This album takes an extensive look at the ins-and-outs of family life and caring for children. It draws on interviews with a wide-ranging selection of professionals, from people who deal directly with children at nurseries or schools to those that help shape national policy, to throw light on national initiatives and schemes such as ChildLine, and explore family life from different perspectives and social levels. This material forms part of The Open University course K204 Working with children and families.

Employers increasingly use psychometrics in job shortlisting and assessment, to help them make recruitment decisions. Read on to find out more about why this is the case, what to expect and how to be more successful when taking these tests.

What significant processes occur in infancy for development and learning? How does cultural environment influence individual development? And how do infants begin to develop their understanding of other people? On this album, international experts present their perspectives on the ways infants and young children enter the social and cultural worlds around them, and ways that children develop their skills of thinking and learning. The speakers are Professors Rudolph Schaffer, Michael Cole, Alison Garton, Vasu Reddy and Dr Suzanne Zeedyk. The interviews are introduced and contextualised by Dr Dorothy Faulkner and Professor David Messer of The Open University. The material forms part of The Open University course ED841 Understanding children's development and learning.

What can current theories about children’s learning and development contribute to the development of new teaching and learning methods in schools? And how are new digital technologies changing the ways children think and learn? This album introduces two elements of The Open University's presence in the virtual world Second Life™ and explores the way in which virtual worlds can offer new opportunities for teaching and learning. The album also explores some of the ways that the theories of Lev Vygotsky have influenced the use of dialogue and language in the classroom and the ways in which children and teachers interact with each other. The interviews and video tracks are introduced and contextualised by Dr Kieron Sheehy of The Open University. The material forms part of The Open University course ED841 Understanding children's development and learning.

Multiculturalism is one of the most vexing political issues of our day. How can people with very different values and customs live alongside each other? What is the history of multiculturalism? What are the arguments for and against its various forms? Has it failed? Does it have a future? The Open University's Nigel Warburton interviews ten leading thinkers about the meaning and implications of multiculturalism. David Edmonds introduces each episode.

Kevin Doyle, OU alum, explains how his studies helped prepare him for his role in war drama The Crimson Field.

Hear what an example interview sounds like and read the transcripts.

You might be taking part in a language survey, or doing it for some other reason - we've got some tips for getting the best out of an interview