DD209 Running The Economy : iCMA43 Returned

Looks like the iCMA takes 8 days to mark and check as the mark has just arrived on the Assessment page today.

Really happy with my score, and it would have been even better apart from my not knowing my left from my right, but then multiple choice, open book tests done over three weeks should really get pretty good scores.

Anyway, another positive mark to push my overall score to where I want it......

So one more TMA, one more iCMA and the exam and that's it for DD209.

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 23

Week 23: Inequality and redistribution

Update: Monday 24th March 12:00

I have not had a chance to even look at Section 5......

Sunday was a marathon TMA writing day, in-between the usual Sunday past times and I am now thoroughly fed up and bored of competition models.

I have just over the maximum word count and I think 5 diagrams so I am now pretty much finished. I will give it one more read through tonight and try and edit about 30 words out of the text to get below the word count, and examine it against the student notes of what is required but to be honest I have neither the time nor the inclination to do nay major re-writes if I have got this all wrong.

At least I have the Easter study gap week to catch up with stuff on before the last TMA is due. So, I need to get this submitted and get motivated to start the reading again......

The study is getting a bit relentless now....... I have to remember that I am supposed to be doing this for fun.

DD209 Running The Economy : iCMA43

I have to complete this iCMA today, and in the four courses I have done/am doing with the OU this is the one section for assessment that I have done the least work for. It has just been too difficult being abroad with work, then on holiday (well...sort of holiday) and then having work and family commitments to really engage with these chapters.

Having the extension for the TMA is one thing, I probably have time to get stuck in to the nitty gritty of the TMA question from tomorrow, but as there is no extension to the iCMA I really need to finish this tonight. So far most of the questions I have completed have pretty much been answered by finding the correct section in the book or online tutorials and substituting the question variables into the book or online example and turning the computation handle.

This has pretty much confirmed to me that the iCMAs lack any sort of academic rigour, and you should get a pretty good mark just by scouring the books and website without having to understand or engage with the material. So juts a few more questions to answer and I can put the iCMA to bed and get on with the far more onerous task of writing the TMA04.

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 22

15 Mar

• 
• Week 22: Trade and inequality Website content
• Assignment: iCMA 44 (open date 15 March)

Events

• Assignment: TMA 04
  
• Assignment: iCMA 43 (cut-off date 18 Mar at 23:59)

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 21

8th March

TMA week

• Week 21: TMA week Website content
• iCMA43 Repeat
• TMA 04

  I've completed the reading but before I do anything else I need to start reading these four chapters again, as I think the early chapters will now make more sense knowing where the whole thing is heading. 

  
  

  I'm not expecting to get much done over the next week as I'm off on holiday, so it will be a pretty busy week when I get back getting the TMA done, although I do have a weeks extension which is really welcome.

  
  

  This set of 4 chapters started simply enough but there is a lot to remember and it is important to nail these graphs, so i think this is going to be a pretty critical part of the course.

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 20

Week 20: Industrial structure, competition and regulation

I've been working away from home for the last week or so in less than ideal study conditions so I have negotiated a week's extension on TMA04, which will be needed as I am still two weeks behind.

Chapter 11 : Week 17 : Made in China seemed to make sense and didn't come across as completely alien concepts. However, the online tutorials went on.... and on... and on.... seemingly forever.

Chapter 12 : Week 18 : Market Forces although I'm not all the way through the chapter or started the online tutorials, it also seems to make sense.

So week 19 and Week 20's reading to do still need to get the iCMA in on time and somehow find the motivation and drive to sort the TMA out.

It is surprising how quickly things can get out of hand and you feel ridiculously and uncontrollably behind the work schedule, and with me the knowledge of being behind the study curve  hampers motivation rather than enhances it.

I need to get a grip!!!

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 19

Week 19: Perfect competition

Away in the 'bad-lands' for a couple of weeks, study isn't going to be easy :-(

DD209 Running The Economy : Week 17

Week 17

8 Feb

• 
• Week 17: Made in China Website content

Events

• Assignment: iCMA 43 (open date 8 Feb)
• Assignment: TMA 03 (cut-off date 11 Feb)
• Assignment: iCMA 42 (cut-off date 11 Feb at 23:59)

iCMA 42 already submitted so the pressure is off for that deadline.

TMA03 however......... Got loads of ideas down but need to mould them into an essay and control the word count. It doesn't help that there is quite some overlap between Q1and Q2, to the point where I may have to reference my own post in Q2 in Q1.

This is going to go to the wire.

DD209 Running The Economy : Course TMA & iCMA Information

"The DD209 module website will open on 26 September 2013", I'm not sure why the website opens so late. It is a source of great frustration that the OU keeps the Online website closed until the course has almost started. It is a good job that the Facebook group has started as this has been pretty useful so far with some links and ideas with regard  to study materials.

The one thing the website does however say is that we will have ONLY 5 TMAs, 4 iCMAs and an exam as marked components. The first observation, although the dates could change, is that this year we can look forward to Christmas and New Year without either TMAs to write or waiting on marks to come back - so somebody has planned this using common sense.

However, I have no idea what a iCMA is ? Interactive computer marked assessment I suppose - so an online test - but is it time limited and what are you supposed to do ? They don't carry as many marks as the TMAs, but if you are a borderline student you can't afford not to take them seriously. The other problem is if you are the type of person who works right up to the deadline, having the TMA and iCMA cut off date on the same date shows somebody has planned this using no common sense :-)

The published dates so far are.....

TMA   01       7%	29 Oct
iCMA  41       7%	10 Dec
TMA   02      15%	10 Dec
iCMA  42       7%	11 Feb
TMA   03      20%	11 Feb
iCMA  43       7%	18 Mar
TMA   04      15%	18 Mar
iCMA  44       7%	6 May
TMA   05      15%	6 May