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Something for me: something completely different
Arts and Humanities
The History of English in Ten Minutes
(Introductory, 15 mins)
Voiced by Clive Anderson, this entertaining romp through ‘The History of English’ squeezes 1600 years of history into 10 one-minute bites, uncovering the sources of English words and phrases from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to America and the Internet. Bursting with fascinating facts, the series looks at how English grew from a small tongue into a major global language before reflecting on the future of English in the 21st century.
(Introductory, 12 hrs)
Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This unit will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and the settings for their work. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction.
(Introductory, 8 hrs)
This unit gives you an idea of what it is like to study philosophy, introducing you to the teaching methods employed by The Open University in teaching philosophy. If you are considering studying philosophy, we recommend you start here. Although the unit is mainly for people who are new to philosophy, you may find it helpful even if you already have some experience of the subject.
(Introductory, 20 hrs)
This unit will give you an opportunity to think about some of the key concepts and methods of the discipline of Religious Studies. You will meet examples of different forms of religious practice and belief, mostly from Britain and India.
The African diaspora: an archaeological perspective
(Introductory, 4 hrs)
The African diaspora, in its broadest terms, is the dispersal of people of African descent from Africa to other parts of the world – particularly Europe, America and Southwest Asia. The process has been occurring over much of the past 2,000 years in various ways, with different cultures and societies involved. Through much of this time, slavery has been the driving force behind the diaspora.
This unit explores why this area of research has been traditionally under-represented and highlights the ways in which archaeology can contribute to this fast-growing field of study.
Social Science and Psychology
(Introductory, 10 mins)
As part of ‘How Green Is Your High Street’, The Money Programme team filmed interviews with several high-profile business leaders. Here we provide extended versions of two of those interviews, along with expert insight from Open University lecturer Anja Schaefer.
The importance of interpersonal skills
(Introductory, 3 hrs)
To succeed in management you need good interpersonal skills, you need to understand how to deal with other people. This unit will help you gain an awareness of your skills and understand that an awareness of the interpersonal skills of others can help us enormously in dealing with the work tasks we are responsible for.
(Introductory, 8 hrs)
Debt has now become a part of everyday life. Debt can be used in the economic system to channel growth but at the same time involves risks for indebted individuals. In this unit you will explore the different types of debt and loans and some of the associated concepts, arming yourself with more information to plan your financial future.
What is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Find out more about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety-related disorder in which people worry excessively about particular issues.
Health and Social Care
(Introductory, 4 hrs)
Outline how encouraging people to talk about the past can be a way of helping them to manage change in their lives and establish identity in the present; demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles in life story work which could apply at any age or stage of life; appreciate that life story work is as much about dealing with the present and preparing for the future as it is sorting out feelings about the past
Eating to win: activity, diet and weight control
(Introductory, 6 hrs)
If you’d like to find out more about free courses in health and social care visit:
Science
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
This unit provides a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in nature. It will give you the opportunity to learn more about wildlife, and to share your interest with a wider community.
Introducing the environment: ecology and ecosystems
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
What is ecology and why is it important to our understanding of the world around us? This unit looks at how we can study ecosystems to explore the effect that humans are having on the environment.
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
This unit investigates what is meant by a biofuel and covers the advantages of using biofuels compared to fossil fuels. The different types of biofuel are explored, with particular emphasis on transport biofuels. Finally, the issue of whether biofuels are the complete answer to our future energy needs is considered.
(Introductory, 8 hrs)
Earthquakes shake the ground surface, can cause buildings to collapse, disrupt transport and services, and can cause fires. They can trigger landslides and tsunami – in short, earthquakes can be very destructive. In this unit you will look at why, where and what happens when they occur and also at how earthquakes are assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Forensic science and fingerprints
(Introductory , 10 hrs)
This unit covers how science can make fingerprints easier to study, how they are used in court and some of the questions about the extent to which fingerprint identification is sound and scientific. Students will learn the principles used in classifying and matching fingerprints (often called ‘marks’).
(Introductory, 12 hrs)
Jupiter has long been an object of wonder, with its dramatic Great Red Spot, its numerous and varied satellites and the stunning collision of the comet Shoemaker Levy 9 with the Jovian atmosphere in 1994. This unit will introduce you to our solar system’s largest planet and its major satellites and the history of their exploration.
Sport
(Introductory, 5 mins)
Have you ever wondered which sport you’re most physically suited to? Play this interactive game to find out if you’ve got what it takes physically, psychologically and socially to make it to the podium at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
This sporting life: making connections
(Introductory, 5 mins)
Kath Woodward argues that sport is not only about performance, competition, winning and losing; it is also deeply embedded in social relations.
