OU, credit transfer, + grading - confused!?

wontfallforit

I have a BA (hons), for which I gained a grade of 2:2 (long story).

However, I also have an MA for which I gained a merit (i.e. over 60%, 65% in my case), so I'm obviously capable of achieving a 2:1 bachelors, if not a 1st, blah, blah, blah...

Both degrees were obtained via "real" institutions.

Anyway, I intend to 'top-up' my original BA to at least a 2:1, through esentially re-sitting my 3rd year / level 3 at the OU.

Now, I'm eligible to transfer 240 credits under the OU's credit transfer rules, leaving me with just 120 credits from level 3 OU modules to complete in order to gain the full BA (though, in the interests of fairness, I will be selecting entirely different modules from what I originally studied).

However, my query boils down to the OU's grading system.

When credits are transferred, only OU grades are taken into account (actually, I wish previous grades were taken into account, as my 2nd year work was excellent, 3rd year is where I fell flat!) when assessing your final grade.

However, when I did my BA, the system was like this:

LEVEL 1 - counts for 0% of your degree
LEVEL 2 - counts for 25% of your degree
LEVEL 3 - counts for 75% of your degree

Does the OU work on this system also? If so, how is your prior study factored in, if at all?

"When making awards of transferred credit, we do not take into account the grades you achieved in your previous study. The final classification of your OU honours degree will be based entirely on the grades you achieved in your OU courses or collaborative courses."

I understand that, but I have the 'old' system so ingrained in my head that I'm sure I'm missing something. My concern is that if only OU study is taken into account when assessing my grade, will this OU study also only count for 75% of a degree? Or will it in fact count for 100%? Very confused how the weighting system and credit transfer system interact in order to calculate a grade.

If 120 level 3 credits counted for 75% of my degree, I'd have to average 80% in my modules to gain a 2:1, and 94% to gain a 1st! So obviously, I'm missing something - it wouldn't be worth me going down this route whatsoever if that was the case. I'd have to also re-sit at least 1/2 of level 2 in order to get a 2:1. Confident though I am, I'm unlikely to average 80+

OU website isn't very helpful in clearing this up. Is there anything to clear up, or am I just over-complicating things??

Any ideas? I know some people here have experience with the OU

DVardysShadow

Have you seen this: http://www.open.ac.uk/student-policies/objects/d3420.pdf

Indo77

Why would you want to go back and redo the third year of a degree when you already have one and a masters? So you got a 2:2, what exactly is wrong with that? If it was me I would be moving on to something entirely different than yet another degree.

wontfallforit

Indo77 wrote: »

Why would you want to go back and redo the third year of a degree when you already have one and a masters? So you got a 2:2, what exactly is wrong with that? If it was me I would be moving on to something entirely different than yet another degree.

I am satisfied with my result, especially since I got my MA, but it's just a personal thing. I guess you could say I'm addicted to studying , but since I began working full-time, time is the key issue.

I definitely want to do more HE, but I'd be pushed to afford another masters level course, with fees exceeding 3k (and having already written 2 dissertations, have no desire to do a third one! Can't get a masters without doing another diss.), and don't feel like I could commit to the intellectual demands of another masters whilst I'm working. I did my first MA whilst working full-time and got a little...stressed to say the least

So re-doing what I stuffed up the first time seems like a logical option to me. It's cheaper, for one, and I could easily manage bachelors level work whilst continuing with my employment.

wontfallforit

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Have you seen this: http://www.open.ac.uk/student-policies/objects/d3420.pdf

Ahhhh, thanks. I'm gonna have a look at it now and attempt the number-crunching!

wontfallforit

Right, this is where I'm getting confused:

"First class - 630 or less weighted grade points
Upper second class - 631 to 900 weighted grade points
Lower second class - 901 to 1170 weighted grade points
Third class - 1171 to 1440 weighted grade points

If you have an award of transferred credit that means you have less than the full 240 points of graded OU courses above Level 1 available to classify your degree, these thresholds are reduced pro-rata. The arithmetic for this is more complicated."

So, am I right in thinking that if I intend to transfer 120 level 2 credits, and complete the remaining 120 level 3 credits from OU study, my threshold would be reduced by 50%?

I.e. to obtain a 2:1, I would need between 315.5 and 450 weighted grade points?

I'm still confused, as it seems too good to be true, given the previous level 2 + 3 weighting distinctions applied to my existing degree.

DVardysShadow

wontfallforit wrote: »

Right, this is where I'm getting confused:

"First class - 630 or less weighted grade points
Upper second class - 631 to 900 weighted grade points
Lower second class - 901 to 1170 weighted grade points
Third class - 1171 to 1440 weighted grade points

If you have an award of transferred credit that means you have less than the full 240 points of graded OU courses above Level 1 available to classify your degree, these thresholds are reduced pro-rata. The arithmetic for this is more complicated."

So, am I right in thinking that if I intend to transfer 120 level 2 credits, and complete the remaining 120 level 3 credits from OU study, my threshold would be reduced by 50%?

