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What is an open course?
Open online courses provide public access to learning materials, usually organized in an academic format with components like lectures, readings, assignments, discussions, and quizzes. The format encourages knowledge sharing among participants who may enter with different levels of experience and skill. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was one of the first schools to move forward with a large-scale open courseware initiative. As of 2014, 16 million students were enrolled in courses offered by the top five open learning platforms. The Open Education Consortium maintains a directory of open courses and works to support and expand the open education movement.
Types of Free Online Courses
Why Take an Open Online Course?
Students
Educators
Source: Centre for Online Education
Take university-level courses online for free and submit assessments when you are ready to have your learning recognized for formal academic credit.
A general search yields results from the integrated database of the Open Education Consortium and MERLOT. Click on "OEC member courses only" to see courses and resources from the Consortium member institutions only.
Saylor's free courses are self-paced, providing certificates upon completion.
Free courses developed in partnership with local industries. Focused on skills businesses need today.
Discover recommended OER courses that improve learning, covering 50+ high-enrollment college subjects.
MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. Open and available to the world, OCW is a permanent MIT activity.
OpenLearn is a free learning platform, delivered by The Open University as part of it's Royal Charter commitment to support the well-being of the community. The OpenLearn team originate, commission, and develop content that unites faculty and university priorities with areas of topical and general interest.
Harvard University offers a variety of free, online courses for anyone to take. Courses range from business, to humanities, to data and computer science.
Open Yale Courses provide free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University.
Source: Center for Online Education
Science and Technology
Intro to Artificial Intelligence
Created by Stanford University for Udacity, this course will take approximately 4 months to complete, but you can work at your own pace.
Explore "the sciences of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed," in this course from Stanford University offered through Coursera. This course is offered in a structured format with start and end dates over an 11-week period.
Become an iOS Developer from Scratch
This Udemy course provides free access to video lectures and step-by-step instructions to develop a fully functioning iPhone or iPad app. The format is self-paced, with video tutorials, practice exercises and a discussion forum.
Mathematics
If you need a review of math before returning to college, the interactive components of this open course in edX offer a good place to start.
Statistics: The Science of Decisions
Many students struggle with statistics courses, which are required for a wide range of majors from math to nursing. Udacity's open course from San Jose State University includes video tutorials and practice exercises in a self-paced format.
Through a platform offered by the Santa Fe Institute, the Portland State University instructors provide video lectures, guided discussions, and downloadable resources.
Business and Finance
Initiating and Planning Projects
This six-week, self-paced focuses on project stakeholders, scope, and project manager responsibilities. Offered by the University of California, Irvine, this course is part of a four course project management specialization series from Coursera.
The University of Cambridge provides this open online course through the Digital Business Academy platform.
Education
Get Organized: How to be a Together Teacher
This Coursera course includes 8 weeks of self-paced materials. Through videos, readings, and projects, you'll explore planning techniques and effective time management practices.
For teachers interested in blended learning education trends, this course provides examples and tips for incorporating edX materials in a blended class. The course is free and should take 3 to 4 hours to complete.
Literature and Humanities
Future Learn offers this free online course from the University of Warwick. Explore not only the cultural themes of William Shakespeare's plays, but also his life and influences.
The Conscious Mind: A Philosophical Roadtrip
Enrol in this free 4-week course to "explore the worlds of sense, thought, and the mind through the philosophical discipline of phenomenology." Offered by Trinity College on the edX platform, theory and practice are combined through readings and reflective excercises.
The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760-1910
Explore the political, economical, and sociological changes during this historic period of innovation and transformation. Video lectures and quizzes are available throughout this 7-week course from the University of Virginia and Coursera.
Source: Center for Online Education
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