What teachers need to know about ADHD
Dr Mark Kennedy is a Senior Teaching Fellow at The Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London. He is also Lead Educator on the Understanding ADHD: Current Research and Practice course on the FutureLearn Platform. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is regarded as a “neurodevelopmental disorder”; which puts it in the same category as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It’s the most common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting around 4-5% of children. Despite this, teachers frequently say that they lack specific knowledge about ADHD and what strategies can be used to help children affected by ADHD. When you ask people what ADHD is, they describe a child with too much energy. In reality, there’s a lot more to it than hyperactivity. In fact, there are three “presentations”; Hyperactive-Impulsive, Inattentive and Combined Type. The most common form in the general population is actually inattentive, not hyperactive-impulsive, which comes as a surprise to some people. Teachers need to be aware of ADHD for a number of reasons. Children with ADHD often struggle academically. As well as being a concern for parents and teachers in itself, ADHD and associated difficulties in school can also begin to impact the child’s self esteem. Beyond this, it has been linked to poorer outcomes in adulthood, such as unemployment and difficulties in relationships. Importantly, research has shown that teachers simply being aware of what the disorder is, can actually be beneficial. I think that’s a really positive message, especially given the immense pressure teachers are under to accommodate the broad range of issues children in their class may be facing. Free-to-join online ADHD course Motivated by a desire to increase awareness, King’s College London have partnered with FutureLearn to create the free-to-join, online course: Understanding ADHD: Current Research and Practice, which launched in May. The course is an accessible and time-efficient resource for anyone looking to learn a bit more about the disorder. Being ADHD aware also matters because there’s reason to believe that girls with ADHD are being missed. When you look at population-based studies, for every one girl with ADHD, there are two boys. But when you look at clinical referrals, the ratio is double that (1 girl: 4 boys). In our course, we speak with a mother of a daughter with ADHD. She describes her daughter’s report card, which contained descriptions of ADHD behaviours, but no-one had considered that she may have ADHD. Much like Autism Spectrum Disorder, there’s a huge amount of evidence to suggest that the brains of children with ADHD are hardwired differently, compared to those without it. That matters because it means that children with ADHD are less able to regulate their behaviour, again like those with ASD. Understanding that – and the increased empathy that this understanding brings – along with helping children to understand this, has again been shown to help. As well as being aware of the disorder, there are low-cost, practical things teachers can do to help. For instance, sitting a child with ADHD close to the teacher has been shown to help; it’s harder to get distracted and makes it easier to pick up on the teacher’s cues. More practical tips, strategies and evidence based advice is discussed in the Understanding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder course on the FutureLearn platform.
Open University secures £50M investment in social learning platform FutureLearn
Open University secures £50M investment in social learning platform FutureLearn SEEK Group investment takes FutureLearn from start-up to a £100m value company in just six years SEEK Group (ASX: SEK) will invest £50m to become a joint, 50% owner of The Open University’s FutureLearn social learning platform, it was announced today in a deal thought to be the largest ever private-sector EdTech investment in Europe. The Open University launched FutureLearn, which is based in London, in December 2012 with a dozen UK university partners to test opportunities offered by digital learning and massive open online courses (known as MOOCs). Rapid growth means that FutureLearn now has over nine million learners. The platform offers short online courses right through to postgraduate diplomas and certificates and fully online degrees, all designed around social learning. FutureLearn partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (NHS). Welcoming the announcement, The Open University’s Vice Chancellor Mary Kellett said: “Our new partnership is a fantastic opportunity to change more lives around the globe through flexible lifelong learning. The Open University is rightly known for pioneering new approaches to education and for our academic excellence. Today’s announcement shows this is as true today as when we started fifty years ago. It represents one of the most exciting educational prospects in modern times. “Our partnership with SEEK and the investment in FutureLearn will take our unique mission to make education open for all into new parts of the world. Education improves lives, communities and economies and is a truly global product, with no tariffs on ideas.” The new partnership with SEEK will have contractual arrangements in place to protect the University’s academic independence, teaching methods and curriculum. The SEEK Group is a market leader in the creation and management of online education and employment businesses. SEEK are well-established across Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, Brazil and Mexico. Commenting on the investment, SEEK Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Bassat said: “This investment follows the same logic applied to IDP and Online Education Services ‘OES’ in that we like to invest in disruptive business models that provide world class student education outcomes. “Technology is increasing the accessibility of quality education and can help millions of people up-skill and re-skill to adapt to rapidly changing labour markets. We see FutureLearn as a key enabler for education at scale. “FutureLearn’s reputation is strong and it has attracted leading education providers onto its platform. We are excited to come on as a partner with The Open University.” FutureLearn is involved in UK government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps including The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education. It currently has six university partners offering full, online degrees on the platform, and has most recently launched Unlimited, a new business model allowing learners access to most courses for a one-off annual payment. Commenting on the investment FutureLearn CEO Simon Nelson said: “The Open University’s vision and investment, the hard work of our staff and support of our partners, has seen FutureLearn grow rapidly in the past six years. The investment announced today will enable us to unlock FutureLearn’s true potential and extend our global reach and impact. “This investment allows us to focus on developing more great courses and qualifications that both learners and employers will value. This includes building a portfolio of micro-credentials and broadening our range of flexible, fully online degrees and being able to enhance support for our growing number of international partners to empower them to build credible digital strategies, and in doing so, transform access to education.” FutureLearn has been advised by IBIS Capital, a specialist investment and corporate finance advisory group focused on the global media, education and health sectors, and Kemp Little, a leading technology focused law firm. The Open University was advised by Farrer & Co, the London-based independent law firm. SEEK Group was advised by O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm.
