LearningSpace: All Units

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 ...

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.

This unit is an early study for people wishing to become a secondary teacher using the Open University's highly flexible route for graduates – known as the flexible PGCE. This unit, which considers the general professional standards and skills ...

This unit is an early study for people wishing to become a secondary teacher using the Open University's highly flexible route for graduates – known as the flexible PGCE. This unit, which considers the general professional standards and skills of a teacher whatever their secondary subject specialism, is studied following a brief two-week placement in school and prior to a much longer series of full-time school experiences.

Teachers often have little spare time to reflect on the day's lessons and challenges. However, this evaluation of teaching and learning experiences is vital to their professional development. This unit is an extract from the OU's Chartered ...

Teachers often have little spare time to reflect on the day's lessons and challenges. However, this evaluation of teaching and learning experiences is vital to their professional development. This unit is an extract from the OU's Chartered Teacher Programme for Scotland and will help teachers to evaluate their practice and development opportunities.

Are you interested in creating your own open educational resources? This unit will help you to write a learning unit and provide you with links to various resources for open-learning materials. You will learn about the different purposes of ...

Are you interested in creating your own open educational resources? This unit will help you to write a learning unit and provide you with links to various resources for open-learning materials. You will learn about the different purposes of self-instruction and receive advice about the techniques and strategies to help the learner.

What do you think being creative means? This unit engages with the debates surrounding the term ‘creativity’ and explores ways in which ICT creates new opportunities for creativity and collaborative working. The unit would be of interest to ...

What do you think being creative means? This unit engages with the debates surrounding the term ‘creativity’ and explores ways in which ICT creates new opportunities for creativity and collaborative working. The unit would be of interest to teachers, parents and carers, and can be studied on an individual basis or as part of a school-based training session.

As adults we sometimes struggle to justify our feelings about particular books, but children are quite clear about what they like and don't like. It is possible to get children to discuss why they liked or did not like particular books and to ...

As adults we sometimes struggle to justify our feelings about particular books, but children are quite clear about what they like and don't like. It is possible to get children to discuss why they liked or did not like particular books and to encourage them to think more deeply about the books they read. This unit offers ideas and activities to engage pupils in discussing books. It is aimed at librarians, teaching assistants and other adults working with pupils in school libraries.

Museums give children experiences above and beyond the everyday – experiences that enrich and build upon classroom teaching and learning. Taking pupils to a museum, or bringing museum artefacts into school, instantly changes the dynamics of the ...

Museums give children experiences above and beyond the everyday – experiences that enrich and build upon classroom teaching and learning. Taking pupils to a museum, or bringing museum artefacts into school, instantly changes the dynamics of the usual learning environment. It gives you as a teacher the opportunity to start afresh with each child, to reach and engage with pupils in new and different ways. This unit explores practical ways in which you can make the most of the UK's extraordinarily dynamic and diverse museums and galleries; it gives you pathways into museum resources, and shares examples of teachers and museum educators making the most of museum artefacts.

This unit will help you to identify and use information in education, whether for your work, study or personal purposes. Experiment with some of the key resources in this subject area, and learn about the skills which will enable you to plan ...

This unit will help you to identify and use information in education, whether for your work, study or personal purposes. Experiment with some of the key resources in this subject area, and learn about the skills which will enable you to plan searches for information, so you can find what you are looking for more easily. Discover the meaning of information quality, and learn how to evaluate the information you come across. You will also be introduced to the many different ways of organising your own information, and learn how to reference it properly in your work. Finally, discover how to keep up to date with the latest developments in your area of interest by using tools such as RSS and mailing lists.

We know that the brain has a hugely important role to play in the students' learning that goes on in our classrooms. However, surprisingly, scientists still know relatively little about the workings of the brain, and most of what we do know has ...

We know that the brain has a hugely important role to play in the students' learning that goes on in our classrooms. However, surprisingly, scientists still know relatively little about the workings of the brain, and most of what we do know has been discovered only in the last 15 years. Our challenge is to ensure that what we do know about the brain is translated into classroom practice and used to maximise student learning – this is the idea at the heart of Accelerated Learning. This unit introduces some of the principles of accelerated learning and explores techniques for you to try out with your pupils.

This unit is designed to help those working with children between the ages of 3 and 8. You will be encouraged to explore your knowledge, feelings and attitudes in language, mathematics and science in order to understand the place that these ...

This unit is designed to help those working with children between the ages of 3 and 8. You will be encouraged to explore your knowledge, feelings and attitudes in language, mathematics and science in order to understand the place that these subjects have in the life of both individuals and society as a whole.

This unit is about using learning to bring about personal change, and is the first step in showing you how this is possible. It will look at what the word ‘learning’ includes and then offers a sequence of opportunities to see what qualities, ...

This unit is about using learning to bring about personal change, and is the first step in showing you how this is possible. It will look at what the word ‘learning’ includes and then offers a sequence of opportunities to see what qualities, skills and knowledge you already have. Finally we look at ways that you can make sense of what you know about learning.

In this unit we look at the notion of parents as partners. We identify a cluster of reasons why partnership is considered important - for children, parents and practitioners - and give examples of ways in which it can be interpreted in practice. ...

In this unit we look at the notion of parents as partners. We identify a cluster of reasons why partnership is considered important - for children, parents and practitioners - and give examples of ways in which it can be interpreted in practice. We also outline a conceptual framework to accommodate the possible range of parental involvement and partnership practice.

There is an ongoing ‘revolution’ in the running of state schools and this is making the position of the school business manager both significant and necessary. Government thinking, together with profound changes in society generally, will ...

There is an ongoing ‘revolution’ in the running of state schools and this is making the position of the school business manager both significant and necessary. Government thinking, together with profound changes in society generally, will affect every institution both in terms of pedagogy and the physical environment, particularly technology and levels of security employed. This unit will look at how you – an existing or aspiring business manager – can work effectively to support school activities and stakeholders, and in particular how you can support and manage aspects of the change agenda in your school to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

Mentoring, observation and interviews are three important strategies in developing student teachers. This unit, which gives a flavour of the Open University's flexible PGCE course, introduces student–teacher centred strategies both inside and ...

Mentoring, observation and interviews are three important strategies in developing student teachers. This unit, which gives a flavour of the Open University's flexible PGCE course, introduces student–teacher centred strategies both inside and outside of the classroom involving mentors, pupils, tutors and others to develop student teachers' professional skills and understanding.

Teaching assistants are an important resource in education. This unit looks at how this role has developed over time. You will also explore why this workforce is predominately female and why there is a marked under-representation of minority ...

Teaching assistants are an important resource in education. This unit looks at how this role has developed over time. You will also explore why this workforce is predominately female and why there is a marked under-representation of minority ethnic assistants. Finally you will explore what the future hold for this paraprofessional role.