The Open University

Can you learn a language with an app? What the research says

5 June 2018

Language learning apps are very popular in app stores worldwide – and are said to be revolutionising language learning. These apps offer opportunities to practise grammar and can be a very rewarding way to learn vocabulary. But there has been discussion about just how effective such apps can be – particularly when it comes to […]

Fuego volcano: the deadly pyroclastic flows that have killed dozens in Guatemala

5 June 2018

Dozens of people have been killed, and with many more missing, after Volcán de Fuego (Fuego) in Guatemala erupted on June 3 2018. In recent years, Fuego has regularly ejected small gas and ash eruptions, which hold little risk to surrounding populations. But Fuego also has a reputation for producing larger explosive eruptions. These larger […]

Spain’s prime minister loses no-confidence vote: what next?

4 June 2018

Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, has been forced to resign by his national parliament, which voted by 180 seats to 169 in favour of a motion of no-confidence in his leadership. The vote indicates that the Spanish electorate’s patience with corruption is at an end – and puts the country on an uncertain path […]

Expert comment: Fuego eruption is not a ‘river of lava’

4 June 2018

Professor David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences, explains more about what is happening in Guatemala: “The cause of most deaths at the current eruption of Fuego (Guatemala) is being widely reported as a ‘river of lava‘. This is probably an inexpert description or a mistranslation. Fuego does not characteristically produce long fluid lava flows like […]

A PhD isn’t possible with three children, is it? Diane would argue otherwise

1 June 2018

Originally from the Isles of Scilly, in 2009, Diane Coral Turner, 42, enrolled on her part-time PhD with The Open University, collaborating with Amersham Hospital and Medical Detection Dogs to develop techniques for diagnosing bladder cancer. After having a child in 2010 and twins in 2012, she wanted a break from study. When her twins […]

Icy dunes on Pluto: spacecraft reveals new details about planet’s surface

1 June 2018

When Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930, he could not have known that he was opening a whole field of science that is only now coming into its own: the study of planetary landscapes, or comparative planetary morphology. Since the announcement of Pluto’s discovery, the body has been a subject of much speculation: even from […]

Jonathan Nicholls named as the OU’s new Acting University Secretary

31 May 2018

The Open University has appointed Dr Jonathan Nicholls as its Acting University Secretary. He will take up the post in mid-July on the departure of the current University Secretary, Keith Zimmerman. Expertise in higher education Dr Nicholls has long expertise and experience in higher education. He has previously served as the principal administrative officer at […]

Abandoned by the British, Afghan interpreters explain how they wait for years seeking safety

30 May 2018

When the British began to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan in 2012, the Afghan civilians they employed as interpreters, cooks and security guards, became even more exposed to threats, losing the limited protection that military bases granted them. In recognition of their work and its risks, the UK government put two schemes in place. The […]

Popularity of ‘Donald’ plunges as ‘Melania’ rises: how names accrue social meaning

24 May 2018

While his overall approval ratings might remain surprisingly upbeat, there’s one poll in which “The Donald” has seen a consistent decline. As Time magazine announced in 2017: “The Popularity of ‘Donald’ as a Baby Name Has Hit an All-Time Low.” And this downward trend has continued in 2018. According to social security data, fewer people […]

Phasing out of Government grant underlines need for new funding system

24 May 2018

The UK Government has confirmed the final phase of its staged reduction of direct grants to The Open University. Teaching grant in England fallen by 80% Government support for students in England – paid through the teaching grant – has now fallen by 80 per cent since the university funding reforms of 2012. The latest […]

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