Informal learning

As part of The Open University’s mission to widen access to higher education, the law school has developed a wide range of free online learning resources – helping to bridge the gap between informal and formal learning.

OpenLearn: the home of free learning

OpenLearn is packed with fascinating free articles, blogs, discussions and mini-courses from the OU, covering a huge range of subject areas.

Law-related resources can be found on the OpenLearn Society website, with highlights including a feature on police corruption, an article on how the law in Scotland differs from the law in England, an introduction to the UK’s EU referendum (which still has a lot of value even after the vote) and free courses such as:

You can also have some light-hearted educational fun. Why not find out how you would fare as a juror, or try out our interactive game To intervene or not to intervene? (Imagine the scenario. A neighbouring state is falling into war. You're the Prime Minister – can you use your political capital to legally intervene? Should you even try?)

OU/BBC partnerships

For half a century the OU has produced programmes with the BBC, starting with late night lectures (before the days of video and online learning) and evolving into today’s prime time TV and radio shows – designed to engage millions of viewers and listeners with entertaining, informative and educational content.

High profile law-related programmes include BAFTA-nominated series The Detectives: Fighting Organised Crime as well as Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes That Changed Us, The Met and The Prosecutors.