Level 1 (interdisciplinary)

A111 Discovering the arts and humanities

What will I study on A111?

A111 Discovering the arts and humanities is an introduction to the study of the Arts and Humanities at university level. It is the starting point for any qualifications that include Art History, Classical Studies, Creative Writing, English Literature, History, Music, Philosophy or Religious Studies. The module is also available to students who would like an introduction to the Arts and Humanities as part of an Open Degree.

The module presents a broad survey of works of art, people, events, practices and ideas in a period ranging from about three thousand years ago to today. It invites you to think about the kind of knowledge and understanding that is gained through the study of the Arts and Humanities and why this matters.

The module is structured around three themes:

• Reputations
  The first part of the module explores how and why reputations develop and change. It asks: why are some people remembered and some forgotten?
• Traditions
  The second part of the module continues to explore the way the past reaches us to day.  It asks: what are traditions and how do they influence us?
• Crossing boundaries
  The third part of the module examines the way different cultures represent and transform each other.  It asks: how are different cultures brought together or kept apart?

You might like to watch the following video, which describes the ways in which the module approaches these topics.

How will I study the module?

Shortly before the module starts, you will be able to access the module website. The website includes a Study Planner, which will guide you through a blend of study materials. These include three printed books (which will be mailed to you), as well as audio and video recordings and interactive material. You will be assigned a tutor, who you can ask for advice and guidance and who will provide feedback on your written work. You will also be able to take part in tutorials and learning events.

How can I find out more?

You can read more about the content of the module on the online prospectus.

You might like to sample some related study materials on the OpenLearn website:

• Behind the reputation is a short game exploring the reputation of some historical figures. It forms part of material relating to the BBC/OU television series Icons.
• Discovering music: the blues offers a version of some of the study materials relating to Music on the module.
• Antigone is an animation which tells the story of Antigone. The ancient play and its modern re-tellings forms part of the study of the third part of the module.
• Can animals be courageous? and Plato, opinions and the statues of Daedalus are two articles relating to the study of Philosophy on the module.

A112 Cultures

What will I study on A112?

This module asks: How are cultures produced and encountered? Why do cultures matter? You'll be encouraged to think about how the ideas, behaviours, and customs of diverse groups of people, ranging from the ancient to the contemporary world, have emerged, been shared, and might continue to be meaningfully encountered today. More specifically, the module invites you to investigate the role played by objects, images, and texts in these different cultures, discovering what these can tell us about the shared ideas or identities of particular communities and historical groups.

Your study of cultures will be structured around four key themes:

• Place
• Power
• Literary 'classics'
• Journeys

In the final part of the module, you will study cultures with reference to your own choice of one of the module’s four subject areas: Art History, Classical Studies, Creative Writing or English Literature. You'll explore in greater depth the sort of material that is of particular interest to you, and further develop the skills to support your future study plans.

You might like to watch the following video, which describes the ways in which the module approaches 'cultures'.

How will I study the module? 

Whether you choose A112 Cultures or A113 Revolutions, your study will involve working with a mix of printed books and online material. The online materials feature audio and visual resources, as well specially designed interactive activities. For the English Literature part of A112 Cultures, you will also work with the set texts of a play and a novel. 

For the final part of both modules, you will choose one of its subject areas to focus on, making some decisions for yourself about what and how you want to study. You will be guided through this process of exploring a chosen subject area for yourself, as you also work towards completing an extended essay.

How can I find out more?

You can read more about the content of A112 Cultures in the online prospectus.  (This link opens in a new browser window; to return to this page, close that browser window).

You might also like to sample some related study materials on the OpenLearn website, including Travelling for culture: the Grand Tour, which uses the theme of the Grand Tour of the eighteenth/early nineteenth century to explore the academic disciplines of Classical Studies, Art History, English Literature and Creative Writing.

A113 Revolutions

What will I study on A113?

This module looks at modern societies during moments of seismic change. It asks why revolutions happen, what it was like to live through them, and what their consequences were. In doing so, it helps you to understand how different aspects of the modern world were formed.

Over the course of the module, you'll study four key points in the modern world when everything seemed to change. Each of these periods are examined through the perspectives of four different subject areas, History, Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies, helping you to understand how these disciplines both differ from and complement one other in their approach to ideas, events and people. The four periods are:

• Reformation and print
• The French Revolution
• Revolutions and the First World War
• The 1960s

In the final part of the module, you will have the chance to research a topic or period in more depth, using the tools and techniques of the discipline you intend to specialise in or study next.

You might like to watch the following video, which describes the ways in which the module approaches 'revolutions'.

How will I study the module?

Whether you choose A112 Cultures or A113 Revolutions, your study will involve working with a mix of printed books and online material. The online materials feature audio and visual resources, as well specially designed interactive activities. For the English Literature part of A112 Cultures, you will also work with the set texts of a play and a novel.

For the final part of both modules, you will choose one of its subject areas to focus on, making some decisions for yourself about what and how you want to study. You will be guided through this process of exploring a chosen subject area for yourself, as you also work towards completing an extended essay.

How can I find out more?

You can read more about the content of  A113 Revolutions in the online prospectus.  (This link opens in a new browser window; to return to this page, close that browser window).

You might also like to sample some related study materials on the OpenLearn website, including Revolutions of the sixties (which includes four courses based on extracts from A113).