The OpenSTEM Labs

This image is a compilation of eight photos, showing from top left to right, a mass spectrometer, our astronomical observatories in Tenerife, a wind machine, and field-cast recording in action, and from bottom left to right, a chemistry laboratory, the view from the top of the Living Lab communications mast, a screenshot of our virtual computing environment and a stained microscope slide.

The Open University’s OpenSTEM Labs are a suite of online laboratories that allow students from anywhere in the world to participate in experimental work 24/7 as if they were in the laboratory. Founded in 2013, the multi-award-winning labs make practical experiments accessible, changing the way scientists and engineers of the future are educated by making authentic laboratory experiences possible online and at scale.

Each year the OpenSTEM Labs support over 100,000 hours of student learning, helping the OU to address the nation’s critical shortage in STEM skills. Since its inception, the OpenSTEM Labs have supported over 120,000 users of which several thousand are external users from school children to PhD researchers. More than 10,000 new users register each year to access over 160 different practical activities.

OpenSTEM labs have successfully made the practical learning of STEM subjects a reality for many, embodying The OU’s mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

The OpenScience Laboratory, launched in 2013 with funding from the Wolfson Foundation, provides online access to real data and equipment through customised student interfaces.

Comprising two remotely operated optical telescopes at the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife, the OpenScience Observatories are used for both teaching and research.

Launched in 2017, the OpenEngineering Lab supports practical learning at a distance encompassing electronics, signal-processing, control, materials and mechanical engineering.

The OpenHealth Lab encapsulates experiments and activities used in our Health Science and related qualifications.

The OpenComputing Lab gives students access to powerful data analysis and programming environments through their web browser.

For further information on our vision, values and assets, visit the About us page.

A laboratory is a space for learning by doing and reflection, a place for experiential learning. We've got a laboratory for you that's accessible no matter how far away you are. We'll give you a connection to an internet of laboratory things where authentic interfaces will link you to real data. It's a place for collaborative working and it's open all hours.