Expand+How To Register?
Students can provisionally register and book their Open Learning module on our website (www.ucd.ie/all/study/openlearning), over the phone (01 716 7123) or in person, at the UCD Access and Lifelong Learning Centre.

Provisional ...

Hide-How To Register?
Students can provisionally register and book their Open Learning module on our website (www.ucd.ie/all/study/openlearning), over the phone (01 716 7123) or in person, at the UCD Access and Lifelong Learning Centre.

Provisional registration for 2017-18 will open on Tuesday 8th August 2017.

Registering for Semester 2:
Our dedicated Semester II brochure will be released in early December. You can also find more details of our Semester 2 modules on our website. Provisional registration for Semester 2 will open from Tuesday 8th August 2017.

Confirming Your Registration?
Your registration will be provisional until you confirm it online. After you’ve booked and paid for your module you will receive an email. Please read this email carefully as it will:

• confirm your student number

• tell you how to confirm your registration by logging into the UCD system (UCD Connect)

• give you information on how to upload your photo and get your student card It’s important to confirm your registration, otherwise you can’t collect your student card, see your timetable or access your exam results.

Expand+Open Learning Fee (audit only) €350 per module

Open Learning Fee (with assessment) €500 per 5 credit module

Upgrading from audit to credit: You may upgrade from being an audit student to a credit student up to three weeks into term. Please no...

Hide-Open Learning Fee (audit only) €350 per module

Open Learning Fee (with assessment) €500 per 5 credit module

Upgrading from audit to credit: You may upgrade from being an audit student to a credit student up to three weeks into term. Please note, however, that you can't change back to being an audit student - if you decide not to complete the assignments and/or sit the exams, this will appear on your academic record.

Concessions
There are no concessions available for Open Learning modules.

Refunds
Refunds may in some instances be available for extenuating circumstances, such as serious illness, within two weeks of the start of the module. Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing, with supporting documents where appropriate.

Expand+Open Learning at UCD
UCD Open Learning is an innovative and unique approach to part-time study in UCD. You can choose from a wide range of undergraduate modules for either audit or credit. There are no entry requirements to the programme - you just...

Hide-Open Learning at UCD
UCD Open Learning is an innovative and unique approach to part-time study in UCD. You can choose from a wide range of undergraduate modules for either audit or credit. There are no entry requirements to the programme - you just need to find a module or modules that interest you and register!

What Level is my Module? What Does This Mean?
Each module is assigned a level. We recommend that you begin Open Learning with level 1 modules. The levels represent academic progression, with the higher levels assuming that you have already mastered the key concepts and skills required for academic writing and critical reflection.

Guidance
Before registering for a module, please take the time to read the module descriptor and if you’ve any further questions, please get in touch with us.

Credit Option
If you opt to take a module for credit, this means that you’ve committed to participating in the module and taking the assessment. Every module that is successfully completed is worth 5 credits towards your award. Upon successful completion of your module(s), you can access your Academic Transcript online via SISWeb, free of charge.

Audit Option
Alternatively, you can choose to take a module for audit, which allows you to fully participate in the modules without taking any assessments. As an audit student you will not receive any credits or qualifications as you will not sit any assessments.

Upgrading to Credit
If you are unsure about whether you want to take a module for credit, we’d encourage you to first register for audit. You will have three weeks from the start of the semester to upgrade to credit. Remember to choose wisely, as it isn’t possible to apply for a partial refund of fees if you change your mind. Students who have taken modules for credit cite a number of reasons for doing this:

• Motivated to earn credits for their learning

• Have a preference for the structures and deadlines imposed when taking a course for credit

• Consider that they learn more when they are required to complete assignments and study

• Like the idea that they have the potential to add to their accredited modules in the future

Duration of Module / Missing Classes
UCD modules are typically 12 weeks, however, there can be some exceptions to this. We’d recommend that you review the module descriptor for your chosen module to ensure that you know how many contact hours are involved. Unfortunately classes may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, it is at the discretion of the lecturer as to whether they offer a replacement class. Class cancellations are often announced on Blackboard, so it’s important to check this on a regular basis.

Tutorials / Practicals
Some modules will have tutorials, labs or practicals, which Open Learning students can also attend. If your chosen module offers one of these options, we’ll contact you and help you select the most appropriate option for you. They usually commence in Week 2 or 3 of term.

Awards Structure
You can opt to take any combination of modules towards an award. In September 2016, ALL introduced two new awards for Open Learning – the Certificate in Open Learning (30 ECT) and the Diploma in Open Learning (60 ECT). These are designed for students who are interested in accumulating credits towards an award. There is no time limit on credit accumulation, so this can be achieved over successive semesters or over a longer period of time.

Assessment / Results
Students who choose to take a module for credit, should ensure that they have familiarised themselves with the assessment for the module. The exam schedule will not be published until early November, but the majority of end of term assessment will take place from 11th-22nd December 2017. Provisional results for Semester I will not be released until January 2018.

Fees Per Module
Audit €350
Credit €500

Expand+School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice is the centre of excellence for research, teaching and professional training in social policy, social work, equality studies and...

Hide-School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice is the centre of excellence for research, teaching and professional training in social policy, social work, equality studies and women studies. We offer diverse degree programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level, community outreach Certificate programmes, CPD modules, and research degrees in social work, social policy and social justice (PhD programmes).

Our research is interdisciplinary, international and influences policy and society. Teams and colleagues work on a range of topics (e.g. housing, family, child welfare, health care, migration, equality and women studies) and have received funding from prestigious sponsors (e.g. Irish Research Council, European Union).

This module seeks to examine how one assesses the quality of social services, that is, how one works out how good they are at doing their job. It focuses in particular on the difference between an inputs-oriented versus outcomes-oriented approach to the analysis of social services and applies this framework to particular social services in Ireland and other OECD countries.

The module will begin with three weeks of lectures on the general characteristics of service evaluation, with particular reference to the performance-oriented approach. From week 4 onwards, the class will break up into smaller groups. Each group will focus on a particular social service area and, for a mid-term assignment, each member of the group will write a 1,500 word essay on the development of policy in that area. Working collectively, each group will then seek to work out what it would mean to analyse that service in an outcomes-oriented way, and will produce a poster in which they present their findings on the service area they have analysed.