All our free courses
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Languages
Advanced Spanish: Protest song
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 protest song, a musical genre that has played an important role in Hispanic society.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Assessing risk in engineering, work and life
Risk is something that must be taken into account at all times when practising as an engineer. We accept risk as part of everyday life so there is a need to balance the risks of an activity against the benefits that it brings. This free course, Assessing risk in engineering, work and life, investigates how we can manage risks at work, in the ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Approaching poetry
Do you want to get more out of your reading of poetry? This free course, Approaching poetry, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about rhythm, alliteration, rhyme, poetic inversion, voice and line lengths and endings. You will examine poems that do not rhyme and learn ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Babylonian mathematics
This free course looks at Babylonian mathematics. You will learn how a series of discoveries has enabled historians to decipher stone tablets and study the various techniques the Babylonians used for problem-solving and teaching. The Babylonian problem-solving skills have been described as remarkable and scribes of the time received a training ...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Languages
Advanced Spanish: Arts and crafts
This course is designed to develop your knowledge and understanding of Spanish-speaking societies and cultures and extend the practical skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will examine the world of Spanish and Latin-American art and explore the difference between art and craft.
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Languages
Advanced Spanish: Art in Buenos Aires
This course uses a documentary about artists in Buenos Aires to help you to develop your listening skills. By assessing various parts of the documentary you will be able to extend your comprehension of spoken Spanish.
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Languages
Advanced German: Regional landscapes
German regions and landscapes, local traditions and the notion of Heimat are at the centre of this course. You will describe images, make notes from a variety of sources, and write a short piece about the three-nations region around Lake Constance.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Analytical science: secrets of the Mary Rose
This free course, Analytical science: secrets of the Mary Rose, teaches you about the analytical techniques that are used in the research and investigation of historical objects using the case study of the Mary Rose. It covers the use of sonar to locate shipwrecks, and the analysis of the artefacts found on the ship, and the crew and their remains.
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Education & Development
An introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER)
In this free course, An introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER), you will look at some institutional OER initiatives. These will include MIT's open courseware, Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative and The Open University's OpenLearn. You will get a flavour of how different OER initiatives design and present the content for their ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope
In this free course, An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope, you will experience the study of minerals using a polarising microscope. While the study of minerals can involve electron or ion beam chemical analysis, the polarising microscope remains the prime tool for the study of rock thin sections and is the foundation of ...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Education & Development
Accessibility of eLearning
It is part of a teaching professional's skills to understand the needs of a diverse population of students. This free course, Accessibility of eLearning, introduces the challenges for disabled students who may use computers in different ways when taking part in eLearning or may need alternative teaching methods. It covers the technology and ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Art and visual culture: medieval to modern
What is art? What is visual culture? How have they changed through history? This free course, Art and visual culture: medieval to modern, explores the fundamental issues raised by the study of western art and visual culture over the last millennium. It moves from discussing the role of the artist and the functions of art during the medieval and ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Approaching prose fiction
Do you want to get more out of your reading? This free course, Approaching prose fiction, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about narrative events and perspectives, the setting of novels, types of characterisation and genre.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Approaching plays
Do you want to get more out of drama? This free course, Approaching plays, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary plays. You will learn about dialogue, stage directions, blank verse, dramatic structure and conventions and aspects of performance.
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations
This free course, Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations, considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
A question of ethics: right or wrong?
Explore ethical challenges with this free course. Learn about professional principles, managing relationships, and the responsibilities of coaches and instructors in fostering trust, integrity, and character development.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
History & The Arts
Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritage
This free course, Aberdulais Falls: a case study in Welsh heritage, looks at the Aberdulais Falls in Wales, and considers the key issues affecting the decision-making of the bodies which are responsible for looking after our heritage. We examine the heritage debates: who decides what should be preserved from the past as our heritage, who is this...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Education & Development
Exploring educational leadership
This free course, Exploring educational leadership, provides an overview of the field of educational leadership and management. You will explore: the relationships between management and leadership; the scope of the field; different world views that underpin educational leadership research and practice; and some key concepts such as agency, ...