A227

Welcome to
the catch-up
session for
TMA04

​
All photographs are used under the terms of Creative Commons licensing, exclusively
for educational purposes.​
1
This session will be
recorded
• The recording will be available to view on catch-up for other

A227 students.

• Names of participants, both in the attendee pod and the

chat pod, will be anonymised.

2
Agenda
How to catch up

• Identify what is
needed for TMA04
• Prioritise the work

How to stay on track

• Use your time

smarter
• Study faster

3
Keep focused on your goals.
• Why are you studying A227?

• What do you want to get out of A227?

• What are your long term goals?

Your answers to these questions should guide your catch-up.

“Resilient people are really careful to choose where they

focus their attention” Dr Lucy Hone BBC Ideas

4
Prioritise:
Decide what you will do, what can
be left out , and what will have to
be done differently.

Remember:
A227 has 5 TMAs and an EMA.
You do not need to remember
everything.
Take control and focus on what you
find most interesting and
what you need to do to achieve
your goals.

5
 Essential If you can
Prioritise
by using
the four Urgent

square-
grid

https://help.ope
n.ac.uk/plannin Not
g-and-prioritisin urgent
g

6
 How to prioritise your catch-up:
• What do you need to do for TMA04? These are the
important and urgent tasks.

• Make sure you cover the essentials - skills are important

so make a list and come back to them later; these are the
important but not urgent tasks.

• Leave the rest. Make a list of topics you find interesting, or

that will be useful for your next module, and come back to
them later.

• Remember, you have read-only access to the module

website for 3 years after you finish the module, and the
material can be downloaded and saved offline. 7
Look ahead to
avoid
surprises:

When is the next assignment due?

When are your personal commitments and how do
they relate to study deadlines?
Note the dates of the tutorials. If you can attend, do;
they can save you a lot of time!

8
Start with the student notes and
marking grids, they tell you:

• the information sources you need;

• what your tutor will be looking for;

• how the different tasks are graded;

• how to reference your sources.

9
 TMA04: Part 1
• Write an essay of no more than 1500 words in answer
to the following question:

• 'Written texts represent the most reliable source of

religious knowledge.' Discuss with examples drawn
from Block 3.

10
Guidance notes 1:
Part 1 is worth 75 per cent of the marks for this assignment.

The aim of this question is to encourage you to consider how written

text is different from other ways of transmitting religious knowledge,
as information and meaning. This essay particularly relates to the A227
Learning Outcome of understanding the diversity within religious
traditions and the factors which typically contribute to this diversity.

The question asks you to discuss. The word ‘discuss’ can be understood
as ‘explain and then give two or more sides of the issue and any
implications’ (as explained in the Social Sciences Assessment
Information).
The question asks you to address the difference between written texts
and other forms of transmission – such as architecture, art,
performance or storytelling – by making a case either in favour of, or in
disagreement with, the proposed statement. You can also argue for an
‘in-between’ position.
This question points towards the importance of interpretation creating
meaning in both written and non-written transmissions of religious
knowledge.

11
Guidance notes 2:
When you start to work on your essay, you need to consider what your
main argument will be, and the main sources of evidence you will need
to support it. The evidence you include will depend on the argument you
make, but it is likely that a small number of examples will give your
essay more focus.
After selecting your examples, you may find it helpful to make a point-
by-point plan for your essay before you begin to write.
Think about what evidence you would like to include in your essay. This
will depend on the argument you decide to make, but it is likely that a
focus on one or two distinct traditions and a small number of examples
will give you more focus.
It might be useful to consider how religious knowledge is transmitted in
two different traditions. However, it is also permissible to focus on one
tradition.
Think about how this question relates to the three module themes of
‘What is religion?’, ‘How do we study religion?’ and ‘Why do we study
religion?’ Taking some notes on these themes will help you to prepare
for the EMA and may also help you to develop your answer to the
question asked for this essay.

12
Guidance notes 3:
You will find relevant material in the following places:

Relevant examples of religious texts can be found in all the Units, with
specific examples of oral transmission to be found on the module
website in Unit 4: Oral texts in Indigenous religions (if you wish to
contrast written sacred texts and oral traditions).
Revise Block 3, Unit 5(Conclusion) and the online activities for an
overview of key themes and perspectives.
The Readings for Block 3, Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 5, which are found at
the end of the printed book, or as a separate PDF at the end of each
week of study online – which can offer additional primary and secondary
sources for your essay.

