Is creativity a mind-set or can it be developed? How much influence does organisational culture have on creativity in the workplace? And is there space for innovation within all business environments? Managing a successful business is never simple, especially when it’s necessary to navigate a...

What can we learn from the way business is done in Asian cultures? The dominant management philosophy in the Asia-Pacific region is a Chinese one, emphasising Confucian values, the family and respect for authority. Does the enduring success of this approach have important lessons for us in the...

This unit examines the use of polymers and demonstrates how the properties of polymers are controlled by their molecular structure. You will learn how this structure determines which polymer to use for a particular product. You will also explore the manufacturing techniques used and the how the...

How do children fit in to our society? This unit will help you to understand the issues surrounding children's rights as well as examining the implications of seeing children as citizens. You will also explore the meaning of childhood and analyse children's needs. This study unit is just one of...

Ethical standards play a key role in the conduct of individuals and societies. This audio album contains three tracks that examine the basics of ethical theory and practice. It features interviews with leading figures in the field of ethics and examines codes of ethics, corporate businesses and...

Today, listening to music is easy - we have CDs, MP3s, radio, television and the internet. But around a hundred years ago life was very different - either you had to play music yourself or have someone else play it for you. The 15 video tracks in this album demonstrate various ways to play music...

How has the English language influenced your life? How would you define your relationship with English? In this collection these questions are explored by Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, writer Sindiwe Magona, and author Jung Chang amongst others. They discuss the impact of the language; and describe...

Why is Iceland the fastest growing island in the North Atlantic? Why is Iceland on dry land? Dr Dave McGarvie takes us on a geographically complex field trip to discover Iceland's new land. McGarvie explains how different types of basalts eruptions help build the crust of Iceland. This material...

Should we have the right to die? Should lawyers be passionate? Why are women still poorly represented in law? And since when did judges decide become of such interest to the public? These are just some of the topics covered in this fascinating compilation of discussions of law by Professor Gary...

Just how dangerous is the everyday workplace? What can be done to mitigate risks and avoid hazards? And what trade-offs have to be made between the competing demands of safety, efficiency and wider social responsibility? This album looks at three very different case studies - farming, food...

Sir Isaac Newton observed that he could track the movement of the stars but not the madness of men. This fast paced album looks at the history and causes of economic bubbles and focuses on the highs and lows of the dot.com boom of the early 2000s. How do we spot a bubble emerging? Why do we buy...

These six managers, from frontline roles across health and social care in the UK, are real people in real roles. By sharing their experiences through short videos, they help to bring alive the ideas studied in the course and help you to explore how they might play out in real-life...

Everywhere you look in nature you will find patterns. From the seeds in the flower under your nose to the flock of swallows overhead some patterns keep occurring again and again. The essence of mathematics is a series of simple rules that produce complex consequences. And nowhere are these...

Have you ever wondered where bottled water comes from and what impact this has on the environment? This informative, animated video looks at the complete process of producing bottled water and strives to answer the question, 'Bottled water - who needs it?' Highlighting the effects this has on the...

What is imagination and can philosophy define it in any meaningful way? This unit will introduce you to some of the possible answers to these questions and will examine why philosophy has sometimes found it difficult to approach imagination. It will then go on to examine the relationship that...

Is English a force for good? What have been the ramifications of this language’s dominance in ex colonies and also throughout the world? We debate how local languages have suffered as a result of the spread of English and investigate the consequences of its influence on indigenous communities....

How does the computer's peculiar binary world of digital entities differ from our analogue world of colour, sound, taste and touch? This unit explores the way in which information, in the form of text, still and moving images, and sound can cross the boundary from the analogue universe into a...

Climate change is a key issue on today’s social and political agenda. This unit explores the basic science that underpins climate change and global warming. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection of open educational resources from...

Problem solving runs through many activities. Often problems are contexts for focusing ideas and stimulating further investigation or discussion. Framing an issue appropriately – identifying why it is a problem, recognising factors that might have a bearing on it and outlining what an acceptable...

German surrender brought the Second World War in Europe to an end. But all feared that war with Japan would drag on and on. Behind the scenes, the US had been working on a secret weapon – the most powerful ever devised – and by August 1945… it was no longer such a secret. These films explore...

This is a one-week residential course which introduces a range of practical skills appropriate to the study of environmental science. You visit a variety of sites where you apply your knowledge of biology, chemistry, earth sciences and physics to study interactions and feedback in the...

Britain was the first country to industrialise, and it acquired the largest empire ever during this same period. But its sphere of economic influence extended far beyond the boundaries of the formal British Empire. This unit focuses on the economics of empire, using a case study of one town,...

BBC News 24, Sky News, CNN – we live in an era where news has become almost instantaneous. This unit will look at how news is gathered and the technology used for its dissemination. You will also be encouraged to examine how information might be manipulated by questioning its reliability. This...

This unit provides basic historical background to the French Revolution. It will show that the Revolution accelerated intellectual, cultural and psychological change, and opened up new horizons and possibilities. In fact, while much controversy and scepticism remain as to the real extent of...

“I blame the parents!” How often is that phrase used to explain the ills of society and is it valid? This material will consider how important is quality parenting, who judges it, and is its provision the sole responsibility of parents – should parents just be left to get on with it? It explores...

