DSE 141 Overview Weekend: May 2012 Presentation

Warwick University: 6th -8th July 2012

This residential weekend at Warwick University is an excellent way to commence your psychology career! The weekend is packed with lectures from a carefully selected panel of tutors and course writers, and you will leave with an overview of the content of the course as well as improved study skills and an understanding of the methodological issues that psychologists are presented with when doing research.

Many students find that these weekends inspire their studies, offering a different channel to distance learning by providing lectures and social opportunities that are a highlight of traditional “brick” universities. Students always comment on how friendly and supportive the atmosphere is at our weekends so there is no need to feel nervous about coming on your own.

What does the weekend offer?

The weekend programme of eight talks runs from Friday evening (registration from 3pm; dinner at 6pm and evening lecture at 8pm) until Sunday tea time (last lecture finishes at 3.30pm). As well as covering course related topics and study skills, the sessions also allow students the opportunity of acquiring a better understanding and overview of the course as a whole and the option to discuss issues with the tutors. In addition it is a chance to meet up with other students studying your course. No matter where you are at with the course material or your level of study, the weekend will provide an excellent opportunity to increase your knowledge and skills.

The lectures will be centred around the various topics in the course and a development of study skills and understanding of methods will be integral to these sessions.

What to expect:

The lectures are conducted in university lecture rooms, and you will be provided with a timetable of talks and lecture notes. You can choose how you spend your time and can also attend some of the OUPS Annual conference talks if you wish (see below). If you book the residential package then you have a comfortable single room complete with bedding and towels. There is a hairdryer and desk. Many students take their books and assignments with them although this is in no way essential. The campus also has a gym and pool, so if you do want to relax then there is the option to do so. There are welcome drinks and also a psychology book stall, and these are both excellent places to meet other students. All students and staff wear name badges, so it is easy to find somebody to help if you have any questions. You can enjoy your meals with a group of students in the comfortable dining room. The food is fresh, healthy buffet style catering, and there is something to entice everyone. Finally, whilst most students leave exhausted from the learning and socialising, they comment that it is such a worthwhile weekend, and we see many of them each year as they progress their studies!

In parallel to the DSE141overview weekend, there will also be the ED209, SD226 and DD307 mini summer schools as well as the OUPS Annual Conference taking place at the same time. So if you wish to you can chat to some of the students who are doing some of the courses you may be thinking about in the future. The conference is a great opportunity to hear a number of speakers of international and national standing.  If you book onto the weekend you are welcome to choose to attend some of the conference talks as well. However it will mean that you miss some of the course related talks!

These are some of the comments that students made about the 2011 Overview Weekend:

'Excellent! exceeded all my hopes and expectations'

'I've enjoyed myself tremendously. It was informative and has consolidated the material in the text book and left me with a greater enthusiasm than I had before, which was probably high to begin with.'

'Really helpful and most enjoyable'

'Excellent. Renewed my interest in the course'

'Very stimulating! Full of insight and camaraderie. I think it will be very helpful to complete DSE141.'

'There was a variety of lectures.. Everybody was very friendly - tutors and students alike.'

Tutors:

Tutors on the weekend are all highly experienced and are selected for their unique areas of expertise and different teaching styles.  One thing they all have in common is their ability to explain things simply and clearly.

Dr Graham Mitchell is a very experienced OU tutor. Graham is a Biological Psychologist by training. He is a qualified teacher, a graduate psychologist and a chartered biologist. At The University of Northampton he teaches undergraduate Biological Psychology, Educational Psychology and Positive Psychology. At post-graduate level he teaches on the MSc Child and Adolescent Mental Health course as well as Health and PGCE courses. His research interests lie in the area of Positive Psychology and self-belief with its effects on academic achievement and health. He is currently researching into the development of resilience in children and adults. 

Emeritus Professor Frederick Toates is Professor of Biological Psychology at the Open University, where he has over 33 years experience of teaching and tutoring. Professor Toates specialises in biological psychology, and is renowned for his ability to explain concepts in a clear and accessible manner. He is the author of two chapters in DSE141 as well as on many other OU courses, including DSE212 and SD226. His most recent book is Biological Psychology (3^rd edition, Pearson Education, Harlow), which forms a popular and recommended text in a number of universities throughout the world. His book on B.F. Skinner has also recently been published.  Fred has taught undergraduate classes not only in the UK but also in Moldova, Romania, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the USA.

Dr Alan Pechey  has been teaching OU psychology courses for over 15 years – he has a wide knowledge of psychology, being  a tutor for both cognitive psychology [DD303] and child development [ED209] and is a popular tutor at Residential Schools and OUPS weekends. He has a masters [in cognitive development] and PhD [looking at human memory] from Cambridge University. Aside from his OU teaching, he works as a consultant in Organisational Psychology – advising organisations [e.g. Barclaycard, Scotland Yard, local government] on how to adapt to new technology; how to change work practices etc.  Alan is a very engaging speaker, with a passion for psychology, and students find his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm highly motivating.

Fees:

Fees for single standard rooms (shared bathrooms) are £210 for OUPS members or £225 for non members. Ensuite facilities are available for an additional £60 and these rooms also have their own tea/coffee making facilities. The fee includes all meals, including Friday and Saturday night dinner, tea/coffee and biscuits at break times, extensive handouts, welcome drink on Friday night, Saturday night disco. There are no additional costs involved (except for drinks at the bar!). Non-residential places are available for a reduction of £50, all meals are still included.

If you would like to join OUPS you can do so for a membership fee of £15 and you will immediately recoup this if you attend the DSE141 overview weekend, with the reduced members rate. In addition as an OUPS member, you will receive quarterly newsletters which have content such as psychology articles and book reviews and will also keep you up to date with OUPS events both nationally and regionally. To get the members rate take out membership first, by clicking here, and then book the event.

The weekend takes place at Conference Park, University of Warwick. For more details go to  http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/conferences/conferencepark.

For directions on how to get to University of Warwick go to   http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/conferences/howtofindus/.

To Book

Bookings will open in April 2012, just before the course starts

Enquiries about the event or about membership of OUPS can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone: 0208 315 0049 or 0208 876 9803