Since its launch in 2006 The Open University’s free learning resource website OpenLearn has received more than 112 million visits with many people going on to complete several of the hundreds of free courses available.
Each year we collate which are the most popular – some are just a few hours long while others – the badged open courses – comprise 24 hours of CPD-approved learning and upon completion earn the user a digital badge that can be used on their CV and shared with tutors, employers and via LinkedIn.
These courses help people step from informal learning to formal and can help demonstrate that they have gained a skill online. Not all are badged courses and they differ from Open University courses because you don’t receive support from a tutor, but you do receive feedback from the interactive quizzes.
There are more than 80 badged courses and thousands of educational games, videos and academic articles, reaching an audience of around 10 million people a year.
So, in order of popularity, out of the 900 courses on OpenLearn, here’s the full list of the top ten most popular free courses in 2023:
- Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting:
This eight-hour-long course explains the fundamental rules of double-entry bookkeeping and how they are used to produce both the balance sheet and the profit and loss account. This year it has clocked up a total of 110,000 enrolments since it was introduced in 2013 and it’s regularly updated to stay current. - Understanding autism:
In the UK alone, it’s estimated that 1 in 100 people may be on the autism spectrum. This 24-hour badged course offers a balanced picture of the condition based on the best sources of information to hand. It explains how it is experienced by different individuals and families, and why it is a global concern. - Everyday English:
Is designed to support people to improve their English skills to help them get on with every-day life. Did you know that employers regularly say that being able to speak clearly and confidently and to listen carefully is the most important English skill they look for in their employees? The course comprises 48 hours of learning material. - Understanding ADHD:
This 12-hour course looks at the condition from the point of view of the person who has it. ADHD affects around 6% of children and around 3% of adults. - MoneySavingExpert’s Academy of Money:
It’s been in the top five every year since it was launched in 2020. The OU joined forces with MoneySavingExpert (MSE) to produce this free badged resource to give you the skills and knowledge to master your finances. The course was written by the OU, with MSE providing support and guidance. Since its launch more than 60,000 people have been helped. - Effective communication in the workplace:
If you want to get ahead in your job, follow the lead of those who made this 24-hour-long badged course. Every session looks at the different ways we communicate while at work, such as listening, body language, or handling difficult situations. Communication is a key life skill often put to the test in work situations but it’s highly prized by employers. - Getting started with German:
It’s the first time this six-hour language course has entered our annual top ten. Around 100 million people speak German – mainly in Germany but also in Switzerland and Austria. It’s a great place to start to learn how to get by in the language. - Forensic psychology:
Explore how your own mind works, and discover how the limitations of the human brain can lead to major miscarriages of justice. This badged course regularly features in the top 10. But you might also like to try the newly-added 12-hour course Investigating a murder with forensic psychology as well. - Science and nutrition of healthy eating:
Are we really what we eat? How do we know what is in our food? Does it need to be difficult to follow a healthy eating pattern? This 24-hour badged course will answer those questions for you. - Getting started on classical Latin:
Learn what are the main links between Latin and English and find out how to pronounce Latin words confidently. You will also obtain a basic understanding of how Latin ‘works’; its sentence structure and grammar.
And finally, while this course didn’t make the top, Agatha Christie and the golden age of detective fiction was the most visited ‘new course’, since it was added to the site from mid-2022.
Anyone interested in learning more about undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) OU courses can visit www.open.ac.uk. The final enrolment date for those UG and PG courses starting in February 2024 is 11 January.
