The Open University

Top trends to disrupt education over next decade

1 December 2016

New findings in a report from The Open University outline future trends which will impact on education and teaching. The Innovating Pedagogy report says that the productive failure, formative analytics and design thinking are amongst the stand-out developments for the sector over the next 10 years. Success and failure analysed Mike Sharples, Professor of Educational […]

Teacher delivering material in a classroom

OU and Save the Children announce new partnership to raise education standards in India

8 November 2016

As part of the UK government’s trade delegation to India, The Open University and Save the Children (the leading child rights organisation in India), have announced a new partnership to deliver the TESS-India (Teacher Education Through School-Based Support) project from November 2016. Since 2012, the project has been funded by DFID (UK Department for International Development). […]

You teach me and I’ll teach you Pokémon

25 July 2016

With the global success of Pokémon Go, the world has been introduced to the next generation of augmented reality experiences on their mobile phones. Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education and Technology (IET), and author of Augmented Education, Dr Rebecca Ferguson, considers augmented reality as a tool to support learning; could augmented reality, with its power to engage […]

OBE for eminent OU professor

11 June 2016

Professor Eileen Scanlon has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list for services to Education. This is the latest accolade for her work, which has also seen her receive the inaugural Regius Professorship in Open Education. Professor Scanlon, Associate Director of Research & Innovation in the Institute of Educational Technology at the OU, […]

‘It’s crucial’: 6 reasons why you should embrace learning at work

19 May 2016

Combining the ability to learn and work has been a positive – and in some cases life-changing – experience for many Open University students. We asked these OU graduates to explain why ‘learning while earning’ has worked for them… 1) You already have the perfect study space – your office! Rob Clark graduated with a MSc in […]

What does the head of Ofsted do?

18 February 2016

Ministers are thought to be looking to the US, Canada and northern Europe in their search for the next chief inspector of schools. With the current head of Ofsted, Michael Wilshaw, due to step down in December at the end of his term, secretary of state Nicky Morgan is reportedly keen to find someone with […]

Social mobility isn’t just about 18-year-olds: adults need life chances too

10 February 2016

The prime minister has pledged to double the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education by 2020. David Cameron has signalled an all-out attack on poverty and has thrown down the gauntlet to universities to deliver on social justice. He will be aware that many universities already have a proud history of widening […]

From Bricks to Clicks: how data could revolutionise Higher Education

26 January 2016

Sharing student data in the Higher Education sector will “revolutionise” and introduce a “step-change” in the student experience, according to experts at The Open University. Impact of data sharing in Higher Education explored in new report OU experts endorse the sharing of student data across institutions Using data could improve the student experience and enhance […]

Girl doing computer research in a library. Image credit: Thinkstock

Useful tool or approach with caution? 15 years of Wikipedia

15 January 2016

As Wikipedia celebrates its 15th anniversary, OU Learning and Teaching Librarian Geraldine Smith explains the pros and cons of using it for study… Wikipedia celebrates being 15 years old on 15th January 2016. What it is? Set up in 2001 Wikipedia is one of the largest reference websites on the internet and as of September […]

Chalkboard and ABC letters. Image credit: Thinkstock

Zuckerberg is ploughing billions into ‘personalised learning’ – why?

10 December 2015

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg believes personalised learning is the answer to many of education’s current woes, and is one of the four key areas that he and his wife Prescilla Chan’s US$45 billion Chan Zuckerberg Initiative will fund. While some argue whether this is a philanthropic act or a shrewd business strategy, others will ask: […]

OU News

Category: Education