All our free courses
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Society, Politics & Law
Who are Europeans?
What is Europe and what defines a European? This free course, Who are Europeans?, looks at the development of identities within Europe and the European Union. You will assess the mechanisms through which a new identity commitment is being formed and the limitations of and oppositions to this process. Can a genuine European identity ever be ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
What is Europe?
The European Union (EU), formed out of the ashes of the Second World War, continues to expand in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite the EU's growing size and significance, the question 'What is Europe?' still resonates through the continent. This free course looks at a range of different views on the question, contrasting ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Rights and justice in international relations
Can the concept of human rights be applied across borders or are rights culturally specific? Is it realistic, or even desirable, to aim at an international system based on universal principles of justice? This free course, Rights and justice in international relations, takes a critical view of the assumption that 'rights are a good thing' and ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Education & Development
Science and society: A career and professional development course
Scientists throughout the world are increasingly interested in the relationship between science and society. Part of their concern is with the social responsibilities scientists have in relation to broader public interests. That raises important issues to do with the ethical and social dimension of scientists' work and how scientists explain ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
From sound to meaning: hearing, speech and language
Human communication is vastly more complex than that of any other species we know about. It is so complex that linguists are only just beginning to identify the processes in the brain that are related to understanding language. This free course, From sound to meaning: hearing, speech and language, looks at how language is understood by taking an...
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Achieving public dialogue
There are a wide range of interactions between 'science' and 'the public'. Examples range from visiting a museum, or indulging in a science-related hobby, to reading a newspaper article about a breakthrough in the techniques of therapeutic cloning. Many of these interactions could be said to be 'passive'. This free course, Achieving public ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Birth of a drug
The search for new medicinal products is one of the major driving forces behind the development and application of new synthetic methods. This free course, Birth of a drug, focuses on a specific case study that follows the development of a drug for the treatment of high blood pressure. It is a particularly good example of the application of ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Education & Development
Introducing ethics in Information and Computer Sciences
Although ethics is often viewed as an academic specialism or an add-on to training programmes in technology and science, it is in fact an area of the utmost relevance to professionals and, indeed, everyone. This free course, Introducing ethics in Information and Computer Sciences, draws upon examples taken from dialogues, plays and the media to ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
The problem with crime
This free course, The problem with crime, looks at the issues of order and disorder. Can the way these issues are represented change your view of a city? Taking Glasgow as an example, you will look at the problem of crime and how misrepresentation can easily occur.
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level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Political ordering
This free course, Political ordering, asks questions about what states are and how they are involved in the processes of governing and ordering social life. Building from an awareness of just how much of everyday life involves the state, the course questions whether states have this authority to govern. It also asks about situations in which ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Note taking in relation to the Social Sciences
Do you find it difficult to know what is important when taking notes? This free course, Note taking in relation to the Social Sciences, will enable you to decide the value of taking notes and improve your understanding of the methods that can be used.
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level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
The meaning of crime
Tough on the causes of crime'. A famous phrase, but what is crime? This free course, The meaning of crime, examines how we, as a 'society', define crime. You will look at the fear that is generated within communities and what evidence is available to support claims that are made about crime rates.
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
A Europe of the Regions?
What role will the 'regions' play in the emerging governance structures of the European Union? This free course, A Europe of the Regions?, examines the rise of the regions and regionalism in Western Europe. You will look at the possible development pathways for Europe: will it become a federal super-state or a decentralised 'Europe of the Regions'?
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Society, Politics & Law
Engendering citizenship
How do you create citizenship? How do you feel you belong? This free course, Engendering citizenship, examines social citizenship. With particular reference to women and disabled people, you will look at the rights and obligations that develop within society to link people together.
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
The database development life cycle
No idea how relational database systems are constructed? Did you know that they underpin the majority of the managed data storage in computer systems? This free course, The database development life cycle, has been designed to give you an overview of the developmental lifecycle for a database system, explaining the importance of data analysis ...
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History & The Arts
History of reading tutorial 2: The reading and reception of literary texts – a case study of Robinson Crusoe
How have famous books been read and received by audiences in the past? This free course, History of reading tutorial 2: The reading and reception of literary texts a case study of Robinson Crusoe, is the second tutorial in a series designed to help users of the UK Reading Experience Database (UK RED) search, browse and use this resource, and ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Motivation and factors affecting motivation
This free course explores the term 'motivation' and factors affecting motivation. This includes looking at the most influential theories of motivation that contribute to understanding the causes of motivation. The motivation of sports people and people working in sport and fitness environments are used to help understand the theories presented.
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level 3: advanced icon
History & The Arts
Voice-leading analysis of music 3: the background
The music of Mozart has been used to examine the foreground and middleground of harmony in free courses AA314_1 and AA314_2. In this free course, Voice-leading analysis of music 3: the background, you will use Beethoven's Eighth Symphony to consider the largest-scale stage of voice-leading analysis.