DE200 Revision and Skills Weekend

**Bookings will close at 11.50pm on 26th April**

Description

In the past OUPS have run very popular revision weekends for DE200 but now that the exam has been replaced by an EMA we have adapted the weekend accordingly, to give you the most relevant support. This weekend will be valuable to any student studying second level psychology and in particular for students currently studying DE200 and preparing for their EMA or even students about to embark on DE300. 

The weekend will include sessions reviewing key psychological research in social, cognitive, biological and developmental psychology. It will also include sessions covering key skills such as how to read a scientific paper, how to conduct a literature review, how to write a first class academic essay and how to reference correctly. In addition it will help you to see how the module fits together and how some of the chapters link together, allowing you to construct informed and intelligent answers to the EMA.

The sessions will be run by a very experienced group of  DE200 tutors, module writers and exam/EMA markers.

Aims of the Review Weekend

A weekend of lectures which aim to aid consolidation of DE200 content and to refine academic skills and hence improve students' chances of increasing their final grade.

What does the weekend offer?

This  weekend offers a full programme of eight talks, running from Friday evening (registration from 3pm; dinner at 6pm; evening lecture 8pm) until Sunday tea time (3.30pm). As well as covering revision of DE200 materials and key issues and themes, the sessions also give you the tools to tackle assignments, such as your EMA, effectively. You will be provided with a comprehensive set of handouts to support your own work. These handouts are exclusive to students attending the weekend. In addition it is a chance to meet up with other students studying your course.

We will have a team of four tutors, as feedback from past students has underlined the value of having several different tutors, giving you the benefit of a range of specialised knowledge and advice and offering you a range of complementary styles of tutoring to keep you focused. Tutors on the weekend are all highly experienced and can give you a variety of specialised knowledge and advice.

Tutors

We have an excellent team of experienced and motivated tutors on this course.

• Professor Frederick Toates is Emeritus Professor of Biological Psychology at the Open University, where he has over 45 years experience of teaching and tutoring. An author on DE100 as well as many OU other courses, including SDK100, DE200 and SDK228, his book  Biological Psychology (3rd edition, Pearson Education, Harlow) forms a popular and recommended text in a number of universities throughout the world. He has also had a book on B.F. Skinner published. His latest book is 'Understanding Sexual Serial Killing' (2022) C.U.P.  Fred has taught undergraduate classes not only in the UK but also in the Netherlands, Moldova, Romania, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the USA. Many of you will know Professor Toates from his involvement in the student forums, where he often provides very helpful and timely explanations in response to students' queries.
• Dr Monika McNeill is a lecturer in Psychology with over 20 years of experience; currently based at Glasgow Caledonian University, where she is a Deputy Programme Leader, module leader and a popular lecturer in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology. Her research interests are face and emotion identification, and new media use. Monika has also worked at The Open University as an Associate Lecturer in Psychology for over 14 years and is a regular tutor at weekend revision courses for OUPS. She also supervises projects at the BSc, MSc, and DPsych levels, as well as contributing to a number of modules, e.g. Forensic Psychology, Research Methods, etc. Dr McNeill has nine years of experience working as an applied psychologist, providing interventions and developing psychological programmes for young adults and children with Asperger Syndrome.
• Professor Graham Edgar has been a tutor with the OU for many years, and is both a current DE200 tutor and a regular contributor to OUPS weekends. Graham has written course material for all levels of the OU undergraduate and postgraduate psychology degrees. He is Professor of Psychology at the University of Gloucestershire, where he works in the general area of cognitive psychology, with particular interests in the areas of perception and situation awareness (SA). Current research includes studies of driver behaviour, decision-making in firefighters, and the development of techniques for measuring SA - including measuring brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG). Graham has spent a substantial amount of time applying psychology in the ‘real world.’
• Dr Alan Pechey has been teaching OU psychology courses for over 20 years. He is currently a tutor for both E219 and DE200; but has tutored for many years on OU child development and cognitive psychology courses and is a popular tutor at OUPS Weekends. He has assisted in some course writing and has been an  OU exam marker. He has an MA (in cognitive development) and a PhD (looking at human memory) from Cambridge University. Aside from his OU teaching, he worked for many years 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 and how to present information more effectively. Alan is a very engaging speaker, with a passion for psychology and students find his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm highly motivating.