13
 Essential If you can:
Block 3 Introduction to get an overview ‘process/command words’ for TMA
of traditions and examples. Pick 1 or question:
traditions and a few examples and focus Social Sciences Assessment Informa
reading there. tion
.
Block 3, Unit 5 consolidation unit.
Prioritise by
using the Readings for Block 3, Unit 1, 2, and 5. Block 3 Online activities
four Urgent
square- Revise orientation unit for module
grid: questions, concepts and themes.

TMA04
Part1

Topics and readings that will be useful
for the EMA– note in your Learning
Journal – What? How? Why?
Not urgent
The other chapters from Block 3
The A227 Writing Support essay
guidance and example essays:
A227-23J: Writing Support (open.ac
.uk)
Other skills activities
Other areas of interest to follow-up
at leisure

14
 TMA04: Part 2
• Make an audio presentation of 2–3 minutes in length,
in which you explain and summarise the main points of
your essay for Part 1 to your tutor.

15
Guidance notes 1:
Part 2 is worth 25 per cent of the marks for this assignment.

Academic essay writing and oral presentation require different styles of

language. This part of the assignment is designed to assess your ability
to communicate key points of your essay’s argument clearly and
succinctly in spoken language. Being able to speak in a clear and concise
way about your ideas, in response to a specific question, is a skill that
can be helpful in many different contexts throughout your life; for
example, in giving a presentation at work, teaching, or addressing a
meeting.

Developing these skills can also feed back into your essay writing –
helping you to understand better how to structure your essays and how
to explain complex points clearly. You will be rewarded for clarity and
appropriateness in your presentation, and for your ability to prioritise
and summarise information.

You might find this online activity exploring the difference between
spoken and written English helpful: Contrasting spoken and written language.

16
Guidance notes 2:
• In the assessment of your oral presentation for Part 2, your tutor will be looking for the
following:
• Content
• Are the key points of your argument clearly identified?
• Are details and examples presented clearly?
• Is there a clear line of argument?
• Are the arguments supported with well selected, appropriate examples?
• Presentation skills
• Is the presentation well organised?
• Is it clearly introduced and concluded?
• Is it well paced and timed?
• Is the information presented clearly and concisely?
• Is it presented in a lively, fluent and engaging manner?

17
Guidance notes 3:
• If you would like some further help with the development of your
presentation skills, you might find it helpful to work through the
section on ‘Giving presentations’, which forms part of the OU
Study Skills pages. This should take you about ten minutes.
• In the ‘Assessment’ section of the module website, you will also
find a short audio recording entitled ‘Producing an oral
presentation’ in which you can hear more about students’
experience of using the OU’s Audio Recording Tool (ART) to
record an oral presentation.
• The marking criteria for the oral presentation is provided in the
Assessment Guide.

18
Guidance notes 4:
• Practical advice about preparing for your presentation
• To create your audio recording, we recommend you use the Audio
Recording Tool (ART) found on the Assessment tab. In the Orientation
Unit and in the online activities for Block 3, Unit 4 you were invited to
practise using the tool. Technical advice about using ART (or suitable
alternatives) for your oral presentation can be found in the
Assessment Guide. You should also ensure you read the advice in the
bullet points below. If you need additional advice on how to use the tool
you can find this in the OU Computing Guide. If you encounter any
further technical difficulties, please contact the OU Computing Helpdesk
.
• It is also possible to use a voice recording application on a smartphone
for the audio recording. You will need to zip this file together with your
essay file before submitting in the eTMA system. However, the OU
Computing Helpdesk cannot provide technical support for anything
other than the ART.

