The Open University

Lift in visitors to OU’s one-stop-shop for free learning

23 March 2020

The Open University has seen a huge spike in visitors to its free online learning platform OpenLearn to access its health, wellbeing and educational content in a time of huge societal need. The popular online site is The Open University’s home of free learning, offering a chance for anyone to explore relevant topics, from teaching […]

‘Tis the Season for studying – the free OpenLearn courses to keep your mind active this festive break

23 December 2019

It’s been a big year for The Open University’s free learning platform, OpenLearn. With over 8.9m visitors to the site in the past 12 months, more people than ever are using its wealth of free courses, interactives, videos and articles to expand their knowledge. To coincide with the OU’s 50th anniversary, OpenLearn launched its 50th […]

Blue Planet Live: BBC/OU series celebrates marine life characters

24 March 2019

An exciting week of programmes, delving into the depths of marine life around the globe – begins on Sunday 24 March, in a series co-produced by the BBC and The Open University. Blue Planet Live will aim to assess the state of the world’s seas, following three different marine hotspots: Mexico, Bahamas and the Great […]

Free functional skills courses launched by OU with Further Education Colleges

8 February 2019

A new scheme to bring free Level 1 Functional Skills courses to tens of thousands of people via online learning has been launched by the OU in partnership with Further Education (FE) Colleges in England. It will help people develop basic skills in English and Maths by studying on the OpenLearn platform, and they can […]

OpenLearn hits 60 million visitors

18 October 2018

That’s 60 million people who have benefitted from OpenLearn’s mission to make informal learning freely available and accessible to people around the world, regardless of their prior educational record, or financial situation. Launched in 2006, OpenLearn is the home of free learning from The Open University. The site currently averages 44,000 visitors a day, across […]

OU launches plastic waste initiative with BBC

28 July 2018

Following the impact of Blue Planet II, The Open University (OU) and the BBC have launched an online platform, which brings together programmes and resources to help us understand plastics, the impact they have on the environment, and top tips to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. Plastics Watch brings together engaging and interactive content […]

‘Open’ education – a celebration of knowledge sharing

7 March 2018

Education is all about sharing; sharing information and sharing knowledge. Open Education Week (Monday 5 – Friday 9 March 2018) is a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its goal is to raise awareness of the Open Education movement, which combines learning with modern technologies, such as the internet, so that anyone can share education resources and […]

Blue Planet II a big hit with younger audiences

10 November 2017

Recent figures show the first episode of Blue Planet II was watched by 2.3 million viewers aged 16 – 34, with a total of 14 million throughout the UK tuning in. The new series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in partnership with OU and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, brings audiences closer to […]

11 top tips to become a financially savvy teen

3 November 2017

According to research from by the OU’s True Potential Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance (PUFin) a staggering one in seven 18 year olds is already in debt. Almost two-thirds (60%) of them admit they owe money to payday loan companies – £168 each on average. Excluding more traditional student borrowing, the research found that these […]

Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

OU/BBC documentary reveals the secrets of the human body

25 September 2017

In a landmark series, the BBC reveals the secrets of the human body and what biological and chemical processes support life. Produced in partnership with The Open University, Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed, will be broadcast on BBC Two on Monday 25 September 2017, 9pm. In this three-part series, doctors and presenters, Chris and […]

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