Continuing Professional Development courses at The Open University

The Open University has launched four new CPD courses exploring pedagogical and technological innovations that promote equitable access to education and address some of today’s most pressing global challenges and opportunities. Each 20-hour course combines research-informed practice with practical application, enabling participants to apply their learning directly within their own professional contexts.

Considers how this technology is reshaping how we teach, learn and work, making it essential for educators to understand its impact, harness its benefits and manage its risks. This short course outlines current thinking on how to utilise this technology effectively in teaching and learning. You’ll explore key themes that help you make the most of what GenAI offers, while understanding and mitigating its challenges and limitations. Whether you work in business education, schools, further, or higher education, this course provides a clear introduction to GenAI, enabling you and your learners to use it with confidence.

More info: https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/hg091/

Introduces how to use cutting-edge technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), 3D modelling and generative AI, to create immersive, interactive learning experiences. Through real-world case studies, the course explores how XR can elevate student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and prepare learners with future-proof skills. Activities include designing inclusive, ethical, and accessible XR experiences that ensure every learner benefits from these emerging technologies. Suitable for educators who are new to XR or who are looking to advance their expertise and be prepared to lead the future of education.

More info: https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/hg087/

Supports educators in developing the confidence, knowledge and practical strategies needed to teach about the climate crisis across disciplines. Participants explore approaches to managing climate anxiety, fostering hope, embedding climate education in diverse curricula, and supporting learners to take informed climate action. The course covers topics including pedagogies of care, climate justice, systems thinking, activism and interdisciplinary teaching, while guiding participants in developing a personalised action plan that can be applied within their own educational context. Suitable for educators across all sectors, the course promotes practical, evidence-informed approaches to climate education.

More info: https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/hg089/

This course will help you gain the knowledge and skills needed to develop teaching and learning activities that can support students make the most out of learning through a mixture of face to face and online teaching. You will learn about the importance of blended learning, find out about models and tools to guide your planning and development of blended learning, be guided in how to analyse your context, and how to evaluate what you deliver. You don’t need to be a teacher, and you’ll learn skills that you can immediately apply to your practice.

More info: https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/hg090/