OU Media release effectiveness

Blood spilled on historic battlefield - The Herald

Blood spilled on historic battlefield
The Herald
His main research interest is the history of the nation since c.1600 and its global connections and impact. “He is widely acknowledged as Scotland's leading ...

New Europe - New Energy - environmentalresearchweb

New Europe - New Energy
environmentalresearchweb
**Over he past 5 years, the Open University based New Europe-New Energy project has been looking at sustainable energy options in the new and candidate ...

Wealth Check: A baby, a mortgage and studies? Time to secure the future - Independent

Wealth Check: A baby, a mortgage and studies? Time to secure the future
Independent
Although she would like to change to a variable rate to get a better deal, Cox says the building society will not allow her to switch. ...

The UOC - Open University of Catalonia - The Global Online - Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung)

The UOC - Open University of Catalonia - The Global Online
Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung)
(live-PR.com) - Barcelona - During her speech, Imma Tubella underlined that “if we believe that the world needs a new pattern for growth and that the ...

Industry Day Engineering Brings Local Employers into the Classroom - Allmediascotland

Industry Day Engineering Brings Local Employers into the Classroom
Allmediascotland
The STEM North of Scotland Partnership (www.stemnorthofscotland.com) is a grouping of six local authorities, UHI Millennium Institute, the Open University, ...

Director's cut - Ha'aretz

Director's cut
Ha'aretz
"She may not have come from the world of acting - 'Our Song' isn't acting - but she has superb timing, and she did her research. ...

Betty and Mary are first female recruits in Huddersfield and District Army ... - Huddersfield Examiner

Betty and Mary are first female recruits in Huddersfield and District Army ...
Huddersfield Examiner
Mrs France joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1939 for the start of the Second World War, after seeing an advert in her local paper. ...

and more »

Mitcham Common plays host to Child of our Time film crew - Wimbledon Guardian

Mitcham Common plays host to Child of our Time film crew
Wimbledon Guardian
Commissioned by the BBC, co-produced by the Open University and presented by Professor Robert Winston, it will mark its 10th anniversary next year. ...

and more »

Mitcham Common plays host to Child of our Time film crew - Your Local Guardian

Mitcham Common plays host to Child of our Time film crew
Your Local Guardian
Commissioned by the BBC, co-produced by the Open University and presented by Professor Robert Winston, it will mark its 10th anniversary next year. ...

and more »

Positive results from classroom tests of new e-learning application that ... - Targetwire (press release)

Positive results from classroom tests of new e-learning application that ...
Targetwire (press release)
In particular, pupils can organise ideas or challenge and change scenarios without cumbersome paper-based activities. Sarah Bamford, Lead Practitioner in ...

Herschel Peeks at the Ingredients of Galaxies - Space Ref (press release)

Herschel Peeks at the Ingredients of Galaxies
Space Ref (press release)
Professor Glenn White, of the Open University and STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and an expert in the field of molecular astronomy for which the ...

and more »

Spectacular new observations from the Herschel Space Observatory - Space Fellowship

Spectacular new observations from the Herschel Space Observatory
Space Fellowship
said Professor Glenn White, of the Open University and STFC's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and an expert in the field of molecular astronomy for which ...

and more »

Ancient Martians were carried to Earth - Scientific American

Scientific American

Ancient Martians were carried to Earth
Scientific American
Scientists have discovered compelling new evidence that life has existed on Mars and was brought to Earth in an ancient meteorite. ...

and more »

MEDIA RELEASE: The Climate Connection: journeys into the heart of the climate change debate

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:33:00 -0800

TX from 30 November, BBC World Service

The Climate Connection follows five people as they embark on a journey of self-exploration – each championing an issue that they believe is at the centre of climate change debate. Produced in partnership with The Open University, in each programme one person from a different part of the world explores a topic, which they believe offers potential 'solutions' to some of the issues being debated in the public domain. They embark on a journey of self-exploration as they meet a range of experts and find out if their ideas stand up to this scrutiny.

Dr Joe Smith, Senior Lecturer in Environment, who is the academic advisor to the series, said: "So much media coverage of climate change leaves us feeling despairing. The stand out feature of this fascinating series is that it focuses on the search for answers to the challenges climate change poses. We test a body of proposed solutions through the eyes of young professionals in some key areas. From family planning to designing cities to rethinking diet, these stories will resonate with so many of us, the world over."

The Open University will be making The Climate Connection series available on its new website Creative Climate, which will be documenting individual stories throughout the next decade. Creative Climate will create a global diary of environmental issues and offer learning resources - free, online and globally. It is set to be a groundbreaking longitudinal record of how societies learn about, respond to, and learn to live with global environmental change. By engaging with these issues with a fresh tone that emphasises curiosity, ingenuity and creativity rather than crisis and fearfulness the project promises not just to track change but also to unlock new ideas and energies.

The Climate Connection: Are there too many people on the planet?
Monday 30 November 8.30pm
As the global population approaches 7 billion, concerns are growing that our population may soon reach an unsustainable level, with questions being asked about whether growth could be managed if consumption and emission levels were significantly reduced.

Katie Chau, a consultant for the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, embarks on a journey from London to Kenya to meet with expert witnesses and debates the issues surrounding the ever-increasing global population.

The Climate Connection: Does the world need meat?
Tuesday 1st December, 8.30pm
Rebecca Davies, a student from the Earth Institute at Columbia University explores the suggestion that significantly reducing the amount of meat we consume would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and therefore minimise the effects of global warming.

The Climate Connection: It's Big Energy, Stupid!
Thursday 3rd December, 8.30pm
Hita Unnikrishnan, a Masters student in Life Sciences at the Mount Carmel College in Bangalore and a British Council Environmental Champion, believes that climate change has to be addressed at the individual level.

The Climate Connection: Travel: Good for Humanity; Bad for the Planet?
Friday 4th December, 8.30pm
The travel industry – and air travel in particular - is at the sharp end of the emissions debate. This programme explores the pros and cons of cheap air travel.

The Climate Connection - Can we build a better future?
Monday 7th December, 8.30pm
In many parts of the world, homes and buildings produce around half of all carbon dioxide pollution. The UK government has set targets to make all new homes zero-carbon by 2016.

Alex Solk is an architect at Sheppard Robson, a long-established practice, with innovation, sustainability and social conscience at its core. He thinks you can have your cake and eat it - with clever design and new technology, homes can have a reduced carbon footprint, but we can still keep all the benefits of modern 21st century life.

MEDIA RELEASE: OU and The Welding Institute launch work-based foundation degree

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:52:00 -0800

A new foundation degree launched today will enable technicians to gain a higher education qualification, enhance their career prospects and could help to bridge the gap into senior engineering, management or other higher level positions. The Open University and The Welding Institute (TWI) degree scheme has financial support from The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust (LRET).

Under the scheme, students will gain credits for welding engineering diploma courses taught at TWI. These courses start at a practical level, and successful completion of the exams will provide points towards an Open University degree. Students will be able to remain in the workplace while they study, as the degree is based on distance learning modules.

The foundation degree will be launched at an inauguration seminar at The Open University on 26 November 2009, where the Deed of Collaboration will also be signed.

Professor Mike Fitzpatrick, The LRET Chair in Materials Fabrication and Engineering at The Open University, said: “We are delighted to be working with TWI on the provision of this new foundation degree at a time where the need for engineering skills outstrips the supply of conventional graduates. This provides new opportunities for students already based in industry.”

