The Open University

What is brain plasticity and why is it so important?

5 April 2016

What makes the brain special is that, unlike a computer, it processes sensory and motor signals in parallel. It has many neural pathways that can replicate another’s function so that small errors in development or temporary loss of function through damage can be easily corrected by rerouting signals along a different pathway. The problem becomes […]

Mature female student with books in library

Access to higher education: ‘it’s not just for 18-year-olds’

23 March 2016

The Government is on course to miss targets to open up access to higher education, according to new research. And “they cannot afford to focus their efforts solely on 18 year-olds.” The Government has ambitious targets for widening participation in by 2020. It aims to double the number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds going into Higher Education. But research by […]

Why child trafficking spikes after natural disasters – and what we can do about it

22 March 2016

When a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in April 2015, it killed well over 8,000 people and turned much of the country into a disaster zone. 17 days later, as recovery operations were getting established, a 7.3 magnitude quake caused further destruction. In the desolation, chaos and widespread panic that followed, a surge in child […]

If we are not rich can we still be happy? OU academic investigates

17 March 2016

Rich beyond your wildest dreams, but does that make you happy? Professor Paul Anand argues that it is factors other than simply wealth which determine your happiness levels and to mark World Happiness Day this weekend he introduces the measurement concept and the value of flourishing. The latest findings of the World Happiness Report, were […]

Social worker Emma Govan at The Open University Degree Ceremony at Edinburgh's Usher Hall

‘So proud to be a social worker’

15 March 2016

The OU has been training social workers for over 18 years with 300 people graduating in the field each year. To celebrate World Social Work Day today, a social work student and graduate reflect on their journeys into the profession. ‘Passionate about my career’ Emma Govan (pictured above) graduated from the OU in 2014 and has been […]

Woman in fear of domestic abuse. Image credit: Thinkstock

Why sportspeople convicted of domestic violence forfeit their right to be ‘stars’

2 March 2016

When Floyd Mayweather took on Manny Pacquiao last year in what was billed as the “fight of the century”, the pair of us made the conscious decision not to watch the bout, despite an interest in boxing both as spectators and participants. Unlike some reporters, who claimed to be banned from watching it – ours […]

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 […]

People with learning disabilities want to find love too

12 February 2016

This Valentine’s Day will once again see a celebration of love. Unfortunately for many people with learning disabilities, this is just a dream. Although they may want to be in a relationship, they are often faced with barriers and challenges that prevent them finding what many take for granted. But specialised dating agencies can help […]

Why assisted suicide is a ‘moral maze’

11 February 2016

Dr Sam Murphy, Lecturer in health studies and Interim Assistant Head of Department, in the Faculty of Health and Social Care writes on the controversial subject of assisted suicide… The recent BBC programme How to Die: Simon’s Choice brought to the fore the dilemmas that arise following a diagnosis of a terminal illness such as […]

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 […]

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Category: Education, languages and health