Blog

Did you come to academia though a non-traditional route, such as professional practice, or are you currently in a role that is teaching- rather than research-focused? And might you be interested in making a meaningful contribution to your organisation’s research profile? If so, then this could be the blog for you!

This blog explores the nuanced differences between work-integrated and work-based learning, drawing on research and insights from the WACE Conference, May 2025. It highlights implications for curriculum design, learner identity, and the role of workplace mentors in enhancing learning.

The transition to a greener, more sustainable workplace is a growing challenge for managers. But what if games could help? Olga Andrianova and Charles Mbalyohere explain how games can be powerful tools to help managers navigate sustainability challenges.

After attending a peer-reviewed blog writing session, OU academics Sarah Bloomfield and Catherine Comfort found the session deeply affirming. But following a similar exercise with Generative AI, the experience felt notably different.

Degree Apprenticeships (DAs) aim to enhance social mobility by combining work and study, but systemic barriers, class inequalities, and ineffective levy use limit their transformative potential for disadvantaged groups. This blog discusses the findings of a research project exploring these challenges and their implications for social mobility policy and practice.

In our latest blog, Senior Lecturers Kevin Amor and Allan Mooney provide recommendations for addressing the challenges of active student engagement during online tutorials.

Max Ward and Charlotte Luckhurst reflect on an OU ‘Rethinking Tuition’ symposium aimed at improving retention by bringing peers together to discuss their attendance and engagement strategies.

At The Open University Law School, legal research skills are embedded within our teaching materials. This SoTL team wanted to hear how students, felt and understood about legal research skills, both as a term and as a legal skill that they needed to develop during their studies.

Student voice is a method which allows students to share their views and experiences. Carol Edwards and Liz Hardie reflect on one such recent opportunity to engage with students, through The Open University Law School’s ‘Student Voice Festival’.

This blog post introduces 'Creativity and Critique: Digital Learning and Teaching: Insights for Learning Design in Business and Law', edited by Jacqueline Baxter, Helen Selby-Fell and Andrew Gilbert. This book, for release in May 2025 by Palgrave Macmillan, offers a comprehensive exploration of the shifts within business and law schools, catalysed by technological advancements and the unforeseen push online due to global challenges.