The psychological aspects of sports injury
(Intermediate, 3 hrs)
This unit examines the role of psychological factors in sports injury. You will look at both the psychological factors that can lead to a sports injury and the psychological reactions that a sports person can experience when injured. This unit is for you if you have ever experienced a sports injury, if you would with injured athletes or if you have a general interest in the area.
Sport media and culture: who's calling the shots?
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
This unit looks at the role played by the media in sport and how this has changed with the development of internet and satellite TV.
Exploring sport online: athletes and efficient hearts
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
We all know that the heart is very important but what exactly does the heart do? Why is the blood so important? What functions do the lungs perform? In this unit, we will try to provide at least a basic understanding so we can answer these questions and begin to understand why knowing about the heart is important for all sports people. Before that we will take a look at the human body.
Working with young people in sport and exercise
(Intermediate, 6 hrs)
The science behind wheeled sports
(Introductory, 8 hrs)
(Introductory, 10 hrs)
In this unit, aimed at teachers of Physical Education, we begin by looking at some of the common misconceptions relating to fitness and activity levels together with accepted definitions of these concepts. We consider how active young people should actually be, and discuss how PE teachers can ensure they are making an effective contribution to this area of public health.
Maths, Computing, Technology and Engineering
(Introductory, 5 mins)
Short films and an online poster about the BBC/OU TV series that was presented by David Attenborough. Using the latest camera technology on land, the air and underwater, Frozen Planet captures the drama of the lives of animals living at the Arctic and Antarctic in the most intimate detail.
Living with the Internet: online shopping
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
Online shopping – think of it as a shopping centre in cyberspace, with online auctions as the car-boot sale in the car park. This unit helps you understand how to use online shopping sites, ensure you are on the best sites and ways to protect your security.
Taster material for the OU Openings courses.
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
Patterns occur everywhere in art, nature, science and especially mathematics. Being able to recognise, describe and use these patterns is an important skill that helps you to tackle a wide variety of different problems. This unit explores some of these patterns ranging from ancient number patterns to the latest mathematical research.
(Introductory, 10 hrs)
Are you ever frustrated with something you think you could design better? Design thinking can structure your natural creativity to come up with solutions to all kinds of problems, and have fun in the process!
(Introductory, 12 hrs)
This unit focuses firmly on usability and the increasingly important phenomenon of people-centred design. It aims to inform consumers of design (i.e., all of us) about this crucial characteristic of design. In addition to stimulating interest in areas of concern for producers of design, this unit might also provide an introduction to engineering, manufacturing and business studies.
(Introductory, 15 hrs)
The World Wide Web is a vast information resource. This unit provides you with foundation skills to use search engines confidently to locate information and images on the Web. You will also learn to critically assess and reference the information you have found for study purposes.
Working with charts, graphs and tables
(Introductory, 15 hrs)
Reflect on your mathematical history and existing skills, set up strategies to cope with mathematics and assess which areas need improving; gain an understanding of the following mathematical concepts: reflecting on mathematics, reading articles for mathematical information, making sense of data, interpreting graphs and charts; improve your maths skills.
Sound for music technology: an introduction
(Introductory, 20 hrs)
Whether you’re a professional musician, play music with your friends on the weekends or just like to listen to CDs, music technology affects your life. In this unit, you will learn some of the basics of music technology, starting with what sound is, how it is created and how it travels.
(Introductory, 28 hrs)
This unit looks at the process of design – from assessing the complexity of design as an activity, to exposing the difficulty in making general conclusions about how designers work. You will be able to identify innovation in a wide variety of designed objects and evaluate the impact of this innovation.
Education and Language Studies
(Introductory, 5 hrs)
This introductory unit will help you to learn the basics of the German language by taking a journey through German-speaking countries. You will read and hear about a range of places and people, and be given the opportunity to develop language skills which will help you to cope in a range of situations.
Beginners’ Chinese: Introducing yourself
(Introductory, 6 hrs)
This unit is a language unit that concentrates on Mandarin Chinese as a tool for communication, but also provides some insights into Chinese society and culture. It contains a brief introduction to the Chinese language, its scripts and sounds, and how words are formed. The language activities and audio extracts presented here are designed to give you a taste of Mandarin Chinese language.
(Introductory, 10 hrs)
This unit concentrates on French as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into French society and culture through authentic printed, audio and video materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in French.
(Introductory, 15 hrs)
This unit – available in both Gaelic and English – has been designed to provide a resource for people with a personal or professional interest in increasing their knowledge and understanding of the development and impact of Scottish Gaelic and its culture. It aims to surprise and challenge where necessary; to provide links and ideas for further research; and, for some, to kick-start a journey into learning a language which is integral to Scotland’s national identity.
Acknowledgements
This course was written by Lindsay Hewitt, Sarah Burton and Julie Robson.
Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.
The material acknowledged below is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this unit:
Every effort has been made to contact copyright owners. If any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.
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