any sense to me either even though I re-read it numerous times!
I took my own advice and reviewed my previous work before submitting the TMA, paying particular attention to the comments made about my errors last time, hey, how easy was that;-)
Have made a start on T209 Information and communication technologies: people and interactions, so far it is pretty straightforward as it is introducing areas I have already covered quite thoroughly on other OU courses. Still, shouldn't become complacent as these courses can very suddenly require greater effort and time to maintain understanding.
I took my own advice and reviewed my previous work before submitting the TMA, paying particular attention to the comments made about my errors last time, hey, how easy was that;-)
Have made a start on T209 Information and communication technologies: people and interactions, so far it is pretty straightforward as it is introducing areas I have already covered quite thoroughly on other OU courses. Still, shouldn't become complacent as these courses can very suddenly require greater effort and time to maintain understanding.
Monday 12 January 2009
Studying - howto
Reading (active reading), always ask questions about the text, it helps maintain interest and improves the quality of the note taking. Questions I ask - What do they mean by that, In what context is that, What is that referring to - this helps me to stop running my eyes over many paragraphs of text without thinking. I sometimes break the paragraphs down in to sentences and ask myself if I fully understand, if I'm tired I may even break the longer sentences down (where there are new concepts or sentences with many ideas).
Review earlier work before commencing and review new work completed at the end of a study period. This counts when taking breaks too. I tend to read through my notes of the previous session.
If stuck on a subject put it down, take a break and come back later, the next day. I found this particularly effective when studying MS221 Exploring mathematics, an overnight break often helped when coming back fresh and spotting a misunderstanding.
If still stuck after banging your head against a topic and having overnight breaks, try formulating a question to ask in the First Class forums. The process of working out how to ask a question can help in spotting a misunderstanding. If still stuck then you can post your question and get someone elses view.
Further things to try when stuck, try explaining the problem to someone else, the cat, dog or hamster even. Another person may ask you questions that force you to rethink, a family pet may not ask questions but you still have to verbalise your thoughts. Expressing yourself in a different medium may help you to rethink and understand a problem.
Always give yourself a fair chance, getting stuck on a question does not mean you won't be able to work out the answer, don't rush to ask but think the problem over, put it aside, come back to it a few times.
Try all the examples in the course text and write the answer using a pen and paper, no matter how tedious some of the self assessment questions may appear.
And practise, practise, practise, Carnegie Hall awaits. The old joke.
I need to start taking some of this advice!
Review earlier work before commencing and review new work completed at the end of a study period. This counts when taking breaks too. I tend to read through my notes of the previous session.
If stuck on a subject put it down, take a break and come back later, the next day. I found this particularly effective when studying MS221 Exploring mathematics, an overnight break often helped when coming back fresh and spotting a misunderstanding.
If still stuck after banging your head against a topic and having overnight breaks, try formulating a question to ask in the First Class forums. The process of working out how to ask a question can help in spotting a misunderstanding. If still stuck then you can post your question and get someone elses view.
Further things to try when stuck, try explaining the problem to someone else, the cat, dog or hamster even. Another person may ask you questions that force you to rethink, a family pet may not ask questions but you still have to verbalise your thoughts. Expressing yourself in a different medium may help you to rethink and understand a problem.
Always give yourself a fair chance, getting stuck on a question does not mean you won't be able to work out the answer, don't rush to ask but think the problem over, put it aside, come back to it a few times.
Try all the examples in the course text and write the answer using a pen and paper, no matter how tedious some of the self assessment questions may appear.
And practise, practise, practise, Carnegie Hall awaits. The old joke.
I need to start taking some of this advice!
Sunday 11 January 2009
On course
Surprised to find I am on course with my studies - according to the study calendar. It's in the OU forums where I keep seeing questions asked about things that are not just in the next few units but in the next block (or sometimes the block after that)! A feeling of inadequacy can creep in and of being left behind. Just don't think about them, they are either massively well organised, have enough time on their hands or never do anything but OU work. Perhaps I should discover who the well organised ones are and find out their secrets.
