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Sporting women in the media free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Sporting women in the media

The mass media (e.g. radio, TV, internet) has become one of the most powerful institutional influences in society. This free course, Sporting women in the media, explores whether gendered inequalities exist in sport by evaluating the media coverage. The media can be highly influential in shaping perceptions about gender in sport and headlines ...

Free course
8 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
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing video icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing

Did you know that more than one in 20 people in the UK have already taken a DTC genetic test? Companies selling these tests often make big promises about what they can do using our DNA, from predicting things about our health and ancestry, to whether someone is likely to prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream. But what can these tests actually ...

Video
10 mins
Exploring career mentoring and coaching free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Money & Business

Exploring career mentoring and coaching

This free course, Exploring career mentoring and coaching, will explain what mentors and career coaches do and how a colleague or expert who can ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and help an individual to find the best solutions for themselves, can make a significant difference in a wide range of situations and contexts.

Free course
24 hrs
Gain a badge and further your career article icon

Money & Business

Gain a badge and further your career

Did you know that The Open University offers a range of free badged courses on OpenLearn all geared towards helping you with employability and your career? 

Article
10 mins
The Financial Five a Day Podcast Series audio icon

Money & Business

The Financial Five a Day Podcast Series

Do you want to improve your financial nutrition? This podcast series will inspire you to think more purposefully about your personal finance and money habits.

Audio
5 mins
Approaching language, literature and childhood free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Education & Development

Approaching language, literature and childhood

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course L301 Language, literature and childhood.

Free course
8 hrs
Elective Home Education hub collection icon

Education & Development

Elective Home Education hub

A collection of free resources from The Open University - articles, videos, audio and courses tailored to support home educators, home-educated young people, and other stakeholders.

Collection
Making the most of UCAS events video icon

Education & Development

Making the most of UCAS events

Career and University fairs like UCAS events can feel a little overwhelming but they don’t have to be. Find out tips to enhance your UCAS events experience.

Video
5 mins
Sporting women in the media free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Sporting women in the media

The mass media (e.g. radio, TV, internet) has become one of the most powerful institutional influences in society. This free course, Sporting women in the media, explores whether gendered inequalities exist in sport by evaluating the media coverage. The media can be highly influential in shaping perceptions about gender in sport and headlines ...

Free course
8 hrs
Sport and Fitness Hub collection icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Sport and Fitness Hub

Welcome to the Sport and Fitness Hub. Enjoy exploring our range of free courses, articles and interactives to exercise your body and mind.

Collection
Making connections in end-of-life conversations: essential tips for professionals video icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Making connections in end-of-life conversations: essential tips for professionals

Patient preference in end-of-life conversations can depend on multiple factors; this article and animation offer guidance for health and social care professionals.

Video
5 mins
Banning the bomb: a global history of activism against nuclear weapons free course icon level 1: introductory icon

History & The Arts

Banning the bomb: a global history of activism against nuclear weapons

In this free course you will learn about the global anti-nuclear movement that has worked for decades to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, with the ultimate aim of abolishing them altogether. You will see how opposition to nuclear weapons has been an important cause on every continent. Beginning in 1945, this course will equip you with ...

Free course
6 hrs
Quiz: Which Brontë sister wrote it? activity icon

History & The Arts

Quiz: Which Brontë sister wrote it?

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë had very different writing styles but can you tell their writing apart from the other?

Activity
10 mins
Understanding the role of art historians in a changing world video icon

History & The Arts

Understanding the role of art historians in a changing world

Over the last few decades, the discipline of Art History has been transformed in a variety of ways, drawing on broader intellectual debates, including gender, racial and social equality. But what might the future bring? Dr Samuel Shaw from The Open University speaks to experts from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and looks at ...

Video
10 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
Crime fiction article icon

Languages

Crime fiction

Explore the world of crime fiction with The Open University, a world leader in distance learning. Discover free courses, articles, video and audio resources, and interactive activities, free to study and available to start right away.

Article
5 mins
Black Blue Plaques video icon

Languages

Black Blue Plaques

This film explores the under-representation of Black heritage and the linguistic landscape in relation to Blue Plaques.

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
Butterflies tell us more than you might think about our natural world article icon

Nature & Environment

Butterflies tell us more than you might think about our natural world

Why do butterflies matter? Willow Neal explains why they should be prioritised for conservation and introduces us to some butterfly species in the UK.

Article
10 mins
Learning our way to a better environment video icon

Nature & Environment

Learning our way to a better environment

How can our capacity for learning help us understand more about managing our environment? This short video looks at developing a more sustainable relationship between humans and the environment.

Video
5 mins
Introduction to differentiation free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Introduction to differentiation

This free course is an introduction to differentiation. Section 1 looks at gradients of graphs and introduces differentiation from first principles. Section 2 looks at finding derivatives of simple functions. Section 3 introduces rates of change by looking at real life situations. Section 4 looks at using the derivative of a function to deduce ...

Free course
18 hrs
Everyday maths: statistics in the news activity icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Everyday maths: statistics in the news

How to understand maths and statistics in everyday news? Complete our activity to find out!

Activity
15 mins
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing video icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing

Did you know that more than one in 20 people in the UK have already taken a DTC genetic test? Companies selling these tests often make big promises about what they can do using our DNA, from predicting things about our health and ancestry, to whether someone is likely to prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream. But what can these tests actually ...

Video
10 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
Should we read John Locke today? article icon

Society, Politics & Law

Should we read John Locke today?

These days, political parties of all persuasions can agree on at least one thing: they are all in favour of freedom. Of course, freedom is a highly slippery term. Freedom for who, and to what extent? And how do we recognise and manage the boundaries where one person’s ‘freedom’ might harm another person?

Article
10 mins
Learning from the Global South video icon

Society, Politics & Law

Learning from the Global South

Voices from the Global South is a series of six short films made to stimulate thinking about and reflection on the difference that geography makes to understanding the climate crisis and its impact.

Video
45 mins
Diagramming for development 2: exploring interrelationships free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Digital & Computing

Diagramming for development 2: exploring interrelationships

Diagramming for development 2: exploring interrelationships, is a free course that introduces you to the diagramming techniques of Influence diagrams, Multiple Cause Diagrams and Cognitive Maps. Using a case study project based in Africa, this unit illustrates the powerful use of systems diagramming for international development management. This...

Free course
4 hrs
An expert’s take on AI article icon

Digital & Computing

An expert’s take on AI

Got any burning questions about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Mike Richards, Senior Lecturer in Computing at The Open University, explains all in this article for National Coding Week.

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