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Dominic Ball testimonial
Education & Development

Dominic Ball testimonial

...think, I need to understand where I’m going wrong. [PFA and OU logos] Achieving his goals "I started to engage with my tutors and other students, it made the experience more enjoyable. In my last year, I finally understood how to structure my essays and assignments – the penny dropped. I was averaging 70 per cent in my results." Dominic didn’t experience the...
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Article 10 mins
The West of Ireland: Dimensions of distinctiveness
Scotland Colleges

The West of Ireland: Dimensions of distinctiveness

...Thinking in terms of the concept of synthesis, list the aspects which you would combine in order to define and explain the uniqueness of this place. Explore the articles in this collection . Acknowledgements This material draws from an Open University course based on the work of Pat Jess. Jess, P. (1985) ‘Unit 17 Local Change in the West of Ireland’, in The Open...
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Article 5 mins
The Belfast linen industry
History & The Arts

The Belfast linen industry

...think of ways in which mechanisation could speed up linen production. The brittleness of the flax fibre meant that a new machine had to be invented - the cotton machines simply couldn't be converted. In 1825, James Kay of Preston invented a method of "wet spinning" which passed the flax through warm water and enabled a much finer yarn to be spun. By the late 1820s several...
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Article 10 mins
Where does outer space begin?
Science, Maths & Technology

Where does outer space begin?

...think about it. Kittinger and mini-Dallas were both carried up by a balloon, and a balloon only goes up if it (plus its 'astronaut' payload) is on average less dense than the air that it displaces. That’s how buoyancy works. There must still be air – albeit very tenuous – at the height reached by the balloon, otherwise, it could not float. There is not a vacuum at...
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Article 5 mins
Charity Reed
Education & Development

Charity Reed

...think I’ll ever not use OpenLearn if I’m honest.’ For Charity, her OpenLearn discovery began with a move from the North of England to Scotland. ‘I’m a 51-year-old mother of two grown-up sons and the relocation, several years ago now, enabled me – finally – to do the degree I’ve wanted to do since I was young, but couldn’t afford to,’ she explained......
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Article 5 mins
Five ways to... use free software
Science, Maths & Technology

Five ways to... use free software

...thinking about the software your friends use. 2. Word processing Gone are the days when you’d need to spend hundreds of pounds on a package to write letters on your computer. AbiWord and Open Office will do this for free. Open Office is a large download, but also includes spreadsheet, database, drawing and presentation packages. Google Docs will let you do your word...
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Article 5 mins
Speak in colours!
Languages

Speak in colours!

...a long face Faire travailler sa matière grise- (lit. to put his/her grey matter to work), to put his/her thinking cap on Black [Image of black sky with with French idioms concerning the colour black written across the image] Être noir de monde- (lit. to be black with people), full of people Broyer du noir- (lit. to crush some black), have the blues/be down in the dumps...
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Article 10 mins
Play families: Using toys to open up communication with your child
Education & Development

Play families: Using toys to open up communication with your child

...think there might be a problem. You will need A collection of small dolls which could represent family members and friends — don’t forget the pets! Activity Keep your doll family in a special place so that it does not get lost among other toys. Ask your child if they would like to play, or you can just start playing with the dolls yourself — your child may then get...
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Activity 10 mins