All our free courses
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History & The Arts
Heritage case studies: Scotland
The heritage traditions of Scotland are unique in comparison to the rest of Britain. This free course, Heritage case studies: Scotland, uses two case studies to demonstrate how heritage sites have helped to forge the Scottish national identity and history.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Health and safety in the laboratory and field
Health, safety and risk assessment are of paramount importance both in the laboratory and the field. This free course, Health and safety in the laboratory and field, will help make you more aware of the hazards and risks involved wherever you undertake your research, as well as giving you an overview of the legal requirements attached to this ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Languages
Advanced Spanish: Language in context
This course will develop your knowledge and understanding of the societies and cultures of Spain and Latin America and extend the practical skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The course focuses on the many ways in which living languages - notably Spanish - adapt to the contexts in which they are used.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Groups and teamwork
Are you always the quiet one when it comes to group discussion? This free course, Groups and teamwork, will help you improve your working relationships with other people in groups of three or more. The course also deals with project life cycles, project management and the role of the leader.
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Group theory
This free course consolidates and builds on group theory studied at OU level 2 or equivalent. Section 1 describes how to construct a group called the direct product of two given groups, and then describes certain conditions under which a group can be regarded as the direct product of its subgroups. Section 2 describes the key properties of the ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Geometry
Geometry is concerned with the various aspects of size, shape and space. In this free course you will explore the concepts of angles, shapes, symmetry, area and volume through interactive activities.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Design thinking
Are you ever frustrated with something that you thought you could design better? This free course, Design thinking, will show you how to structure your natural creativity to come up with solutions to all kinds of problems, and have fun in the process too!
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level 1: introductory icon
Digital & Computing
Simple coding
Have you ever wanted to try out simple coding? Want to understand the basics of what it entails? This course introduces you to the skills, concepts and jargon of coding.
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
General principles of cellular communication
Learn about how cells sense and respond to extrinsic stimuli, a capacity that allows them to communicate with each other and to respond to changes in their environment. This free course, General principles of cellular communication, explains cell signalling pathways in general terms and identifies some of the universal characteristics of ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Galaxies, stars and planets
Understand the scale of the universe; orbits and gravity; the Solar System; the Sun and other stars; galaxies and the composition of astronomical objects.
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Exploring data: Graphs and numerical summaries
This free course, Exploring data: graphs and numerical summaries, will introduce you to a number of ways of representing data graphically and of summarising data numerically. You will learn the uses for pie charts, bar charts, histograms and scatterplots. You will also be introduced to various ways of summarising data and methods for assessing ...
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History & The Arts
Forth Road Bridge
Scotland's Forth Road Bridge may not be the most beautiful bridge over the Firth of Forth, but it is an incredible feat of engineering and is integral to the economy of the entire area. However, rust is threatening to destroy the cables that suspend the road. This free course uses video to explore the issues associated with the potential demise ...
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History & The Arts
Form and uses of language
In this free course, Form and uses of language, we will consider how language can be used in different ways for different purposes. To do this we will use the theme of memorial and commemoration. In the first section we briefly discuss the life of the poet Siegfried Sassoon before examining both his poetry and his prose. Through this we will see...
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level 3: advanced icon
Nature & Environment
Financial methods in environmental decisions
This free course, Financial methods in environmental decisions, begins by introducing some of the tools that can be used to assess the benefits of investment decisions, including ways of assessing the ‘external costs’ – the wider costs and benefits to society as a whole – of environmental decisions.
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level 2: intermediate icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Exercise and mental health
Each year thousands of pounds are spent on medications to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression. These medications often have negative side effects. Exercise is an alternative treatment that is low cost and has few side effects. In this free course, Exercise and mental health, we will look at the links between exercise and improved ...
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Nature & Environment
Eutrophication
Managing eutrophication is a key element in maintaining the earths biodiversity. Eutrophication is a process mostly associated with human activity whereby ecosystems accumulate minerals. This free course, Eutrophication, explains how this process occurs, what its effects on different types of habitat are, and how it might be managed.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Estimating the cost of equity
This free course, Estimating the cost of equity, looks at how to estimate the cost of equity using the dividend valuation model (DVM) and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), and how to evaluate the use of the DVM and the CAPM from a financial and strategic perspective. It then explores the implications regarding selection of the inputs to ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Nature & Environment
Environmental management and organisations
It is believed that environmental management requires action at all levels and by organisations of all types and sizes. However it is not always clear what we mean by environmental management and the role that organisations do and could play. This free course, explores the different interpretations and viewpoints involved by using system ...