All our free courses
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Understanding systems thinking in practice (STiP)
With media and political attention given to systemic failure, systems thinking is increasingly advocated as an alternative way of managing human interventions associated with socio-economic and environmental development. So what is systems thinking? Why might systems approaches provide better support for strategic planning? Moreover, how might ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Algorithmic Design
This course explores the creative potential of designing with algorithms. This is part of the new BDes Design qualification at The Open University. Learn to think algorithmically and tweak code to create your own wallpaper patterns and be part of contemporary design practices. Through hands-on graphical experimentation using p5.js JavaScript, ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Cyflwyniad i efelychu digidol ym maes gofal iechyd
Mae efelychu yn darparu lle diogel ar gyfer dysgu a gwella, gan arwain at weithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol sydd wedi'u paratoi'n well ac amgylcheddau gofal cleifion mwy diogel. Bydd y cwrs OpenLearn am ddim hwn yn eich helpu i ddatblygu dealltwriaeth o efelychu digidol a sut y gall wella dysgu ac ymarfer clinigol, nid yn unig trwy efelychu ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
An introduction to digital simulation in healthcare
Simulation provides a safe space for learning and improvement, leading to better-prepared healthcare professionals and safer patient care environments. This free course will help you develop an understanding of digital simulation and how it can enhance learning and clinical practice, not only through simulation but also through debriefing. ...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
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 ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Supporting babies and toddlers
The first two years of a child’s life are a time of incredible change and development. This free course helps practitioners to understand these changes and explore how they can support babies and toddlers in early childhood settings. This course draws on research and expertise from early childhood academics at The Open University and ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Introducing International Relations
In this free course you will be introduced to the subject of International Relations (IR). You will learn how IR seeks to analyse vital global problems and the key actors and issues involved. In the course you will explore two contemporary case studies: the competition between great powers like the USA and China for access to Africa’s resources;...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Psychology around the world
Psychology around the world looks at some of the ways people think in similar and different ways depending on where they live and their culture. The course starts with some general questions of how similar and different people’s psychology might be in different times and places. This is then followed with some key examples: how people perceive ...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to quantum computing
Quantum computing is a developing field with enormous potential societal and economic impact. In the future, quantum computers will enable us to solve a range of complex problems that are currently intractable, potentially revolutionising key sectors including medicine, finance and the pharmaceutical industry. In this free course you will learn ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
History & The Arts
Women transforming classical music
Women transforming classical music is a free course aimed at helping individual performers, ensembles and organisations within the classical music industry to diversify their repertoire by including more works by women composers. The 6-week course considers the male-dominated nature of the contemporary classical music industry and how to ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Languages
Machine translation in language learning and teaching
In this free course, you will learn to implement freely available online machine translation tools (OMT) such as Google Translate or DeepL into your language learning or teaching. The course is aimed at learners and teachers of all languages and levels. It introduces the uses of AI in language learning and provides activities and examples of ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Supporting children’s learning in primary education today
This free course explores different aspects of learning and teaching in primary education. It gives opportunities to engage with different types of activities that are designed to develop an understanding of learning and teaching in primary education.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Pluralism in Economics: inequalities, innovation, environment
This course will show you the variety within Economics which is used to understand and tackle some of the biggest challenges we face globally: tensions between growth and inequalities, market power and innovation, whether economics has what it takes to solve environmental challenges.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Electromagnetism: testing Coulomb’s law
This free course explores Coulomb’s law, the physical law that governs the force between electric charges, and shows how it can be verified experimentally. As a prerequisite you will need some mathematical knowledge of vectors. This free course is an adapted extract from the Open University course SM381 Electromagnetism.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
Retirement planning made easy
This free course on money and retirement planning has been produced by The Open University in collaboration with Legal & General.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
Midlife MOT: wealth, work and wellbeing
Introducing your Midlife MOT. Your midlife years – that is, when you’re between about 40 and 60 – will probably be a very hectic time indeed. You might have ended up in a challenging job, or you might be working hard to get one. You could be looking after the kids, your parents or maybe both. Maybe you’re putting time and energy into a whole new...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Transport and Sustainability
This free course, Transport and sustainability, explores the issues around sustainable transport and how the role of technology and society can interact to lower the overall impact of transport.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Education & Development
Supporting adult learners’ positive mental health
This free course provides educators with an introduction to adult learners’ mental health. The course is designed to develop understanding of the impact mental health has on learning, as well as to explore the variety of strategies that can be employed to support adult learners experiencing a range of mental health related challenges.