Dr Bob John, Chief Executive of TWI, said “This visionary initiative goes right to the heart of industry's need to upskill their current workforce and simultaneously meet the growth opportunities arising from investment in advanced engineering in our energy and high value adding manufacturing sectors.”

Michael Franklin, LRET Director, added: “The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust works to engage young people with engineering and to encourage them to pursue it as a career. We need more highly skilled engineers in all disciplines to solve all manner of challenges in the 21st Century. With The Open University and TWI, we have an excellent team to make a significant impact across industry by helping people to further improve their skills in the area of materials fabrication.”

The inauguration seminar will include a series of talks on energy generation for the future, with examples from the nuclear industry with which the OU has strong links in research and skills development.

Editor's Notes:
The Open University(OU) is the United Kingdom's largest university and the world leader in distance education. More than two million people have studied with the OU since it began in 1969. The OU has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs.
Independent authorities have consistently ranked the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University's research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence. OU students are more impressed with the quality of their courses and the support received than those at any other UK university, based on the findings of the National Student Survey. The OU has been at the top of the rankings every year since the survey began in 2005.

The Welding Institute is one of the world's foremost independent research and technology organisations. Based in Cambridge, UK, since 1946, and with several offices around the world, we have a long history of invention and innovation. We work across all industry sectors and are experts in all aspects of materials joining and related technologies. Please see our Technologies and Industries pages for more information on our specific services and capabilities.

The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust, an independent charity, was established in October 2004. Its principal purpose is to fund advances in transportation, science, engineering and technology education, training and research worldwide for the benefit of all. It also supports work that enhances the safety of life and property at sea, on land and in the air.

MEDIA RELEASE: Hope in a Changing Climate: changing the course of history for millions

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:07:00 -0800

TX: BBC World News, Friday 27 November
Screening at COP15 Climate Change conference

As the globe prepares for COP15, a new documentary on BBC World optimistically reframes the debate on global warming. Illustrating that large, decimated eco-systems can be restored, Hope in a Changing Climate, which will have a special screening at COP15, reveals success stories from Ethiopia, Rwanda and China which prove that bringing large areas back from environmental ruin is possible, and key to stabilising the earth's climate, eradicating poverty and making sustainable agriculture a reality.

The programme documents the remarkably successful efforts of local people to restore denuded, degraded ecosystems – transforming them into verdant, life-sustaining environments which enable people to break free from entrenched poverty. The film contains breathtaking before and after footage of large-scale restoration projects. Presented by John D. Liu, founder of the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP) and creator of the film Lessons of the Loess Plateau, the new programme is directed by Jeremy Bristow from the BBC, the award-winning producer of the acclaimed David Attenborough series The Truth about Climate Change.

The area of restoration on the Loess Plateau in China is the size of Belgium and thousands of years of subsistence farming had made it barren and unfertile. In 1995 The Chinese Government, with support from The World Bank, took drastic action to rehabilitate the plateau, and local people – seen as both perpetuators and victims of the devastation – became part of the solution.

John D. Liu has been visiting the area for the past fifteen years and in Hope in a Changing Climate travels back to find astounding results. He said: “Human impact on the climate is not simply from the flagrant emission of carbon dioxide and began long before industrial scale emissions. Carbon disequilibrium is a symptom of a larger systemic failure – we are reducing biodiversity, and this has altered fundamental earth processes that we rely on for life. We must act as a species to restore ecosystem function wherever it has been disrupted. We know what is needed; we know it works; and we know from the history of other civilizations that have collapsed what the consequences are of failing to act – and quickly.”

The film uncovers the dramatic impact of similar projects in Ethiopia and Rwanda. Once the scene of devastating droughts in 1984, Ethiopia has used the same approach as that in China to begin bringing areas of arid land back to productivity and ecological balance. In Rwanda, where ecological degradation from over-farming of wetland areas saw the near failure of the country's hydro-electricity supply, the Government has undertaken a similar project and seen vast improvements.

Dr Joe Smith is The Open University's lead academic for the programme and says: “With climate change projected to hit the poorest people in the developing world worst of all ecological restoration projects are key to ensuring that future generations have security. What is refreshing about this film is that developing world scientists and policy-makers take centre stage in devising responses to environmental problems. The film also shows how ordinary people in China, Rwanda and Ethiopia play a key role in restoring and protecting their environment. It can feel disempowering to look at global issues such as climate change or biodiversity loss; but the breath-taking before and after footage from these projects shows that imaginative research and policy can generate solutions on the ground.”

Hope in a Changing Climate is produced with support from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Open University, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and The World Bank. The film will also be made available on The Open University's new Creative Climate website, www.open.ac.uk/creativeclimate, which documents diverse experiences of climate change across the globe. In addition, EEMP and the George Mason University Center for Climate & Society have organised a network of research centres and nongovernmental organizations around the world to host facilitated stakeholder discussions around the themes of the film.

Editor's Notes
For further information, preview DVDs and images contact Kath Middleditch.

About John Liu
John has been studying integrated poverty eradication and large-scale ecosystem rehabilitation since first visiting and filming China's Loess Plateau in 1995. He has produced, written and directed many ecological films for the BBC, National Geographic and other networks including; A Steppe Ahead; Line in the Sand; Because They're Worth It; Jane Goodall – China Diary; and The Lessons of the Loess Plateau. He lives and works in Beijing.

TX details:
BBC World News will show Hope in a Changing Climate on Friday 27th November at 0430 GMT, 0930 GMT, 1430 GMT (except in the Middle East), 1830 GMT (in the Middle East only), 2130 GMT & 2330 GMT.
Special Screening at COP15 Climate Change conference

Hope in a Changing Climate is a co-production between The Open University and EEMP for the BBC.The Director is Jeremy Bristow. BBC Commissioning Executive for the Open University is Catherine McCarthy. The Broadcast Learning Executive for The Open University is Janet Sumner. The Open University academics for the series are Joe Smith, James Warren and Vince Gauci.

MEDIA RELEASE: OU scoops international educational broadcast prize from Japan

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

The Open University has scooped the 2009 Japan Prize in international educational broadcasting for the BBC co-production Jimmy Doherty in Darwin's Garden.

Janet Sumner, Broadcast Executive in the Open Broadcasting Unit, flew to Japan to collect the prize on behalf of the OU and meet his Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan. The 2009 Japan Prize adds to the long list of awards that Open University co-productions on the BBC have won.

Janet said: "As the Broadcast Executive on the Open University/BBC Darwin season, I was thrilled when I heard that we had been nominated and won the Japan Prize for educational broadcasting in the youth category.

"It was challenging to make a programme about a historical figure such as Darwin, and a theory that is 150 years old this year. We are delighted that the Japan prize panel of judges thought that we had done such an excellent job of communicating the ground-breaking nature of Darwin's experiments and his theory of evolution to a young, modern audience".

Jimmy Doherty in Darwin's Garden tells the untold story of the experimental scientist. It was only after Charles Darwin came back to England that he came up with the many ingenious experiments to support his theory of evolution. They were crucial in helping him transform a germ of an idea into a fully formed theory and the programme follows that intellectual journey. Following Darwin's detailed notes, the presenter, Jimmy Docherty, recreated the ground breaking work he did on in-breeding in plants and the mechanics of natural selection. The series was filmed largely in the gardens and greenhouses of Down House in Kent, where Darwin lived and carried out most of his experiments.

MEDIA RELEASE: Open University participates in international Darwin celebrations

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:51:00 -0800

In this bicentenary of Darwin's birth year, many people still only associate him with his theory on evolution. To celebrate his contributions in many other fields, including arts, history, heritage and language, The Open University, in partnership with the British Council, is publishing a selection of podcasts and short videos to commemorate his legacy.

