FutureLearn, an online platform offering courses by educational institutions

Description: FutureLearn is an online platform offering a wide range of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on various subjects, including languages, taught by universities and institutions worldwide. They usually consist of video lectures, readings, quizzes, and discussions. Learners progress through modules at their own pace, with opportunities for interaction with instructors and fellow students such as online fora. At the end of the course, they can also obtain an official certificate from internationally renowned universities under payment. FutureLearn is free to use, although some courses are paid. Signing up for an account is required to enroll in courses and track progress. FutureLearn is owned by The Open University and was developed in partnership with SEEK Ltd.

Evaluation: FutureLearn is a valuable and versatile platform, offering courses across various disciplines, with content accessible for the duration of courses. Its engaging format provides interactive materials for self-paced study. FutureLearn is a fantastic example of how the internet can democratise access to quality higher education. Its interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, so basic IT skills are sufficient for its use.

Cost: Free. For each course, access to its materials is granted for its duration plus an additional 14 days. Paid options are available for unlimited access.

Respect for privacy Privacy evaluations indicate how a tool handles personal data collection, storage, and sharing, including GDPR compliance and security measures, among others. The ICT-REV team provides them for informational purposes, reflecting our best understanding at the time of review, but assumes no legal responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these evaluations and encourages users to conduct their own assessments: High. Future Learn only collects user data and cookies necessary for its functioning, and solely shares it with third parties for internal use. This data is thus not sold to advertisers on the website, but is rather used for circulating emails and notifications. Its privacy policy mentions data storage on secure servers. Future Learn’s privacy policy mentions the right to request deletion or removal of personal data. Future Learn complies with the GDPR. See more here.

Type Of Interaction: Group/pair work - outsiders, Individual work,

Skills: Listening, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary,

Content: Website/other users supply, You supply,

Usability and tech notes ▼