The Open University

Universities challenged to abandon ‘Fortress Mentality’ to aid students

23 November 2017

Universities must abandon their “fortress thinking” and awaken to the challenges of operating in a fully digital world, the vice-chancellor of The Open University has said. In a public lecture at the University of Durham, Peter Horrocks warned that too many universities still function according to parameters established in medieval times. He argued for greater […]

Budget 2017: The expert’s view – investment in technology

23 November 2017

The UK chancellor of the exchequer, Philip Hammond, has delivered his budget stating that the government will “invest over £500m in a range of initiatives from Artificial Intelligence, to 5G and full fibre broadband”. OU business expert Peter Bloom delivers his verdict on what, if any, impact this will have on innovation for UK business. […]

OU awarded £500,000 to support disabled veterans

22 November 2017

The OU has been awarded £500,000 to support scholarships for disabled veterans, empowering former Armed Forces personnel to enhance their skills and fulfil their potential. Awarded by the UK Government, the contribution of £500,000 from the LIBOR Fund will support The Open University Disabled Veterans Fund. This will help tap a huge pool of talent by supporting former […]

Scientists discover evidence of recent water flows on Mars

22 November 2017

A team of scientists led by The Open University has discovered evidence of recent glacial meltwater on Mars, despite the widely-held view that the recent climate was too cold for ice to melt. Planetary scientists from the OU, in collaboration with University College Dublin, the University of Cambridge and the University of Nantes (CNRS), have […]

Discovery of cigar-shaped asteroid from outer space could help unveil secrets of extrasolar worlds

21 November 2017

It came from outer space … and went back there two weeks later, having astonished and excited astronomers and planetary scientists. A cigar-shaped object, less than half a kilometre long and barely bright enough to be detected by the world’s most powerful telescopes, payed us a flying visit in October this year – reminding us […]

Budget 2017: Reducing VAT threshold is a stealthy tax rise for small businesses

21 November 2017

Ahead of this year’s Autumn Budget, we asked OU lecturer in personal finance, Jonquil Lowe, about one of the key issues expected to come up – what the anticipated reduction in the VAT threshold will mean, if you have a small business or are self-employed. Jonquil’s thoughts ahead of Budget 2017 “Self-employment is often a […]

From Ayurveda to biomedicine: understanding the human body

20 November 2017

What is a human body? This may seem a facetious question, but the answer will be very different according to which medical tradition you consult. Take Ayurveda, a traditional system of medical knowledge from India which has enjoyed a renaissance of popularity in the West since the 1980s – and is the subject of a […]

Fixing the broken market in part-time study

16 November 2017

Open University says part-time students ‘learning while earning’ need direct funding A new report by The Open University, “Fixing the Broken Market in Part-Time study”, published on the website of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), says the collapse in part-time higher education is a symptom of a broken market It says part-time higher education can support […]

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain

15 November 2017

In 1940, during the Blitz, an unexploded bomb on Martindale Road in London led to residents being evacuated to a local school, where they were told to wait for buses that would take them to safety. But the buses never came. Instead, the people sheltering in the school became a sitting target for returning bombers […]

7 creative ways teachers can get kids writing

14 November 2017

Professor of Literacy, Teresa Cremin, is working on a new research project to develop teachers’ skills as writers, in order to help develop the confidence and motivation of students. Here she shares seven ways that teachers can get their students into writing: 1. Clear time and space, and ‘just write’ Help children to turn off their […]

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