The materials include a podcast by Jim Moore, Darwin biographer and Professor of the History of Science at The Open University, where he explores the social and scientific context in which Darwin developed his ideas. There is also a short video by Professor Colin Pillinger, Beagle 2 project leader, talking about the mission to land a spacecraft on Mars and the search for HMS Beagle, the ship that took Darwin to South America. The selection further contains poetry by Ruth Padel, a direct descendent of Darwin, and podcasts on Darwin's World Wide Web, language diversity and cultural evolution.

Dr Caroline Ogilvie, Broadcast and Learning Executive at The Open University, said: “The Open University is delighted to be working in collaboration with the British Council on the Darwin Now project. This global initiative celebrates the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution have on the world today. It has been exciting to have the opportunity to create rich online content which explores the subject of evolution from a variety of perspectives and engages with the public to show the diverse legacy of Darwin's ideas.”

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, The Open University will broadcast a British Council hosted debate on 24 November. Darwin, The Origin, and the Future Of Biology will bring together a panel of leaders in the field of evolutionary science and beyond to look at 'global Darwinism' and explore how his theory has impacted on society and contributed to our modern understanding of life.

A video cast of the debate will be available on www.open2.net/darwinlecture in the afternoon.

Editor's Notes
- In the debate, Professor EO Wilson will give his assessment of the master naturalist, Darwin's big idea and his own vision for a new system of biology equipped to tackle the threats to our natural world.
He will be joined by an esteemed panel of experts:
Professor Peter Bowler, Queen's University Belfast
Randal Keynes OBE, The Charles Darwin Trust
Dr Sandy Knapp, Natural History Museum
Professor Armand Leroi, Imperial
Ian McEwan, author

- Explore evolution in your own home through The Open University's wall poster, Tree of Life: www.open2.net/treeoflife

MEDIA RELEASE: The Open University wins Queen's Anniversary Prize for Teacher Education Programme in Africa

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:05:00 -0800

The Open University is one of 20 winners of the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education, announced today at St James's Palace.

The Queen's Anniversary Prizes are awarded for exceptional contributions by institutions in the higher and further education sectors to the wider community. The Open University's winning entry was the ground-breaking Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa programme.

Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) is now Africa's largest teacher education research and development community, extending across thirteen institutions and nine African countries. Since 2005 this consortium has established an extensive bank of original open education resources to support improvements in teachers' classroom practices leading to more effective learning experiences for pupils.

TESSA, designed and led by The Open University, has developed a unique open content model to address the challenges of delivering high quality programmes of school-based professional learning for teachers in Africa. The model is scalable and cost-effective, seeking not only to increase numbers of trained teachers but also the quality of training programmes focusing on the development of teachers' practice. More than 200,000 teachers will use the TESSA materials in 2009, building to 300,000 in 2010.

The TESSA website (www.tessafrica.net) provides access to eleven country-specific versions of the materials in four languages (Arabic, English, French and Kiswahili) in various formats alongside tools to support communication and sharing of amended and adapted materials through an pioneering space – TESSA Share.

Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, Martin Bean said 'We are celebrating our 40th anniversary as an academic community dedicated to increasing access to higher education of the highest quality. This innovative and collaborative programme with its basis in research on new methods of delivery typifies our work and represents our unique mission. We lead the world in delivery of flexible learning. I am proud of the people who conceived and deliver the programme and of the benefits it offers to generations of students in Africa”.

Professor Bob Moon, founding Director of The Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) programme, said 'The award is great news for us but also for the hundreds of academics across Africa who have worked to make this happen. By the end of next year up to half a million teachers will be training using The Open University designed TESSA programme'.

Freda Wolfenden, current director of the TESSA programme, said 'new communication technologies have enormous potential to address some of the educational challenges in Africa and TESSA is one of the pioneer projects'.

Funding for the programme has come from the Department for Education and Skills in England, the Alan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and donations from alumni of the Open University.

Editor's Notes
1. The Royal Anniversary Trust produced the national programme to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne, and created The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education

2. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes reward universities and colleges that demonstrate work of a world-class standard of excellence. The winning entries highlight the breadth of our educational institutions' contribution to the well-being of the nation.

3. The award will be presented by the Queen at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace on 19 February 2010.

4. The Open University is the UK's largest university with more than 150,000 students and over two million alumni. It was ranked top among UK universities for student satisfaction in the governments National Student Survey, 2009.

5. In the 2009 Research Assessment Exercise 2009 The Open University rose 23 places with more than 50% of its research classed as Internationally Excellent and 14% as world leading

6. The Open University previously won a Queen's Anniversary Prize in 1996 for its Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme for teachers. This was the first programme in the world to offer this qualification by distance learning.

7. Professor Moon and Freda Wolfenden are available for interview.

8. We have an extensive library of photographs of the programme and a video from which rights-cleared clips can be used in coverage of this item.

MEDIA RELEASE: Open University on iTunes U hits 10 million downloads

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:09:00 -0800

The 10 millionth Open University track on iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com), was downloaded this week, making the OU a top provider of free university content on iTunes U. The Open University launched its first piece of educational content on iTunes U in June 2008 and now has an average of 375,000 downloads a week.

Martin Bean, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said: “Forty years ago The Open University was created to give more people access to higher education and we have always used the latest technology and offered our material in a format that inspires our students. We're still leaders in the field and the popularity of the OU on iTunes U lies in its originality."

“Tracks from the OU's 260 collections are consistently in the Top Twenty downloads and this week one in four of the top 100 downloads on iTunes U is from The Open University. We believe this success comes from offering new video and audio tracks from popular, current courses that easily incorporates into students' studies. People want educational materials that work while they are on the move and our vibrant and engaging content makes us enjoyable for both students and informal learners.”

With £2.9 million invested in new learning technologies over the last two years, the OU's use of new media keeps pace with the changing world. Clips are also used from OU/ BBC programmes and reshaped and adapted specifically for iTunes U so that students anywhere in the world can download content to enjoy on their Mac, PC, iPod or iPhone. This learning flexibility has inspired many to get back into higher education and take a fresh look at formal study - one in ten visitors to the Open University on iTunes U goes on to visit our website.

The most popular collections have been in languages and science with the most downloaded to date being Beginners' French. Anyone can download OU tracks for free and research* shows that 12,000 OU students got their first experience of university through free content on the web before signing up as formal learners - many of them cite the OU's use of new technologies, which helps them incorporate learning into their lives, as a key attraction.

ENDS

Notes to editors
1. OpenLearn Research Report 2006-08 ISBN 9780749229252
2. The Open University (OU) is the United Kingdom's largest university and the world leader in distance education. More than two million people have studied with the OU since it began in 1969. The OU has more than 229,000 students in over 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs. 2009 is the 40th anniversary year of The Open University.
3.Independent authorities have consistently ranked the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University's research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence. OU students are more impressed with the quality of their courses and the support received than those at any other UK university, based on the findings of the National Student Survey. The OU has been at the top of the rankings every year since the survey began in 2005.
4. The Knowledge Media Insititute is a highly successful interdisciplinary research centre founded at The Open University in 1995. It is widely acknowledged to be at the leading edge of research and development, particularly in semantic web technologies, multimedia and information systems, knowledge modelling and management, new media for learning and sensemaking. KMi is part of the OU's Centre for Research in Computing, ranked as one of the top 20 research centres in the UK RAE 2008. The style, impact and content of our KMi's can be seen at http://kmi.open.ac.uk/.

