Things to know before starting with FutureLearn

What do you really need to know before using FutureLearn? This post will take you through the basics so you can get the most out of your learning.

It’s for everyone.

Don’t worry if you’re new to online learning. It’s suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds and it doesn’t matter if you haven’t studied at university.

It’s easy to join.

So easy! All you have to do is find a course. You can can do this by going to upcoming courses, choosing one you like, clicking ‘join now’ and registering. It takes 2 minutes.

It’s simple to use.

Once you’ve joined FutureLearn has a clear layout so tracking your progress is simple. Just sign in and you’ll be taken to Your courses, where you can see the course(s) you’ve joined. After your course begins click ‘go to course’ and you’ll see your To Do page with a list of steps for each week. Then click 1.1. to get started.

It’s learning in manageable amounts.

Each course is split into weeks, and each week is split into steps. You’ll get a guide for how many hours you should spend on each week.

 It’s at your own pace.

Although courses open on a particular date and most people like to keep up with the weeks as they go on, you can learn at your own speed – the material will always be available to you.

 It’s for all devices.

You can do a course on your web browser, on a desktop computer, on a laptop computer, on a tablet or on a smartphone.

 It’s varied.

You’ll learn in lots of different ways: watching videos, reading articles, doing activities and quizzes, and writing peer-reviewed assessments.

 It’s social.

You can read comments from course educators and other learners, and when you feel happy to, you can comment and join the conversation as well.

 It’s open to improvement.

If you have any feedback, we’d like to hear it. Click on the question mark in the bottom right or email us feedback@futurelearn.com

Now you’re ready to find a course. Happy learning.