Open Eye: What's new at the OU for '99

En Rumbo is the new Spanish language course launching in 1999, the first in a series of three which it is planned will lead to a Diploma in Spanish.

Following in the footsteps of the successful OU programmes in French and German, En Rumbo uses print, audio and video materials to develop the practical skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish to a high level.

The course also provides an introduction to contemporary Spanish and Latin American society and culture.

This is not a course for beginners; a prior knowledge of Spanish roughly equivalent to GCSE is necessary, although formal qualifications are not needed. A study pack is available to help brush up your Spanish before starting.

Other undergraduate level course new for 1999 include Philosophy and the Human Situation. The first ever OU Philosophy course at Level 2, this provides a good grounding in the subject. A prior knowledge of philosophy is not essential.

The course shows how philosophy can be applied to questions of wide-ranging interest, such as the acceptable limits of freedom, environmental ethics, attitudes to animals, and Darwinism and human nature, and teaches techniques of analysis and argument applicable to other academic subjects and to everyday discussion.

Computer conferencing is an option for students, but is not compulsory.

Art and its Histories is a second-level introduction to art history from the Renaissance to the present day. Covering sculpture and architecture as well as painting and graphic arts, it will interest those who have already studied in this area as well as those new to it. Topics include the Western canon of art, the artist, women in art, non-European art, the avant-garde, the role of museums and art in society today. The course includes six high quality, illustrated books and eight TV programmes.

Cities and Technology from Babylon to Singapore is a new third-level course in the History of Science and Technology series. How did ancient Rome feed and house its one million population? How has the motor car affected the design of cities? Questions like these, drawn from a wide range of urban settings, past and present, are used to explore the historical relationship between technology and society. Communications, water management and weaponry are the main technologies investigated. The course looks at how technology has shaped towns and cities and how politics, economics, culture and the environment have influenced the technology.

In year 2000, experts predict that for the first time in history, more than half the world's population will live in cities. What problems, and possibilities, does this present? Understanding Cities, a new third-level course, one of the Geography and Environmental Studies series in the Social Sciences faculty, takes a fresh look at cities around the world and how people survive and thrive in them. It considers flows of money, people, information, commodities, images between and within cities, and how this helps understand why certain cities become more or less successful. Students who take this course and The Shape of the World:explorations in human geography gain a Diploma in Geography.

English Language and Literacy is a third-level Education course allowing students to explore some of the exciting intellectual debates on the nature and use of language, suitable for specialists and non-specialists alike. It aims to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the social, cultural and political processes that underlie the use of oral and written English language; to introduce relevant theories and research; to explore the implications for your own experience and use of language; and to allow students to carry out their own small-scale project. The course takes an international perspective with examples drawn from different parts of the world.

Mathematical Methods, Models and Modelling is a second-level course from the Mathematics and Computing faculty. Of particular interest to those who use mathematical reasoning in their work, or teach applied maths at A-level, this course explores various mathematical tools that can be used to solve real problems.

Calculus, differential equations, vector algebra, matrices, methods for three dimensional problems and numerical methods are covered in the `methods'; classical mechanics and some non-mechanical models are studied; and students carry out their own modelling. Multimedia and a computer algebra package are part of the course.

Putting Computer Systems to Work looks at analysing problems and design solutions in such a way that a computer can be used to carry out the solution, and to turn designs into practical computer programs. Program practical work is built around the language C++, of which prior knowledge is not essential. The course concentrates on a teamwork approach to developing successful software, but is also applicable to individuals working alone. The main emphasis is on personal computers but many ideas are also applicable to larger and smaller systems.

Geology - A highly-practical introduction to the subject, this second- level course covers the formation of rocks; sedimentary processes, fossils and environments; the identification of minerals and rocks; and interpreting geological maps. The course includes a home kit with a polarising microscope and rock and fossil samples, as well as CD-ROM giving the opportunity to take `virtual' field trips.

Digital Communications explores how information is moved from place to place in the form of digital data. A third-level course for those interested in telecommunications or data and computer communications, including the Internet. Up-to-date and comprehensive, the course looks at protocols, network management and reliability, digital representation of sounds and images; routeing, switching and signalling; coding and modulation; and high speed networks. Many of the skills have applications outside the field of digital communications. Electronic conferencing and the Internet are an integral part of the course.

More information is available from your regional OU centre or by phone on 01908 858585; and also by e-mailing to ces-gen@open.ac.uk. The OU site at www.open.ac.uk includes course descriptions.