The Open University

FutureLearn to deliver digital skills programmes in new Institute of Coding initiative

25 February 2019

The Open University (OU)’s social learning platform FutureLearn is to deliver digital skills programmes as part of the Institute of Coding (IoC), a multi-million pound initiative. The FutureLearn platform, which is wholly-owned by the OU, will deliver digital skills courses from the University of Leeds, Lancaster University, Goldsmiths and the Creative Computing Institute at the University […]

Report finds an urgent need for independent regulation of social media

18 February 2019

On Monday 18 February 2019, the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee published its long awaited final report on Disinformation and ‘fake news’. The report covered an enquiry that spanned 18 months, oral evidence from 73 witnesses including The Open University, over 4350 questions and a final ‘International Grand Committee’ meeting in November 2018. Its […]

LGBT History Month: a retrospective on Alan Turing

15 February 2019

February of each year is LBGT History Month, a month-long focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, with the overall aim of promoting equality and diversity, and increasing the visibility of the LGBT community. Professor Sophie Grace Chappell, Professor of Philosophy at The Open University, regularly writes about her own experiences as transgender, as well as discussing […]

OU Student Volunteers explain how they give back

14 February 2019

Last year, more than 570 Open University students volunteered through The Open University Students Association (OUSA). During Student Volunteering Week, we wanted to find out more about why people choose to volunteer, the roles that are open to OU students, and hear about some of their experiences. Huge variety of volunteering opportunities Beth Metcalf, Head […]

Teens sleep debate is a health issue, says OU academic

11 February 2019

As MPs debate whether the school day should start later, The OU’s Dr Paul Kelley said there are biological reasons why teenagers do stay up late and lie in longer. A petition of more than 179,000 signatures online has sparked the debate on Monday February 11 in Parliament, focused on schools in England, to consider […]

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week

8 February 2019

Mental health problems affect 1 in 10 children and young people, with more than half (56%) saying that they worry ‘all the time’ about at least one thing to do with their school life, home life or themselves. As we mark Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (4-10 February), Dr Jackie Musgrave, Programme Leader for Early Childhood and Primary […]

Free functional skills courses launched by OU with Further Education Colleges

8 February 2019

A new scheme to bring free Level 1 Functional Skills courses to tens of thousands of people via online learning has been launched by the OU in partnership with Further Education (FE) Colleges in England. It will help people develop basic skills in English and Maths by studying on the OpenLearn platform, and they can […]

Researchers challenge sea level stats, but warn forecast still poor

7 February 2019

Researchers, including academics from The Open University (OU), say predictions about rising sea levels may not be as high as feared. But they warn that unless there is a drastic reduction in carbon emissions, sea levels will keep rising. In a research paper, just published in the journal Nature, they suggest that sea level rise could […]

Karolien Verheyen: Sarcoidosis diagnosis was my study inspiration

7 February 2019

In 2007, Karolien Verheyen was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare condition that causes small patches of red and swollen tissue (granulomas) to develop in the body’s organs. Her diagnosis led Karolien to find out more about how the human body functions and she registered for a module in human biology with The Open University, later […]

Time to Talk Day – importance of friendship

6 February 2019

On the 7 February 2019, it’s Time to Talk Day – a day to encourage conversations about mental health and raise funds and awareness for charities, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. Mental health affects one in four of us each year in the UK, with anxiety and depression being the most common problems. Even with so […]

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