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Level 3 Courses

AA319 Total war and social change: Europe 1914 - 1955

Patrick Meehan (2002)

AA312/AA319 together with AA303 (Understanding comparative history: Britain and America from 1760) comprise the Open University’s main third level history courses. 'Total war and social change' comes in two flavours, with a summer school (AA312), or without a summer school (AA319).

The main thrust of this course is to actually define the meaning of 'total war'and therefore to investigate whether the First and Second World Wars of the twentieth century were the first total wars in human history. An in-depth analysis of the social, political and cultural changes that occurred over the period 1914 to 1955 is undertaken to see how these changes might have been connected to the impact of fighting two world wars. The early period of the Cold War is also considered.

With regard to the First and Second World Wars, two historians dominate the historical debate: Fritz Fischer and A.J.P. Taylor. Both lean towards the view that Hitler was not an aberration, but the logical outcome of German history. Hence, both historians place the burden of 'war guilt' for both world wars firmly on to Germany’s shoulders. These views are discussed in depth.

Music, art and cinema are examined, particularly with regard to their role in propaganda. Overall, 'Total war and social change' is an excellent and interesting course, and any preconceived ideas a student has about this highly important period of history will be fundamentally altered.

I would suggest to prospective students of this course that they have a second level history course firmly under their belts: it is no easy ride.

SM355 Quantum Mechanics

Jim Cook (2003)

This was my last course for my B.Sc. in Mathematical Sciences and I have taken both pure and applied courses - from M203 and MST204 to M337 (Complex Analysis) and M371 (Computational Mathematics). So, my background in coming to this course was mathematical. I was assured many years ago that mathematics would suffice; I would not need any further science course (on top of my physics A-level of 1964).

The mathematics, as such, is quite easy. If you are using calculus then exponential functions are generally pretty straightforward and we rarely had to stray from them. Although infinite matrices were introduced, in practice the manipulation was of one by two and two by two and usually one of each. In many situations the simplest of calculations were required. To add angular momentum and spin - just add! And yet I found this the most difficult course in my Open University life.

A cynical physicist might think that this was because we, soft mathematicians, weren't allowed to take our handbooks into the exam and I’ll admit this didn't help: but I just found myself floundering on many occasions - 'What on earth is going on?'

Of course in quantum science you are not supposed to know what is going on. It is a matter of pride for the macho quantum physicist that he is boldly marching forward into who knows what. We have here the most accurate, most nearly perfect, most nearly exact empirical science, that can make spot on predictions, over enormous times and distances, of unbelievably counterintuitive events - and nobody knows what is going on.

A student in my tutorial group said that he started the course to learn more about quantum mechanics but felt that he knew less. The tutor sympathized but pointed out that a real understanding, for anybody, would probably come only when the predictions started to break down and we had to start looking for reasons for that. But it hasn't happened yet.

So it's a mind boggling course living up to all the hype. But this wasn't the real difficulty for me. So much of the time I just couldn't see how I was supposed to apply the mathematics. I think a physics background would help here. Many tutors, and students, feel that the course is almost entirely mathematical; but some things, even quite simple things like the relationships between frequency, wavelength and wave number, I found I had to drum into my head - especially in revision. They made perfect sense, but could I remember them?

I am so glad that I went to the extra summer school - SMXR355. Despite picking the hottest week of the year and with no air conditioning in the labs - or anywhere else much - I found the whole week most enlightening. We mathematicians are not used to lab work but I felt the thrill of the chase, I felt the thrill of results matching prediction, and I even managed to see some of the connection between theory and practice.

And here I think is where so much of the difficulty lay. In the units the theory would ascend higher and higher into the clouds and be in complete contrast to this fairly easy mathematics. I have only to integrate an exponential function, but which one? I need to insert two or three functions into this equation, or matrix, or what? In many cases total blind confusion would be replaced by wonder at the simplicity but I usually felt out of my depth. This was not due to my normal carelessness with signs, arithmetic, brackets etc., though there was plenty of scope for that.

In past courses I found that the most essential element was understanding. This takes time, at least from the M500 Weekend in Aston up to the exam. Then everything tends to come together, you can start making out the wood as well as the trees and with some work, persistence and nerve under fire you can give the examination a try. But I approached this exam with mounting panic. I was having to memorize far more than I expected or was used to. At my age memorizing is not what it was anyway.

I got the same grade in the exam as in the assignments and as I got in every other OU course. I'm pretty chuffed that I did so well on a course that I expected to drop a grade or two on. I'm also pleased that I can now read about quantum mechanics with a little more understanding than I had before.

Any advice?

1. If your background is mathematics go to the summer school - and that means apply early! Try to do some of the pre-course work that arrives before Christmas (well it arrived for me, and I wish I'd done more of it).
   
2. Focus on four or five questions in part 2 of the exam and really try to understand what they are all about - ready for slight differences on the day.
3. Bank on one of your TMA essays coming up (insert personal disclaimer here) and make sure you really know and understand them.
4. Try and find a physicist who can explain what is going on (they're often pretty good at maths too).
5. Don’t be afraid to ask 'stupid' questions in tutorials (this applies to every course); everybody else is just as lost as you are.
6. Listen carefully to the 'steer' your tutors give you for the exam.

Good luck.

M433 Aspects of abstract algebra

David Robertson (2002)

A final year mathematics course that develops practical applications of groups and rings to understand polynomial factorization. The techniques apply to other areas of mathematics. The course was very enjoyable and well supported with tutorials and individual tuition. It was a good opportunity to build up an understanding of some of the tools that underlie much of mathematics. I would not have wanted to miss this one.