The Open University

Presenter of the programme, Tommy Jessop

Tonight’s Panorama investigates deaths of people with a learning disability

7 October 2022

Tonight, a new OU/BBC programme, Panorama: Will the NHS Care for Me? airs on BBC1 at 20:00* and is available on BBC iPlayer. In this programme, co-produced by the BBC and the OU’s Broadcast and Partnerships team, Line of Duty actor and campaigner, Tommy Jessop investigates why people with a learning disability are more than […]

Three women from the England football celebrating their win

Top 5 ways to champion women in sport

22 September 2022

Serena Williams’ recent announcement that she is stepping down from professional tennis as the sport isn’t conducive with being a mother, has highlighted one of the barriers that women face in the industry. Women and girls, taking part in sport and fitness at all levels, from elite performers to those attending a weekly fitness class, […]

New BBC Bitesize series lifts the lid on lesser-known healthcare careers

1 September 2022

A new digital series on healthcare careers launches today (1 September) on BBC Bitesize and OU Connect. Co-produced by the BBC and The Open University (OU), the series of ten informative short films delves into the lesser-known roles in the healthcare sector through the eyes of those starting out in their careers and the people […]

Tennis player, Serena Williams waving at the crowd

Serena Williams: why many female athletes feel pressure to retire after becoming mothers

23 August 2022

Candice Lingam-Willgoss, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Fitness at The Open University writes for The Conversation about the pressures women face having to choose between being a mother or continuing their athletic career. Serena Williams has announced she’s retiring from tennis. During her career, the 40-year-old has often been hailed as the best female tennis […]

OU student Emily Jackson outside her place of work

‘I want to make a difference to people’s lives’ says nurse apprentice Emily

8 August 2022

Emily Jackson always knew she wanted a career helping others. But it wasn’t until she witnessed the ‘amazing’ end of life care her grandad received from nurses that she found her vocation. Inspired to one day don her own nursing scrubs, Emily set out to retrain. At 25, she’s now part-way through her Registered Nurse […]

OU delivers opportunity for FE colleges in England to boost their technical skills offer

14 July 2022

Further education colleges in England can now apply to access support from The Open University to boost their higher technical education provision. The scheme is backed by £10 million of UK Government funding and is designed to increase the number of communities that can access high-quality, higher, technical education locally. Under the scheme, the OU […]

Female noise and vibration engineer oversees student testing vibrations through software

Future of education is identified in the OU’s Innovating Pedagogy Report 2022

7 July 2022

‘Dual learning scenarios’ and ‘influencer-led education’ feature among the top 10 approaches to learning and teaching in this year’s landmark edition of the Innovating Pedagogy Report from The Open University. Every year academic researchers at the OU’s Institute of Educational Technology explore new advancements in pedagogy and how they can be effective in different learning, […]

New BBC/ OU series explores the unheard voices of the AIDS crisis

24 June 2022

On Monday (27 June), an innovative three-part documentary series starts on BBC 2, which tells the story of the British AIDS crisis as it’s never been told before. Co-produced by the BBC and The Open University, AIDS: The Unheard Tapes begins 40 years ago when a mysterious disease first appeared in Britain’s gay community. A […]

Sensitive topics: why studying them at a distance needs extra care

23 May 2022

Academic study can sometimes mean students cover difficult themes; reading, watching or hearing accounts and taking in information which can be shocking or even a reminder of a highly personal past or present experience. A team of researchers at The Open University (OU) are investigating how the OU’s students emotionally experience and deal with such […]

OU/BBC production airs about Joe Wicks and his difficult childhood

13 May 2022

The nation’s favourite PE teacher Joe Wicks appeared on the small screen recently to show how the mental health of parents can affect their children. In Joe Wicks: facing my childhood, an Open University co-production with the BBC, he opens up about the effect his own parents’ mental health issues, which were not talked about […]

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Category: Education, languages and health