A new, free online course run by the University of Birmingham will help answer important questions around the issue of character in young people’s education.

Registration is now open for What Is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education, which will explore the nature of character, its importance, and whether it can be taught.

The massive open online course (MOOC) lasts for two weeks and will be available through the FutureLearn platform. It will begin on 19 January and is being run by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham.

Dr Tom Harrison, Deputy Director of Development at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, said: ‘This short online course is an excellent way to learn about what character education is and why it matters so much to the flourishing of both individuals and societies.’

The course will tap into the increasing public and political interest in character and character education. Participants will have access to the expertise of world-class academics at the University of Birmingham, as well as teachers and head teachers who have experienced first-hand the transformative power of implementing character education in day-to-day practices within a school. No previous knowledge is necessary to take part in the course.

Register for the course here.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Stuart Gillespie in the University of Birmingham press office on +44 (0)121 414 9041. Out of hours, please call +44 (0)7789 921165 or email the press office.

  • The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues is a unique and leading research centre for the examination of how character and virtues impact on individuals and society. Based within the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, the Centre also seeks to promote the practical application of its research evidence through various development projects. A key conviction underlying the existence of the Centre is that the virtues that make up a good character can be learnt and taught.
  • The University of Birmingham was named The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2013/14.