MEDIA RELEASE: Most 'drop outs' do not seek support from university staff, survey finds

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:52:00 -0800

A new survey has revealed that less than a third of students who withdrew from university turned to staff as one of their sources of advice. With most students consulting friends and family on their decisions, just 28% of those dropping out of higher education said they had spoken to staff from their university. One in three said they had spoken to nobody. The survey of students who have left university or who are considering leaving, conducted by thestudentroom.co.uk for The Open University (OU), also revealed that students felt more should have been done to advise them of their higher education options when they felt they wanted to leave.

Each year 35,000 students in England do not complete their Higher Education courses. When asked the reasons for withdrawing, half of the survey respondents mentioned an issue with their course, a third said they didn't enjoy university life – an experience which many head to traditional universities for - and only 8% stated debt as an issue.

“Every university takes student support and student retention very seriously,” says Dr Christina Lloyd, Head of Teaching and Learner Support at The Open University. “The survey has revealed that many students who are considering leaving university do not engage with the support that may be available. Almost one in five (18%) of the respondents who left did not actually tell their university that they were leaving. For many, university is a wonderful experience, but for some there can be times of loneliness, isolation and doubts about the choices they have made. It can be difficult for a student to admit to a member of university staff that they are thinking of leaving.”

Two-thirds of the respondents to the survey who had left university felt that more could have been done to inform them of their Higher Education options and opportunities. Some of the respondents' comments include: “I was essentially left to my own devices when I left [university]”; “I think young people are rushed into their decision to go to uni and those who have settled for something they don't really want to do end up not knowing what to do with their life if they drop out. There should be more substantial careers advice both at sixth form and for those who decide uni isn't for them when they get there.”

This underlines the importance of a new collaborative initiative between universities and UCAS called Back on Course, whereby educational advisers proactively contact students withdrawing from university to offer information and guidance on opportunities such as changing course, transferring to a more local university, moving to part-time study and helping students examine their career aims. The scheme will also encourage students to engage better with the support offered by their former university if they had not already done so. It is anticipated that a further 10-15% of non-completing students will be retained in higher education as a result of the project, which is initially running as a pilot in the North-West.

Nearly two thirds of respondents to the survey say they may consider part-time study as an alternative. This is borne out by indications of increased interest in part-time study from younger people with the OU seeing a surge in applications - in August, course registrations were up 36% among 18- to 24-year-olds compared with the same time last year.

Notes to editors
About the survey
502 self-selecting respondents completed the survey, which was conducted over May and June 2009 on the website. Of those respondents, 461 had already withdrawn, or were considering withdrawing.

About Back on Course
Back on Course is a new initiative funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) which provides information, advice and guidance to students who withdraw from higher education. Run as a partnership between the OU, UCAS and English universities it seeks to reduce significantly non-completion rates in higher education by facilitating transfers to institutions that are well placed to meet students' needs based on location, mode of study (eg part-time) or subject offered. The scheme is being offered initially in the North West and then extended to the rest of England in academic year 2010/11.

About The Open University
The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest university and the world leader in distance education. More than two million people have studied with the OU since it began in 1969. The OU has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs. Independent authorities have consistently ranked the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University's research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence. OU students are more impressed with the quality of their courses and the support received than those at any other UK university, based on the findings of the National Student Survey. The OU has been at the top of the rankings every year since the survey began in 2005.

MEDIA RELEASE: Scotland's history... and the pursuit of happiness?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:42:00 -0700

BBC One, Scotland, Sunday 8 November, 9.00pm

A History of Scotland returns to television screens in early November, taking the story up from the 1600s to the present day. The award-winning BBC Scotland programme, which is co-produced with The Open University, is the flagship television series of the broadcaster's Scotland's History project, which also includes radio, online and events.

On the next five parts of the television series, presenter Neil Oliver says: "We are looking at a period of 400 years within which Scotland is a country punching above its weight – internationally dynamic in terms of industry, ideas and sheer get up and go, but that as we'll see was part of the problem.

"The country was transformed from a poor northern backwater with a serious image problem into one of the richest nations on Earth. Atlantic trade kick-started a profound economic transformation and provided the foundations for huge social change and rapid industrialisation with Scotland contributing new ideas and modern thinking through the Enlightenment, and then latterly becomes a major industrial player.

"Scotland burst into this modern world with a bang, but on the home front there was a cost...

"Scotland makes its mark on the world but she does it by exporting her most valuable commodities - her people and ideas."

Ian Donnachie, Professor in History at The Open University and academic advisor for the series, says: "As the series moves on in time it highlights major themes in the history of Scotland to our own times. Many important and controversial issues that are addressed and debated in the programmes help to explain how Scotland came to be the country it is today.

"No doubt the series will continue to provoke lively debate over major strands and personalities explored through Neil Oliver's lively presentation."

Editor's Notes:
A History of Scotland is a co-production between The Open University and the BBC. The Executive Producer is Neil Mcdonald; the Series Producer is Richard Downes. BBC Commissioning Executive for The Open University is Catherine McCarthy. The Broadcast Learning Executive for The Open University is Caroline Ogilvie. The Open University academic for the series is Professor Ian Donnachie.

The OU and the BBC have been in partnership for forty years, providing educational programming to a mass audience. In recent times this partnership has evolved from late night programming for delivering courses to peak-time programmes with a broad appeal, to encourage wider participation in learning.

The Open University has produced a series of 10 free postcards, to accompany the season, which depict key scenes from Scottish history. They can be obtained by calling 0845 300 8850 or from www.open2.net

The first five parts of the series A History of Scotland were broadcast late last year. More details are available on bbc.co.uk/scotlandshistory.

Event
The Open University in Scotland is hosting a debate on Wednesday 11 November, The Making of A History of Scotland. BBC producers Neil McDonald and Richard Downes, and series historian Mark Jardine will be joined by historian Catriona Macdonald to discuss and debate the issues involved in presenting Scotland's history. Chaired by journalist and broadcaster Ruth Wishart, the discussion will be illustrated by clips from the television series.

This Open University debate is part of the Edinburgh lectures series which runs from 1 October 2009 to 23 February 2010. For details of the event, please see the link right.

MEDIA RELEASE: New research highlights South Asian doctors' contribution to old age care

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:36:00 -0700

Migrant doctors are a valuable part of the NHS workforce but their experiences and contributions have largely gone unrecorded. New research published today by The Open University explores this gap in medical history and documents the careers of South Asian doctors working in the UK from 1948 onwards.

The research, led by Professor Joanna Bornat and funded by The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), focuses on old age care (geriatric medicine) an area which has always employed a high proportion of overseas-trained doctors - currently around 25%. A staffing crisis in the NHS in the 1960s resulted in over 60 per cent of consultant geriatrician posts being filled by overseas-trained doctors and for the next twenty years, geriatrics provided opportunities for this group to start and progress medical careers in the UK.

Professor Bornat said: “Our research shows that many South Asian doctors entered the field of geriatric medicine because at the time, it was less well-regarded by UK-trained doctors. Working with older people was not seen as attractive, did not provide opportunities for private practice and, initially at least, faced difficulties in being included in the system of merit awards which could boost a doctor's salary. We wanted to record and highlight the huge contribution these doctors have made in shaping medical provision in the UK, and their experiences of working in the NHS, before these first-hand accounts were lost forever. Their determination and dedication has meant that the quality of care for our older population has progressed at a truly tremendous rate. Geriatrics, or old age medicine, beginning in the early days of the NHS, sought to improve health care for older people. Those with chronic conditions were often marginalised and confined to hospital beds without hope of medical attention, South Asian geriatricians have contributed to improving both the quality of care, and to treatment of conditions which, half a century ago would have been left neglected.”

