• University of Southampton

Web Science: How the Web is Changing the World

Explore how the web has changed our world in the past 25 years and what might happen next.

44,069 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

You may be an avid user of the Web but this introductory course in Web Science will help you to understand the Web as a both social system and a technical system: a global information infrastructure built from the interactions of people and technologies.

The course is based on our experience of trying to understand how the Web has grown and changed through technical innovation, economics, politics and everyday use.

We will examine the origins and evolution of the Web, and consider key questions of Security, Democracy, Networks and Economy from both computational and social science perspectives.

By following this course, you will have a greater understanding of the Web and begin to develop skills for the digital era - skills that are useful for everyday life and widely sought by the technology driven employers of today.

The course is called Web Science because it will provide you with an understanding of the way that the technology of the Web interacts with our economy, society and culture rather than just explaining ‘how the Internet works’ or ‘how to build websites in HTML’.

This is the start of a journey that could help you shape the future of the World Wide Web.

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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?

This course is aimed at anyone who wishes to further their understanding of the way that the technology of the Web interacts with our economy, society and culture.

Who will you learn with?

Senior academics in the Web Science Doctoral Training Centre and in both the MSc and BSc in Web Science at the University of Southampton

Who developed the course?

University of Southampton

Southampton is a place for ambitious people keen to stretch their intellectual abilities and help change the world.

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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