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Essential
Information to Help You Through Your Course ATLANTIC PACIFIC MISSION UNIVERSITY has been facilitating distance learning
(home study) since 1994 by
helping students from different countries enrol on formal distance learning
(home study) online course. Atlantic Pacific Mission University (APMU)
is registered, licensed and accredited in
You start a course right from the comfort of
your own home or office. During your course, you’ll be reading course
materials and studying books just like the one you will receive by postal
mail or by electronic mail (email) as you improve your education and work
towards a career in a different area. Distance learning enables you to study at your
own pace. If you’re having problem with a particular section of material, you
don’t have to worry about keeping up with the rest of your class. You can
take your time and study your course manuals until you understand it. On the
other hand, if you find certain material easy and you understand it quickly,
you don’t have to be held back. You can move on as soon as you feel
comfortable with the material. You’ll also be able
to study when you want to and when it’s convenient for you. In a conventional
university or school or college setting, you must attend classes when they’re
scheduled. With distance learning you are about to begin, you can choose when
to study, based on your work and family schedule and on when you are most
alert. Distance learning
(home study) can provide you with a method to accomplish your goals whether
you’re preparing for a new career, working to advance in your present job, or
just taking a course for enjoyment.
The quickest way to
get help from your tutor is by emailing your questions to tutorservices@apmu.ac .The questions
must relate to your study materials or prescribed textbooks. Please note that
we cannot accept questions based on your reading of study texts or books that
are not part of the APMU course.
This is a document that lists all the contents
of your course – your learning material, and assignments that you will
complete and return for assessment. The items are listed within Study Periods
in the order you will receive and use them. Study materials will be issued
automatically as soon as Test Paper in a Study Period has been received from
you. There is no need for you to request it.
APMU study booklets
are called Study Units. From time to time materials from others sources are
used, which may be called modules, workbooks or simply Study Booklets. No
matter their origin, all study materials used by APMU have been especially
written by educational experts for use as distance learning texts allowing you to: write notes in them; highlight key words/phrases; cross things out; change things around; Initially you may feel reluctant to write on
the pages. Don’t worry. As you work through the units you will come across a
variety of activities where you will be expected to write something. Not only do they
teach the subject in which you are interested, but also they do so in such a
way that uses all the distance learning techniques with which APMU is so
experienced. This is why much of your studying may well be from these Units
rather than from textbooks. In most cases they are simply far more effective.
At the beginning of some Study Units, there will be a Course Route Map. Use
the route map to see the order of your Study Units.
In most Study Units you will find questions
to check your progress or practical tasks to reinforce your learning. Do not
by-pass these exercises as they are set for you to test your knowledge of
what you have just studied. Do not send your answers for assessment; where
appropriate, answers will be given at the end of the section or at the back
of the Study Unit.
Tutor-marked
Assignments (TMAs) or Test Papers may be of various types: Ø traditional written paper; Ø special or practical exercises Ø multiple-choice. Multiple-choice
papers give wider testing of the topics studied and save you time as they
allow you to select appropriate answers, rather than writing them out in
full. These can be submitted by email at tutorservices@apmu.ac. Generally, TMAs/Test Papers are to be found
in individual Study Units.
Sometimes a textbook may be prescribed for
reading with your course. Your Study Unit will tell you which parts of it are
to be read, and when.
Some courses require additional items such as
audiocassettes, practical kit items, etc. They will be shown on your Study
Plan and Despatch Notes.
How you study is
almost as important as what you study! As an APMU distance learner, you have
access to an immense reservoir of knowledge, expertise, experience and, above
all, unlimited goodwill in helping you.
Here are some useful hints:
Write down why you wish to complete the course
and display the note in a highly visible place where you study. Motivation is
very important. Choose your place of
study. Sensible learning needs comfort and quiet – pubs, TV, radio, trains
and other public transport are not recommended. A well-lit table in a bedroom
may be ideal, for instance; many find that the public library is just right. Few students plan to fail, but many fail to
plan! Plan your study time. Although one of the advantages of distance
learning is that you can study at your own pace. You should set a timetable
for yourself; it can be as flexible as you need it to be.
Schedules put you in control of your times and
your life. If you were attending a traditional school or college or
university, you would have to be present in class at certain times, hand in
assignments by the due date, and take examinations when the teacher/lecturer
scheduled them. Since you don’t have a schedule set up by a teacher, you must
create your own schedule so you can stay on track with your goals.
Start with the big picture. Do you have a
target date for completing your course? If so, start with that date. For
example, suppose your goal is to complete the first four study units during
the first three months. Buy or make a calendar with squares large enough to
write in the information you need to remember. Set a deadline for completing
each unit and mark that date on your calendar. That’s the day you should
submit the test paper for the unit. Keep your calendar on your desk, or the
wall near your desk, or some other place where you’ll see it every day.
To make your
schedule a little more manageable, break down your quarterly schedule into
weekly segments. Each week contains 168 hours. To plan your week, use the
chart in Figure 1 to estimate the number of hours you spend each week on
certain activities. After you’ve
completed the chart, subtract your total from 168. Your answer is the number
of free hours you have each week. Is it more than you need for your studies?
If so, great. Just decide how many of those hours you’re going to devote to
your study. If you don’t have enough free hours for# your studies, you
may have to make some changes in your lifestyle. For example, suppose
you indicate that you watch television 25 hours each week. You may decide to
eliminate an hour or an hour and a half of television every day and devote
that time to your studying. ·
To help you analyse your allotment of time, ask yourself (and
answered honestly) questions like these: ·
On what activity do I spend the
most time? ·
On what activity do I spend the
least time? ·
Do I spend too much time on any
one activity? ·
Do I need to spend more time on
any activity? ·
Is the amount of time I spend
studying producing the results I want? ·
Overall, am I satisfied with the
way I spend my time? Why or why not? ·
If I could make some changes,
what would they be? Schedules make your
life easier, not harder, because they help you organise your time. A
well-organised and planned schedule can in a sense ‘add hours to your day.’
