Research at the OU

Explore The Open University's free OpenLearn interactive resources to learn more about some of the latest news across STEM.

The Open University team have selected six of their favourite Glasgow Celebrates content to share with you. Enjoy activities around Floodplains, Genetics and Citizen Science and then browse the full collection of resources available for free on OpenLearn.

Click on each box below to navigate to the resources. 

Cartoon man holding a map next to a signpost saying Future, surrounded by STEM icons such as DNA, stars and viruses.

The Open University 

OpenLearn

Answering Questions in Science

Over the course of these videos, you will discover the answers to some of the most intriguing questions about the world around us.  They explore the diversity of the natural sciences, including why it snows, why metals corrode, the possibility of life on Mars, the scientific method itself and more.  These videos will provide you with insights into the science behind the questions and celebrates some of the science included within our ‘Questions in Science’ module, where these fascinating topics are explored in greater depth.

Citizen Science and the Data Avalanche

What crowdsourcing projects can people get involved in? Professor Stephen Serjeant digs into some incredible astronomy and particle physics citizen science. Citizen science gives members of the public genuine and valuable participation in scientific discovery, and it turns out that there is a huge public appetite for taking part.

Another ongoing active citizen science project at The Open University is the Treezilla project that you may wish to contribute to.

BBC Inside Science

Covering everything from the test tube to the depths of space, BBC Inside Science is your guide to how science is evolving, transforming and affecting our lives. It is supported by leading OU academic expertise from across STEM. Test your knowledge of the history of spaceflight, astronomy & planetary science through The Final Frontier Space quiz. Or find out more about climate change by taking The Climate quiz.

Genetics Research Awareness via Community Engagement

It’s an exciting time in the field of genetics research. Groundbreaking discoveries in genetics research are being made, which transform our understanding of ourselves and improve our healthcare. But does genetics research represent and benefit us all equally? Learn more through the GRACE project.

An Introduction to Floodplain Meadows

This free course celebrates how these traditional landscapes can deliver a range of nature-based solutions to improve our environment. The course will help you to learn about this unique environment, increasing your ecological knowledge, developing your skills in critical reasoning, and offering you an opportunity to contribute to future research priorities.

Understanding Autism

This course is an opportunity to learn more about autism, a complex and challenging long-term condition for many individuals and their families worldwide, and an aspect of human diversity to others.