This unit introduces the topic of differential equations. The subject is developed without assuming that you have come across it before, but it is taken for granted that you have a basic grounding in calculus. In particular, you will need to have a good grasp of the basic rules for...

The Acropolis is one of the most famous ancient sites in the world. Rising over the city of Athens 150 metres above sea level, it consists of several significant archaeological remains of temples dedicated to various deities, and civic buildings. This album offers a chance to tour the Acropolis...

This masters level science course aims to give you an understanding of the application of physics to the techniques of radiotherapy, one of the key weapons in the fight against cancer. It is designed to enable you to develop a broad and balanced appreciation of this area of contemporary medicine,...

This series of tracks examines the operations management in four service industries. Each has unique problems associated with their sector but they all have operational processes to ensure smooth delivery of their product. Material is taken from The Open University Course T883 Business...

What does Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus tell us about the author and the time at which the play was written? This unit will help you to discover the intricacies of the play and recognise how a knowledge of the historical and political background of the time can lead to a very different...

How much more can you achieve by working with others rather than working alone? How should you manage relationships across various physical and cultural divides? This album explores how the formation of a variety of partnerships, spanning public, private and voluntary sectors, has radically...

How do you solve your problems? This album follows two facilitators as they lead a 2-day workshop in creative problem-solving, providing a chance to adopt a new approach to the difficulties we encounter in our daily lives. Their reflections on time-keeping and good facilitation provide insight...

How much do you think about what you throw away? A waste management cycle is essential for a sustainable future. This album considers the policy and legislation that is driving waste management processes across the EU. By modelling the overall environmental impacts of solid waste disposal...

How fundamental are fungi to a forest's eco-system? And how can they be utilised to reclaim barren land and grow sustainable plantations for economic markets? In this album, scientists from the UK and Malaysia explore how fungi form constructive and cooperative partnerships with other plants and...

How are our laws made? What is it like to be a criminal defence lawyer during a murder trial? What are the challenges faced by family lawyers or immigration law advisers? What if you have credit card debt or are faced with an eviction notice and can't afford a lawyer? This collection gives us...

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is an extremely debilitating disease. For the sufferer, everyday activities become impossible - from walking to the shops, to cleaning their teeth - because they can't get enough oxygen into their lungs. The 4 video tracks on this album look at the...

The incidence of obesity is on the increase in affluent societies, and the phenomenon commands increasing attention from health professionals, legislators and the media. This unit looks at the science behind obesity, examining the dietary, physiological and genetic aspects of the topic. This...

Do you know what happens to the things you throw away? Sustainable management of municipal and industrial waste is essential in any society, but is particularly crucial for a future in which we face diminishing resources and a growing population. This album considers the issues that are driving...

With global warming and climate change increasing, what can we do to tackle this problem? This album explores the economics of lowering carbon emissions and how Britain is tackling this problem, through expert analysis and opinions on carbon taxes, carbon reduction, renewable energy and...

“You just want to step out of it, to step out of the whole race, the whole business. The monstrosity of life overwhelms you.” Following a nervous breakdown in 1995, actor and journalist Stephen Fry discovered he was suffering from bi-polar disorder – commonly known as manic depression. Symptoms...

Our planet is at the centre of a cosmic shooting gallery. This album examines the evidence for and effect of asteroid impacts and meteor explosions on Earth. The 6 video tracks assess the environmental effects caused by bolides of different sizes and trajectories. How do scientists detect that a...

What does the world look like to a person with a visual impairment? How does restricted vision impact on everyday life? How can you offer assistance without taking control? The video tracks on this album simulate what the world looks like to people with a range of visual impairments, and show...

The landscape of the British Isles has undergone dramatic changes during the history of the Earth, from shallow sea to desert to the familiar terrain of the 21st century. In this unit you will explore the processes that have shaped the British landscape over time, gaining insight into the...

Is Shakespeare still relevant today? How does his work influence pop culture today? Do the themes of his plays continue to resonate with modern audiences or as a result of his legacy has he become a caricature of himself? Stephen Regan, accompanied by experts from the world Shakespeare congress...

Operations management is one of the central functions of all organisations whether producing goods or services, or in the private, public or voluntary sectors. This unit will provide you with a basic framework for understanding this function and discusses the role of operations managers, in...

This unit examines David Hume's reasons for being complacent in the face of death, as these are laid out in his suppressed essay of 1755, ‘Of the immortality of the soul’. More generally, they examine some of the shifts in attitude concerning death and religious belief that were taking place in...

Can the concept of human rights be applied across borders or are rights culturally specific? Is it realistic, or even desirable, to aim at an international system based on universal principles of justice? This unit takes a critical view of the assumption that ‘rights are a good thing’ and looks...

The Open University transforms lives. Millions have realised or expanded their potential through flexible education programmes allowing them to study whenever and wherever they choose. From short courses to degree–level study, the quality of The Open University’s teaching programmes and tutors is...

How do young children learn, and how can adults help them? This album looks at how nursery teachers support children in their development. We follow a practitioner’s day, looking at how she works with children, observes and plans for further activities while she also records her thoughts and...

Ever wondered where the Universe came from? Or more importantly, where it's headed? Voiced by David Mitchell, this series of 60 second animations examines different scientific concepts from the big bang to relativity, from black holes to dark matter. The series also explores the possibility of...