The Open University

Self-improvement through reading: gospel or a tall tale?

23 April 2016

The idea that reading contributes to our self-improvement is so embedded in our culture that we rarely stop to consider it. Edmund King, a Research Associate at The Open University (OU) and one of the lead academics on the Reading Experience Database (RED), examines the experience of readers over a period of a century and asks whether […]

green landscape coming out of the pages of a book

11 tips to help you read outside your comfort zone

23 April 2016

Is your bedside table stacked with crime thrillers, romantic novels or dystopian literature? Never tend to mix your genres, safe in the knowledge that you like what you read? Perhaps you’re missing out, says the OU’s Dr Alex Hobbs, a tutor in the Faculty of Arts. Here she shares her top 10 tips for expanding […]

Dame Judy Dench performance on Shakespeare Live!

For one night only: Shakespeare Live!

22 April 2016

A once-in-a-lifetime cast of actors and musicians will perform in front of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the greatest playwright in history. Shakespeare Live! From the RSC, an OU/BBC co-production in partnership with the RSC, will be broadcast on Saturday 23 April […]

OU tops list of employer-sponsored degree providers

21 April 2016

The Open University has topped a table of providers of employer-sponsored degrees in a new report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). The report – Making a Success of Employer Education – was written by the Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University (LSBU), Professor David Phoenix, and looks at the benefit of employer-sponsored […]

How does the language you use affect others?

19 April 2016

Stress – the focus of Mental Health Awareness Week – is a key factor in mental health, including anxiety and depression. How we talk about depression can have unintended consequences, says Dr Zsofia Demjen, a lecturer in English language and applied linguistics. Using phrases like “I’m so depressed” runs the risk of normalising serious issues […]

Ecuador and Japan earthquakes: Expert Comment

18 April 2016

Earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador have resulted in widespread destruction and many deaths. David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Sciences at The Open University, says that Ecuador’s earthquake at its underground source was about 6 times stronger than in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in southern Japan, and the total energy involved was probably about 20 times greater. […]

No hiding place – Open University leads crackdown on online exam cheating

14 April 2016

Wiping out online exam cheating is the goal of a new Europe-wide taskforce, co-led by The Open University. The £5.5 million programme, in development, aims to create anti-cheating tools in e-learning. These include: biometrics facial recognition voice recognition keystroke recognition digital security methods and anti-plagiarism tools. They will make it possible to be certain of […]

OU academics on the Panama Papers

13 April 2016

Panama Papers is the biggest data leak in history, shining a light on tropical tax havens and the world of offshore banking. Here, two Open University academics – one an expert in personal finance, the other in law – share their views… ‘Dynamic tension’ and reining in of the Duke of Westminster principle By Jonquil […]

Q&A: Does fertility treatment affect breast cancer risk?

13 April 2016

One in eight UK women get breast cancer at some point in their lives. A study out today explores whether there are links between fertility treatments and what can be seen on a breast screening mammogram, and hence possibly to breast cancer risks. The researchers used data from over 43,000 Swedish women who had had […]

The Last Man on the Moon – a moving tale that’ll bring out your inner astronaut

5 April 2016

“Dream the impossible – and go out and make it happen. I walked on the moon. What can’t you do?” These are the final words spoken by Eugene (Gene) Cernan in the documentary film The Last Man on the Moon. They are a challenge, spoken by an man in his 80s, not just to his […]

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