Skip to content
Author:

Welcome to OpenLearn: free learning from The Open University

Updated Tuesday 5th February 2019

Our vision is to break down barriers to education by reaching millions of learners each year, through free educational resources.

Why choose OpenLearn?

What can you do on OpenLearn?

You can use this website to:

  • browse the subject categories to discover articles, watch videos and interact with features and games created by our academic experts and guest contributors
  • explore new topics to build your personal knowledge or look for reference material for a course you are already studying
  • join the debates - hit the Comments area on all our pages to make your voice heard, rate how we're doing and share with your friends
  • find out What's On TV and radio - great Open University programmes on the BBC
  • take one of our free courses
  • earn a digital badge or statement of participation as evidence of your learning

Explore OpenLearn

Accessing the internet on a cliff Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Tom Wang | Dreamstime.com Interactives, games, video, podcasts and articles to grow your learning; along with details of Open University programmes and opportunities to order posters, booklets and more.

 

Hundreds of free online courses to try

A woman uses a laptop to update her OpenLearn course Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Sheftsoff | Dreamstime.com OpenLearn is a great place to get an idea of what to expect from university study. With almost 1,000 free courses, spread across a variety of subject areas, we hope you'll find something that interests you.

 

Study with The OU and make this the year you change your life

A group of younger people studying Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Konstantin Chagin | Dreamstime.com For most of our undergraduate courses you don’t need any formal qualifications to study with us because we believe anyone keen to succeed should have the opportunity to study.

 

Don't miss out

There are other initiatives we participate in. Take a look at some free online courses brought to you by the Social Partnership Network – a group of national organisations who collectively aim to create and encourage a more diverse higher education system.

 

Help us make OpenLearn work for you: The OpenLearn team are conducting a survey to find out more about how people use our free learning content. If you've got a few minutes to spare, please tell us what you think.

Related content

More like this

Creative commons image Icon Ken Banks under CC-BY licence under Creative-Commons license
Brand New Tile: An OpenLearn app for your Windows device article icon

Science, Maths & Technology 

Brand New Tile: An OpenLearn app for your Windows device

Another way to enjoy the free learning from OpenLearn - as a Windows app.

Article
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Konstantin Chagin | Dreamstime.com
Study: Become a student article icon

Get Started 

Study: Become a student

Thinking of studying with The Open University? You’re not alone. Thousands of visitors to the OpenLearn website have gone on to study at the OU having experienced the quality of the free learning we offer on OpenLearn. Find out more.

Article
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: The Open University
Free badged courses from the Social Partnerships Network video icon

Get Started 

Free badged courses from the Social Partnerships Network

Welcome to the Social Partnerships Network (SPN) portal. The SPN consists of a number of partners, including The Open University, who champions workplace and lifelong learning. Below you will find a series of free online courses aimed at those who wish to improve their skills, knowledge and career prospects in a number of specific areas. 

Video
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: The Open University
Your OpenLearn profile and your student record article icon

Get Started 

Your OpenLearn profile and your student record

You can now display all of your achievements on both your student and OpenLearn profiles.

Article
 

Author

Ratings

Share

Related content (tags)

Copyright information

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?