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- Here you can access classes that will provide you the education courses required for a major in education and a Masters of Education. Free Open University does not offer an MA or any other Certificate, Degree or Diploma but we will assist you in acquiring the equivalent or substantially better education than that provided by any degree granting institution free of charge through directed independent study.
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 Journal of Case Studies in Accreditation and Assessment
 Journal of Instructional PedagogiesIs your science teaching very ‘Western-oriented’? This unit is aimed at those teachers who would like to give a more global feeling to their teaching. You will learn how to source scientific articles with a greater emphasis on science and technology beyond the Western world and experience how such articles can be incorporated into teaching within the National Curriculum. Successful transitions – whether from lower secondary to upper secondary; at age 16; into work-based training or university; or into work at any age – are life-enhancing for individuals and crucial to our future social and economic well-being. They are also an indicator of a good school. Careers education and guidance (CEG) is therefore at the heart of a school's personal development programme and all teachers have a role in securing successful transitions for their students.  Children are subject to many forms of adversity, for example, poverty or ill health. However, a significant form of adversity experienced by children in many different regions of the world is violence. The form of violence against children varies widely and is hugely disparate. In this unit, the focus is on three different environments where children experience violence: at home, among peers at school and in the wider society (in the context of armed conflicts). The text considers the experiences of children both locally and globally. For this reason, violence against children should not be considered a phenomenon that is remote. Sadly, children may experience violence in their families and among their peers, and may also become involved in armed conflict. The unit considers in detail the daily experiences of violence which can have negative impacts on the physical or emotional health of children and moves from ideas about children and violence in very localized contexts – within families and with peers at school – through to the broader community and on to the international perspective. It also analyses the different roles that children take on in relation to violence, such as victim, perpetrator, witness, colluder and peacemaker. In this unit you will find a discussion of the national curricula framework in Scotland. This is discussed in terms of the literacy curricula, and compared to the framework set up in England and Wales. 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. Dance communicates ideas through movement and is an expressive art form. Students need to learn how to use their body in a safe and healthy way, whilst developing a wide-ranging movement vocabulary. The use of different dance techniques can be an effective way of building vocabulary and developing different kinds of skills and abilities. Technical dance skills can form the foundation on which to develop and enhance each individual's performance. As dance teachers, we may have a range of skills, but it isn't always possible to possess expertise in every type of dance style and technique. Having the knowledge and experience to teach African Dance forms, Jazz Dance or Hip Hop to students is a great way of introducing them to a variety of styles and can be a rich and rewarding process. However, many teachers in schools and colleges work within a Contemporary Dance style because it will have been the basis of their education and training; it is also the point of reference for this unit. Participating in the democratic processes is seen as being a fundamental aspect of citizenship. All pupils need a broad knowledge and understanding of the rights, responsibilities and duties of citizens, as well as an understanding of forms of government. Notions of citizenship have been forged alongside the expansion of the right to vote and the development of our ideas about democracy. In this unit we explore different interpretations of democracy and strategies for involving pupils in consideration of these issues within the citizenship curriculum. This course was presented between 2001-2003, at postgraduate level. On completion of the course techers received the Certificate of Continuing Professional Development (Teaching and Learning), which could also count (30 points) towards the Master’s Programme in Education. The original course was suitable for teachers in the early stages of their careers who wanted to structure their continuing professional development. It was suitable for all subject teachers, and was designed in consultation with several curriculum associations. This course was presented between 2001-2003, at postgraduate level. On completion of the course techers received the Certificate of Continuing Professional Development (Teaching and Learning), which could also count (30 points) towards the Master’s Programme in Education. The original course was suitable for teachers in the early stages of their careers who wanted to structure their continuing professional development. It was suitable for all subject teachers, and was designed in consultation with several curriculum associations. This course formed part of the master's programme in education, enabling teachers to develop the skills and understanding they needed to contribute to the improvement in the quality of education through investigating management issues and reflecting on professional practice, both their own and that of others. The final presentation of the course was February 2004, a 60 point course, at postgraduate level. The module provided here was last presented in February 2002. The module formed part of a masters programme in education and is based on the premise that all who are involved in teaching and learning can have a role in educational leadership. 