OpenLearn

About

Wholly owned by The Open University, OpenLearn provides a readymade, respected platform with global reach through which to disseminate key messages to the public on pressing issues. A wide range of topics from across The Open University’s core curriculum are covered, including popular factual content related to current affairs and OU TV and radio output. These messages are shared in anything from 60-second animated videos, articles, games, to 24-hour courses. All of OpenLearn’s resources are freely accessible, pedagogically sound and designed with the end user in mind. In 2019/20, OpenLearn had 13.5 million unique visitors. Through OU academic insight and working in partnership, we have already created over 1,000 courses and over 10,000 hours of content on topics from ‘Understanding Autism’ (384,705 learners), ‘The Science of Nutrition and Healthy Eating’, (206,163 learners) to ‘Making Sense of Mental Health Problems’ (104,452 learners). OpenLearn is specifically designed for non-confident learners to encourage them to engage with education. Learners can explore a subject, get inspiration, build skills and confidence and earn recognition, all for free. This platform can absolutely be described as market ready digital channel, able to deliver messages on the value of vaccination to the general public. As the largest distance learning higher education provider in Europe and with a dedicated School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, The Open University is also well placed to advise or provide the content on the value of vaccination to the public and health care professionals alike. OpenLearn and Covid-19: In the period March – July 2020, as the UK experienced lockdown, the number of visitors to OpenLearn reached an all-time high as the world turned to online learning. Prior to March 2020, the typical number of daily visitors to OpenLearn was 40,000. In the third week of March, daily visitor numbers rose steadily into the 50,000s and then, overnight, to 90,000; and 24 hours later to more than 200,000 visitors in a day. These high visitor numbers were sustained throughout the Spring and Summer, enabling the site to soar past the 80 million all-time visitors mark. One of the reasons for such unprecedented numbers over those few months was how quickly Openlearn was able to respond to this changing demand. In addition to the regular choice of courses and content, new learning hubs focused on mental health, discovering new hobbies and skills and family learning (among others) were created, as well as a collection of courses suitable to support those studying GCSE and A-Levels, as they found teaching and exams cancelled. Also created was a dedicated collection of exclusive articles and content from OU academics on the coronavirus itself, to keep learners up to date with the latest news and research. This has been added to and updated regularly throughout the pandemic. In April 2020, the University further added to the COVID-19 support offered on OpenLearn by creating a nursing and healthcare hub, designed to support those healthcare workers returning to work to support the NHS, NHS in Scotland, NHS Wales or Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.