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Bun-chùrsa mu bhith a’ dèanamh atharrachadh poilitigeach is sòisealta free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Bun-chùrsa mu bhith a’ dèanamh atharrachadh poilitigeach is sòisealta

Written in a moment of multiple crises – environmental, economic, political, social and health-related – ‘An Introduction to making political and social change’ gives you a grounding in some of the key citizenship skills and information you will need to intervene in the world as it changes around you. This free course explores how you can make ...

Free course
10 hrs
Happy New Year article icon

Miscellaneous

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! What is 2024 going to mean for you? Improved health? Learning a language? Writing a book? Get started here...

Article
5 mins
Sacred and secular: Silvio Ferrari video icon

Society, Politics & Law

Sacred and secular: Silvio Ferrari

This video looks at the problems connected to religious freedom and the imbalanced protection of religion within the secular state. 

Video
10 mins
Global challenges in practice: designing a development intervention free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Money & Business

Global challenges in practice: designing a development intervention

This free short course addresses the key elements of designing a development intervention. Its approach to ‘doing development’ will be value led rather than technical. There is a wealth of material teaching a technical approach to development intervention. This course seeks to shift the balance back to a value based approach to doing development...

Free course
12 hrs
Finding a mentor article icon

Money & Business

Finding a mentor

A mentor can empower your personal development and help you to identify and achieve your career goals. This article looks at what qualities you should search for in a mentor.

Article
5 mins
Systems explained by Peter Checkland audio icon

Money & Business

Systems explained by Peter Checkland

Peter Checkland recalls how a shortage of management education led him to develop his theories.

Audio
15 mins
Introduction to Arabic free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Education & Development

Introduction to Arabic

In this free course you will learn the Arabic alphabet, vowels, and also a little bit about the history of the Arabic language.

Free course
4 hrs
Learning Design resources to support embedding sustainability competencies and learning outcomes in course materials article icon

Education & Development

Learning Design resources to support embedding sustainability competencies and learning outcomes in course materials

Check out this set of free resources to help prompt initial thoughts and discussions about embedding sustainability in course design.

Article
5 mins
UCAS a’r broses Glirio - Cyngor i rieni a gwarcheidwaid video icon

Education & Development

UCAS a’r broses Glirio - Cyngor i rieni a gwarcheidwaid

Mae ymgyfarwyddo ag UCAS yn fan cychwyn gwych o ran cefnogi eich person ifanc yn ystod y broses o wneud ceisiadau.

Video
5 mins
Talking about the menopause: symptoms, support and the role of exercise free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Talking about the menopause: symptoms, support and the role of exercise

This free OpenLearn course is designed to help anyone whose life is affected by the menopause. No matter what gender you identify with, this transitional phase can affect people in all sorts of ways, so this course is open to all. The objectives are to empower everyone, by increasing knowledge of what the menopause is and the effects it can ...

Free course
12 hrs
Nursing associate career pathways - not just the ‘top-up' article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Nursing associate career pathways - not just the ‘top-up'

Read the stories of seven qualified nursing associates who spoke to Dr Gemma Ryan-Blackwell, who was Programme Lead for Foundation Degree in Nursing Associate Practice, and heard their journeys.

Article
5 mins
Research on young people with melanoma audio icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Research on young people with melanoma

Listen to two podcasts, by Professor Susanne Cruickshank and Dr Wendy McInally who discuss the topic of research on young people and melanoma (skin cancer).

Audio
20 mins
Herodotus and the invention of history free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Herodotus and the invention of history

With the information explosion online, how can you tell fake news from the real thing, or be more sensitive to how information can be weaponised? In the fifth-century BCE, a Greek by the name of Herodotus faced a similar challenge when he set out to examine why his people, the Greeks, and the Persians went to war with each other. Chief among his...

Free course
6 hrs
The July Crisis: A chronology article icon

History & The Arts

The July Crisis: A chronology

A diplomatic crisis among major European powers in 1914 led to the First World War. What happened when?

Article
5 mins
Why worldviews? video icon

History & The Arts

Why worldviews?

What is meant by ‘worldviews’? This animation imagines a public demonstration and the differing reasons people may have for attending.

Video
5 mins
Crime fiction in French: le polar français free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Languages

Crime fiction in French: le polar français

Le polar, crime fiction, is the most popular literary form in France. In this free course, you will discover the origins and development of French crime fiction, along with its current status, before reflecting on whether it is simply mass entertainment or, rather, genuine literature of quality. You will discover some important authors and work ...