The oral history project 'Overseas-trained South Asian doctors and the development of geriatric medicine' interviewed 60 retired and serving South Asian doctors using a life history approach to explore education and medical training, migration experience, working in geriatrics and career development in the NHS.

One doctor described his experience: “Geriatrics represented second class doctors doing second class service for second class clients. I would not accept that. When I first became a consultant I used to get great wad of letters, 'Will you kindly see this patient and advise'. They didn't want my advice. They wanted me to remove the body blocking their beds. And I said to myself, 'I will never become a clinical undertaker. Never. I have learned medicine and I want to practise it.'”

Alex Mair, Chief Executive, British Geriatrics Society said: “Overseas-trained South Asian doctors have played a vital role within the development of the specialty of geriatric medicine. Today, it is one of the largest medical specialties and provides essential high quality healthcare for older people, in particular the most frail who have multiple medical conditions. We commend the hard work of these doctors who cared for older people, who would not otherwise have received diagnosis and treatment, at a time when 'age discrimination' was not publicly recognized.”

The Open University research team was led by Professor Joanna Bornat with co-investigators Dr Parvati Raghuram and Research Fellow Dr Leroi Henry. The OU findings and recordings of the interviews will be presented to the British Library to fill a gap in the history of the NHS workforce. For a full copy of the findings report, which contains excerpts from a number of interviews, contact Lauren Hardy 01908 655 614.
ENDS

Notes to editors

Research at The Open University
The Open University climbed 23 places to 43rd in the UK's latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), securing a place in the UK's top 50 higher education institutions. Results showed that more than 50% of the University's research is internationally excellent (3*), with a significant proportion world-leading (4*). There has been a 75% growth in competitively awarded research income at the OU over the last five years - a robust measure of our increasing research excellence. The Open University is the UK's largest university and the world leader in distance education, and is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary. It has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries. Of these, more than 1,100 are postgraduate research students.

About a Life History research approach
60 South Asian doctors were interviewed over a two-year period. The interviewers took a life history approach, starting with childhood and education, going on to medical training, migration experience, working in geriatrics and career development in the NHS. The quoted research source in the release is L028, born in Bombay 1927, arrived in UK 1953.

MEDIA RELEASE: Above the law? Thinking Allowed investigates white collar crime

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:49:00 -0700

TX: From Wednesday 4 November, 4pm, BBC Radio 4 – 3 x 30mins

Corporate fraud and financial crimes dominate today's front pages and in a special three-part series for the BBC Radio 4 series Thinking Allowed, Laurie Taylor goes behind the headlines to investigate white collar crime – from its late addition to the statute books, to the increasing difficulty in securing a conviction. Made in association with The Open University, the programmes look at the culture, practice and prosecution of white collar crime, with Laurie speaking to leading academic experts and professionals on both sides of the law.

Analysis by sociologists Dr David Whyte and Professor Steve Tombs – both of whom have contributed to a new OU course Crime and Justice - of the 2008 Health and Safety Executive figures showed that there are 30,000 major accidents including amputations, blindings or maimings at work every year - yet only 5% are investigated by the police. This compares with an investigation rate of over 90% for serious injuries suffered outside of the workplace. Convictions are also low for fraud cases – a crime which costs the UK at least £20 billion annually – with only a fraction of that figure recouped through successful prosecutions. City accountants are claiming fraud is now at its highest ever level and that it may treble during the recession.

Speaking to those involved with cutting edge research, Laurie Taylor asks if historic attitudes of leniency towards white collar crimes exist today; how attitudes to these crimes affect the police, judiciary and corporate world; whether the police are reluctant to engage with the corporate environment; and if status plays a role in whether people are viewed as criminal and how they experience justice.

Dr Deb Drake, a criminologist at The Open University and academic consultant to the programmes said: “Class, perception and status all seem to play a role in how criminals are treated in our judicial system. There is the notion that those of high status get shorter and easier jail sentences, and that crimes committed by people at work are not investigated by the police. This is a timely and challenging look at a very particular kind of crime – it promises to be a compelling series of programmes.”

PROGRAMME DETAILS
1. THE CULTURE OF THE CRIME
Why people commit white collar crimes: Here we define white collar crimes and how they are socially constructed. We explore why/how individuals and corporations commit them. Research by Tombs and Whyte shows corporate environments contribute to an atmosphere where criminality is possible or even likely (sociological research claims that Barings 'institutionally' encouraged Nick Leeson's fraud). Maurice Punch, Professor of Sociology at the LSE talks about his research, Suite Violence: Why managers murder and corporations kill. What are the growth areas? Why are some acts conceptualised as non-criminal even though they break the law? What is the attraction and what are the rewards for the individual?

2. NEUTRALISING THE OFFENCE
How society tends to decriminalise professional crime: What social factors contribute to a culture in which police are unwilling to prosecute white collar crime, and when they do they are often unsuccessful? Most corporate crimes are left to regulatory agencies rather than to the police, why? There are claims that a traditional class difference between most police and most white collar criminals puts them off getting involved – we discuss the ethnographic research. Gary Fooks, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Southbank University talks about his ethnographic work on the Serious Fraud Office. Why do agencies like Revenue and Customs use non-prosecution methods to recoup their missing revenue from tax fraudsters, and how do these methods affect society's attitude to crime generally?

3. PROTECTING THE PUBLIC
How courts and prison treat white collar criminals: Ideas of mitigation and rehabilitation are prominent in thinking about our judicial system but do they play any part in the concept of white collar crime? Does that affect how white collar criminals are treated in court and in prison? Michael Levi's sociological research shows middle class offenders are treated more leniently and released earlier – is this because they don't match the criteria of the archetypical 'criminal'. Is the idea of 'harm to the public' the main guiding concept behind the incarceration and if so are white collar criminals really less likely to harm the public? In Safety Crimes Tombs and Whyte demonstrate that white collar criminals harm far more people than blue collar criminals, but in a less direct way.

TX details: From Wednesday 4 November, 4pm (repeated Sundays after midnight) BBC Radio 4.TX information correct at time of issue.

Programme Credits
These Thinking Allowed editions are a co-production between The Open University and the BBC.
The Producer is Charlie Taylor, the Editor is Sharon Banoff.
BBC Commissioning Executive for the Open University is Emma De'Ath.
The Broadcast Learning Executive for The Open University is Caroline Ogilvie.
The Open University academics for the series are Louise Westmarland and Deb Drake.

The OU and the BBC have been in partnership for forty years, providing educational programming to a mass audience. In recent times this partnership has evolved from late night programming for delivering courses to peak-time programmes with a broad appeal, to encourage wider participation in learning.

MEDIA RELEASE: New series to reveal unexpected histories of Christianity

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:33:00 -0700

The History of Christianity, an Open University co-production with the BBC and Jerusalem Productions, will provide fascinating insights into Christianity, the world's largest religion. The six programmes will show how different forms of the religion evolved over time because of different events and will indicate intriguing alternative possibilities, such as how Baghdad, rather than Rome, nearly became the centre of the Christian world.

Presenter Diarmaid MacCulloch, leading historian and Professor of History of the Church and Fellow at St Cross College, University of Oxford, will tell the story of the beginnings of Christianity, looking first at the story of its early spread to many parts of Asia. He will then trace the subsequent growth of the ascendancy of the Papacy in the Western Church, and explore the long history of Eastern Orthodoxy centred on Constantinople and later Moscow. He will describe how the explosion of tensions at the Reformation led to new forms of Christianity, and how some of these, notably Evangelical Protestantism, became world missionary forces. The series will conclude with a look at the growth of religious doubt and questioning of Christianity, especially in western Europe in the aftermath of two world wars and the Holocaust, and in the face of the rapid social and cultural changes of the later twentieth century.

