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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Society, Politics & Law
Critical criminology and the social sciences
This free course, Critical criminology and the social sciences, will provide you with an insight into some of the main disciplines within the social sciences, focusing in particular on critical criminology. It will begin by outlining some of the defining characteristics of the social science disciplines of psychology, law, sociology and critical...
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Society, Politics & Law
Exploring economics: the secret life of t-shirts
This free course, Exploring economics: the secret life of t-shirts, aims to describe what goes into making and selling t-shirts. Which resources, which markets, who is involved, the income people get, the income and value they create are all discussed. You will explore these questions at different stages of the production of a t-shirt, and ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Exploring issues in women's health
This free course, Exploring issues in women's health, will introduce social model approaches to health and wellbeing, which take as their starting point not the scientific context of the body, but the social context in which women live. The focus is on women and the impact of social and cultural factors on women's health. The course touches...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Dechrau gyda seicoleg
Y 'pos mwyaf a phwysicaf' rydym yn ei wynebu fel pobl yw ni ein hunain (Boring, 1950, tud. 56). Mae pobl yn bos - yn bos cymhleth, cynnil ac amlhaenog, a daw'n fwy cymhleth fyth wrth i ni esblygu dros amser a newid o fewn cyd-destunau gwahanol. Wrth ateb y cwestiwn 'Beth sy'n ein gwneud ni yn pwy ydym ni?', mae seicolegwyr yn ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Questioning crime: social harms and global issues
This free course, Questioning crime: social harms and global issues, introduces the concept of social harm as an alternative to the more familiar concept of 'crime' as a basis for studying aspects of the social world which are damaging or harmful. In doing so, it will encourage you to think critically about the strengths and limitations of ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Changing cities
Urban processes are increasingly held to be responsible for causing a variety of problems environmental destruction, social injustice, global financial instability. They are also identified as harbouring the potential to meet these challenges through urban experiments in sustainable living, creative culture and alternative economies. This ...
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Society, Politics & Law
An introduction to crime and criminology
The course goes on to consider how social scientists and criminologists, in particular, study and seek to understand problems of crime. The course invites you to develop what can be called your 'criminological imagination'. This, in part, involves viewing criminological issues or problems from multiple perspectives but also encourages you ...
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Forensic psychology
In this free course, Forensic psychology, you will discover how psychology can help obtain evidence from eyewitnesses in police investigations and prevent miscarriages of justice.
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Society, Politics & Law
Law and change: Scottish legal heroes
This free course explores the law-making process in Scotland and considers how the legal system has been influenced by change. You consider how Scots law and lawyers have influenced advances in the law on a global, national and local scale. Throughout the course you consider how individuals and institutions have effected change. You explore how ...
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Society, Politics & Law
The Scottish Parliament and law making
This free course, The Scottish Parliament and law making, explores the law making powers of the Scottish Parliament and examines its place in the UK’s constitution. It considers how, and why, laws are made by both the Scottish and UK Parliaments before exploring devolved matters, reserved matters, legislative competence, secondary legislation, ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Working in the voluntary sector
This free online course, Working in the voluntary sector, will introduce you to some of the main activities carried out by volunteers and staff, will give you some background on how different organisations work and will provide you with knowledge and skills you can apply to your own work or volunteering, as well as to your every day life.
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Society, Politics & Law
Rising China and Africa's development: oil
China has emerged as a global economic superpower over the past few decades. This has sparked intense academic and popular debate about the long-term implications of its continued growth. The expansion of China into African countries in pursuit of natural resources has incited particular controversy – does it spell increased cooperation between...