The Open University

Lifelong learning is the answer for addressing UK skills gaps

2 February 2016

A government plan to fix the foundations of the British economy and boost productivity has failed to acknowledge the benefits of lifelong learning. The Government’s ‘productivity plan’ was published last year, focusing on how to increase UK productivity and growth over the next decade and create a more prosperous nation. But a new report examining […]

Adult education and lifelong learning vital to UK economy

2 February 2016

“Adult education and lifelong learning have a vital role in strengthening the UK’s economy,” and “the Government recognises that there is more to be done to ensure that the UK has the skills and flexibility it needs to grow in the global economy”. That’s according to Baroness Natalie Evans, the UK Government’s Higher Education Spokesperson, […]

30 years on: what the Challenger disaster meant for our race into space

28 January 2016

It was one of those moments you’ll never forget. Thirty years ago, the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch. In an instant, a dream became a tragedy – and all because a small, simple seal had failed in the right solid rocket booster. I remember the event well. I had a dark cubbyhole […]

From Bricks to Clicks: how data could revolutionise Higher Education

26 January 2016

Sharing student data in the Higher Education sector will “revolutionise” and introduce a “step-change” in the student experience, according to experts at The Open University. Impact of data sharing in Higher Education explored in new report OU experts endorse the sharing of student data across institutions Using data could improve the student experience and enhance […]

Why English language lessons are not the answer to radicalisation

26 January 2016

David Cameron used an article in The Times and an interview on Radio 4’s Today show to announce £20m of extra funding to provide English lessons for Muslim women in the UK to prevent them from becoming “second-class citizens”. The prime minister’s announcement has come in for harsh criticism, particularly his implication that not speaking […]

How to bump up your credit score

25 January 2016

Debt is cheap right now, but only if you can get someone to offer you a deal. The low interest rate environment has pushed rates on mortgages and loans to record lows, but at the same time, banks have tightened up their lending policies. Whether you get credit – and the interest rate you’ll pay […]

Academics urge better investigation into toxic air fumes in aircraft

23 January 2016

Studies into the impact of toxic air fumes in aircraft cabins are not rigorous enough, academics are saying. They have been examining the research. They say governments and industry need to look closely at the issue to give a definitive answer to concerns about health risks. Dr Gini Harrison, a Lecturer in Psychology at The […]

OU/BBC series explores the language of William Shakespeare

23 January 2016

Have you ever wondered why a person might wear their heart on their sleeve? Or why the world is your oyster? These literary expressions – and hundreds more – that still feature in everyday conversations are the invention of one of the greatest writers and the subject of a new OU/BBC series, Shakespeare Speaks. 20 […]

Finding out why women don’t rise to the top of the UK’s IT crowd

22 January 2016

Where are all the top women in IT in the UK? OU research is investigating this very question to see why there is a lack of women working in highly-skilled roles in the tech sector. The team will compare the UK and India, looking at the employment of women in this industry in both countries. […]

Hand holding up two scales. Image credit: Thinkstock

‘Enormously damaging’: OU experts on inequality and poverty report

21 January 2016

Global inequality is reaching new extremes, according to a new report by Oxfam which states that the richest one per cent of the population have more wealth than the rest of the world combined. The report puts power, privilege and the plight against poverty under the microscope and claims “the fight against poverty will not […]

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