Free course
6 hrs
Commemorating Lord Byron on the streets of London article icon

Languages

Commemorating Lord Byron on the streets of London

On the 200th anniversary of Lord Byron’s death, we explore the history of his commemoration, and how this sheds light on our understanding of English heritage.

Article
5 mins
Creativity and artificial intelligence video icon

Languages

Creativity and artificial intelligence

Is artificial intelligence capable of being creative? This animation and associated article looks at the meaning of 'creativity' and whether machines can carry out creative tasks.

Video
5 mins
Energy in buildings free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Nature & Environment

Energy in buildings

Themes covered in this free course, Energy in buildings, include reducing heating demand in buildings, heating systems and fuel emissions, and reducing electricity use by appliances. The course looks at the importance of energy in buildings in the UK, investigate heat loss and how to prevent it, ways of increasing building efficiency, ...

Free course
10 hrs
Earth Day 2024 article icon

Nature & Environment

Earth Day 2024

The first Earth Day on 22 April 1970 activated 20 million people from all walks of life to do their bit to protect our planet. More than 50 years on, it is estimated that one billion people worldwide will engage in this year’s Earth Day.

Article
5 mins
Golden Globe Ocean Race: The next 50 years? video icon

Nature & Environment

Golden Globe Ocean Race: The next 50 years?

Dr David Assinder takes a look ahead at the next 50 years and explores the changes to our oceans. 

Video
20 mins
Astronomy: images of the Universe free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Astronomy: images of the Universe

Modern astronomy utilises a range of techniques across the electromagnetic spectrum that allow astronomers to measure the brightness, size and shape of astronomical objects, as well as their structure in many cases. This free course enables you to explore multiwavelength images of the Universe and make your own measurements of stars, nebulae and...

Free course
6 hrs
Solving the perplexing mathematicians' problem of the spectre article icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Solving the perplexing mathematicians' problem of the spectre

In 2023, a UK maths enthusiast called David Smith discovered a shape that had one incredibly special property. Using copies of this shape, nicknamed ‘the spectre’, one can cover a flat surface forever – without the pattern repeating itself. This special property is called aperiodicity, and David’s discovery solved a problem that had been ...

Article
5 mins
Design ecologies animation video icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Design ecologies animation

This animation explores why a whole systems approach to design is important. It uses the example of a smartphone to illustrate the need to shift from linear to regenerative resource flows.

Video
5 mins
Bun-chùrsa mu bhith a’ dèanamh atharrachadh poilitigeach is sòisealta free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Bun-chùrsa mu bhith a’ dèanamh atharrachadh poilitigeach is sòisealta

Written in a moment of multiple crises – environmental, economic, political, social and health-related – ‘An Introduction to making political and social change’ gives you a grounding in some of the key citizenship skills and information you will need to intervene in the world as it changes around you. This free course explores how you can make ...

Free course
10 hrs
Jury Hub Conversation: Hayley Ness, Lee Curley article icon

Society, Politics & Law

Jury Hub Conversation: Hayley Ness, Lee Curley

Why does jury research matter? How can jurors and judges prepare for their tasks? What are the challenges of jury research?Hayley Ness talks to Lee Curley.

Article
25 mins
Sacred and secular: Silvio Ferrari video icon

Society, Politics & Law

Sacred and secular: Silvio Ferrari

This video looks at the problems connected to religious freedom and the imbalanced protection of religion within the secular state. 

Video
10 mins
Hybrid working: skills for digital transformation free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Digital & Computing

Hybrid working: skills for digital transformation

The future of the workplace is continuing to evolve, and digital transformation is accelerating, requiring new digital capabilities, behaviours and understanding. There has been a widening of the digital divide and data shows that in the UK the skills gap is growing with a shortage of people with digital skills. ​ Nearly all jobs have some ...

Free course
11 hrs
Tips for using a large language model article icon

Digital & Computing

Tips for using a large language model

How should you use Chat GPT and other language models for work, study and life? This article gives you eight top tips for using this sort of artificial intelligence.

Article
5 mins
Animal-Computer Interaction and dogs video icon

Digital & Computing

Animal-Computer Interaction and dogs

Dr Clara Mancini tells us how Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) is expanding the design of interactive systems beyond the human species.

Video
15 mins