Today has been mostly study of unit 7 of M255. It involves a lot of practical work altering classes, making frogs do things that they might not do unless genetically interfered with (perhaps given the hummingbirds ability to hover), overloading and overriding methods. It keeps me amused - apart from the displacement activity of nipping out to chop down a shrub that was allowing water to penetrate the house brickwork (water displacement removal activity?)
I make paper notes as I go along, marking headings and listing the Unit and Section I am on at the top of each page. This should make it easier to locate where I should look up information in the text if my notes aren't as helpful as I'd like when revising. I have tried mind-mapping/memory-mapping before but didn't find I very helpful, I used a commercial application, perhaps I should use coloured pens and paper. I don't find colour that useful being red/green colour blind although restricting to a small range of high contrast colours might help. But mainly my working habits consist of an A4 pad, a pen and the computer. At the end of each block I write a glossary of all the terminology and attempt to memorise it (not verbatim), although I think it would be an idea to do this at the start of each block and review it after (it will be reviewed naturally throughout study to a certain extent).
I'll get on with some more work later this evening and then have a bottle of Leffe when I've finished. It's a cheap trick but it's helpful to have a treat lined up!
Today has been mostly study of unit 7 of M255. It involves a lot of practical work altering classes, making frogs do things that they might not do unless genetically interfered with (perhaps given the hummingbirds ability to hover), overloading and overriding methods. It keeps me amused - apart from the displacement activity of nipping out to chop down a shrub that was allowing water to penetrate the house brickwork (water displacement removal activity?)
I make paper notes as I go along, marking headings and listing the Unit and Section I am on at the top of each page. This should make it easier to locate where I should look up information in the text if my notes aren't as helpful as I'd like when revising. I have tried mind-mapping/memory-mapping before but didn't find I very helpful, I used a commercial application, perhaps I should use coloured pens and paper. I don't find colour that useful being red/green colour blind although restricting to a small range of high contrast colours might help. But mainly my working habits consist of an A4 pad, a pen and the computer. At the end of each block I write a glossary of all the terminology and attempt to memorise it (not verbatim), although I think it would be an idea to do this at the start of each block and review it after (it will be reviewed naturally throughout study to a certain extent).
I'll get on with some more work later this evening and then have a bottle of Leffe when I've finished. It's a cheap trick but it's helpful to have a treat lined up!
Study, study, study
Sunday today, would normally go out for a mountain bike ride for a few hours but my cycling pal has pulled out citing aches and pains, tiredness and the cold weather. I am secretly relieved at this as I have a whole lot of OU work to catch up on.
I don't want to blame work as I can also be a little slack in the evenings and weekends at doing the amount of OU work I should do, but we were called in last Sunday due to there being a 2 minute power failure which affected one of our machine rooms over Sunday night. The generator failed to start and some sort of logic problem stopped the UPS failing back over to mains power. Most of Sunday was eaten by bringing servers back and making sure all was well in the virtual environment, the SAN came back seamlessly fortunately. Then I lost Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to troubleshooting another problem. Grrrrr!
So having made my excuses I'd better get down to some serious work today. I will be doing concurrent courses later this month so I need to crack on, I will be starting T209 that will run alongside M255.
I don't want to blame work as I can also be a little slack in the evenings and weekends at doing the amount of OU work I should do, but we were called in last Sunday due to there being a 2 minute power failure which affected one of our machine rooms over Sunday night. The generator failed to start and some sort of logic problem stopped the UPS failing back over to mains power. Most of Sunday was eaten by bringing servers back and making sure all was well in the virtual environment, the SAN came back seamlessly fortunately. Then I lost Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to troubleshooting another problem. Grrrrr!
So having made my excuses I'd better get down to some serious work today. I will be doing concurrent courses later this month so I need to crack on, I will be starting T209 that will run alongside M255.
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