E115

[Guest]

Hi everyone, just wondered if i could get a bit of advice from anyone who has done this course.

Im hoping to do this course next but have just read the reviews on the Open uni and they are realy bad.

Loads of paper work was the main problem

How did you find it, apparently they are changing it next year as they have done e123 and e124, would like to know what changes they are making

thanks in advance for your help

Gill

[Gezabel]

HI

I did E115 when it was presented by the OU for the first time. My advice would be to not take too much notice of the reviews you have read.

 

The 'problem' is that generally speaking people are fairly quick to moan about courses! A bit like everyday life in some ways, many people will rush back to complain in a shop but how many bother to make a point of praising the service they receive?

 

The other thing is that the views on the OU site do not necessarily reflect the majority view of students. It just happens some have chosen to post a review and others have chosen not to. I am fairly confident in saying that for every poor review there is a student out there somewhere who enjoyed the course.

 

I don't deny that there is alot of paperwork involved but this is a 60 point course as opposed to either E123 and E124 which are 30 points each - on that basis alone I would expect there to be more work involved

 

I believe that after E123/124 E115 comes as a bit of a shock to the system! For many students E123 is the first taste of OU study, E124 is very, very similar in style and follows on from E123. E115 is very different in style but it forms part of the Foundation Degree and overall this degree has to contain a diverse range of study material.

 

I am happy to admit I was apprehensive when I received the E115 materials but it all soon made sense and things settled down. Just a case of really reading the guidance, following it step by step and it all takes shape.

 

I do understand how you currently feel as I am now studying a course that no one really had a good word to say about and it did unsettle me rather. I decided not to be influenced by the negativity of others and to go ahead and make my own mind up and now I am glad I did - it's not the greatest course I have done but it could be worse!!!!!

 

If you do a search there are lots of discussions about OU study and E115 in particular. I read somewhere that someone said you don't really realise the value and benefit of E115 until you have completed it and I think this is fair comment. It can be heavy going at times and sometimes perhaps you can't see the wood for the trees but it does all become clear.

 

I don't know whether I am in the minority or not but I have no hesitation in recommending E115 - just go with an open mind and you might be pleasantly surprised good luck with the decision making.

 

As for the changes I can't really help other than to stay that changes to this course are at the 'pipeline' stage - it could relate to merely changing the course content to reflect up to date documents or it could be something more - when I did it they used curriculum guidance and birth to three which of course are no longer current documents.

 

Are you a current OU student, if so you could ask your tutor the best place to go for advice or phone your regional centre and ask for the learner support department.

[Guest]

Thanks very much for your reply, i am a ou student at the moment, will contact them to get more information.Im afraid i didnt really feel my tutor supported me very much.

The e123 and e124 have now changed i presume the e115 will aswell , to include the EYFS,

Thanks again

Gill

[Guest]

Hi

 

I am writing my ECA for E115 at the moment, and was dreading starting the course initially, however, I have to say it is really not all that bad.

 

There is a lot of activities to do which unlike E123/4 are not all work based they are 'desk based' but on the whole it is interesting and thought provoking. I can say now I am on the last lap that i have achieved one of the course outcomes of becoming a reflective practitioner which is something I am proud of.

 

As Geraldine has said please don't be put off by everyone's complaining as we all have our moments of 'Oh I hate this course' but in the grand scheme of things, it's ok really honest.

 

One tip I would give you though keep a stock of black ink and paper :-) as you will go through a tree!!

 

Good luck with what ever you decide

 

Vicky

[dublinbay]

I'm in agreement with Geraldine and Vicky here. I started to enjoy this course almost from the beginning when it began to make sense to me. It helped having a wonderful and enthuastic tutor but I know we can't always count on this.

 

I did use probably a whole forest in the paper I went through but as I was funded by my LEA it came with a small bursary which paid for ink, paper and any other books I wanted.

 

Personally I found the E115 forums a bit manic. If one person paniced over something a lot of others followed suit. My advice here would be to take what you read on the main discussion forum with a pinch of salt. When in doubt contact your own tutor. There will be a small forum made up of the students you will meet at tutorials. This can be much more supportive and has an added bonus of you being able to actually meet the people behind the names.

 

I'm muddling through my ECA at the moment too. It's only been a bit hectic because I'm overlapping with two courses.

 

E115 is a great course. You'll probably feel like tearing your hair out sometimes but hey ho with the amount of generous prople on this forum willing to share advice and support you will be fine.

 

Good luck for whatever you decide!

[Guest]

I too am just coming to an end of E115 and despite me moaning in the beginning (purely because of my work load at work at that time, as I was new to management). I have to say, though, once I got used to it and understood what I had to be doing I really enjoyed it. I felt I learned a lot and it has definately helped in improving things at my pre-school. I have signed up to E215 in October and looking forwrad to starting.

