FutureLearn

Get Started with Online Learning (FutureLearn)

Offered by The Open University,
Get Started with Online Learning (FutureLearn)

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

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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 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.

What topics will you cover?

  • What activities you already carry out online, such as shopping and banking
  • Explored how you already learn online informally
  • Considered what it means to become a formal online learner
  • Carried out a small research task where you considered the validity of internet sources
  • The technological innovations which will support your online learning how you can manage your own study and get support from tutors and other students
  • How you can plan for your long-term study and career goals.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explore and understand the key aspects of online study
  • Identify and recognise the main differences between online study and study at a campus-based university
  • Assess how studying online can match personal interests and preferences, and help to develop skills.
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