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 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Discovering disorder: young people and delinquency
This free course, Discovering disorder: young people and delinquency, will introduce two approaches to understanding juvenile delinquency. The psychological approach focuses on examining what makes some individuals, but not others, behave badly. The sociological approach looks at why some individuals and some behaviours, but not others, are ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Criminology beyond crime
This free course, Criminology beyond crime, examines the notion of 'social harm' as an alternative to the legal definition of 'crime'. To illustrate this concept, the course considers developments in Green Criminology, which have sought to examine the problems of global environmental harm and the myriad interactions between human beings and the ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Crimes of the powerful
This free course examines the complexities of, and barriers to, setting new criminological research agendas by considering the difficulties associated with conducting research on crimes of the powerful.
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level 3: advanced icon
History & The Arts
The poetry of Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean (1911-1996) is regarded as one of the greatest Scottish poets of the twentieth century. This free course, The poetry of Sorley MacLean, will introduce you to his poetry and give you an insight into the cultural, historical and political contexts that inform his work. MacLean wrote in Gaelic and the importance of the language to ...
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Introduction to critical criminology
This free course, Introduction to critical criminology, provides a brief introduction to critical criminological thinking. It defines the ways in which critical criminologists take a 'critical stance' on the fundamental concepts, practices and institutions associated with crime and criminal justice systems.
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level 1: introductory icon
Society, Politics & Law
Reading visual images
What does a picture or an image tell you? This free course, Reading visual images, is an introduction to analysing and interpreting photographs as social data. Who controls what the image is saying? You will look at how photographs provide visual evidence and how they can illustrate and support our ideas about society.
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Equity – law and idea
This free course, Equity – law and idea, gives you the opportunity to broaden your skills in and knowledge and understanding of legal principles. Beyond the confines of the Common Law of England and Wales Equity is rarely discussed or understood, but has long played a vital role in the social, economic, cultural and political life of the nation....
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
China and the USA: cooperation or conflict?
This free course explores the relationship between China and the United States and analyses whether China’s rapid rise will lead to greater cooperation or conflict with the US. The answer to this question will have profound implications for both countries and the wider international system. The course introduces some of the contemporary issues ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Children’s rights
How do children fit in to our society? This free course will help you to understand the issues surrounding children's rights as well as examining the implications of seeing children as citizens. You will also explore the meaning of childhood and analyse children's needs.
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Economics explains discrimination in the labour market
Discrimination in the labour market exists in many forms: the 'glass ceiling', ageism, racism, and so on. This free course, Economics explains discrimination in the labour market, will help you look at this problem from a new perspective: through economics. You will learn how economists have tried to understand what drives this distortion of the...
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level 2: intermediate icon
Society, Politics & Law
Does prison work?
Does prison work and what purpose does it serve? This free course allows you to listen to a discussion on the purpose, efficacy and regulation of prisons. Does prison benefit those serving the sentence or simply satisfy a public demand?
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level 3: advanced icon
Society, Politics & Law
Attention
What does 'attention' mean to you? This free course, Attention, will help you to examine how we 'pay attention'. How do we manage to single out sounds and images that require attention and how easy is it to distract someone and why.