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. It is important to learn from classroom discussions, both for pupils and teachers. This unit will help you, as a teacher, to evaluate such discussions in order to help students develop their understanding and use of spoken language. The ability to use language as a tool for constructing and sharing knowledge is applicable across the whole curriculum. 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. This unit is aimed at geography teachers, or those with an interest in studying or teaching geography. This unit looks at the contribution that geography can make in the education of young people and the characteristics and purpose of geography as a subject. This toolkit is part of The Open University Open Teaching Toolkit series. It was created for tutors of courses from any discipline, and focuses on methods of evaluating tutor roles. This unit introduces you to the contested area of educational inclusion. You will look at differing perspectives on inclusion, in particular the way that medical and social models have influenced and shaped current thinking. You will also think about barriers to inclusion and the difference between integration and inclusion. In addition, you will consider some of the key documents, such as the Salamanca Statement, that underpin current thinking in this area. This unit introduces you to analysing academic writing and, in particular, the way an article might be structured to clearly explain an investigation to other researchers. It explores observation of children and young people using qualitative observation approaches in small-scale studies. Teaching children to read is one area where collaboration between teachers and parents/carers is of vital importance. You will examine how families and schools work together to establish the links that underpin childhood literacy development and the ways in which educational institutions respond to the diversity of needs amongst students. 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. Are you interested in English language education? This unit examines the use of language as a cultural tool which allows humans to become involved in a two-way process of constant change. The unit will help those within the teaching environment to relate theoretical discussion to professional practice. This material is taken from a discontinued Open University course. It is intended for re-purposing and re-use by educators rather than for use directly by learners. Learning outcomes appropriate to the original course may be provided within the material, but it is intended that educators will construct new learning outcomes appropriate to the re-use they make of this material. This compilation of materials is a valuable resource for postgraduation students involved in educational research, either from a professional or an academic standpoint. This material is taken from a discontinued Open University course. It is intended for re-purposing and re-use by educators rather than for use directly by learners. Learning outcomes appropriate to the original course may be provided within the material, but it is intended that educators will construct new learning outcomes appropriate to the re-use they make of this material. How do young children learn? This unit looks at the way toddlers interact with their carers in the home environment. You will learn how adults use different methods of teaching to encourage a small child to expand their boundaries and develop new ways of thinking. 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. This unit examines the area of the brain based learning with a particular focus on the development of the young child's brain and is of particular relevance to those who work with young children. We begin by looking at the structure and functions of the brain, and the impact that sensory deprivation can have on these. We consider the implications of current understandings of brain development for teaching and learning, particularly in an early years setting, and finish by exploring the value of play (particularly outdoor play) in children's learning and the development of their brains. This course was originally part of the MA Programme in Education but could also be studied on its own. The last presentation of this course was February 2004. The course aimed to develop a teacher’s understanding of issues fundamental to the analysis of change in the school. Both professional and school development were considered, linking teaching using ICT (information and communication technology) to theoretical concepts. Methods such as ‘evidence-based’ practice and crticial evaluation were explored in relation to personal and school priorities. This book Researching Student Learning: Approaches to Studying in Campus-based and Distance Education by John T.E. Richardson, first published in 2000, is an important resource for all those concerned with leaning and teaching in universities and colleges, whether in campus-based or distance learning institutions. 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. This unit explores school geography, focusing upon how geography is currently being taught and understood. While studying this unit you will read about the significance of geography as a subject, looking at differing views as to exactly which disciplines make up geography. The unit also includes a lesson plan and a look at definitions of geography as a medium of education. This activity will give you a chance to work within a structured framework. At the same time, you will be exploring different aspects of the use of computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) for education or training. 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 with a global perspective is becoming increasingly important as the world becomes a smaller place. This unit provides a resource for teachers in both primary and secondary schools to understand why the inclusion of the global dimension in the primary school curriculum is important. This course was designed for people teaching or supporting teaching at higher education level, such as teachers, tutors, lecturers, supervisors and student support staff (such as librarians, educational technology and e-learning managers or academic supervisors). The course was originally accredited by the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE, currently part of the Higher Education Academy) as a route towards membership.
