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: 197 items
Assessing contemporary science free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Assessing contemporary science

It will explore the ways in which scientific knowledge develops, undergoes peer review and is communicated. The second half of the course will focus more closely on a specific scientific topic – plastics – and give you a chance to practise these skills by considering the topic's social impact, building a glossary of unfamiliar terms, and ...

Free course
9 hrs
Medical statistics free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Medical statistics

This free course is concerned with some of the statistical methods used in epidemiology and more widely in medical statistics. Section 1 introduces cohort studies in which individuals are classified according to their exposure and followed forward in time to evaluate disease outcomes. Section 2 looks at models for cohort studies. Section 3 ...

Free course
16 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
Learning, thinking and doing free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Learning, thinking and doing

How do we learn? Understanding how is the key to learning more effectively. This free course, Learning, thinking and doing, looks at the three main categories of theories: the acquisitive, constructivist and experiential models of learning. There is no right way to learn but developing an active approach will ensure that you are open to new ideas.

Free course
16 hrs
Linear programming – the basic ideas free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Linear programming – the basic ideas

This free course examines the formulation and solution of small linear programming problems. Section 1 deals with the formulation of linear programming models, describing how mathematical models of suitable real-world problems can be constructed. Section 2 looks at graphical representations of two-dimensional models, considers some theoretical ...

Free course
16 hrs
Language, notation and formulas free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Language, notation and formulas

Communication is as vital in mathematics as in any language. This free course, Language, notation and formulas, will help you to express yourself clearly when writing and speaking about mathematics. You will also learn how to answer questions in the manner that is expected by the examiner.

Free course
5 hrs
Getting started with SPSS free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Society, Politics & Law

Getting started with SPSS

Handling statistical data is an essential part of psychological research. However, many people find the idea of using statistics, and especially statistical software packages, extremely daunting. This free course, Getting started with SPSS, takes a step-by-step approach to statistics software through seven interactive activities. No statistics ...

Free course
3 hrs
Prices, location and spread free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Prices, location and spread

The free course, Prices, location and spread, explores aspects of the question Are people getting better or worse off? It covers statistical measures characterising the location of a batch of data (the median and the mean), and looks further at weighted means and at the interquartile range as a measure of spread (variability). Boxplots and ...

Free course
18 hrs
Ethics in science? free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Ethics in science?

This free course, Ethics in science? discusses how scientists have a moral and ethical responsibility to consider whether they should carry out an experiment. In this short course you will learn of the first clinical trials undertaken for scurvy and small pox and gain an understanding of how much more rigorous today’s clinical trials are. You ...

Free course
3 hrs
Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century

This free course, Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century, provides a general overview of how digital technology has come to dominate virtually every aspect of the modern world and some guidance on how to prepare for this digital life. It also provides a more detailed explanation of the internal structure and workings of a typical ...

Free course
10 hrs
Working on your own mathematics free course icon level 3: advanced icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Working on your own mathematics

This free course, Working on your own mathematics, focuses on your initial encounters with research. It invites you to think about how perceptions of mathematics have influenced you in your prior learning, your teaching and the attitudes of learners.

Free course
4 hrs
Introducing engineering free course icon level 1: introductory icon

Science, Maths & Technology

Introducing engineering

Engineering encompasses a broad range of disciplines from design to manufacturing. This free course, Introducing engineering, introduces a number of key themes that explore how engineering is undertaken in our modern world. These themes include engineering design, rules that govern engineers, manufacturing for products and electricity ...

Free course
15 hrs