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 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
The restless Universe
The restless Universe introduces you to major achievements and figures in the history of physics, from Copernicus to Einstein and beyond. The route from classical to quantum physics will be laid out for you in this free course without recourse to challenging mathematics but with the fundamental features of theories and discoveries described in ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Test kits for water analysis
This free course, Test kits for water analysis, steps outside the laboratory to look at some examples of analytical procedures being carried out in the field using commercial test kits. These quick tests provide results on-site, extending the options available to analysts. The methods used are chemical or microbiological in nature, made portable...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Gene manipulation in plants
Genetic manipulation of crops is an issue of great current interest and controversy. This free course, Gene manipulation in plants, covers some of the basic science that underpins the debate and examines the hotly contested case study of the development of 'golden rice'. By looking at the science behind the headlines you will acquire a clearer ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Nature & Environment
Energy resources: tidal energy
The rise and fall of ocean tides result from the combined gravitational pull on water by the Moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun, which exerts a force on water directed towards the two astronomical bodies. These gravitational effects combine with centrifugal forces that result from the Earth and the Moon orbiting each other. All of which ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Plate tectonics
Plate tectonics is an earth sciences topic that attracts a good deal of interest, given that it a topic very often featured in popular science programmes on TV and radio. It is a subject that has strong visual appeal. In this free course the coverage is self-contained, up to date and is written in a way that will be accessible to those with ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to active galaxies
The field of active galaxies is recognised as one of increasing importance. But how do we know there are different kinds of galaxy? What are active galaxies? How are they powered? This free course, Introduction to active galaxies, examines the different types of active galaxies and looks at the crucial role of the active galactic nucleus and the...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Icy bodies: Europa and elsewhere
The new discipline of astrobiology that is, the science of searching for extraterrestrial life, is not only rapdly growing, but has also captured the public imagination. This free course, Icy bodies: Europa and elsewhere, examines the emergence of icy satellites of distant planets as potential sites of extraterrestrial life, looks at the ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Vaccination
Vaccinations are now considered a part of everyday life, but how do they work? Vaccination is a free course that will help those with a background in biology understand the historical development of vaccination, assess the various types of vaccines used today, examine their production and explore the limitations that are placed on vaccination ...
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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
Science, Maths & Technology
Nucleic acids and chromatin
This free course, Nucleic acids and chromatin, helps you to understand the properties of nucleotides and how they contribute to secondary and tertiary structures of nucleic acids at the molecular level. You will learn about the different composition and roles of nucleic acids in the cell, their interactions with each other and the use of ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Cell signalling
This free course, Cell signalling, explains the general principles of signal transduction and specifically, how even the simplest organisms can detect and respond to events in their ever-changing environment.
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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 ...