If you find that your weekly schedule isn’t working, try completing the chart
in Figure 2. Transfer the numbers from Figure 1 into the ‘Estimated Time’
column in Figure 2. Then, on a separate piece of paper, keep track
of the actual hours you spend on the activities during the next week. Write
down the actual hours as you spend them. Don’t put
it off until later in the day, because it’s easy to forget the correct
amounts by then. When the week is over, total the times for each activity and
complete the chart in Fig 2. Once you’ve filled in the chart in Figure 2, list
the activities in which you spent more time that you estimated. Then list the
activities in which you spent less time than you estimated. How can you use
this information to revise your weekly schedule? |
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Most
students find that they prefer not to read the Study Units like a book, i.e.
straight through from beginning to end of the section being studied. Far
more effective is to first read two or three paragraphs. Then THINK and see
if you can recall the main points made. Read the same piece again – possibly
realising some aspects previously not fully understood. As you read, underline or highlight the key
points. This concentrates understanding, helps if you are making notes, and
is invaluable when later rereading your Units for revision.
You
will find it a tremendous help to take notes as you study; keep a notebook
for this purpose. At the end of each section, go back over back over what you
have read and write down the major points that have been covered. This
is where the previous idea of highlighting will prove useful. You will find
that making these notes will strongly reinforce your learning at the time.
Also, when revising, your notebook will be invaluable!
Before attempting a Progress Check, read through
your notes and check over your highlights. If you cannot recollect some
details, quickly read through the relevant section again. Then do the Progress Check and compare your
answers with the answers provided. Again, if you have wrong answers, take
another look at your notes, highlights the relevant section of the Study
Unit.
·
It is most important that all Tutor Marked Assignments/Test Papers are
completed and sent for assessment. ·
They consolidate and reinforce your learning. ·
They show your tutor how you are progressing. ·
They enable your tutor to help you over difficult points. Prior
to attempting an assignment, by all means revise. However, once you have
started, keep your study material and notes out of sight; then any points
that you have not fully grasped will show in your answers. That is precisely
what you want to happen, so that your tutor can help you. On
receiving your answers, your tutor will assess your work, comment on it, and
give you a grade. Great care is always taken in assessing the hard work you
have put into your answers, and this naturally take. You should allow at
least 10 to 14 working days for their return (more for overseas students,
holiday periods and possible postal delays). The following points will ensure
that your answers are clear and readable, that they receive full attention by
your tutor, and are returned to you speedily.
Submit your answers by email. ·
For written assignments: ·
submit your answers by email or complete a Tutor Marked
Assignment/Test Paper cover Sheet and send it with
your work
·
Write neatly; leave plenty of
spacing, use paragraphs and tabulations. If you type your answers use double
spacing between lines. ·
Attempt to answer every
question, unless instructed otherwise. ·
Don’t send any more than one
assignment at any one time. In this way you will be able to rectify any
weaknesses in your knowledge pointed out by your tutor, before attempting the
next assignment. ·
Where possible, attach the
TMA/Test Paper itself to your answer sheets.
Wind
the tape back to start of your recording. Remember to include all details to
identify your tape so it may be returned quickly to you.
Follow
instructions in your course and remember to identify your work. Send all
answers for a particular assignment together. There is no need to enclose postage stamps for return of your work.
This is included in your course fee.
Do
remember that your tutors are not here to catch you out in your assignment
answers. They are here to help you all the way through, and it is your
answers that enable them to do just that. So, don’t cheat! Anyone can copy
passages straight out of the study materials! You won’t fool anybody, except
yourself! If you have any difficulty in understanding any
of the study material, don’t hesitate to ask for your tutor’s advice. You
have only to give specific details by emailing your questions to tutorservices@apmu.ac.
In
addition to continuous assessment (the TMAs), there is one three-hour
examination. You will take your examination at the examination centre to which
you will be allocated automatically according to your address. The examination is
the third element of the three things you need to do to obtain your
certificate: - Ø pass the continuous assessment
element Ø be recorded as having fully participated
in the course Ø pass the examination
1.
enhance the international credibility of your Certificate, Diploma and
Degree award because passing proves you have undertaken the necessary study
and been able to apply it 2.
serves as an incentive to consolidate and internalise the concepts
covered in the course 3.
allows you to demonstrate that you are able to recall, choose, reflect
on and apply management concepts in a pressured situation – i.e. not unlike many
management situations.
On most courses, the following grading is
used:
If
your work is graded W, your tutor will advice
you to re-submit the assignment. Obviously, you should digest his/her comments
on your original work before resubmitting any assignment. Few students receive W grade, which
should be looked upon as constructive criticism and not an indication of
failure. If you have not mastered a topic and receive a low grade, your tutor
will always show where your difficulty lies. Possibly, you will be asked to
re-learn that topic and attempt the question(s) again. The marking system above is used for all APMU
courses. Some other courses may have a slightly different marking scheme, which
will be outlined in their course-specific documents.
Atlantic Pacific Mission University, from time
to time prepares international students for
It
is the student’s responsibility to find out from the Local Accreditation
Council in his or her home country about suitability of degree issued by |
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Copyright © 2012 ATLANTIC PACIFIC MISSION UNIVERSITY (Last modified: January 2, 2012) |