Autumn 2008 witnessed a global financial crisis with governments worldwide taking emergency action to prevent a collapse of the banking system. The aftermath of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s saw economic activity slump. In the UK, higher unemployment, falling house prices and a sharp increase in government debt proved to be the alarming legacy of the near implosion of the banking system. This fascinating insight into the downfall of the global financial markets gives us a clear understanding of where it all went wrong. This material forms part of The Open University course DB234 Personal investment in an uncertain world

Can market analysis and good planning help companies through tough times?

Do you take your access to water for granted? The Peruvian and Tanzanian communities featured in this album certainly don’t. This album examines how development agencies can empower communities to help themselves by introducing simple technologies, and facilitate the sharing of ideas through education. In the Andean mountains, scarce supplies of water and agricultural challenges give rise to conflict; but the changes engineered by development agencies can start to show a way out of poverty. Meanwhile, Tanzanian rural schoolchildren are instrumental in bringing about positive long-term change within their communities. However, development in practice is very complex and sometimes controversial. The audio tracks delve into the dilemma of how to deal with the different values systems of impoverished communities and the development agencies. They also show how development is linked to issues of identity, urbanisation, politics, economics, social relations and gender.In the bonus material Dr Helen Yanacopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development at The Open University, provides insight into the educational value of the audio-visual material and explains the course structure.
This material is taken from The Open University Course U213 International development: challenges for a world in transition.

We might think we know what ageing is, but it’s surprisingly difficult to pin down. In this album a 70-year-old fashion model and her 17-year-old grand-daughter take part in a series of scientific tests to see whether it is possible to distinguish between them. The results give an insight into what contemporary science can tell us about what happens at the molecular, genetic, cellular, physiological and psychological level during the ageing process. This material forms part of The Open University course SD805 Issues in brain and behaviour.

Can bacteria communicate with each other, and if they do communicate, how and why do they do so? And how might understanding the mechanisms of bacterial communication be used to inform development of anti-bacterial drugs? In this album scientists involved in pioneering work into bacterial 'quorum sensing'' at Nottingham University in the UK reveal some of the techniques they use and give insight into what they hope to achieve. This material forms part of The Open University course S204 Biology: uniformity and diversity.

What are the key issues for sustainable resource management? How do companies operate while maintaining corporate social responsibility? From understanding the need for sustainability, and environmental auditing to learning how organisations integrate health and safety policy. This collection/album explores many of the issues that face modern businesses and gives some insight into how these companies function while adhering to various environmental management systems.

This material is taken from Open University course T867: Managing for sustainability

This album explores the science of waves. Five video tracks feature two pair trawling fishermen from the Cornish village of Looe. Their lives and livelihoods depend on gadgets like radio, GPS and radar. This album explores the physics behind this technology, gives a simple introduction to wavelengths and looks back to the discovery of electromagnetism and the invention of radio. To demonstrate just how vital waves are, the two captains turn off their modern communication tools and try traditional methods of keeping in touch. In addition, two bonus video tracks explore Newton's laws of motion and Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which give us our most basic insight into space and time. This material forms part of the course S207 The physical world.

How does society create and control our social world? How do passports and passbooks function as agents of government control? And what are the purposes of citizenship tests and ceremonies? This album provides insight into how large communities are organised to regulate their social behaviour. People who lived under Apartheid in South Africa describe how their passbook governed their social world, from alcohol consumption to medical health. Philosophers, politicians and academics offer differing perspectives on requirements for citizenship and the importance of citizenship ceremonies in the UK and Australia. In the two audio tracks, course team members Liz McFall and Sophie Watson put the ideas covered in the album into their academic context. This material is taken from The Open University course DD308 Making social worlds.