FutureLearn builds its course portfolio with new moocs to support STEM, Business and Professional learning

Eight brand new courses are available now on FutureLearn, the first UK-led provider of massive open online courses (MOOCs). Designed to appeal to a broad range of learners, from people managers to aspiring journalists, and keen astronomers to home chemistry enthusiasts, the new courses will explore a range of topical issues and subject areas, while also providing practical knowledge for students and working professionals.

The free, web-based courses represent a range of specialisms from FutureLearn’s world-leading university partners, and cover areas such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), Humanities, Arts and Society, and Business and Management.

Together with previously released titles, this new set brings the number of courses currently available on FutureLearn to 44, with more new MOOCs lined up to appear throughout the year.

The new titles are all scheduled to begin in March, April and May this year, and are open now for learners to sign up for on futurelearn.com.

In the area of STEM, the following courses are available:

• Moons, from The Open University. This course will explore the many moons of our Solar System and question what makes them special, and whether should we send humans to our moon again. (Begins on 17^th March)

• Medicines adherence: supporting patients with their treatment, from King’s College London. This course for healthcare professionals explores the challenges of non-adherence in long-term illnesses and demonstrates strategies for engaging patients in self-management of medication. (Begins on 7^th April)

• Getting a grip on mathematical symbolism, from Loughborough University. This course will teach aspiring engineers and scientists to think mathematically and explore essential concepts. (Begins on 28^th April)

• Kitchen chemistry, from the University of East Anglia. This course will show you how to use your kitchen as a laboratory to learn about chemistry using everyday chemicals. (Begins on 14^th April)

• Good brain, bad brain: drug origins, from the University of Birmingham. This course will explore our past, present and future understanding of drugs, where they come from, and how they work. (Begins on 28^th April)

They join new courses aimed at building professional and practical knowledge in the areas of Business and Management, and Humanities, Arts and Society:

• Community Journalism, from Cardiff University. This course will enable learners to gain practical skills and insight into hyper-local journalism, and learn how to create their own service. (Begins on 14^th April)

• Start writing fiction, from The Open University. This is a hands-on course that will help you to get started with your own fiction writing, focusing on the central skill of creating characters. (Begins on 28^th April)

• Managing People: engaging your workforce, from the University of Reading. Aimed at people who have, or are about to have managerial responsibility in any type of organisation, this nine week course will introduce learners to aspects of management theory and psychology and encourage reflective practice in people management. (Begins on 12^th May)

In addition to the new courses added to the FutureLearn platform, the start date for another previously announced course is confirmed today:

• Innovation and enterprise, from Loughborough University. This course demonstrates that managing the innovation process is neither a scientific process nor a black art. The course will provide a model for innovation that includes research and planning, human factors and luck all play a part. (Begins on 14^th April)

The FutureLearn course experience centres on social interaction, whereby people learn actively by engaging in conversations around the learning material. The website has also been designed to work on smartphones and tablets, as well as desktop computers, so that learners can enjoy the same high quality user experience, regardless of their screen size.

FutureLearn is wholly owned by The Open University. The website combines the best elements of the social web with The Open University’s 44 years of expertise in distance and open learning.