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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Grid List Results: 199 items
Studying mammals: Return to the water free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Nature & Environment

Studying mammals: Return to the water

Some of the most unusual and versatile of all the mammals are the groups that live, feed and reproduce underwater. In this free course, Studying mammals: Return to the water, we will see how these formerly land-based mammals adapted to a return to the water, discussing such challenges as breathing, movement and communication. This is the seventh...

Free course
10 hrs
Manufacturing free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Manufacturing

How are designs turned into products? What resources, materials and methods are used and what set of activities goes under the heading of 'manufacturing'? This free course will introduce manufacturing as a system and will describe some of the many different ways of making products. We will illustrate how the required properties of the materials ...

Free course
20 hrs
Surfaces free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Surfaces

Surfaces are a special class of topological spaces that crop up in many places in the world of mathematics. In this free course, you will learn to classify surfaces and will be introduced to such concepts as homeomorphism, orientability, the Euler characteristic and the classification theorem of compact surfaces.

Free course
20 hrs
Ratio, proportion and percentages free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Ratio, proportion and percentages

From politics to cookery, ratios, proportions and percentages are part of everyday life. This free course is designed to help you become more familiar with how figures can be manipulated, then you can check whether that discount really is as big as they claim!

Free course
5 hrs
Health and safety in the laboratory and field free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Health and safety in the laboratory and field

Health, safety and risk assessment are of paramount importance both in the laboratory and the field. This free course, Health and safety in the laboratory and field, will help make you more aware of the hazards and risks involved wherever you undertake your research, as well as giving you an overview of the legal requirements attached to this ...

Free course
1 hr
Data analysis: hypothesis testing free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Data analysis: hypothesis testing

Making decisions about the world based on data requires a process that bridges the gap between unstructured data and the decision. Statistical hypothesis testing helps decision-making by formulating beliefs about the world, including people, organisations or other objects, and formally testing these beliefs. In this free course, you will ...

Free course
9 hrs
Data analysis: visualisations in Excel free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Data analysis: visualisations in Excel

Evidence comes in the form of qualitative or quantitative data about the world around you. It is not always obvious, however, how to structure, aggregate, analyse or interpret the data to help you make decisions. In this free course, you will look at how to use data to make decisions in a systematic way using Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel ...

Free course
6 hrs
Systems modelling free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Systems modelling

Maps and plans, architects and engineers, drawings, graphs and tables: all are models we use in everyday life. This free course, Systems modelling, will introduce you to the modelling process, enabling you to recognise that systems models may be used in different ways as part of a process for: improving understanding of a situation; identifying ...

Free course
4 hrs
Mathemateg bob dydd 1 free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Mathemateg bob dydd 1

Bydd y cwrs rhad ac am ddim hwn yn datblygu ac yn gwella eich sgiliau mathemateg hanfodol ar gyfer gwaith, astudio a bywyd bob dydd. Mae gan y cwrs bedair sesiwn, sy'n ymdrin â'r pynciau canlynol: rhifau, mesur, siapiau a gofod, a thrin data. Bydd digonedd o enghreifftiau i’ch helpu i symud ymlaen, ynghyd â chyfleoedd i ymarfer eich dealltwriaeth.

Free course
48 hrs
Mosquito resistance to insecticides free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Mosquito resistance to insecticides

Learn about how allele frequency can change rapidly in a population in response to selective pressure by considering how evolutionary change can occur in insects that are exposed to insecticides. This free course, Mosquito resistance to insecticides, further demonstrates how traits that are advantageous in one environment can have effects that ...

Free course
3 hrs
An introduction to exoplanets free course icon level 1: introductory icon Badge icon

Science, Maths & Technology

An introduction to exoplanets

This free course, An introduction to exoplanets, introduces our galaxy's population of planets, and some of their many surprises. It explains the methods used by astronomers to study exoplanets, and provides a general introduction to the methods of scientific inquiry. The course culminates in discussion of life elsewhere in our Galaxy.

Free course
24 hrs
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