The Open University

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Social prescribing could help support young people’s mental health – but calls for a national strategy in England may be premature

25 October 2023

Jackie Musgrave, Associate Head of School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, at The Open University, writes for The Conversation about how social prescribing could help support young people’s mental health. A growing number of children and adolescents in England are seeking access to mental health services. But the demand for these services is far […]

The Open University announces new national health campaign empowering the UK to Age Well

29 August 2023

Similar to the tried and tested Dry January and Stoptober models, The Open University’s Take Five to Age Well campaign is encouraging people over 50 to sign up to a month of healthy habits designed by experts from the University. With an ever-increasing demand on adult social care services and the NHS across the UK, […]

Education project transforms lives for girls and young women in Zimbabwe

16 August 2023

The Open University is one of six partners in a successful initiative that has supported the learning of more than 13,400 out-of-school adolescent girls in Zimbabwe. For the past five years the project has helped the girls, who are disproportionately affected by gender inequality, to improve their learning outcomes and assist their transition into formal […]

Nearly 1 in 2 school leavers in England have reconsidered going to university, as cost of living soars

9 August 2023

New survey from The Open University shows that 49% of 18–19-year-olds in England have reconsidered going to university in the last year, due to rising living costs 71% say they would consider distance learning if it meant saving money The Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) estimates that studying with the OU could potentially […]

OU launches two free courses to improve the care of older people with learning disabilities

19 July 2023

The Open University has launched two free courses aimed at supporting professionals and families who care for older people with learning disabilities. Supporting older people with learning disabilities and their families and Caring for an older family member with learning disabilities have been developed using inclusive research overseen by Louise Wallace, Professor of Psychology and […]

More support is needed for families affected by parental imprisonment, according to a new study from The Open University and YSS.

18 July 2023

Families with children across the UK are missing out on vital support to help them cope with the impact caused by having a parent in prison, according to research from The Open University’s Children’s Research Centre and YSS. The two-year study funded by Worcestershire County Council, surveyed 68 families across the UK, to better understand […]

OU researchers launch new guide to support palliative and end of life care

13 July 2023

Researchers at The Open University have produced a new ‘Grab and Go Guide’ to help improve palliative and end of life care. The easy-to-follow guide draws from research into The Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care: a national framework for local action (2021-2026) and will enable those working in the sector to better […]

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Dr Patrina Law: A quick guide to designing and delivering effective bite-sized learning

11 July 2023

Bite-sized learning can allow for a more targeted and specific learning experience, presenting information in small, focused portions whereby learners can better absorb and process concepts without feeling overwhelmed. Here, Dr Patrina Law, head of OpenLearn at the OU, explores the best way to find out the best ways to deliver bite-size learning: Identify key […]

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Education report highlights challenges of complex learning environments

6 July 2023

This year’s future of education report highlights 10 promising innovations facing learners and educators over the coming years. The Innovating Pedagogy 2023 report, produced by academics in the OU’s Institute of Educational Technology and the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the University of Cape Town, focuses on the challenges where learning takes […]

‘A health scare pushed me to pursue my dreams’

20 June 2023

After a life-threatening illness, Lisa, 43, took the leap and enrolled to study a BA (Honours) Early Childhood with The Open University (OU). Since then, she’s never looked back and says her degree has helped her to land three promotions at work. Mum of two, Lisa was working term-time in a nursery when in the […]

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Category: Education, languages and health