The Open University

FIFA Safeguarding Diploma scores success

30 May 2023

The FIFA Guardians Safeguarding in Sport Diploma, which was developed with experts including academics from The Open University, to strengthen and professionalise safeguarding standards in football, is proving to be a soaring success with almost 90 learners from 70 countries attending the first ever in-person residential workshops. In a milestone moment for the programme, the […]

New research aims to revolutionise care for older people

17 May 2023

New research on social care and older people resulted in a toolkit designed by The Open University aimed at transforming the well-being of older people and staff in the care sector. It is based on an emerging understanding of ‘relational care’ an approach which represents a shift to a more multidirectional flow of care where […]

‘Life gets in the way sometimes, but I’m so glad I didn’t give up’

2 May 2023

With a young family and elderly parents, Miriam, 56, faced some challenges during her studies, but the flexible approach of The Open University (OU) meant that she could step away from her degree and return when ready. Miriam from County Louth in Ireland recently celebrated completing her BSc Open Degree and praises the OU for […]

How to tackle diversity in social work courses in HEIs – academic comment

21 March 2023

Paulette Johnson is a social work academic and The Open University’s academic Lead for Access Participation and Success. Here she shares how the OU is tackling inclusivity within the sector from the inside out. As a former practising social worker, now academic helping to shape the lives of social-work students, I’ve spent 20 years gaining […]

Children and teenagers can carry out valuable wildlife research – here’s how

7 March 2023

Dr Maria Aristeidou is a lecturer at The Open University in technology enhanced learning – here she talks about the part children and teenagers can play in wildlife research through citizen science projects. The environment is in crisis. Young people are calling for environmental action and requesting more education about the environment and the climate […]

OU/BBC co-production goes behind the scenes of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

28 February 2023

Saving Lives in Leeds, a new BBC documentary, produced with the support of two OU academics, features the challenging work of doctors and surgeons at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHT Trust. The eight-part series airs on Wednesday 1st March, 9pm on BBC Two and shows the tough dilemmas that doctors face each day behind the scenes, […]

OU academics’ guidance in poignant BBC programme on autistic adults

15 February 2023

A new two-part BBC series Inside Our Autistic Minds has started giving a revealing look at what goes on in the mind of autistic adults with the help of naturalist Chris Packham who was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2005. With the contributions of two OU academics, Kieron Sheehy, Professor of education, and Fiona Henry senior […]

‘A special school’ airs on BBC Two, BBC Cymru Wales and iPlayer

18 January 2023

Two academics from The Open University used their specialist skills to advise the BBC programme makers on a second series of A Special School, which airs on BBC Two on 20th February at 7pm. The three-part series goes behind the scenes in a compelling observational documentary that shows what is possible when boundaries are pushed. […]

New framework for nursery practitioners shaped by OU research

17 January 2023

Research by Dr Natalie Canning, Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood and Co-Director of The Open University’s (OU) Children’s Research Centre has helped shape a new framework for early childhood practitioners. Created in partnership with the Interactive Learning Diary, the ‘Empowerment Framework’ can be used by practitioners to observe and analyse children’s play and activities to […]

OU to offer £280k to help EdTech companies develop new products

9 January 2023

The Open University (OU) has launched a new online start-up incubator to support businesses that produce educational technology to enhance the learning experience. The EdTech Foundry will give small to medium sized businesses access to the expertise of academics from the OU’s renowned Institute of Educational Technology, as well as a proportion of a £280,000 […]

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Category: Education, languages and health