John Wolffe, Professor of Religious History at The Open University and academic consultant to the series, said: “For nearly two millennia Christianity has played a central role in world history and has interacted extensively with other religious traditions. The Open University is delighted to be involved in this series, which reflects our commitment to the objective and sympathetically critical study of religion as a major force in human societies.”

The series starts on Thursday 05 November, 9pm on BBC Four.

The Open University is conducting an online survey in parallel with the series, asking viewers what Christianity means to them today. For further information, please see link right.

Editor's Notes
BBC Multiplatform Commissioning Executive is Catherine McCarthy. The Open University Academic Consultant is Professor John Wolffe. The Broadcast Learning Executive for The Open University is Caroline Ogilvie.

Related Courses
Undergraduate Courses
• Introducing Religions (A217)
• Islam in the West: The Politics of Co-existence (AD252)
• Religion in History: Conflict, Conversion and Co-existence (AA307)
• Religion Today: Tradition, Modernity and Change (AD317)

Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Courses with Religious Studies Components
• AA100 The arts past and present (AA100)
• From Enlightenment to Romanticism c.1780-1830 (A207)

Postgraduate Courses
• MA Religious Studies part 1 (A880)
• MA Religious Studies part 2 (A881) is planned for presentation from May 2011.

Professional Development
• Respecting religious diversity at work (GA063)

MEDIA RELEASE: OU Vice-Chancellor addresses CBI Higher Education Summit

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:36:00 -0700

Martin Bean, the new Vice-Chancellor of The Open University today called on Higher Education to deliver genuine flexibility to help individuals, and employers, improve their skills. He addressed the CBI Higher Education Summit alongside the Rt Hon Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, David Willetts, Shadow Secretary of State for Universities and Skills, and Richard Lambert, Director-General of the CBI.

The Summit focused on how HE and business can enhance partnerships and deliver world-class graduates and discussed the challenges facing the sector in the light of reductions in government funding.

Martin Bean said: “The Open University has always championed high-quality education as a human right, particularly in a developed economy like the UK. The skills base of a country is the country's economy, and traditional routes to HE cannot keep pace with the ever rising numbers of students looking to train, enhance their qualifications and often re-skill to match the needs of potential employers.

“A third of all UK students are now part-time. The OU is a powerhouse behind 21st century skills - 75% of FTSE 100 companies sponsor staff on OU courses and 70% of our students work while they study, taking their new skills straight into the workplace.”

Martin Bean has been actively involved in the advancement of education policy and the reform of education to meet today's growing need for more relevant, high-quality provision and innovative research. He was appointed to the government's new online distance learning task force announced by HE Minister, David Lammy in June. The task force will advise on a wider strategy to help UK universities build on their existing world class reputations to access and engage future markets that are expected to value around £15bn in the future.

Martin Bean is The Open University's fifth Vice-Chancellor and joined from the private sector with more than 20 years experience in training and education. He has held senior executive positions in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Notes to editors
About The Open University
The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest university and the world leader in distance education. More than two million people have studied with the OU since it began in 1969. The OU has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs. 2009 is the 40th anniversary year of The Open University.
Independent authorities have consistently ranked the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University's research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence. OU students are more impressed with the quality of their courses and the support received than those at any other UK university, based on the findings of the National Student Survey. The OU has been at the top of the rankings every year since the survey began in 2005.
It works with many businesses and has strong industry partnerships. The OU's Centre for Professional Learning & Development (CPLD) designs bespoke in-house learning courses for various organisations, including Reuters, Airbus and UKTI.

About the online distance learning task force
The task force is chaired by Lynne Brindley, the Chief Executive of the British Library and will work to ensure that our universities become the first choice across the world for online distance learning. The task force will advise on a wider strategy to build on our past and present successes and ensure we do not lose pace on increased demand in expanding and new markets. The task force includes senior representatives from Microsoft and Apple, HEFCE, JISC and Universities UK. The BBC has agreed to advise the task force as and when appropriate. It is backed by a new Open Learning Innovation Fund aimed at helping universities build on their existing world-class reputations to access and engage future markets that are expected to value around £15bn in the future.

MEDIA RELEASE: Berlin: Matt Frei explores a city of contrasts and controversy

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:32:00 -0700

TX: Saturday 14 November, BBC2 – 3 x 60mins

Berlin has seen everything from Nazi imperialism to the first gay mayor; it has been home to some of history's most influential people including Bertholt Brecht, Marlene Dietrich and Einstein; and it's a city that has been steeped in controversy and contradiction throughout the centuries. Co-produced by The Open University, Berlin is a new three-part documentary written and presented by award-winning, German-born, journalist Matt Frei, who unveils the turbulent and dramatic story of this city from the Prussian years right through to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Matt Frei, now Anchor of BBC World News America and host of 'Americana' on Radio Four, took up the post of the BBC's Bonn Correspondent in Germany on the same day as the fall of the Berlin Wall, and revisits his own past in this series: “Making a film about a city I love, whose happiest milestone I was lucky enough to witness and where layers of history, good but mostly bad, have collided with consequences for the rest of the world is a gift for any journalist. To do it in both English and German was a first for me."

Drawing bold connections between events, characters, art and architecture from 200 years of turbulent history, the series – which is shot in English and German - reveals how the ideas, buildings and people of Berlin have become iconic symbols of our times. Travelling back and forth in time between the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the 18th century Prussian years, Hitler's Third Reich and Cold War Berlin, we discover a city of contrasts – divided and shaped by its own history.

Dr Sylvia Warnecke, an expert in the cultural policy of the former East Germany, is The Open University's academic consultant to the series and was involved in underground democratic political movements in East Germany in the 1980s. Sylvia said: “Unlike many other European cities, Berlin's identity has moved and shifted as history has unfolded, something that has been reflected in its cultural scene. In a sense, Berlin is braver because of its turbulent past, and there is a real sense of endeavour and innovation. The series gets to the essence of this unique city, and brings a fresh view to a place that many viewers will think that they already know.”

To accompany the series, The Open University has produced a free bi-lingual guide to the city of Berlin available to order from www.open2.net or by calling 0845 366 8013.

- ENDS -
Editor's Notes
For interviews, preview DVDs, images and further information contact Kath Middleditch

Images available from the BBC Picture service – go to www.bbcpictures.com

TX details: Saturday 14 November, BBC TWO, time to be confirmed. TX details are correct at the time of issue and are subject to change.

About Matt Frei
Matt Frei was born in Essen, West Germany. When he was ten years old he left Germany with his family and moved to the UK. He joined the BBC shortly after graduating from St Peter's College, University of Oxford. After a year in the German Section of the World Service, he moved to English Language Current Affairs, where he worked for another year. In 1989 he reported on the First Intifada in Jerusalem, then on the Gulf War as London Foreign Affairs correspondent. He took up the post of Bonn Correspondent in Germany on the same day as the fall of the Berlin Wall. And on October 1, 2007, Frei became the first presenter of the BBC World News one hour Washington-based news broadcast, BBC World News America. He has won numerous awards during his career notably Amnesty International Asia Award, for Newsnight features on Vietnam and Indonesia (1997 and 1998), Royal Television Society International News Award (2000) and Prix Bayeux for War Reporting (2000).

