The family at the centre of early learning
This free course, The family at the centre of early learning, focuses on the positive learning relationships that can exist in any family and how ordinary, everyday domestic activities can sustain learning. You will consider how the traditions and cultural practices of the community to which the family belongs filters through to the child’s experiences. In doing so you will think about why such influences may not have a uniform impact from family to family. You will also explore how learning i
Introduction This course looks at how parents encourage the development of new skills in their children in the informal setting of the home. The use of video observation of small children by psychologists is analysed and some of the key concepts in developmental psychology that explain teaching and learning interactions between parents/caregivers and their children are explained. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of postgraduate study in Author(s):
Networked practitioner: open or closed practice?
This free course, Networked practitioner: open or closed practice?, starts a debate to support the decision-making process around openness and the different preferences we each have.
First published on Tue, 10 Apr 2018 as Author(s):
Open education
There are many different 'flavours' or interpretations of what openness means in education. This free course, Open education, is an example of a massive open online course (MOOC) and spans seven weeks. Like all the free materials on OpenLearn, this course is open to the wider world but, uniquely, it also forms part of the module for students who are studying the Open University course H817 Openness and innovation in elearning.Author(s):
Essay and report writing skills
Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes. First published on Fri, 26 Apr 2019 as Author(s):
1.1 Introduction In this course we look at an outline of the stages involved in the development of a database. We consider the broader issue of how to decide what should be in a database and how to structure the tables that should be included. Our aim is to give you a basic development method so that you can see how a basic database system is developed. We don't argue that this specific method is the most applicable to any given situation – however, we do consider that this method is straightforward and wil
Taking your first steps into higher education
What is university study like? Is it for me? If you are asking yourself these questions, this free course is for you. Taking your first steps into higher education provides insights into how subjects are studied at university. This introduction to carefully selected materials helps you decide what you might want to study. You will be looking at three main areas: arts and humanities; the social sciences; and maths, technology and science.
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Introduction This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course L120 Ouverture: intermediate French. This OpenLearn course provides a sample of level 1 study in French.
Beginners’ German: Food and drink
This free course, Beginners' German: Food and drink, provides materials at German for beginners level that support the development of listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The content focus is on food, restaurants and eating habits. The course also gives examples of how grammar, vocabulary, cultural aspects and study skills are taught in the Beginners' German module.
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Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German
This free course, Intermediate German: Understanding spoken German, is aimed at intermediate learners of German with an interest in language and culture. The six-hour-course is designed to develop your understanding of spoken German through video portraits of people in the German cities of Hamburg and Passau. It introduces you to naturally spoken language, and gives clear advice on how to use video resources as a useful and enjoyable learning tool. Through completing varied activities you will i
Introduction This free OpenLearn course is taken from Portales: beginners' Spanish, an Open University language course that concentrates on Spanish as a tool for communication, but also provides some insights into Hispanic societies and cultures through authentic printed and audio materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in Spanish. This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the first edition o
Making sense of mental health problems
Over the past century there has been a radical shift in responses to people who experience mental health problems. In this free course, Making sense of mental health problems, you will learn about how key perspectives in the field have made sense of mental health problems. By directly relating key perspectives to a case study, you will reflect on how the medical perspective, psychological perspective and social need perspective come to make sense of mental ill-health.Author(s):
Get started with online learning
This free course will explain how you can study online without putting the rest of your life on hold.
First published on Tue, 19 Feb 2019 as Get started with online learning. To find out more visit The Open University's Author(s):
Wordsworth re-visited
Renowned as one the key figures of Romanticism, William Wordsworth broke through poetic traditions and barriers to produce verse that redefined the principles underlying the writing of poetry, placing the poet's emotions and interaction with a natural, pastoral world at the centre of poetic philosophy. Wordsworth's influences are a topic of immense academic debate, and this album provides a concise and distinct introduction to the many literary, political and cultural shifts that informed and in
Exploring History: Medieval to Modern 1400 - 1900
Ever wanted to understand the key themes driving over five hundred years of European history? In this album, architecture reveals the social, religious and economic fortunes of some of the most influential people between 1400 and 1900. By the end of the 19th century Queen Victoria presided over the vast British Empire. She looked out from London, the heart of her empire, with its buildings echoing Imperial Rome. Brussels’ architecture, like London’s, was also designed to show the world the p
Art and architecture
The Louvre was designed to house a great art collection for the people of France. Was there a plan from the outset to build a canon of work where the relationships between artists, their origins, their schools and faiths could be traced across centuries? And how did architect I.M.Pei persuade President Mitterrand to allow a pyramid to be built at the Louvre? The album goes on to explore how architecture can reflect relationships between different traditions. Two great buildings, Palladio’s chu
Children and young people: food and food marketing
This free course, Children and young people: food and food marketing, examines food as a health issue and addresses children and young people’s agency and their rights. It addresses obesity, food marketing and also food as a way of expressing children’s and young people’s identities (family, class, cultural, generational). Discussing key issues that in research and thinking about food, including how policies tackling obesity are framed, it draws across work from Childhood and Youth Studies
Beginners’ French: Food and drink
Improve your language skills by learning to communicate more easily and effectively in French. In this free course, Beginners' French: Food and drink, you will also gain an insight into French societies and cultures through focusing on food and drink. You will listen to French speakers in a variety of situations, and you will be provided with some skills for coping with reading texts.
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Leadership and followership
This free course, Leadership and followership, will help you to explore what makes a good leader, recognise common leadership challenges, and identify the skills you need to develop if you want to enhance your own leadership experience. First published on Thu, 09 Aug 2018 as Author(s):
Acknowledgements The content acknowledged below is Proprietary (see terms and conditions) and is used under licence. Course image: Courtesy of banlon1964 Flickr [accessed 27 October 2006] All other material within this course originated at the Open University Don't miss out: If reading this text has inspired you to learn more, you may be interested in joining the millions of people who discover our free learning resources and qualifications by visiting The Open University -
