ESDNET Blog

OpenLearn is on-line learning that is open to anyone, anywhere in the world using materials taken from the Open University (UK) courses. Instead of attending classes, learners study on-line, free of charge, using materials that have been specially designed for distance learning.

OpenLearn is a service for informal study – in their own time learners access materials in areas familiar or new to them, without the pressure of keeping to a timetable or sitting exams. Instead, they assess their own progress by keeping an on-line learning journal, discussing the topics with other on-line learners in forums and completing self assessment exercises where they may control when the answer is revealed. While OpenLearn isn’t exactly the same as studying at university, it gives real learning experiences taken from degree courses.

Study topics are sorted into 11 categories such as Business and Management, Mathematics and Statistics, Education or Science. Each topic has a range of study units from access to Masters level, each lasting between three and 20 hours.