Programme Credits
Berlin is a co-production between The Open University and the BBC.
The Executive Producer is Basil Comely; the Series Producer is Sam Hobkinson.
BBC Commissioning Executive for the Open University is Emma De'Ath.
The Broadcast Learning Executive for The Open University is Anne Stevens.
The Open University academics for the series are Dr Klaus-Dieter Rossade and Dr Sylvia Warnecke.

The OU and the BBC have been in partnership for forty years, providing educational programming to a mass audience. In recent times this partnership has evolved from late night programming for delivering courses to peak-time programmes with a broad appeal, to encourage wider participation in learning.
Resources
Related Courses and programmes from The Open University:-
• L130 Auftakt: get ahead in German
• L193 Rundblick: beginner's German
• L203 Motive: upper intermediate German
• L313 Variationen: Advanced German

MEDIA RELEASE: The word's your oyster – OU Week on online dictionary Wordia.com

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:06:00 -0700

The Open University (OU) is the first University to team up with Wordia.com, the online visual dictionary, launching a week of themed videos from today. In celebration of the OU's 40th anniversary year, Wordia.com is running a series of seven videos, one per day, highlighting words of significance to The Open University. Those supporting the week by submitting videos include TV presenter Kate Humble and singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading.

Over the week, seven Word of the Day videos will be published on the front page of Wordia.com exploring words of significance to The Open University – from evolution and inspiration to pedagogy and literacy. Open University broadcaster Dr Janet Sumner said: “Although so much of TV relies on amazing visuals, words are incredibly important in the job that I do. Pictures tell only half the story – and I've chosen to define the word “inspiration” in my video. It's a word that describes what we want our broadcasts projects to be, and it also applies to many of our OU students!”

Wordia is a collaborative, participative online dictionary that encourages users to explore and debate the meanings of words through personal perspectives communicated on video. It gives users the freedom to express their own thoughts, feelings or personal associations with a word or subject in a creative, social context - next to the authoritative textual definition.

Those taking part in the OU Week on Wordia are TV presenter Kate Humble, who defines 'literacy'; genealogist and TV presenter Nick Barratt who talks about 'evolution'; dancer, writer and broadcaster Deborah Bull who defines 'innovative'; singer and songwriter Joan Armatrading who explores the word 'collaboration'; Times columnist and OU Professor of Law Gary Slapper who defines 'education'; broadcaster Janet Sumner who talks about 'inspiration'; architectural historian and TV presenter Dan Cruickshank who explores 'pedagogy'.

- ENDS -
Editor's Notes
Wordia was launched on 18 September 2008, on the 299th birthday of Dr Samuel Johnson from his house in Gough Square, Fleet Street. It is the first and best in the field of online visual dictionaries – helping redefine the dictionary for the 21st century.

MEDIA RELEASE: Open University's iSpot website identifies moth never seen before in UK

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:17:00 -0700

On 6 October, a photo of an unusual looking moth was posted onto iSpot, the OU's website to help anyone identify plants and wildlife. The OU identified it as being the Euonymus Leaf Notcher moth - never seen in the UK before.

Within 24 hours of it being identified on iSpot, the species was also confirmed by Martin Honey, Curator in the Department of Entomology at the Natural History Museum, and an expert in Taiwan. The Natural History Museum will take the moth into their collection this week.

Martin Harvey, a researcher at the OU's Biodiversity Observatory, who identified the moth on iSpot, says: 'this find demonstrates the power of the internet, and iSpot in particular, in helping everyone learn about wildlife. It may just be a one-off, or it could be harbinger of establishment in the UK. The moth is regarded as a something of pest in America and Asia, but its food plants are restricted to ornamental shrubs.'

The furry moth was found by six year old Katie Dobbins from Berkshire and her father posted the photo on iSpot (www.ispot.org.uk). iSpot is a new OU website to post images to help name the flower, plant, insect or animal seen and share observations with others. Pictures uploaded to iSpot will be identified by the iSpotters community, including OU biodiversity experts like Martin Harvey.

The OU has a new introductory course, Neighbourhood Nature, which combines theory and practice and includes iSpot as a field based activity. The course will help students on a natural history journey working in conjunction with OPAL project partners, a raft of regional and local community groups including the Woodland Trust to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds who have knowledge of local public open spaces.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITOR

iSpot is funded by The Big Lottery Fund's £11.7 million grant to OPAL (Open Air Laboratories: http://www.opalexplorenature.org/) in which the OU is a partner.

MEDIA RELEASE: The recession has not lifted for Britain's small firms but they seem more concerned about regulations and taxation

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:06:00 -0700

The recession remains the biggest business problem for Britain's small firms and there are few signs that the recession is lifting for them according to the latest Quarterly Survey of Small Business in Britain by The Open University Business School in association with Barclays Bank and ACCA.

For the first time in the 25 year history of the survey, over half of firms (52%) have seen their sales fall, while the economic climate (52%) and cashflow (34%) remain their top problems, as they have been for all this year.

However, the pace of decline appears to have slowed and a resilient almost one quarter of firms (22%) continues to report increased sales since the recession began. Most firms (61%) have not changed their employment levels, but well over a quarter (29%) has cut staff over the past year with only 10% recruiting new workers.

Small manufacturers previously reported the most negative sales performance, with a drop of -40%. However there has been an improvement, even though the figure is still negative, to -27%. The other sectors reporting a better sales balance than in the previous survey are wholesale, hotels & restaurants, agriculture and retail. Official figures also seem to indicate a turnaround within manufacturing as a whole with value added falling by only 0.2% in the second quarter after a precipitous fall of 5.5% in the first quarter.

The outlook for the coming quarter looks more promising. With one third of respondents expecting to increase sales, there is a net positive balance of 3% on sales and, although the net balance on staffing is still negative, at -5%, it looks a lot healthier than the current levels. And, with regard to the advice and information that firms are seeking, there are indications that small business owners are looking forward to a return to more normal trading conditions.

Most firms are not seeking advice and information on the direct effects of the recession but on finance or debt issues (17%), improved marketing (14%) or even managing bankruptcy and insolvency (7%) – but are focussed on the more perennial issues concerning regulations (30%) and taxation (31%).

Professor Colin Gray, professor of enterprise development at The Open University Business School said, 'small firms are clearly still reeling from the effects of the recession but resilience and flexibility are among their noted strengths. There are already clear signs that most small firm owners are beginning to look beyond the recession. We hope that managing the recovery does not also pose too many problems for them.'

Additionally, 17% of firms have sought information on regulations but were unsuccessful in obtaining the advice and information they were looking for. One in ten firms have found it hard to get information on financial management, sources of finance, debt management or market insights. 38% successfully found information on taxation (as opposed to only 6% who did not find what they wanted).

The survey results also found that the more entrepreneurial firms (as measured on the survey's self-assessed entrepreneurship scale), were not only much more positive about the future but also were much more aware of the skills and knowledge they will need to manage the recovery. Advice and information on training and staff development was their third highest priority and this is an area where respondents were satisfied with what they found.

The survey of 848 small business respondents was carried out by the enterprise research team at the Open University Business School with sponsorship by Barclays Bank and ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). It was based on questionnaires and interviews with SMEs in the third quarter of 2009.

- end -

MEDIA RELEASE: Bored with reading the instructions? Watch and listen instead!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Medication information leaflets may soon be more than just a piece of paper in a box. New research at The Open University aims to change the way information is conveyed by translating text into dialogue, while preserving clarity and meaning. The EPSRC-funded project, Coherent Dialogue Automatically Generated from Text (CODA), will develop the theory and technology for automatic text conversion, and is specifically aimed at creating conversations between lay people and experts, for example a patient and doctor.

