Whether you're new to studying or returning to study, brushing up on your study skills is a great way to prepare before starting a new course, module or qualification. A free OpenLearn course can help you get an idea of what it's like to study with The Open University, or can help you improve your literacy, numeracy or digital skills at your own pace.
Our badged open courses even give you a way to get recognition for your learning achievements with a statement of participation and digital badge for your online profile.
Your first steps to success with study
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Taking your first steps into higher education
What is university study like? Is it for me? If you are asking yourself these questions, this free course is for you. Taking your first steps into higher education provides insights into how subjects are studied at university. This introduction to carefully selected materials helps you decide what you might want to study. You will be ...
Free course
24 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Succeed with learning
This course is for people who want to feel more confident about their learning skills. Informal in approach, the course builds on each person's own qualities, knowledge and skills to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of learning and of their own potential. It introduces some core ideas about learning and academic study, and some ...
Free course
24 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Succeed with maths: part 2
This free course, Succeed with maths: part 2, is a sequel to Part 1, in which you will continue to develop your mathematical knowledge and skills using everyday examples. The course takes a look at measurement of length, mass and volume, negative numbers and how to use these, scientific notation (based upon powers of 10), shapes and how to ...
Free course
24 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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English: skills for learning
Develop the English reading and writing skills needed for university success.
Free course
24 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
Are you ready to study in English? Check your language skills...
Even if you are confident in using English as a second language, studying in English at higher education level can present extra challenges - try this course first to reflect on and assess your skills and identify any language areas you might want to improve.
What skills do you want to work on?
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Reading and note taking – preparation for study
Reading and note taking are two essential study skills. How do you read? This free course, Reading and note taking preparation for study, will introduce you to different techniques to help you to alter the way you read according to the type of material you are studying. You will also learn the techniques behind successful note taking and how to...
Free course
12 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Reading evidence
What is active reading? It is reading with the aim of understanding and grasping something. While studying this free course, Reading evidence, you will be focusing on the variety of methods for presenting and organising qualitative and quantitative evidence in the form of numbers and text. You will learn how to understand the ways in which ...
Free course
12 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Reading visual images
What does a picture or an image tell you? This free course, Reading visual images, is an introduction to analysing and interpreting photographs as social data. Who controls what the image is saying? You will look at how photographs provide visual evidence and how they can illustrate and support our ideas about society.
Free course
8 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
If you're already an OU student, don't forget to look at the resources, study support and help available from the Open University Library Services.
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Extending and developing your thinking skills
Diagrams, mind-maps, tables, graphs, time lines, flow charts, sequence diagrams, decision trees: all can be used to organise thought. This free course, Extending and developing your thinking skills, will introduce you to a variety of thinking skills. Asking and answering questions is at the heart of high-quality thinking. Questions naturally ...
Free course
6 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Essay and report writing skills
Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes.
Free course
15 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
If you're already an OU student, the Study Support resources on StudentHome contains pointers to lots of helpful information about referencing, assignments and exams.
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Working with charts, graphs and tables
When you come across information represented in charts, graphs and tables, you'll need to know how to interpret this information. This free course, Working with charts, graphs and tables, will help you to develop the skills you need to do this. For further study, there's another course titled 'More working with charts, graphs and tables' which ...
Free course
15 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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More working with charts, graphs and tables
When you encounter maths or technical content you'll need to know how to interpret this information, and possibly to present your own findings in this way. This free course, More working with charts, graphs and tables, will help you to develop the skills you need to do this, and gain the confidence to use them. This free course builds on our ...
Free course
15 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Presenting information
Tables and charts are a great way to present numerical information in a clear and concise form. This free course, Presenting information, explains how to use the Windows calculator to carry out basic operations and calculate percentages. You will then learn how to use charts and tables to represent and interpret information.
Free course
3 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
If you're already an OU student, the Open University Library hosts Being Digital - a resource with activities to develop your skills for online life - whether for study, work or home.
You can also find information on computing skills for studying online with the OU available from StudentHome.
Already registered as an OU student?
Don't forget there's a wealth of support accessible from StudentHome, including OU Skills for Study where you can do a skills check and then do activities, Being Digital which focuses on digital literacy and handling information online, and the resources available from the Open University Library Services.
Try these free courses on Reading and taking notes, Preparing assignments and Developing effective study strategies, from OpenLearn Cymru.
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Darllen a gwneud nodiadau (Reading and taking notes)
Mae darllen, gwrando a meddwl fel rhan o'ch astudiaeth yn aml yn mynd law yn llaw â gwneud nodiadau o ryw fath. Fe welwch fod sawl ffordd wahanol o ddarllen a sawl ffordd wahanol o wneud nodyn o rywbeth. Yn dibynnu ar eich sefyllfa, efallai y byddwch yn darllen yn fwy neu'n llai am rywbeth, neu efallai y byddwch yn canolbwyntio ar un adran ...
Free course
10 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Paratoi aseiniadau
Efallai y byddwch yn teimlo ar goll pan gewch eich aseiniad cyntaf ond peidiwch â phoeni, nid oes disgwyl i chi wneud gwaith perffaith o'r cychwyn cyntaf. Nid oes un ffordd gywir o ysgrifennu aseiniad. Fodd bynnag, mae rhai egwyddorion a phrosesau cyffredin a fydd yn eich helpu i gadw ar y trywydd cywir wrth ei lunio. Yn yr uned hon byddwch yn ...
Free course
10 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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Datblygu strategaethau astudio effeithiol
Gall dod i wybod sut rydych yn dysgu eich helpu i ddatblygu technegau astudio sy'n gweddu i'ch anghenion a'r dasg dan sylw. Bydd gwella eich strategaethau astudio yn arbed amser i chi, yn ysgafnhau eich baich gwaith ac yn helpu i wella ansawdd eich gwaith. Yn yr uned hon byddwch yn dysgu technegau ac yn datblygu sgiliau a fydd yn eich helpu ...
Free course
10 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
More study resources
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Revision and examinations
Do you get stressed at the thought of an examination? Does the idea of revision fill you with dread? This free course, Revision and examinations, will provide a host of tips to help you improve your revision and examination techniques and enable you to manage your time effectively by creating a timetable for your revision.
Free course
6 hours
Level: 1 Introductory
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