I.e. to obtain a 2:1, I would need between 315.5 and 450 weighted grade points?

I'm still confused, as it seems too good to be true, given the previous level 2 + 3 weighting distinctions applied to my existing degree.

You really need to consult with the OU for a definitive answer, because I am as new to that document as you are. Plus it seems that you need a BSc rather than a BA to make sense of it.

However, I think you are right that the threshold becomes below 315 for a first.

This will be where a transfer in at level 3 is harder: "We give your best 120 points from Level 3 courses twice their score. Then we add to that score the rest of your points above Level 1. This gives a total number of weighted grade points." - So to get a first based on 120 points at level 3 only, you must get no more than 78 grade points average per module for each of 2 60 point modules, whereas to get a first based on 120 points at level 2 and at level 3, you must get no more than 105 grade points average for each of 4 60 point modules.

So to do it your way with 2 60 point modules at level 3, you must get distinctions on both, whereas with level 2 and level 3 OU credit, you can get a first with merits on both level 2 and 1 level 3 if you get a distinction on the other level 3

If you make up the 120 points from courses other than 60 point modules, it may allow you to get a merit on one of the lesser courses, but you can work that for yourself.

wontfallforit

DVardysShadow wrote: »

This will be where a transfer in at level 3 is harder: "We give your best 120 points from Level 3 courses twice their score. Then we add to that score the rest of your points above Level 1. This gives a total number of weighted grade points." - So to get a first based on 120 points at level 3 only, you must get no more than 78 grade points average per module for each of 2 60 point modules, whereas to get a first based on 120 points at level 2 and at level 3, you must get no more than 105 grade points average for each of 4 60 point modules.

Aha, it makes a bit more sense now. Obviously, I would be adding my 2 x level 3 grades to zero other grades. I'll ring them in the morning to confirm, but it seems that I (you!) have cracked it.

So to do it your way with 2 60 point modules at level 3, you must get distinctions on both, whereas with level 2 and level 3 OU credit, you can get a first with merits on both level 2 and 1 level 3 if you get a distinction on the other level 3

Optimistically thinking, I could get distinctions. I was getting '1st' grades at level 2 BA, younger and a loss less experienced, and got distinctions in 2 of my 5 MA modules. However, 2:1 is my benchmark.

If you make up the 120 points from courses other than 60 point modules, it may allow you to get a merit on one of the lesser courses, but you can work that for yourself.

I was intending to do 2 x 60 credit level 3 modules, as well as one (or more) level 2 modules...but I'd only be taking up level 2 modules if I had to (i.e. grade). If I had to study more than one level 2 modules, I wouldn't bother with the credit transfer, other than 120c @ level 1, and would probably study something totally different.

Very helpful, thanks a lot.

wontfallforit

Got it.

By my calculations, I'd need to get a distinction (grade 1, 85%+) in one 60 credit L3 module, and a merit (grade 2, 70%+) in the other.

Module 1 (distinction pass)
60 (credits) x 1 = 60
multiply that by 2, as it's a L3 module = 120 points

Module 2 (merit pass)
60 (credits) x 2 = 120
multiply that by 2, as it's a L3 module = 240 points

Total = 360 points = 2:1 classification (based on 50% threshold).

Wow, that's harder than I thought.

However, if I were to transfer just 90 of my L2 credits, and take one 30-credit level 2 module, I could reduce my threshold by 37.5% (rather than 50%). And if I was to perform at a more achievable level of three merit grades, I'd be able to secure a 2:1, as a 2:1 would require less than 562.5pts, and I would be able to achieve a score of 540pts.

That's more like it

DVardysShadow

wontfallforit wrote: »

Got it.

....

However, if I were to transfer just 90 of my L2 credits, and take one 30-credit level 2 module, I could reduce my threshold by 37.5% (rather than 50%). And if I was to perform at a more achievable level of three merit grades, I'd be able to secure a 2:1, as a 2:1 would require less than 562.5pts, and I would be able to achieve a score of 540pts.

That's more like it

Dunno, I would think about transferring in all 120, see how you do on Level 3 and claim the award if you get what you want and do other stuff at Level 2 if you don't

wontfallforit

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Dunno, I would think about transferring in all 120, see how you do on Level 3 and claim the award if you get what you want and do other stuff at Level 2 if you don't

Yeah, that's what I may well do. I can always 'abandon' any transferred credit, if need be.

Initially, I was scared off by the fact that an OU 1st = 85%+, having had the 70%+ mindset for so long.

But then I realised, the OU must simply have a different marking scheme than I'm used to. Assuming the OU's classifications are broadly in line with those of other institutions, an OU distinction of 85%+ must be, in theory, as achieveable as 70% elsewhere.

Otherwise, the OU would award virtually no 2:1s, let alone 1sts.

Transfer 120 credits and work my socks off is my plan. If I don't achieve at least one distinction, plan B is to take an extra 30 credits.

Thanks again.