It is with very deep sadness that we announce that our friend and colleague, Jeff Calladine, has passed away. Jeff had been suffering with ill health for some time, and took a turn which he did not recover from. He is survived by his wife and two sons. The thoughts of everyone at OCA go […]
Read More
The month of April is National Stress Awareness month, organised by the Stress Management Society. After the year we’ve had I’m sure everyone is feeling stress in at least one aspect of their lives. Whether it’s additional work responsibilities, no work, ill health, mental health, or anything in between there’s a lot going on that […]
Read More
University Mental Health Day is this year on 4th March, and in the run up to it I’ve been pondering the following question: What does it mean to be an organisation that values and supports mental health? Back in 2018, we launched an action plan on Mental Health to drive forward a range of improvements […]
Read More
Today, Thursday 04 February 2021 is Time to Talk Day. This national event and campaign is all about encouraging us to talk to each other about the issues we are going through, particularly when we are struggling with our mental health. The theme this year is the Power of Small to reflect all the lost […]
Read More
For a lot of us, particularly here in Yorkshire, the weather so far this year has not exactly encouraged us to get outside. Whether it be rain or snow and ice, staying indoors often seems like the best option. I would imagine though that a lot of us are staying inside more these days in […]
Read More
My relief and support throughout all this has been to immerse myself in a hobby and history in a way I’ve not done before.
Read More
Last year OCA launched an ambitious new 10-year strategy, available on our website, that talked of closing equality gaps, and making a curriculum that is ‘sensitive to global and cultural contexts’. But how to get there? How do we make a curriculum that is reflective of the work and perspectives of people all around the world? How do we ensure that there are no equality gaps?
Read More
This Friday Bank Holiday, 8 May 2020, marks the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the end of fighting in Europe in 1945. Fighting in the Far East against Japan would continue for a further three months, costing the lives of many more servicemen and women, and civilian deaths in the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the final surrender on August 15 1945.
Read More
As part of the changes OCA is making to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the summer assessment events are moving to digital only submission. We caught up with Christian Lloyd, Director of Learning and Teaching, and Moira Lovell, Director of Curriculum and Quality, about the changes and adopting the new Assessment for Learning Approach.
Read More
In its 30 years OCA has evolved from face to face and correspondence courses to a blended internet and distance based offering and has defied traditional educational boundaries imposed by age, geography, previous experience and privilege. Through technology we can create a borderless community which serves personal, creative and autonomous interaction between students, tutors, and peers.
Read More
