Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send my topic work to my tutor?
In the topic pages, you will be directed to complete exercises in the textbook. You do not need to send these to your tutor. You can check your answers to the textbook exercises yourself and we recommend that you do so at the end of each module, before you attempt the assignment.
Can I take the assignments in any order?
We recommend that you take the assignments in the order of the course. We understand that you may wish to pursue a particular interest in a subject (e.g. biology) but we would recommend that you approach the assignments in the correct order.
Do I need to take the assignments in test conditions?
No. All of the assignments in the course should be approached as open-book assignments. The assignments are formative (also known as 'assignments for learning') which means that they form part of your learning and they do not need to be taken under test conditions.
Where can I find the answers to the textbook questions?
The answers to the textbook questions can be found here which is part of the important course resources section.
What happens if I get stuck?
Have a look at topic page: have you read the relevant pages in the textbook, read the PowerPoints, tried the activities in the topic pages and watched any videos included in the topic pages? If you have completed the activities indicated on the topic pages and are still unsure of something, then go ahead and then email your tutor with your question. Your tutor will be very happy to help.
Why does the assignment ask a question which hasn't been covered in topic pages?
You may find that we ask questions in the assignment that you have not read the direct answer to in the topic work. This is intentional. Rather than asking you to repeat back information from the modules, we may be asking you to apply the information you have learnt about something to another situation. This is an important part of scientific thinking. Remember you are free to refer to your course book and other materials to complete the assignments.
What if my practical goes wrong?
Don't worry! You may want to start again or you may want to carry on and include an evaluation of what you would do differently in your answers. Being able to evaluate your methods and analyse the results are important skills to develop. The questions relating to the practicals focus very much on the process and the skills needed to evaluate your results (for example, drawing a graph) rather than the results you got.