Approaching literature: Reading Great Expectations
This free course, Approaching literature: Reading Great Expectations, considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary and historical terms. The course includes extracts from critical writings, which are discussed in detail.
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An introduction to material culture
This free course, An introduction to material culture, introduces the study of material culture. It asks why we should study things and outlines some basic approaches to studying objects. Dr Rodney Harrison.
First published on Mon, 11 Jan 2016 as Author(s):
Introduction This course explores two important concepts relating to the creation of music, namely composition and improvisation. The concepts of composition and improvisation are closely linked, and the reason for looking at non-Western music is partly to demonstrate this truth – it should help to clarify these two concepts, and the relationship between them. We couldn't hope to cover a representative sample of the world's musics in a single course, and I have certainly not tried to do so here. W
Introduction This course introduces key questions about language and thought, such as how can language, which is public and accessible, be used to convey thoughts, which seem hidden from view. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 3 study in Arts and Humanities.
The body in antiquity
This free course, The body in antiquity, will introduce you to the concept of the body in Greek and Roman civilisation. In recent years, the body has become a steadily growing field in historical scholarship, and Classical Studies is no exception. It is an aspect of the ancient world that can be explored through a whole host of different types of evidence: art, literature and archaeological artefacts to name but a few. The way that people fulfil their basic bodily needs and engage in their daily
Introduction This unit focuses on the creation of a semiconductor transistor – a versatile tiny transistor that is now at the heart of the electronics industry. In the video clips, the history of the incredible shrinking chip, its Scottish connections and an explanation of the physics that make chips work are accompanied by a reconstruction of making a transistor using the crude techniques of yesteryear. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 2 study in Author(s):
Introduction This course investigates certain philosophical questions concerning the nature of emotions. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 3 study in Arts and Humanities.
Approaching plays
Do you want to get more out of drama? This free course, Approaching plays, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary plays. You will learn about dialogue, stage directions, blank verse, dramatic structure and conventions and aspects of performance.
First published on Fri, 05 Feb 20
6.1 Evolutionary development Most of us have some experience of the evolutionary development and the success of new technology. The Walkman personal stereo cassette player has evolved into the Discman CD player and more recently into digital music players. The computer has developed from its beginnings as government and university research machines in the 1940s (the first electronic computer filled an entire room and had a memory of 16 kilobytes) to palm-sized personal digital assistants each one of which has more comput
Voice-leading analysis of music 1: the foreground
This free course, Voice-leading analysis of music 1: the foreground, introduces 'voice-leading' or 'Schenkerian' analysis, perhaps the most widely used and discussed method of analysing tonal music. In this course, this method is explained through the analysis of piano sonatas by Mozart. The course is the first in the AA314 series of three courses on this form of harmonic analysis, and concentrates on the 'foreground level' of voice leading. As you work through this course, you will become famil
The moral equality of combatants
This free course introduces and explores the idea of the moral equality of combatants and discusses the question of the basis of liability to killing in war. It invites students to understand and assess the epistemological argument for the moral equality of combatants and other arguments for and against this idea. First published on Mon, 24 Jun 2019 as Author(s):
Introducing the philosophy of religion
In this free course, Introducing the philosophy of religion, Timothy Chappell, Professor of Philosophy, asks what the words 'God' and 'religion' mean, and what it means to ask philosophical questions about them.
First published on Fri, 05 Feb 2016 as Author(s):
History of reading tutorial 1: Finding evidence of reading in the past
How do we know what people read in the past, and how they read it? This free course, History of reading tutorial 1: Finding evidence of reading in the past, is the first in a series of tutorials designed to help users of the UK Reading Experience Database (UK RED) search, browse and use the resource, and explores the types of evidence historians have uncovered about the history of reading. Tutorial 2 (Red_2) and Tutorial 3 (Red_3) look at how this evidence can be used to tell us about the recept
An introduction to music theory
Gain an understanding of the basic building blocks of musical theory and notation. This free course, An introduction to music theory, will introduce you to music staves, clefs, rhythmic and pitch values, rhythmic metre and time signatures. This OpenLearn course provides an introduction to music theory pitched at a level equivalent to Grades 1–3 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music theory exams. You can test your understanding as you proceed by completing simple multiple-choice
Introduction The course will examine the Enlightenment. To help understand the nature and scale of the cultural changes of the time, we offer a 'map' of the conceptual territory and the intellectual and cultural climate. We will examine the impact of Enlightenment on a variety of areas including science, religion, the classics, art and nature. Finally, we will examine the forces of change which led from Enlightenment to Romanticism. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 2 study in
World Heritage
This free course provides an overview of World Heritage, its political and cultural origins and the role of UNESCO and other agencies in identifying and listing sites. It identifies and discusses with exemplification the major conventions and protocols affecting World Heritage. It shows how World Heritage expanded from cultural to natural and other sites, as well as embracing landscapes, and intangible and industrial heritages. It provides case studies of New Lanark as industrial heritage, Bath
Introduction What influenced Goya? Did Napoleon's invasion of Spain alter the course of Goya's career? This course will guide you through the works of Goya and the influences of the times in which he lived. Anyone with a desire to look for the influences behind the work of art will benefit from studying this course. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of Level 2 study in Author(s):
Introduction This course gives you an idea of what it is like to study philosophy, introducing you to the teaching methods employed by the Open University in teaching philosophy. If you are considering studying philosophy, we recommend you start here. Although the course is mainly for people who are new to philosophy, you may find it helpful even if you already have some experience of the subject. The following material was written by Maria Kasmirli as a short introduction to philosophy for students
Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners
This free course concentrates on Sam Selvon's twentieth-century novel, The Lonely Londoners. It considers the depiction of migration in the text as well as Selvon's treatment of memory as a vital part of the migrant's experience.
First published on Tue, 09 Oct 2018 as Author(s):
The business of film
This free 12-hour course explores the intriguing world of film production, and illuminates the processes of film development, distribution and finance.
First published on Fri, 22 Feb 2019 as The business of film. To find out more visit The Open University's Author(s):
