Free courses
Produced by The Open University, a world leader in open and distance learning, all OpenLearn courses are free to study. We offer nearly 1000 free courses across 9 different subject areas. Our courses are available to start right away.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Understanding different research perspectives
This free course, Understanding different research perspectives, explores the development of the research process looking at the different perspectives from which an issue or phenomenon can be investigated; and highlights the main methodologies that can be used to investigate a business issue. By looking at different perspectives/approaches to ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
Exploring evidence-based policing
This course, Exploring evidence-based policing, examines the basic elements of evidence-based policing and gives insight into how more evidence-based approaches can inform better policing practice.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
How teams work
This free course, How teams work, provides an introduction to working in virtual project teams by explaining terms and concepts related to teams and to projects. The complexity of the interaction of people and technology is highlighted.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Entrepreneurial impressions – reflection
In this free course, Entrepreneurial impressions - reflection, you will be encouraged to unpack your own experiences of, and perceptions about, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. You will also take a look at the relevant research evidence on entrepreneurial personality and on the role of informal ties with family and friends. There are still ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Challenges in advanced management accounting
This free course, Challenges in advanced management accounting, focuses on strategic management accounting and selected concepts and techniques. It will help you to successfully navigate mid- to long-term challenges to creating sustainable organisations. This OpenLearn course requires a prior understanding of basic management accounting approaches.
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
What is strategic human resource management?
This free course, What is strategic human resource management?, is about the interplay between decision making in HR and the multiple environments within which such decisions are made. The underlying premise is that, normally, better choices are made when they are informed by an understanding of the multiple contexts which are relevant to those ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Money & Business
Discovering development management
Discovering development management is a free course that sets out to build up the basic capacities for managing the multiple challenges of development – any development. It rests on the assumption that management is a political and ethical process, a matter of the use of power to bring about desired goals in contexts characterised by conflicts ...
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Money & Business
Stakeholders in marketing and finance
This free course, Stakeholders in marketing and finance, comprises two sections introducing the idea of customers and stakeholders for financial information. It also contains two activities in which learners are asked to relate the ideas discussed to their own work practice.
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level 1: introductory icon
History & The Arts
Speeches and speech-making
This free course, Speeches and speech-making, explores an aspect of language use where 'voices' and 'texts' converge: the art of speech-making.
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level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
Different types of business
A small grocery store run by one person and perhaps their family must pose quite different challenges from a multinational corporation with operations in many different countries. This free course introduces different types of business, depending on industry sector, size and type of ownership and discusses some of the ways in which businesses ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
The economics of flood insurance
This course shows how some of the theories and tools of economics can be applied to understanding and tackling the problem of flood risk in the UK. With the incidence of flooding rising due to climate change, this is an increasingly important policy issue worldwide. You will gain insights into the practical use of economics in a ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Money & Business
Three principles of a coaching approach
This course provides a good sense for three of the core skills required of an effective coach. Whether or not you recognise the use of a 'coaching approach' in your workplace, you will be able to use the learning in the course to enhance your day-to-day interactions in your workplace.