Timetable

Friday 3rd May

15.00-18.00: Check in

18.00-19.30: Dinner

19.30-19.45: Welcome talk

19.45-21.15: Graham Edgar: Introductions, EMA, Module and Weekend Overview

21.30: Fred's Quiz

Saturday 4th May

7.30-9.00: Breakfast

9.00-10.30:Monika McNeill: Book 1, Session A, plus Writing Skills 1

10.30-11.00: Coffee break

11.00-12.30: Alan Pechey:  Book 3, Session A: Development through the lifespan, plus CTR referencing

12.30-14.00: Lunch

14.00-15.30:Graham Edgar:  Book 2, with a particular focus on Chapter 4 (Learning)

15.30-16.00:  Coffee break

16.00-17.30: Frederick Toates: Integrative themes and how to read a scientific paper

19.00: Drinks reception

19.30: Anniversary Dinner

Sunday 5th May

7.30 -9.00: Breakfast

9.00-10.30: Monika McNeill: Book 1: Session B, plus Writing Skills 2

10.30-11: Coffee break

11.00-12.30: Alan Pechey:  Book 3: Session B, Nature and nurture, plus final questions

12.30-13.30: Lunch

13.30-15.00: Graham Edgar: Literature Review

15.00: Weekend ends

Previous Feedback on OUPS DE200 Revision Weekends

"An excellent weekend - well organised, well worth the money, time and effort"

"Excellent! Enthusiastic lecturers who deepened my understanding of the course and helped me to focus on the exam."

"Very good, interesting, engaging, made me realise I knew more than I thought I did! Would definitely attend a revision weekend for future course. It has set me up to start revising with more confidence."

"I was impressed with the quality of the teaching, with how each lecturer knew their subject in such depth yet could keep it simple".

"Really helpful. Good overview of chapters and approaches to take. Very supportive lecturers, able to convey a good balance re hard work and fun and importantly their enthusiasm for their topics."

"It has given me a motivation and confidence boost, I can't think of any improvements."

"Fantastic . So happy I did it!"

"Excellent as always. I wouldn't consider sitting an exam without gong on the OUPS revision weekend."

"Sadly this will be my last Warwick Revision Weekend as I graduate this year. Over the last 3 years I have found them to be indispensable and credit them with helping me achieve great grades. Thank you. I will miss being part of it."

"Facing my first exam in 30 years is a daunting prospect. I can readily admit that I need as much help as possible, not just in understanding the course content, but also for confidence in my ability as a budding psychologist, to hold a conversation about psychology, amongst my peers. Scrolling through social media psychology pages I came across the OUPS DE200 Revision weekend information, and skeptically clicked the link. After reading some previous reviews and the information about the event, I decided to go for it, it turned out to be one of the best decision I have made since starting my psychology journey. The OUPS DE200 revision weekend gave me one of the best experiences I could have ever hoped for.  I have arrived home, feeling empowered, with a whole new understanding of what I have been learning. I have met some fantastic people from all over the world, made friends for life, had amazing food, and a really fun disco all within an absolutely lovely venue. This conference was so well organized, I knew where and when to be and at what time."

"The lecturers were incredibly prepared, and spoke with such passion and enthusiasm that I am now confident in tackling this exam. Over and above delivering such inspiring material, they were approachable and fascinating to speak to.

I am and I will forever be grateful for everyone involved in organizing and executing this event, and I cannot wait for the next one!! So for anyone out there that is contemplating attending one of these amazing events, just do it, seriously, they make it so easy at every stage from registration to payment to attendance. I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough, seriously. You will not regret it! "

What to expect

The lectures are conducted in management conference seminar rooms within the University campus, and you will have been provided with a timetable of talks and lecture notes before you arrive.

You can choose how you spend your time. If you book the residential package then you will have a very comfortable ensuite room in management conference facilities complete with bedding, towels, a hairdryer, coffee-making facilities and desk. Wifi is also included. The training centre has a small exercise room within the building and you also have complimentary access to the  gym and pool on campus, so if you do want to relax then there is the option to do so.

The cost is inclusive of all meals, including Friday night and Saturday night dinner. There are no extra costs involved (except for drinks at the bar!). As well as your room and all meals this includes refreshments at break times, extensive handouts which are only available to attendees, revision of key course material, advice on revision techniques and assessments, welcome drink on Friday night. Non-residential places are available for a reduction, and the same breakfast, lunch, dinner and all tea/coffee/snack breaks during the day are still included.

The welcome drinks and psychology book stall 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!

Free Places

2 free places are available for this event but they are only available to current members of OUPS. If you wish to apply please take out OUPS membership and log on as a member.

Venue

The weekend takes place at Radcliffe Conference and Training Centre, University of Warwick. Both accommodation and lectures are located in the same building unless you have been informed otherwise.

Warwick is an award winning conference venue with excellent facilities. Access to the sports facilities, including the swimming pool, are included in the price. The university's central location with excellent transport links makes it easily accessible from all over the UK and Europe. There is ample free car parking.

Accessibility

Click here for information on accessibility, parking and other related facilities.

Travel and directions

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For campus maps go to Warwick Campus Maps.

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