The work of a teacher clearly involves much more than classroom performance and the traditional activities that have always aimed to engage students in learning. Teaching embraces planning and running sessions, designing learning environments, supervising and mentoring students in practice situations, marking and giving feedback on student work, undertaking the associated administration, coping with a multifaceted workload and managing complex relationships with colleagues. Successful teachers will also be reflecting across the range of their experiences and planning for continuing development. This course was part of the MA Programme in Education but could also be studied on its own. The last presentation of this course was September 2002. 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. The issue of ‘citizenship, work and the economy’ is often neglected in everyday discussions of citizenship. But a moment's reflection should demonstrate how important it is. The vast majority of us will spend the bulk of our adult lives working in some context or another, and our engagement with economic activity more generally is obvious (and not just as consumers). Many young people are also intimately tied up with work. School children often have part-time evening, weekend or holiday jobs of their own. They are all likely to spend some time on work-experience programmes. Their parents will normally have to engage with work to support their families. But do they know much about their rights and responsibilities at work? This unit explores aspects of work, including child labour and its relationship to citizenship for those teaching this subject in secondary schools. The quality of our teaching inevitably has an impact on the behaviour of our students. This unit considers some of the factors that can contribute to misbehaviour in the classroom and some of the steps that we can take as teachers to re-engage students with the learning process. This unit considers the format of lessons, how lessons are delivered, how to present lesson content in an interesting and creative way, and the development of "engaging lessons". The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Art booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching art to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: English booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching English to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Geography booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching geography to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: History booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching history to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Mathematics booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching mathematic to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Music booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching music to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Science booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching science to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. The booklet provided here formed part of the Primary Post Graduate Certificate in Education course which ran between 1994 and 1998. The Teaching in Primary School: Technology booklet was designed to help student teachers understand the issues surrounding teaching technology to primary pupils and provide some strategies to aid their teaching. This unit explores phonic and historical connections between languages and suggests how such knowledge might be used when teaching MFL. This unit explores the role of digital media as a teaching tool, focussing on video in particular. we will examine the process of how you can start to use digital video in the classroom, and how to manage your project from objective setting, through story boards and filming, to assesing the success of your project. Has the emphasis on raising educational standards in the UK led to adult-led learning replacing play? This unit will help teachers assess the importance of spontaneous play and socialising in the playground as well as looking at the value of play and the varying attitudes that adults have towards the activity. This work-based unit encourages early years practitioners to think about the values and principles underpinning how they work with other professionals. It explores beliefs about teamwork, examines frameworks for professional communication and concludes with identifying possible changes in practice. There are many approaches to using film music in the classroom, including: a focus on pupil experience; a focus on the structure of composition; a focus on the relationship between music and image. There are many approaches to using film music in the classroom, including: a focus on pupil experience; a focus on the structure of composition; a focus on the relationship between music and image. This unit looks at visualisation as it relates to mathematics, focusing upon how it can be used to improve learning. It will also identify ways in which to make more use of visualisation within the classroom. The underlying premise of this unit is that we are all experts in different ways, and that our different experiences and understandings are of value. Inclusive education is presented and discussed as under construction, both in educational settings and as a concept. The materials to be found in this unit are largely rooted in the social model of disability and human/disability rights frameworks. What value does art have in the school curriculum? This unit, primarily aimed at colleagues teaching art in schools, explores the justification for including art in the school curriculum together with some of the current criticisms commonly heard. In this unit, we look at the roles that are taken when working with young people. We focus on what those working with young people actually do, starting with some analysis of roles. We show that, in the context of work with young people, the term is more than simply a statement about who does what: it also says something about the kinds of relationships we form with young people and the values we bring to our work. We then move on to discuss roles in relation to the ‘bigger picture’ of organisations and projects that are concerned with young people. It is part of a teaching professional’s skills to understand the needs of a diverse population of students. This unit introduces the challenges for disabled students who may use computers in different ways when taking part in eLearning or may need alternative teaching methods. It covers the technology and techniques used by disabled students, the adjustments to teaching methods that might be reasonable, design decisions which affect the accessibility of eLearning tools and strategies for evaluation. 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 teachers, parents and carers, and can be studied on an individual basis or as part of a school-based training session.
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