Open University partners with online learning provider SEEK Group in £50m deal
A £50million deal thought to be the largest ever private-sector EdTech investment in Europe will see the Open University partner with international online learning provider SEEK Group. SEEK Group (ASX: SEK) will make the investment to become a joint, 50% owner of The Open University’s FutureLearn social learning platform, it was announced today. The Open University launched FutureLearn, which is based in London, in December 2012 with a dozen UK university partners to test opportunities offered by digital learning and massive open online courses (known as MOOCs). Rapid growth means that FutureLearn now has over nine million learners. The platform offers short online courses right through to postgraduate diplomas and certificates and fully online degrees, all designed around social learning. FutureLearn partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (NHS). Welcoming the announcement, The Open University’s Vice Chancellor Mary Kellett said: “Our new partnership is a fantastic opportunity to change more lives around the globe through flexible lifelong learning. The Open University is rightly known for pioneering new approaches to education and for our academic excellence. Today’s announcement shows this is as true today as when we started fifty years ago. It represents one of the most exciting educational prospects in modern times. “Our partnership with SEEK and the investment in FutureLearn will take our unique mission to make education open for all into new parts of the world. Education improves lives, communities and economies and is a truly global product, with no tariffs on ideas.” The new partnership with SEEK will have contractual arrangements in place to protect the University’s academic independence, teaching methods and curriculum. The SEEK Group is a market leader in the creation and management of online education and employment businesses. SEEK are well-established across Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, Brazil and Mexico. Commenting on the investment, SEEK Co-Founder and CEO Andrew Bassat said: “This investment follows the same logic applied to IDP and Online Education Services ‘OES’ in that we like to invest in disruptive business models that provide world class student education outcomes. “Technology is increasing the accessibility of quality education and can help millions of people up-skill and re-skill to adapt to rapidly changing labour markets. We see FutureLearn as a key enabler for education at scale. “FutureLearn’s reputation is strong and it has attracted leading education providers onto its platform. We are excited to come on as a partner with The Open University.” FutureLearn is involved in UK government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps including The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education. It currently has six university partners offering full, online degrees on the platform, and has most recently launched Unlimited, a new business model allowing learners access to most courses for a one-off annual payment. Commenting on the investment FutureLearn CEO Simon Nelson said: “The Open University’s vision and investment, the hard work of our staff and support of our partners, has seen FutureLearn grow rapidly in the past six years. The investment announced today will enable us to unlock FutureLearn’s true potential and extend our global reach and impact. “This investment allows us to focus on developing more great courses and qualifications that both learners and employers will value. This includes building a portfolio of micro-credentials and broadening our range of flexible, fully online degrees and being able to enhance support for our growing number of international partners to empower them to build credible digital strategies, and in doing so, transform access to education.” FutureLearn has been advised by IBIS Capital, a specialist investment and corporate finance advisory group focused on the global media, education and health sectors, and Kemp Little, a leading technology-focused law firm. The Open University was advised by Farrer & Co, the London-based independent law firm. SEEK Group was advised by O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm.
