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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Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to geology
In this free course, An introduction to geology, you will explore basic geological processes, focusing on how, where and why different rocks and natural resources form across the Earth.
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Science, Maths & Technology
In the night sky: Orion
In this free course, In the night sky: Orion, you will explore the night sky, discover how stars formed and find out about exoplanets, all through the constellation of Orion.
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level 1: introductory icon
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Science, Maths & Technology
Citizen science and global biodiversity
This free course, Citizen science and global biodiversity, deals with the importance of biodiversity and explores how anyone can contribute to and be involved in identifying and recording wildlife, as a citizen scientist. It looks at what citizen science is, and how citizen science facilitates public involvement in scientific research ...
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level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Everyday maths 1 (Wales)
This free course will develop and improve your essential maths skills for work, study and everyday life. The course has four sessions, which cover the following topics: numbers, measurement, shapes and space, and handling data. There will be plenty of examples to help you progress, together with opportunities to practise your understanding. A...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Everyday maths 2
This free course, Everyday maths 2, will build on your existing maths skills and help you to feel more confident tackling the maths you come across in everyday situations.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Everyday maths 1
This free course, Everyday maths 1, is designed to bring your learning to life, inspiring you to improve your current maths skills or helping you to remember any areas that you may have forgotten. Working through the examples and interactive activities in this course will help you to, among other things, run a household or make progress in your ...
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level 1: introductory icon
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Science, Maths & Technology
Learn to code for data analysis
This free course will teach you how to write your own computer programs, one line of code at a time. You'll learn how to access open data, clean and analyse it, and produce visualisations. You will also learn how to write up and share your analyses, privately or publicly.
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level 1: introductory icon
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Science, Maths & Technology
The science of alcohol
Alcohol plays a considerable part in the daily lives of humanity and has done for thousands of years. This free course, The science of alcohol, looks at the science behind the processes of brewing, distilling and vinification, and how many of our beverages are made. A historical aspect is also covered showing how the modern production techniques...
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level 1: introductory icon
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Science, Maths & Technology
Mathematics for science and technology
Maths is intimately entwined with science and technology, whether it is used to analyse data collected on plants in the Amazon rainforest, to calculate the trajectory of a comet or design a bridge to connect two countries. This means that science and technology go hand-in-hand with maths, and that a firm grasp of maths is crucial for studying ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Histology, microscopy, anatomy and disease
This free course, Histology, microscopy, anatomy and disease, will help you understand the basic principles of light microscopy, before introducing you to histology, concentrating on the structure, function and relationship of normal human tissues.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Basic science: understanding experiments
This free course, Basic science: understanding experiments, introduces you to science-based skills through simple and exciting physics, chemistry and biology experiments.
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level 3: advanced icon
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Science, Maths & Technology
Returning to STEM
This free badged course, Returning to STEM, offers useful skills and solutions to help you get back into a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).