Education & Development
Supporting children's development
Supporting children’s development is an introductory course for anyone who is interested in children’s development, especially support staff in schools, such as teaching assistants. It builds on your knowledge and skills to develop a deeper understanding of children from the early years to school leavers. You will be introduced to some core ideas surrounding development and learning, behaviour, special needs and disabilities.
Education & Development
Introduction to child psychology
Childhood is a time of rapid growth and development, and studying these changes is endlessly stimulating. In this free course, Introduction to child psychology, you will be introduced to the discipline of child psychology and some of the key questions that guide the understanding of childhood. These questions include 'What influences children's development?' and 'How do psychologists study the physical and cognitive changes that occur during childhood?' As you work through this material, you will also gain a deeper understanding concerning how psychologists work with young children across a range of applied settings through activities and audio-visual materials.
Health, Sports & Psychology
Exploring learning disabilities: supporting belonging
This free course, Exploring learning disabilities: supporting belonging, takes the real-life cases of a number of different people to explore what it is like to have the label ‘learning disability’. The course also considers how it feels to support someone with a learning disability, as a family member, a friend, an advocate or a paid worker. Through these human stories the course considers the complex moral, ethical and practical debates learning disability gives rise to.
Languages
Intermediate Spanish: A trip across Latin America
In this free course you will embark on a journey off the beaten track, to see the natural wonders of Latin America and some of its people. Intermediate Spanish: A trip across Latin America invites you to discover how people in South and Central America have adapted to the different environments which have created the conditions in which they live. You will be able to listen to and read the personal stories of both locals and visitors, and you will improve your language skills by practising expressing uncertainty, opinions and concerns in Spanish.
Education & Development
Child development and learning activities
Are you a parent? Do you work with young children? We've put together a variety of FREE fun tasks to share with your children to help aid them in their learning and development.
Languages
Intermediate German: The world of work
This free course, Intermediate German: The world of work, concentrates on developing cultural knowledge and practical language skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and interacting in a variety of situations. The course will be of interest to anyone who wants to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in German. It focuses on talking about and reflecting on work and the development of professional lives in the future.
Languages
Beginners’ German: Food and drink
This free course, Beginners' German: Food and drink, provides materials that support the development of listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The content focuses on food, restaurants and eating habits. The course also gives examples of how grammar, vocabulary, cultural aspects and study skills are taught by the OU in the Beginners' German module.
Health, Sports & Psychology
Exploring sport coaching and psychology
This free course, Exploring sport coaching and psychology, investigates how scientific and management ideas contribute to success while also taking you on a journey through unique sporting case studies and insights that will change how you view and study sport. You will consider how the mind, the body, the environment and training techniques all contribute to optimum fitness.
Health, Sports & Psychology
Living with a learning disability
Take our interactive to find out if people with learning disabilities have more independence now institutions are closed and if it has led to a greater inclusion within local communities.
Languages
Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French
This free course, Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French, is aimed at intermediate learners of French with an interest in language and culture. It is designed to develop your understanding of spoken French through six video portraits of people living in the Touraine region in France and in Brussels in Belgium. It introduces you to naturally spoken language, and gives clear advice on how to use authentic video resources as a useful and enjoyable learning tool. Through completing various activities you will improve your active use of the language, and develop the confidence to access further audio-visual resources and take your French studies to a higher level.
Health, Sports & Psychology
Social care in the community
Social care involves the challenge of supporting people who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to function without assistance or supervision. This free course, Social care in the community, focuses on one important area of social care, home care for older people.
Languages
Intermediate Spanish: Cities with history
In this free course, Intermediate Spanish: Cities with history, you will learn about the history of Spain and the important place of Arab and Jewish cultures in Spanish history. You will study a number of language points to help you talk about history and will write descriptive texts using a variety of stylistic devices.