19
Guidance notes 5:
• Here is some further practical advice for doing your audio presentation:
• Before you start, you need to have a clear idea about how long 2–3 minutes lasts! Try timing
a television advertisement or a news item to get a proper feel for how much you can say in
this amount of time.
• Your presentation needs to communicate information, so you need to speak clearly. Don’t
swallow your words and don’t speak so fast that your imagined audience can’t follow what
you say. If you speak quickly, it’s true that you will be able to say more, but the chances are
that your tutor will not be able to take it in.
• Begin by briefly introducing yourself and your topic.
• Try to make what you say engaging. You may want to read from a script but, if you decide to
do that, don’t forget that you are speaking to someone who wants to hear what you have to
say. Even though you are sitting at your computer, pretend that your tutor is in front of you
and don’t bury your head in your script.
• Finish your presentation with a short concluding statement.
• Your presentation should conclude within three minutes. If your presentation is too
long, your tutor will only mark the first three minutes of it and you will not get any credit, for
example, for your important concluding remarks if they are not included within the time limit.
• When you have completed your recording, make sure you listen to it to check that your
tutor will be able to hear it clearly.

20
 Essential If you can:
Write notes for your own use during Contrasting spoken and written langu
recording(if desired) age
Record 2-3 minute presentation .

Listen to recording to make sure it is clear ‘Giving presentations’, which forms

part of the OU Study Skills pages.
Prioritise by Check recording against the criteria listed in
Assessment’ section of the module
using the guidance notes.
website, you will also find a short
four Urgent
Familiarise yourself with ART: use the Audio audio recording entitled ‘Producing
square- Recording Tool (ART) found on the
Assessment tab. In the Orientation Unit
an oral presentation’
grid: and in the online activities for Block 3,
Unit 4 you were invited to practise using
the tool.
TMA04
Part 2

Topics and readings that will be useful
for the EMA– note in your Learning
Journal – What? How? Why?
Not urgent
The other chapters from Block 3
The A227 Writing Support essay
guidance and example essays:
A227-23J: Writing Support (open.ac
.uk)
Other skills activities
Other areas of interest to follow-up
at leisure

21
How to fit it in

22
Use your time
efficiently

Get to know yourself:

• When do you study best?

• How long can you concentrate?

Make study time count; take regular breaks;

stop if nothing’s going in.
23
Use the spare moments
when do you have…

a spare 10 or 20 minutes you

can use for study?

(not your main study time but

any free ‘bits of time’ that you
could use)

Use the OU Study app.

24
Set SMART goals:
make sure you break up the work into manageable
chunks.

•Specific

•Measurable

•Achievable

•Realistic

•Timely

25
Do you procrastinate?

(Put things
off intentionally
or habituality)
The 6 types of procrastinator

https://www.thesavvyscientist.com/stop-procrastinating-start-studying/
 The Pomodoro Technique.
You need a timer - a phone will do. Then follow the 6 steps:

1. Decide on the task and the components.

Work out how many 30 min blocks you have
and make yourself some tick boxes

2. Set the timer for 25 mins

3. Work on the task till the timer rings

4. Tick your check box

5. Take a short 5 min break. Take a short walk, make a cuppa…

6. Every 4 ‘pomodoros’ take a longer break of 20-30 mins

https://lifehacker.com/productivity-101-a-primer-to-the-pomodoro-technique-
1598992730
Don’t worry;
you’re not far behind!

• Be selective; don’t try to it all. Being stressed and anxious

can have a negative impact on your progress.

• Be strategic and make a plan based on what matters most

for you in A227.

• Use your tutor for support and contact them to arrange an

extensions.

• Remember why you are doing this. Submit an essay

that’s good enough to achieve your goals.
29
Any questions?

References
Horne, L. (2020) ‘Three invaluable tools to boost your resilience’ BBC Ideas. Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/ideas/videos/three-invaluable-tools-to-boost-your-resilience/p08lls3f
(Accessed: 1 November 2021)

Studenthub Live (2020) ‘Catching up strategically and getting back on track’ Event Catch-up.
Available at https://studenthublive.open.ac.uk/eventlist_catchup (Accessed: 1 November 2020)

Studenthub Live (2020) ‘Motivation and productivity – practical tools for tapping into the brain’s
reward system’ Event Catch-up. Available at https://studenthublive.open.ac.uk/eventlist_catchup
(Accessed: 1 November 2020)

The Open University (2021) Time management skills. Available at:

https://help.open.ac.uk/time-management-skills (Accessed: 1 November 2021)

The Savvy Scientist (2023) ‘How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Studying’. Available at:
https://www.thesavvyscientist.com/stop-procrastinating-start-studying/ (Accessed: 11 October
2023)