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Science, Maths & Technology
Design in a nutshell
Get the lowdown on 6 key design movements and share your design alter-ego
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Education & Development
Design thinking cards
The welcome pack that is sent with our first level module (U101) is designed to get you thinking differently about objects that are familiar to us all.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Design thinking
Are you ever frustrated with something that you thought you could design better? This free course, Design thinking, will show you how to structure your natural creativity to come up with solutions to all kinds of problems, and have fun in the process too!
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design ecologies animation
This animation explores why a whole systems approach to design is important. It uses the example of a smartphone to illustrate the need to shift from linear to regenerative resource flows.
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Science, Maths & Technology
A brief introduction to co-design
Co-design is becoming important in the face of complex social, political, environmental, educational and technological issues.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Design
This free course looks at the process of design, from assessing the complexity of design as an activity to exposing the difficulty in making general conclusions about how designers work. You will be able to identify innovation in a wide variety of designed objects and evaluate the impact of this innovation.
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Education & Development
Essential skills for OU study
Feeling prepared for your module? Our short collection of free courses covers the essential skills to get the most from your studies.
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level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Am I ready to be a distance learner?
Distance learning can open up opportunities for study. You might have not studied for a while, you might be returning to education, or you might not have had the chance to study at a higher level before. This free course, Am I ready to be a distance learner?, will help to boost your confidence. You'll explore useful skills so you can discover ...
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Nature & Environment
Climate change and renewable energy
Human-induced climate change and resulting extreme weather events are an increasing and serious threat to the Earth’s ecosystems. This free course, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, describes the basic science of the greenhouse effect and how it has been modified by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. It describes the ...
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level 1: introductory icon
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Money & Business
Exploring career mentoring and coaching
This free course, Exploring career mentoring and coaching, will explain what mentors and career coaches do and how a colleague or expert who can ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and help an individual to find the best solutions for themselves, can make a significant difference in a wide range of situations and contexts.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Studying design at The Open University: a rewarding journey
In this video, two design students share their distance learning journey and offer helpful tips to prospective students.
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Science, Maths & Technology
How can we design for resilience?
The term ‘resilience’ has become a buzzword, yet endures as a meaningful concept offering a valuable toolset for design. This article, drawn from over a decade of practice in design for resilience, will suggest how resilience concepts can be enabling for working with urgent change and sustainability in design.