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Badged courses

Badged courses

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Badges demonstrate interest in a subject, evidence of professional development or a commitment to studies. Badged courses are highly engaging and cover a range of core subjects and professional competencies essential for the modern workplace.

A free Open University digital badge is awarded for completing all sections of a course and passing the assessments. Your badge and Statement of participation are downloadable from your OpenLearn Profile and can be shared on social media and displayed in LinkedIn or other eportfolio platforms.

Grid List Results: 69 courses
Could we control our climate? free course icon Level Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology 

Could we control our climate?

Climate crisis is one of the grand challenges we face as a society, but it can be hard to approach as a subject. Not only can the science at times seem dauntingly complex, but the solutions are also far from clear. This leaves many people feeling confused, guilty, anxious, angry, or else completely switched off from the subject. This course tells the story of climate science in a new way, to find a fresh perspective for thinking about the future. It looks at the problem through the lens of climate engineering - the idea of deliberately trying to modify the climate, to counteract the changes we’re observing and predict what will happen in the future. The subject contains everything from hope – new technologies that could prevent the worst impacts of climate change – to enormous controversies over their risks and the way they could be used. More than that, climate engineering serves as a useful tool to move beyond the usual, often frustrating conversations around what to do about the climate crisis. By examining exactly what we want for our planet's climate, and what we would be willing to sacrifice to get there, we might find more clarity in our search for solutions.

Free course
24 hrs
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: The Open University
MSE’s Academy of Money free course icon Level Badge icon

Money & Business 

MSE’s Academy of Money

The Open University has joined forces with MoneySavingExpert (MSE) to produce this new free course to give you the skills and knowledge to master your finances. Packed with videos, audios, quizzes and activities the course covers all the key aspects of personal finance in six sessions of study that each take around two hours to complete. 

Free course
12 hrs
Academi Arian MSE free course icon Level Badge icon

Money & Business 

Academi Arian MSE

Mae'r Brifysgol Agored wedi ymuno â MoneySavingExpert (MSE) i gynhyrchu'r cwrs rhad ac am ddim newydd hwn i roi'r sgiliau a'r wybodaeth i chi feistroli eich arian. Ysgrifennwyd y cwrs gan y Brifysgol Agored, gyda chyngor ac arweiniad MSE.

Free course
12 hrs
Moons of our Solar System free course icon Level Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology 

Moons of our Solar System

In this free course, Moons of our Solar System, explore the many moons of our Solar System. Find out what makes them special. Should we send humans to our Moon again?

Free course
24 hrs
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Celiafoto/Shutterstock.com
Youth justice in the UK: children, young people and crime free course icon Level Badge icon

Education & Development 

Youth justice in the UK: children, young people and crime

This free course will introduce you to the many ways of working with children in trouble with the law. You will learn about the emergence of the youth justice system in England and Wales and how it has changed over the years. A comparative approach provides opportunities to learn about the approaches taken in Northern Ireland and Scotland. You will explore topical issues surrounding young people and crime, such as how rates of victimisation and offending vary, with particular reference to the ways age, gender, race and social class shape young people’s experience of crime.   

Free course
24 hrs
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: marchmeena29/iStockphoto.com
Gamified Intelligent Cyber Aptitude and Skills Training (GICAST) free course icon Level Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology 

Gamified Intelligent Cyber Aptitude and Skills Training (GICAST)

This free course, Gamified Intelligent Cyber Aptitude and Skills Training (GICAST), will help you to understand online security and start to protect your digital life, whether at home or work. You will learn how to recognise the threats that could harm you online and the steps you can take to reduce the chances that they will happen to you.

Free course
24 hrs
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: ibreakstock; Shutterstock.com
The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport free course icon Level Badge icon

Health, Sports & Psychology 

The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport

The athlete’s journey through sport can be characterised by several transitions and periods of change. This course is designed to help you understand that journey, whether in reference to a professional or recreational athlete, and the nature of support they may need at different times. The course also provides practical guidance, whether you support athletes as a coach or parent or whether you are an athlete yourself, and draws on a wealth of case study and audio-visual material to bring the athlete’s journey to life.

Free course
24 hrs
Becoming an ethical researcher free course icon Level Badge icon

Education & Development 

Becoming an ethical researcher

This free course, Becoming an ethical researcher, explores the ethics of planning, carrying out and reporting research which involves human participants. It will sensitise you to issues that a researcher should consider to support ethical and  well-justified decision-making. A wide variety of research scenarios will be used to stimulate individual reflection and discussion on the course forum, participation in which, together with successful completion of quizzes, will contribute to gaining a digital badge.

Free course
18 hrs
Copyrighted image Icon Copyright: Olga Enger; Shutterstock.com
Supporting children's mental health and wellbeing free course icon Level Badge icon

Education & Development 

Supporting children's mental health and wellbeing

Do you have a professional or personal interest in the mental health issues affecting young children? Are you working with children or are you a parent or carer? This free course, Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, is designed to give insight into the factors that are contributing to our youngest citizens’ poor mental health; examining factors from a national and global perspective. By the end of the course you will have gained knowledge about strategies and interventions that will help you to understand how you can support children’s mental health and improve their wellbeing.

Free course
24 hrs
Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world free course icon Level Badge icon

Education & Development 

Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world

This free course, Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world, will develop your confidence and skills for life online, whether study, work or everyday life. It explores a range of digital skills and practices, including digital identity, digital well-being, staying safe and legal, finding and using information and online tools, and dealing with information overload. The importance of developing a critical approach to life online is emphasised throughout, whether consuming or creating information. You'll be encouraged to reflect on your own situation and to apply what you learn to real-life scenarios, using a digital skills plan to keep a record of progress.

Free course
24 hrs
Internships and other work experiences free course icon Level Badge icon

Money & Business 

Internships and other work experiences

In this free course, Internships and other work experiences, you’ll begin by learning more about what an internship is and how it might differ from other forms of work experience. You’ll find out what you can gain personally and professionally, and consider the practicalities of obtaining work experience, from how to choose what’s right for you, to making strong applications. You’ll explore the virtual internship and why more employers are starting to use them, and finish by looking at how to maximise your experience and make it work for you as your career progresses, considering your next steps and setting yourself SMART goals.

Free course
24 hrs
Legal skills and debates in Scotland free course icon Level Badge icon

Society, Politics & Law 

Legal skills and debates in Scotland

This free course, Legal skills and debates in Scotland, considers how laws are interpreted and applied. It looks at legislation, court judgments, argument, judicial reasoning and rights. It also explores the relationship between society’s values and the laws which it supports and how policy and rights influence development of law.

Free course
24 hrs
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