The Open University

Has COVID-19 changed the public perception of nursing?

11 May 2021

During the midst of the pandemic, nurses and other frontline staff were the subject of praise from the government and public with the weekly NHS clap, dedicated shopping hours and shared gratitude for their lifesaving work. But, with restrictions beginning to ease and the public eager to return to normality, how long will nurses remain […]

Child pictured next to the Morrisons' Children's Little Library

OU research shapes Morrisons’ new children’s book initiative

6 May 2021

The Open University’s Reading for Pleasure team have been working with Morrisons’ to shape a book donation initiative to encourage more children to read. Launching today, Morrisons’ ‘Children’s Little Library’ will be available nationwide in stores across England, Wales and Scotland. Inspired by Canterbury-based children’s author, Rebecca Smith, who approached the OU and Morrisons, asking […]

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OU’s WELS faculty beats the national statistics with three new female Professors

21 April 2021

The Open University’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) has promoted three of its female academics to Professor. With HESA reporting that only 28% of UK Professors are women in 2019/20, WELS is beating the trend with well over half (67%) of its Professors being female. Rebecca Ferguson, Kristina Hultgren and Joan Simons […]

Pregnant woman with hands on her stomach

Truth about surrogacy explored in new series

17 March 2021

The first episode of a new series exploring the reality of surrogacy starts tonight (17 March) on BBC One at 10:45pm. Co-produced by the BBC and The Open University’s (OU) Broadcast and Partnerships team, Surrogates is a three-part documentary, which follows the experiences of five young British women, all embarking on a complex journey to […]

Digital picture books could harm young children’s learning

9 March 2021

A comprehensive meta-analysis of prior research has found that children aged 1-8 are less likely to understand picture books when they read the digital, versus print version. However, when digital picture books contain the right enhancements that reinforce the story content, they outperform their print counterparts. The results were published today in Review of Educational […]

Teacher leaning over students with computer tablets

Tip top teaching – free resources to enhance classroom skills

8 March 2021

With the return of children to school, teaching professionals need to be fully prepped for the busy and bustling classroom. The Open University’s free learning site, OpenLearn has created two dedicated resource hubs to support and develop subject and pedagogical knowledge for primary school teachers and teaching assistants, including a wide range of articles and […]

Wellbeing advice from one student to another

3 March 2021

As we mark University Mental Health Day, it’s important that we all look after our wellbeing. OU graduate Liz Burnett champions mental health awareness in her blog and her cake business, following her own experience of a breakdown in 2014. Here, she shares some invaluable advice, to fellow students… Whether you deferred this academic year, […]

Enhance your skills in Chinese business culture with the OU’s new online short course

10 February 2021

China has a variety of diverse cultures and having an insight into its core cultural values can be hugely beneficial for business and social interaction. The Open University’s (OU) new online short course provides a great opportunity to grow your understanding and build your network. In 16 weeks, students will delve into the core values […]

Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week OU poll finds more employers now backing work-based learning

4 February 2021

A report commissioned by The Open University and The 5% Club has found that nearly three quarters (70%) of employers held the belief that apprenticeships and work-based learning would be vital to their organisations’ recovery from COVID disruption, compared to just half (50%) of business who were asked in August 2020. The Open University commissioned […]

Voices of children and young people aged 3-12 expressed during pandemic

1 February 2021

The Open University’s Children’s Research Centre (OUCRC) and psychologist-led, Children Heard project have collaborated to analyse survey responses from 240 children aged between 3-12 (48 early years and 192 primary school age participants) on their thoughts, feelings and experiences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. The report demonstrates how children have varying experiences of the […]

OU News

Category: Education, languages and health