The Open University

How to better understand space, time, infinity… and beyond

21 December 2022

A new free OpenLearn course is to take people on a journey of discovery to explore a range of scientific fields and gain a deeper understanding of topics such as space, time and infinity. It’s based on the book “What We Cannot Know” by celebrated mathematics Professor Marcus du Sautoy, who has helped design the […]

Top 10 OpenLearn courses of 2022

20 December 2022

It’s been quite a year for The Open University’s free learning site, OpenLearn, as it reached the ripe old age of 16 and celebrated over 100 million visitors to the site. With the cost-of-living crisis hitting, the superb ‘Academy of Money’ course in partnership with Money Saving Expert has helped over 50,000 people to get […]

OpenLearn marks UK Parliament Week with new ‘social change’ course

14 November 2022

If you want to know how to make political and social change then The Open University’s OpenLearn platform has the answer. In celebration of the annual UK Parliament Week, from 14-20 November, which the OU partners with, OpenLearn is highlighting a new course designed for the young and old titled: Introduction to making political and […]

OpenLearn’s ‘Race and Ethnicity Hub’ wins prestigious award

21 October 2022

The Open University’s (OU) free learning site, OpenLearn has won an award at this year’s Open Education Awards for Excellence for it’s Race and Ethnicity Hub, which was launched following the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Winner of the ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion‘ award for its outstanding contribution to the open education community, the […]

Black History Month: the OU’s ‘Race and Ethnicity Hub’ shows past and present ideas of race and racism

6 October 2022

The Open University’s OpenLearn is drawing people’s attention to Black History Month (BHM) through its ‘race and ethnicity hub’ to help people understand historic and contemporary ideas of race and racism. It was developed after the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and draws together a collection of existing and new free resources including articles, […]

OU’s free learning site turns 15 and reaches 100m visitors

12 January 2022

The Open University’s (OU) free learning site, OpenLearn, is celebrating a milestone after clocking up 100 million visitors in the 15 years since it was launched. Established as a trailblazing open educational resource, OpenLearn has successfully broken down barriers to education, with over a thousand courses and 15,000 hours of educational interactives, videos and articles. […]

Killer in the Car Park – Forensics: The Real CSI returns

1 December 2021

The programme that gives viewers unique access to the work of forensic scientists is making a return to our screens. Forensics: The Real CSI is co-produced by The Open University and the BBC and the series continues with series 2 (episode 7) Killer in the Car Park, which airs Monday December 6 at 9pm on […]

OpenLearn win prestigious education award for its resilience during the pandemic

10 November 2021

OpenLearn, the free learning platform delivered by The Open University, has been named as a winner in the Open Education (OE) Global 2021 Open Education Awards for Excellence, due to its impressive response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The team won the Open Resilience Award which recognises the exemplary leadership and open educational practices implemented during […]

OU academics get funding for Mars research

15 September 2021

Martians may be the preserve of 20th Century science fiction writers but planetary scientists are still fascinated with Mars and the possibility that primitive life-forms once existed – and if evidence of that remains today. Now two Open University academics have been awarded combined funding of over £200,000 to help unlock the secrets of the […]

No holds barred for Roy when it comes to lifelong learning

13 September 2021

From lessons in cyber security to secrets of the night sky, 93-year-old pensioner Roy Palmer has enjoyed more than 60 free courses online to keep up learning in his later years. The Cheltenham care home resident has gained knowledge and been entertained by the wealth of courses he’s taken on the OU’s home of free […]

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