The Open University Business School receives EOCCS certification for its courses on FutureLearn
The Open University are delighted to announce a suite of eight Business and Finance Fundamentals massive online open courses (MOOCs) has been awarded the EOCCS Certification: – Customer engagement – Effective communication – Effective networking – Project management – Managing the household balance sheet – Financial planning and budgeting – Investment theory and practice – Financial services after the banking crisis These eight MOOCs are delivered through the FutureLearn platform. As part of a strategic partnership between EOCCS & FutureLearn, EOCCS reviewed and consequently certified the suite of eight Business and Finance Fundamentals MOOCs designed by The Open University Business School in the UK. The MOOCs are delivered via the UK-based MOOC platform, FutureLearn which uses design, technology and partnerships to create enjoyable, credible and flexible online courses as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees that improve working lives. It partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities and is also involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education. Kerry Houchen, the Director of Online Degrees at FutureLearn, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with EOCCS and a certification system that shares our commitment to quality assurance and courses learners can rely upon for their rigour.“ “That The Open University courses granted EOCCS accreditation have already enjoyed several runs on the FutureLearn platform is testament to their popularity. The subjects covered on the eight courses really are fundamental to success in business, and we’re pleased that today’s announcement further illustrates the value and integrity of these courses.” The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK and a world leader in flexible distance learning. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, the university was founded with a clear purpose: to open up education to all. Since those beginnings in 1969, the OU has taught more than 2 million students worldwide and has over 170,000 current students, including more than 15,000 overseas. Doctor Keith Pond, the EOCCS director, remarked: “We are very happy that the suite of eight Business and Fundamentals MOOCs have successfully completed the Online Couse Certification System EOCCS. The Certification Board appreciated the efficient cooperation and communication between the Open University and FutureLearn as well as the committed course team that provides high-quality academic support.” Professor Mark Fenton-O’Creevy, the Associate Dean External Engagement at The Open University Business School, said: “The Business School is delighted to have received EOCCS certification for this suite of massive open online courses (MOOCs) which we run in partnership with FutureLearn. The extension of EOCCS certification to courses run on the FutureLearn platform recognises the increasing importance of open approaches to learning and should do much to further develop quality standards for MOOCs.” With 95 certified courses from 19 institutions in 11 countries, EOCCS presents an international quality benchmark for online courses worldwide. The certification system is firmly embedded in the general philosophy of EFMD accreditations: internalisation, practical relevance and quality improvement. Being certified with EOCCS makes you a part of a vibrant learning and networking community which meets annually at the EOCCS Learning Community Symposium and throughout the year, shares good practice in its virtual community of practice. EOCCS provides in-depth peer review and feedback as well as suggestions for improvements and sustainability, all in less than 3-month completely online process. Students taking courses from EOCCS certified institutions, whether they come from a MOOCs platform or directly from their school or whether they are higher education or corporate, can be ensured that they will boost up their career prospects with courses that are officially recognised and professionally relevant. If you would like further information or are interested in your online course taking part, please visit the EOCCS website or contact eoccs@efmdglobal.org
How online learning can help teachers’ professional development
Ask any teacher and they will tell you that ‘teaching’ is just part of it. There is the responsibility to safeguard children in their care, create an atmosphere conducive to learning, the need to adequately prepare students for examinations… There’s marking, teacher-parent meetings, lesson planning… the list goes on. And on… With so many responsibilities, professional development can seem more like a ‘nice-to-have’ than a feasible commitment. But if Headteachers want to commit their staff to a philosophy of professional development; one that is adaptive and flexible and very much grounded in the practical needs of the classroom, online learning can be a useful, affordable, and measurable way of training staff. It can be standardised across the board for universally important subjects or adopted for more specialist matters. FutureLearn, the social learning platform owned by The Open University, has long allied itself with teachers. Partnered with leading universities and industry bodies, it offers a host of courses that teachers may find useful in helping meet their professional development needs. To see all the courses available, look at the Professional Development for Teachers page on FutureLearn. There you will find courses like the University of East Anglia’s ‘Professional Development for Early Career Teachers’, which helps junior teachers navigate the early stages of their career. The course offers advice and support on improving teaching skills and juggling workloads, and invites newly qualified teachers to reflect on and identify professional development needs. Subjects like behaviour management strategies, pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning, and ways to prioritise workload are all explored. The course can serve as a useful adjunct to physical in-school training, or the very basis of such training. Managing Behaviour for Learning is also accounted for. On FutureLearn, the National Stem Learning Centre has a course dedicated to the subject as part of its STEM teaching programme. The course is applicable to all teachers and explores how individual behaviour influences students, how to control emotional responses and how to interact with students. There are techniques for developing consistency in managing behaviour, recognising positive behaviour and building trust in the classroom. Through the experienced teachers delivering the course, learners will be encouraged to actively reflect on their practice and share experiences as part of the course discussions. Also available are more specialised courses, like the University of Bath’s Good Practice in Autism Education course which looks at the many modalities of schooling for students with autism, including general special schools, autism-specific special schools, autism units within mainstream schools and being in a mainstream classroom.It asks what are the benefits and challenges of these different types of education? What are the implications for inclusion? And what constitutes good practice within autism education? It is easy to sound preachy and somewhat out of touch with the realities of the classroom when talking about professional development — and certainly nobody wishes to undermine the demands already being placed on teachers. But so long as Headteachers and key decision makers in schools have a multitude of competing priorities, it will often be challenging to be fully across everything. Nobody can be the eyes and ears of every classroom, much as they may like to be. Empowering teachers to invest in their own career development is possible however, and online learning offers teachers the means to do this in a way that does not conflict with their many and varied competing priorities. Article by: Nigel Smith, Managing Director, Courses and Learning, FutureLearn