Contact

Courses

People

Research

Search

T324 - Keeping ahead in ICT

This 30 point course at level 3 is designed to help you keep up to date in the information and communication technologies. It is planned for first presentation in February 2007.

Keeping ahead in information and communication technologies (ICT) not only means keeping up to date with rapidly changing technologies. It also means successfully using these new technologies in complex systems in which people play a major part. Therefore this course addresses the two important questions: How do you keep up to date with the rapid changes in ICT? How can you analyse ICT systems and take account of social factors? This course will equip you with a range of skills to tackle these questions, in the context of studying several contemporary ICT systems. The course consists of three 10-point Blocks, with the precise content changing from year to year as the technology changes. In addition to studying some specially written material you will research the subject for yourself. By the end of the course you should be in a good position as an independent learner to 'keep ahead in ICT'.

Assumed prior knowledge, understanding and skills

You need familiarity with the language and modelling techniques used by technologists, such as you would get from appropriate courses at Level 2 offered by the Technology Faculty. T209 Information and communication technologies: people and interactions (or the discontinued course T293) would be particularly useful. T324 assumes that you are already familiar with communication technology at a level equivalent to successful study of T209 or T293.

Course structure

The course will consist of three, 10 point blocks. As you study the blocks you will increasingly use 'third party' resources - in other words, materials not produced by the Open University - such as journal articles, web sites, technical reports, manufacturers' data, and so on. Even in Block 1 there will be significantly less OU-produced material than is normal for a 30 point course (although the assumed total workload will still be ten hours per credit point). You will learn strategies for exploiting such third-party material, which may often be difficult to understand initially.

Assessment

There will be three tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) and a three-hour examination. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. Substitution does not apply in T324.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course you should, among other things:

• understand the basic principles of wireless technologies
• have a knowledge of one or more emerging standards in the wireless area
• understand the technologies of large-scale wireless sensor systems
• understand how ICT systems are influenced by their social, cultural and political contexts
• understand the structure of a typical specialist document dealing with an ICT topic
• be able to extract useful information from highly technical documents, including journal articles, product information, web sites, etc.
• be able to learn independently from such materials, in order to keep up to date in ICT
• be able to evaluate critically a range of resource materials originating from third parties, including news items and general interest publications have improved your written communication skills in a range of ICT topics.

Further information

For further information including the entry requirements, qualifications and price, please see the formal course description.