Despite evidence supporting the fact that dialogue is more effective than monologue in tutoring and persuasive communication, most information is still locked up in text, including books, leaflets or web pages.

Dr Paul Piwek, Principal Investigator and Lecturer in Computing at The Open University, said: “Text-to-dialogue generation technology can play an important role in making information available in a form that best meets people's needs when processing information. Dialogue is much more suitable for new multimedia presentation styles and can, for example, be performed by digital computer-animated characters.”

Dialogue is extremely versatile and can be presented as text, similar to frequently asked questions, or by a team of human-like computer-animated characters with automatic speech synthesis. Interaction could be through personal digital assistants, third and fourth generation mobile phones, set-top boxes, digital TV or other new content delivery technologies.

“Our project will focus on retaining cohesion and meaning in the transformation from text to dialogue, which is critical for many applications. In healthcare for example, a complicated printed medication leaflet could be presented as a conversation between a computer-animated pharmacist and patient, but it is crucial that the new presentation format should not alter the content by adding, removing or changing any information,” Dr Piwek concluded.

Dr Piwek is supported by a Research Associate, Dr Svetlana Stoyanchev, and a Visiting Researcher, Dr Helmut Prendinger. Dr Prendinger is Associate Professor at the National Institute of Informatics in Tokyo. The project, with a two year grant of £172K, is due for completion in 2011. The research will help realise the Government's Council for Science and Technology's (CST) aim of providing people with services and information when, where and, especially, how they need it.

Editor's Notes
• The Open University climbed 23 places to 43rd in the UK's latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), securing a place in the UK's top 50 higher education institutions. Results showed that more than 50% of the University's research is internationally excellent (3*), with a significant proportion world-leading (4*).

• There has been a 75% growth in competitively awarded research income at the OU over the last five years - a robust measure of our increasing research excellence.

• The Open University is the UK's largest university and the world leader in distance education, and is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary. It has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries. Of these, more than 1,100 are postgraduate research students.

MEDIA RELEASE: National Skills Academy endorses OU Foundation Degree in Financial Services

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:35:00 -0700

The Foundation Degree in Financial Services, a new qualification from The Open University (OU) has been endorsed by The National Skills Academy for Financial Services (NSAFS) as an innovative way of opening access to financial services careers.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the OU and NSAFS, the Skills Academy will shortly begin offering the Foundation Degree as a career development route for employers and encourage Further Education colleges in its network to link to the OU to deliver the course at a local level – breaking new ground for the OU.

Ian Fribbance, Senior Lecturer in Economics at The Open University - who has led the development of the Foundation Degree - said: “This model of collaborative teaching where OU materials will be delivered within the Skills Academy network throughout England and through other colleges, such as Neath Port Talbot College in Wales, is a new way of working for us. It opens up the qualification to a whole new set of students and it is exciting to see new partners come on board and help us reach out to those working in this crucial sector.

“With the current increased emphasis on regulation and training, there has never been a more crucial time to launch a qualification like this. We already have students enrolled for the new qualifications and financial services employers are showing interest.”

Sylvia Perrins, CEO of NSAFS, said: “The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is pleased to endorse this Foundation Degree believing it to enhance and develop skills much needed by the industry at large. It recognises existing professional qualifications and can incorporate these as well as content specifically developed with employers.

“The Degree offers a realistic work based pathway into higher education for non-graduates and will be available across the UK, through some of our NSAFS network of training providers.”

The new Foundation Degree launches in Autumn 2009 and registration is open now.

Notes to Editors
The new OU Foundation Degree in Financial Services is also supported by fdf (Foundation Degree Forward) and recognised by the Financial Services Skills Council.

About the National Skills Academy for Financial Services
The National Skills Academy for Financial Services is a registered charity which was created with the express purpose of delivering world-class education and training aligned with employer needs in the financial services industry to people of all age groups and learning backgrounds, helping them to prepare for and develop financial services careers.
For more about the National Skills Academy for Financial Services or to get involved with us see: www.nsafs.co.uk or email info@nsafs.co.uk

MEDIA RELEASE: Global business leader is The Open University's new Vice-Chancellor

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:59:00 -0700

Martin Bean, The Open University's fifth Vice-Chancellor takes over today following Professor Gourley's retirement last month. Martin joins from the private sector with more than 20 years experience in training and education, and has held senior executive positions in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Martin Bean said: “The Open University is a truly unique organisation that has harnessed the power of technology and transformed the way people access high quality educational opportunities. Its mission and approach are more relevant today to the needs of society and the potential offered by technology than ever.

“There is a growing gap between an increasingly knowledge-driven economy and the numbers of people with the skills to succeed. In these economically challenging times, traditional routes to education cannot offer a dramatic increase in scale to allow for wider access. Supported open learning, which can be delivered by all kinds of media platforms, is part of the solution in both the developed economies and the developing world. The potential is enormously exciting.

“I am delighted to be part of the next generation of The Open University and look forward to the journey ahead.”

Martin Bean was General Manager within the Education Products Group at the Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington and is a recognised industry leader around the world. He has held executive management roles in leading organisations, including Novell Inc., Sylvan Learning Systems and Thomson Learning.

Martin Bean has been actively involved in the advancement of education policy and the reform of education to meet today's growing need for more relevant, high-quality provision and innovative research. He was appointed to the government's new online distance learning task force announced by HE Minister, David Lammy in June. The task force will advise on a wider strategy to help UK universities build on their existing world class reputations to access and engage future markets that are expected to value around £15bn in the future.

He has established and managed complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships in public, private and not-for-profit organisations and has a track record of growing or reinventing complex enterprises. He has presented to the U.S. Senate on the importance of ICT in the Workforce Investment Act and testified on behalf of the Workforce Coalition before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Prior to moving to the UK, Martin Bean was a member of the National Board of Directors of Jobs for Americas Graduates and was a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Computing Technology Industry Association, chairing its Public Policy Committee. He was President of AIESEC International, (Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales) the international, not-for-profit organisation run by students and recent graduates.

An Australian by birth, Bean holds a Bachelor's degree in Adult Education from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, and now lives in Salford, Buckinghamshire with his wife and three daughters.

Notes to Editors
About The Open University
The Open University (OU) is the United Kingdom's largest university and the world leader in distance education. More than two million people have studied with the OU since it began in 1969. The OU has more than 200,000 students in over 40 countries studying for a variety of degrees and vocational qualifications ranging from short courses to PhDs. 2009 is the 40th anniversary year of The Open University.
Independent authorities have consistently ranked the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University's research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence. OU students are more impressed with the quality of their courses and the support received than those at any other UK university, based on the findings of the National Student Survey. The OU has been at the top of the rankings every year since the survey began in 2005.
E-learning – making intelligent use of media such as computer conferencing, email, CD-Roms, DVDs, the internet and of course, television and radio programmes – has always formed a major part of the OU's courses and student support services, and the OU is regarded as Britain's major e-learning institution.

About the online distance learning task force
The task force is chaired by Lynne Brindley, the Chief Executive of the British Library and will work to ensure that our universities become the first choice across the world for online distance learning. The task force will advise on a wider strategy to build on our past and present successes and ensure we do not lose pace on increased demand in expanding and new markets. The task force includes senior representatives from Microsoft and Apple, HEFCE, JISC and Universities UK. The BBC has agreed to advise the task force as and when appropriate. It is backed by a new Open Learning Innovation Fund aimed at helping universities build on their existing world-class reputations to access and engage future markets that are expected to value around £15bn in the future.