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Education & Development
How can digital books support children’s learning?
E-books and interactive apps can ensure that all children expand their reading range but they must be high quality. Professor Natalia Kucirkova explains more...
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Languages
What is language?
The use of complex language sets humans apart from all other species. But what is language, where has it come from, and how does it work?
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History & The Arts
Read this before you fall for a personalised book
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the sales of personalised books go up, but are they as beneficial as other children's books? Professor Natalia Kucirkova explores...
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Education & Development
Children’s experiences with digital technologies
This free course, Children’s experiences with digital technologies, is an introduction to how children use digital technologies, such as mobile applications, digital games and computers, and what they learn from these experiences. The course draws on debates about screen time to critically examine and present evidence about the effects of ...
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Education & Development
The experts who put storytelling, language and better paid teachers at the heart of early education
Natalia Kucirkova, Professor of Reading and Children's Development, explores the work of Jerome Bruner, Catherine Snow and Kathy Sylva...
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Education & Development
Writing for pleasure?
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Literacy in Education at The Open University explores whether we nurture young people’s enjoyment in writing.
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Education & Development
Writing from the heart
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Literacy in Education at The Open University explores whether we offer young writers enough opportunities for ‘writing from the heart’
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Education & Development
Do children have agency as authors?
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Literacy in Education at The Open University explores whether children are given enough autonomy when it comes to writing.
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level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It
Do you enjoy watching Shakespeare's plays and like the idea of finding out more about them? This free course, Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It, will guide you through some of the most important speeches and scenes from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies.
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level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Childhood in the digital age
This free course, Childhood in the digital age, delves into the lives of children and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of technology in their lives.
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level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Talk the talk
This free course introduces the mechanics of effective, persuasive oral presentations, by giving you the opportunity to analyse examples and then create your own. Using resources such as TED Talk videos, you will see how experts deliver professional talks and famous speeches, observe what works, and identify how language connects ideas and keeps...
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level 3: advanced icon
History & The Arts
Creative writing and critical reading
This free course, Creative writing and critical reading, explores the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development at the postgraduate level. You will gain inspiration and ideas from examining other writers’ methods, as well as enhancing your critical reading skills. Examples will cover the genres of fiction, creative ...