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Different cultures, different childhoods

Different cultures, different childhoods Copyrighted imageCredit: Corbis
Introductory Level Duration 10 mins Updated 26 Mar 2013
A 'normal' childhood depends on where you live and when you're born. Heather Montgomery wonders how some common British practices might look to other cultures.

What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)?

What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)? Creative commons imageCredit: Ms. Tina under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 licence
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 31 Jul 2012
Find out more about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety related disorder in which people worry excessively about particular issues

What is dyslexia?

What is dyslexia? Creative commons imageCredit: Les Cunliffe | Dreamstime.com
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 31 Jul 2012
Find out more about dyslexia, a learning difficulty that causes people to experience problems in learning to read and spell fluently

OU on the BBC: Growing Children

OU on the BBC: Growing Children Copyrighted imageCredit: BBC
Introductory Level Duration 10 mins Updated 26 Jul 2012
Growing Children is a brand a new documentary series looking at how autism, dyslexia and OCD affect how children learn and grow 

OU on the BBC: The Invention of Childhood

OU on the BBC: The Invention of Childhood Copyrighted imageCredit: Corbis
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 18 May 2012
The invention of childhood is a major 30 part history series exploring British childhood and the experience of British children.

Engaging children and adults when there is problematic alcohol and drug use

Engaging children and adults when there is problematic alcohol and drug use Copyrighted imageCredit: Andy Taylor
Introductory Level Duration 10 mins Updated 07 Feb 2012
 Providing professional help to families where alcohol or drugs are being used requires a delicate approach, explains Andy Taylor.

OU on the BBC: Protecting Our Children

OU on the BBC: Protecting Our Children Copyrighted imageCredit: Sacha Mirzoeff
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 30 Jan 2012
Follow a Bristol social work team through a year of tough decisions and complex caseloads.

Winning trust: Making Protecting Our Children

Winning trust: Making Protecting Our Children Copyrighted imageCredit: Sacha Mirzoeff
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 30 Jan 2012
Social workers aren't always welcome visitors - so how do you persuade people to let a camera crew in as well? It was just one...

Stress and rewards: My life as a social worker

Stress and rewards: My life as a social worker Copyrighted imageCredit: Sacha Mirzoeff
Introductory Level Duration 5 mins Updated 25 Jan 2012
What's it really like being a social worker? Ellen Parker - one of the team shadowed for Protecting Our Children - shares the highs and...

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Children and young people’s participation

Free Course
Children and young people’s participation
Masters Level Duration 12 hours Updated 22 May 2013
Listening to children is a first step in the participation agenda, which is reasonably well established. By contrast, enabling children to share in decision making...

Introducing observational approaches in research with children and young people

Free Course
Introducing observational approaches in research with children and young people Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Advanced Level Duration 9 hours Updated 22 May 2013
This unit introduces you to analysing academic writing and, in particular, the way an article might be structured to clearly explain an investigation to other...

Children and violence: An introductory, international and interdisciplinary approach

Free Course
Children and violence: An introductory, international and interdisciplinary approach Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Intermediate Level Duration 20 hours Updated 22 May 2013
Children are subject to many forms of adversity, for example, poverty or ill health. However, a significant form of adversity experienced by children in many...

Teaching citizenship: Work and the economy

Free CourseFeaturing: Activity
Teaching citizenship: Work and the economy Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Intermediate Level Duration 10 hours Updated 22 May 2013
The issue of ‘citizenship, work and the economy’ is often neglected in everyday discussions of citizenship. But a moment's reflection should demonstrate how important it...

Encouraging book talk in the school library

Free Course
Encouraging book talk in the school library Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Introductory Level Duration 4 hours Updated 22 May 2013
As adults we sometimes struggle to justify our feelings about particular books, but children are quite clear about what they like and don't like. It...

Knowledge in everyday life

Free CourseFeaturing: Video
Knowledge in everyday life Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Introductory Level Duration 12 hours Updated 22 May 2013
This unit is designed to help those working with children between the ages of 3 and 8. You will be encouraged to explore your knowledge,...

Working together for children: Stirling

Free CourseFeaturing: Video
Working together for children: Stirling Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Advanced Level Duration 10 hours Updated 22 May 2013
The care of children, especially those with disabilities, is surrounded by complex issues. Learning to navigate these difficulties while helping children to lead a happy...

Children living in different settings

Free Course
Children living in different settings Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Intermediate Level Duration 8 hours Updated 22 May 2013
Most children live with a parent or parents, with siblings and relatives and with family pets in the family home, but many children do not...

Parents as partners

Free Course
Parents as partners Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Introductory Level Duration 16 hours Updated 22 May 2013
In this unit we look at the notion of parents as partners. We identify a cluster of reasons why partnership is considered important -...

Play, learning and the brain

Free CourseFeaturing: Activity
Play, learning and the brain Copyrighted imageCredit: Used with permission
Intermediate Level Duration 15 hours Updated 22 May 2013
This unit examines the area of the brain based learning with a particular focus on the development of the young child's brain and is of...