• The Open University

Get Started with Online Learning

This free online course will explain how you can study online without putting the rest of your life on hold.

52,330 enrolled on this course

Girl enjoying learning on a tablet computer
  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

The internet is playing a bigger role in our lives, as we buy our groceries, manage our finances, share social experiences and otherwise live our lives online. But how many of us have considered studying online?

In this free online course, you will find out what online learning is and what it can offer you. You’ll discover the skills required for online study and evaluate your own study skillset. You’ll also examine how students form online communities and how they benefit from flexible study arrangements while still being supported by dedicated tutors.

Studying online takes advantage of technology to simulate or improve upon traditional methods of teaching. This course draws on the expertise of The Open University to introduce you to some of these teaching methods, including looking at two periods of European history, teaching chemistry through the online OpenScience Laboratory and using free apps to practise writing Chinese characters.

Studying at a campus university isn’t for everyone. If you have caring responsibilities, want to re-skill to change careers or develop professionally, or simply wish to earn while you learn, then online study may be for you.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 12 seconds HEIDI MCCAFFERTY: I’m Heidi McCafferty. I did my first degree with the Open University, and now I’m doing a master’s there. In this two-week course we’ll be looking at what it means to study online, how you go about it, the advantages, and also the challenges and how to meet them. It’ll give you a bit of a taster of studying online, and look at some of the questions that prospective students often ask, such as how much study time is involved, what if I’m struggling with an essay, what if my study skills are rusty, or school didn’t work well for me?

Skip to 0 minutes and 42 seconds This course draws on the expertise of the Open University to show you how it’s possible to get a degree, or a certificate, without becoming a full time student at a campus university. There are lots of reasons why it suited me better to study online. For a start, it means you can fit studying in around the parts of your life. So if you’ve begun your career, have caring responsibilities, or prefer to stay at home, then this can also work well for you. You can study at a time and a place to suit you, with support from a dedicated tutor. And you can get support from lots of other students through special social media forums.

Skip to 1 minute and 22 seconds Try out this short course to see if studying online could be the answer for you.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

Who is the course for?

Who will you learn with?

As part of the team at the Centre for Inclusion and Collaborative Partnerships at The Open University, I have an interest in widening access to education and how learning can best be supported.

Lecturer at the Open University working on Badged Open Courses providing insights into university study. Why is learning important to you?

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

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