All our free courses
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Forensic psychology
In this free course, Forensic psychology, you will discover how psychology can help obtain evidence from eyewitnesses in police investigations and prevent miscarriages of justice.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Histology, microscopy, anatomy and disease
This free course, Histology, microscopy, anatomy and disease, will help you understand the basic principles of light microscopy, before introducing you to histology, concentrating on the structure, function and relationship of normal human tissues.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Basic science: understanding experiments
This free course, Basic science: understanding experiments, introduces you to science-based skills through simple and exciting physics, chemistry and biology experiments.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Education & Development
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 icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Education & Development
Primary education: listening and observing
Would you like to volunteer or find work in your local primary school? Are you thinking about becoming a teaching assistant, or becoming a teacher in the future? In this free course, Primary education: listening and observing, you will have the chance to look inside primary schools, and watch and listen to children and teaching staff. You’ll ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Money & Business
Personal branding for career success
Stand out for the right reasons with this free course on personal branding. Learn how to identify your strengths, showcase your skills authentically, and use the right tools to build a professional image that attracts opportunities - whether you’re advancing in your current role or seeking something new.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Society, Politics & Law
Law and change: Scottish legal heroes
This free course explores the law-making process in Scotland and considers how the legal system has been influenced by change. You consider how Scots law and lawyers have influenced advances in the law on a global, national and local scale. Throughout the course you consider how individuals and institutions have effected change. You explore how ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Society, Politics & Law
The Scottish Parliament and law making
This free course, The Scottish Parliament and law making, explores the law making powers of the Scottish Parliament and examines its place in the UK’s constitution. It considers how, and why, laws are made by both the Scottish and UK Parliaments before exploring devolved matters, reserved matters, legislative competence, secondary legislation, ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Society, Politics & Law
Working in the voluntary sector
This free online course, Working in the voluntary sector, will introduce you to some of the main activities carried out by volunteers and staff, will give you some background on how different organisations work and will provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering, as well as to your every day life.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Science, Maths & Technology
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 icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Education & Development
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 icon
level 1: introductory icon
Nature & Environment
Environment: understanding atmospheric and ocean flows
What affects the atmospheric and ocean flows? This free course, Environment: understanding atmospheric and ocean flows, explores the mechanisms that are important; the most rapid carrier is the wind. The basic principle of global atmospheric circulation is simple: warm air rises and cold air sinks. How does this principle affect the ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Rising China and Africa's development: oil
China has emerged as a global economic superpower over the past few decades. This has sparked intense academic and popular debate about the long-term implications of its continued growth. The expansion of China into African countries in pursuit of natural resources has incited particular controversy – does it spell increased cooperation between...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Badge icon
Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to exoplanets
This free course, An introduction to exoplanets, introduces our galaxy's population of planets, and some of their many surprises. It explains the methods used by astronomers to study exoplanets, and provides a general introduction to the methods of scientific inquiry. The course culminates in discussion of life elsewhere in our Galaxy.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Nature & Environment
Environment: treading lightly on the Earth
Environment: treading lightly on the Earth focuses on the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide. This free course will give you an understanding of the nature and importance of carbon footprints of individuals and households. It will enable you to measure your own carbon footprint and explore what you could do to reduce ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Particle physics
This free course, Particle physics, will give you an overview of current concepts and theories in the field. You will learn about the fundamental components of matter – known as leptons and quarks – and the composite particles, such as protons and neutrons, which are composed of quarks. You will see that all particle reactions may be described ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Badge icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Learning from sport burnout and overtraining
Sport can place high levels of stress on athletes, coaches and others involved. If unable to cope with these stresses they may be vulnerable to developing burnout. This free course, Learning from sport burnout and overtraining, examines burnout in sport from various perspectives including both the coach’s and athlete’s perspective. Drawing on ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Understanding economic inequality
This free course, Understanding economic inequality, explores the causes of economic inequality in modern times and its consequences for success for the economy. The course will encourage you to reflect on your personal experiences of inequality before looking at how the issue is approached in economics. You will study some of the different...