 

For E115 just be very organised - start copying evidence now (any letters/observations etc you write) and put them in a file ready to sort through when you start! It is very different to E123/4 - more like an NVQ but with essays to write as well, to give you an idea of workload.

[Guest]

I am also at the stage of completing the ECA for E115. This course has been the most demanding i have done so far, and i really hated it. But and it is a BIG BUT iin reflection it has been the most rewarding. All i can say is go for it!

[Gezabel]

Hi

Just wonder if I could ask a favour of 'current E115 students' There is a message in the OU FDEY chat conference from a student feeling down after sending her ECA yesterday. The confusion/query is over how many appendices should have been in section 1 and section 2 of the ECA. I can't pass an opinion or reassure her as I don't know if the proviso on appendices has changed since I did the course a few years ago. Just thought one of you may be able to offer words of wisdom and cheer her up::1a

 

 

<Hope this 'kind of post' is allowed here >

[rosepetal]

Hi Gillie5

 

I have just posted my ECA for E115 today. I personally have thoroughly enjoyed the course. There is certainly alot of paper work involved and printing materials from the OU website. I have particularly enjoyed learning about the reflective practice cycle which has now become part of my every day thinking process . I enjoyed learning about the different ways to investigate my practice from setting 'key questions' and making questionniares to using observations and tally charts and many other ways to investigate my practice. I have learnt such alot about safe guarding children and the rights of children. I feel I have gained such alot from the course. I agree with Dublinbay reference the discussion forums, I very rarely used the discussion forums as i did not find them helpful at all, I also felt with the firum it was as if everyone knew everyone and only answered comments from people they knew. It takes a wee while to get used to the EYCLO recording forms, but they are fairly easy once you get the hang of it. I used to be an NVQ assessor and I personally found the EYCLO forms similar to completing an NVQ. I am now having to decide which course to do next. I am having a six month break from studying as I want to concentrate on passing my driving test as I have failed 5 driving tests to date and enquire about doing my GCSE maths.

 

 

Geraldine with reference to the appendix for the ECA for E115, it says in the assignmnet and ECA guide exactly how many pieces of evidence you can send in with the ECA for each section of it. Section one said, appendix one had to be the EYCLO form you chose to complete for the essay and any other evidence up to five sheets of A4 paper maximum 10 sides with evidence from the PEF. Section 2 had to have EYClO 1 form as appendix 1 and the PDP as appendix 2, with up to five other sheets of A4 paper with maximum of 10 sides. I in total had 8 pieces of evidence for my appendix for each section using A4 paper double sided. Hope this helps your friend to not worry.

 

 

Rosepetal

[dublinbay]

Hi

Just wonder if I could ask a favour of 'current E115 students' There is a message in the OU FDEY chat conference from a student feeling down after sending her ECA yesterday. The confusion/query is over how many appendices should have been in section 1 and section 2 of the ECA. I can't pass an opinion or reassure her as I don't know if the proviso on appendices has changed since I did the course a few years ago. Just thought one of you may be able to offer words of wisdom and cheer her up::1a

 

 

<Hope this 'kind of post' is allowed here >

 

 

Just done this Geraldine. Can't quite believe the difference in advice given by the various tutors. Perhaps if they engaged with the RPC it might improve their practice!!!!!

[Possum]

I have done it, and whilst it's a bit of a shock to the system at times - had me in tears a few times too - I think it's good for helping you understand the reasoning behind why we do what we do and reflect on whether we could do it better. I do think both it and E215 are very 'busy' courses, with almost two strands of study going on at the same time, where you are learning about yourself as much as the course materials. But looking back on them, being reflective, I think they were very worthwhile

[Guest]

I too have just completed this course, and did (eventually) enjoy it! In response to the comments about 'paper and ink usage' I stored all my PEF on a memory stick, to avoid having to print out reams of paper, this has worked well for me. Hope that helps. Good luck.

[Gezabel]

I too have just completed this course, and did (eventually) enjoy it! In response to the comments about 'paper and ink usage' I stored all my PEF on a memory stick, to avoid having to print out reams of paper, this has worked well for me. Hope that helps. Good luck.

 

Well done on completing the course and glad to hear you enjoyed it.

 

I am sitting here musing about your memory stick and just wonder if you mean that you don't actually have a PEF? What happens if you are asked to submit it for quality assurance and all those EYCLOs that you had signed aren't they in a PEF folder - sorry if I am being really dense but I don't understand how you can't 'physically' have the paper work in a PEF when it has to be seen by your confirmer?

I think I might regret posting this and will realise I have misunderstood you altogether

[Sue R]

No, Geraldine,

 

We still need a forest, never mind a tree, in case we are selected to submit PEF!!

 

I, too don't really understand that it can be stored on a memory stick, as if you are the lucky person to be chosen to send off the PEF, you will still need signatures and 'originals'. .....

 

Hmmmm

 

Sue (I have just completed E115)