From British imperialism to character education: new free online courses announced

Three brand new free online courses are now live on FutureLearn and ready for you to join. Many previous courses are also getting ready to run again in 2015. Here’s our quick guide to them all.

Empire: the Controversies of British Imperialism

The British Empire was the largest ever seen and its legacy continues to cause disagreement among historians. This six week course from the University of Exeter will help you understand why.

You’ll explore British imperialism through six themes – money, violence, race, religion, gender and sex, and propaganda – and meet those involved in the Empire’s rise and fall.

It starts on 19 January – join the course now.

What is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education

Character education and virtue ethics are increasingly talked about by politicians, employers, teachers, parents and young people.

In this two week course, you’ll meet both academic experts from the University of Birmingham and practising teachers. You’ll find out how teaching virtues – such as honesty, self-control, fairness, resilience and respect – can help both individuals and society flourish.

It starts on 19 January – join the course now.

World War 1: a History in 100 Stories

On 25 April 2015, it’ll be 100 years since the Gallipoli Landings – Australia and New Zealand’s first major military engagement of World War 1.

This five week course is part of the 100 Stories Project at Monash University, commemorating this Anzac centenary and exploring the cost of the war.

It starts on 13 April – join the course now.

World War 1 courses with the BBC

And if you’d like to learn even more about this period, our four World War 1 courses in partnership with the BBC, will be returning next year:

• Aviation Comes of Age, University of Birmingham, starts 9 February
• Changing Faces of Heroism, University of Leeds, starts 9 March
• Trauma and Memory, The Open University, starts 25 May
• Paris 1919 – a New World Order? University of Glasgow, starts 22 June

More returning courses

Finally, eight more popular courses start again early in 2015, covering a wide variety of subjects:

Starting 19 January

• Decision Making in a Complex and Uncertain World, University of Groningen
• A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study, University of Reading
• Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Text, Performance and Culture, University of Birmingham

Starting 26 January

• Physical Theatre: Meyerhold and Biomechanics, University of Leeds
• Introduction to Cyber Security, The Open University
• The Discovery of the Higgs Boson, The University of Edinburgh
• Archaeology of Portus: Exploring the Lost Harbour of Ancient Rome, University of Southampton

Starting 2 February

• Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game, University of Reading

To find out more about what we have coming up, you can view all courses by category or register to receive updates by email.