It’s been quite a year for The Open University’s free learning site, OpenLearn, as it reached the ripe old age of 16 and celebrated over 100 million visitors to the site.
With the cost-of-living crisis hitting, the superb ‘Academy of Money’ course in partnership with Money Saving Expert has helped over 50,000 people to get clued up about their finances.
And OpenLearn’s ‘Introduction to Ukrainian language and culture’ course, which was established to support host families and those working with Ukrainian refugees, has attracted over 1,000 enrolments and had a staggering 30,000 visitors.
But what has been your favourite course to study this year? It’s time for the top 10 OpenLearn courses of 2022!
1. Being an OU student
At number one is the classic ‘Being an OU student’ course, which is a go-to for any new students to the OU. If you’re starting with the OU in the New Year, check out this course for a taster of distance learning and to help you embed in the OU community. Welcome to the family.
2. Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting
Learn essential numerical skills required for accounting and bookkeeping, such as double-entry bookkeeping and how to produce a profit-and-loss account. Whether you’re a business owner or want to keep your household budget in tip-top shape, this is the course for you.
3. Understanding autism
More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. This free course introduces the autism spectrum, how it is experienced by different individuals and families, and why it is a global concern.
4. Understanding ADHD
Explore the experience of ADHD from the perspective of those who are diagnosed with the condition, as well as the people who care for them. Find out how scientific research is helping us to better understand ADHD and improve the effectiveness of treatments and therapies.
5. Everyday English
Would you like to improve your current English skills or perhaps remember areas you may have forgotten? In this course you will learn tips and techniques to help you communicate more effectively in everyday life; whether it’s taking part in discussions or writing letters and emails.
6. Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing
Perfect for parents or carers of young children, this course focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of babies and children aged 0–8 years.
7. MSE’s Academy of Money
With Martin Lewis’ seal of approval, it had to be in the top 10! Packed with videos, audios, quizzes and activities, the ‘Academy of Money’ covers all the key aspects of personal finance in six sessions that each take around two hours to complete.
8. Effective communication in the workplace
Master your workplace by sharpening your communication skills. You’ll cover areas such as verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication and using your communication skills in challenging and diverse situations. You’ll also look at possible scenarios for communication in the future, ranging from remote working to virtual reality.
9. Everyday maths
Polish your current maths skills and help you remember areas that you may have forgotten. Working through the examples and interactive activities in this course will help you to, among other things, run a household or make progress in your career.
10. Forensic psychology
CSI, watch out! Using videos of real witnesses and cameras that go behind the scenes of a police investigation, this course explores the psychology of eyewitness testimony. You will get the chance to test your own cognitive skills and to see whether your powers of investigation are as good as a crack squad of police officers, as you try to solve a crime using nothing but evidence from eyewitnesses.
There’s thousands of free courses, quizzes, interactives and videos available on OpenLearn. To discover more, please visit: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/
