Advancing digital for your career

In this free course, Discovering computer networks: hands on in the Open Networking Lab, you can explore how computer networks operate, discover how data is sent around the internet, put your understanding into practice using an inbuilt network simulator to create your own – simulated – computer networks.

Learn about basic computer science concepts like algorithms, binary, programming languages, and more

Understand how to avoid scams and keep yourself safe online.

This free course, Gamified Intelligent Cyber Aptitude and Skills Training (GICAST), will help you to understand online security and start to protect your digital life, whether at home or work. You will learn how to recognise the threats that could harm you online and the steps you can take to reduce the chances that they will happen to you.

You will write up analyses and do coding exercises using the popular Jupyter Notebooks platform, which allows you to see immediately the result of running your code and helps you identify – and fix – any errors more easily. You will also look at real data from the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and other organisations.

Are you ever frustrated with something that you thought you could design better? This free course, Design thinking, will show you how to structure your natural creativity to come up with solutions to all kinds of problems, and have fun in the process too!

Master the basics of digital marketing with our free course accredited by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe and The Open University. There are 26 modules to explore, all created by Google trainers, packed full of practical exercises and real-world examples to help you turn knowledge into action.

Understand essential digital and life skills you need to get started and succeed online.

This free course, An introduction to computers and computer systems, challenges how we view computers through the examples of processors in kitchen scales and digital cameras, as well as examining the work of art that, at heart, is a computer. You will also explore how computers are connected together to achieve even more than when working alone.

This free course, Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world, will develop your confidence and skills for life online, whether study, work or everyday life. It explores a range of digital skills and practices, including digital identity, digital well-being, staying safe and legal, finding and using information and online tools, and dealing with information overload. The importance of developing a critical approach to life online is emphasised throughout, whether consuming or creating information. You'll be encouraged to reflect on your own situation and to apply what you learn to real-life scenarios, using a digital skills plan to keep a record of progress.

This free course Digital thinking tools for better decision making starts by placing thinking tools in their historical context and concludes with an examination of their future. During the course, you're introduced to a wide variety of digital thinking tools. You will apply these tools in many practical activities and case studies, solving problems that involve finding and evaluating information, performing calculations and drawing reasoned conclusions.

We now live in a global village where distance is no longer a barrier to commercial or social contact. This free course, IT in everyday life, will enable you to gain an understanding of the information and communication technologies that drive our networked world and how they now permeate our everyday lives.

Are you a technophobe? Bluetooth, Ethernet, WiFi; are they terms that mean nothing to you? IT: device to device communication, is a free course that will gently guide you to an understanding of how devices 'talk' to each other and what technologies and processes are involved. You will also look at wired and wireless communication technologies, introducing you to some of the key methods involved.

Skills in information technology (IT) cover a broad range, from using software packages effectively to developing a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of IT solutions. Developing your IT skills means planning your work, practising your skills, seeking feedback from others and reviewing your approach. In this free course, Key skill assessment: Information technology, you will learn to use and adapt your skills effectively and confidently in different situations and contexts.

This free course, Preparing for your digital life in the 21st Century, provides a general overview of how digital technology has come to dominate virtually every aspect of the modern world and some guidance on how to prepare for this digital life. It also provides a more detailed explanation of the internal structure and workings of a typical computer.