Web technologies

The World Wide Web continues to provide a foundation for developing increasingly influential and strategic technologies, supporting applications and services in all sectors. This module gives an insight into technologies, architectures, standards, languages and frameworks and an understanding of approaches to more dynamic content. It also demonstrates how to analyse requirements, and plan, design, implement and test various applications. While this module considers a range of programming languages and their roles in developing web applications, it doesn’t teach programming – you must already have basic programming skills.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

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Module

Module code

TM252

Credits

Study level

Level of Study
OU	SCQF	FHEQ
2	9	5

What you will study

Block 1: Web foundations
This block provides a grounding in web technologies, enabling you to appreciate what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’ when interacting with websites and web applications. It introduces the basic technologies on which the Web is founded, including the historical development of the Web, protocols, standards, responsive design and issues of accessibility and usability.

Block 2: Interactive web
The second block expands the view of the web to include the architectures, theories, and technical elements that underpin the modern, interactive web and web applications. It looks at the tools, libraries and frameworks used to build this interactive web, and broader aspects such as performance, resilience, and accessibility.

Block 3: Developing applications
The final block steps back from the details of application development to look at some of the broader issues of managing a web application through its life cycle. It explores how IT professionals plan, design and develop applications, examining project planning, design, testing, deployment and maintenance.

Project
At the end of the module, you’ll carry out a substantial project applying skills and techniques from each block.

Vocational relevance

The module provides IT practitioners with relevant experience, skills and insight into aspects such as the source and appropriate use of standards, appreciation of the application life cycle, and approaches to web application design and implementation. It also develops transferable skills relevant to any workplace, such as written communication skills, information literacy, independent learning and critical analysis.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Throughout your module studies, you’ll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They’ll help you by:

marking your assignments (TMAs) and providing detailed feedback for you to improve
guiding you to additional learning resources
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students, in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Module tutors also run online tutorials throughout the module. Where possible, recordings of online tutorials will be made available to students. While these tutorials won’t be compulsory for you to complete the module, you’re strongly encouraged to take part.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Web technologies (TM252) starts once a year – in February.

This page describes the module that will start in February 2025.

We expect it to start for the last time in February 2029.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Course work includes:; 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
: End-of-module assessment

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements to study this module.

At The Open University, we believe education should be open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need an appropriate knowledge of IT obtained through any of the following:

OU level 1 study.
Equivalent work at another university.
Experience as an IT professional.

You must be familiar with basic programming concepts (conditionals, loops, functions, arrays, etc.) and writing small programs in a language such as Java, Python, PHP or JavaScript.

Preparatory work

We recommend you’ve completed:

If you have no programming experience, we strongly recommend completing the TM252 programming boot camp we run before the module.

Register

Start	End	England fee	Register
01 Feb 2025	Sep 2025	£1818.00	Registration closes 09/01/25 (places subject to availability) Register
This module is expected to start for the last time in February 2029.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Employer sponsorship

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.

Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).

Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2025. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules

This information was provided on 21/11/2024.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

be resident in England
have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

monthly payments through OUSBA
part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:

a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assignment details and submission section
online tutorial access.

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying TM252 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.