FutureLearn announces the University of Surrey as new partner

LONDON, UK: The University of Surrey has partnered with FutureLearn, the leading social learning platform, to expand the reach of its education provision and gain a digital advantage. The University, with its extensive pedagogical expertise and a research-led, professionally orientated curriculum, has released two MOOCs on the platform; Communicating with Diverse Audiences and Ethical Decision-Making in Care, which are available to join now, to begin learning in January 2020. 

The first of Surrey’s new online courses is Communicating with Diverse Audiences, designed for professionals looking to improve their ability to communicate across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Communicating efficiently at work is essential and in this course, participants will learn how to interpret different communicative behaviours, avoid communication bias, and build useful communicating strategies with their colleagues. 

The second is Ethical Decision-Making in Care, which explores the ethical issues that arise in daily healthcare and teaches the best practices for making moral decisions. The course is primarily aimed at caregivers, care assistants and nurses but will be of interest to anyone engaged in health and social care. Participants will consider different ethical frameworks, including human rights, virtue ethics and the ‘Four Principles’ of medical ethics: nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy. By the end of the course, learners will be able to explain and apply the meaning of ‘ethics’ in relation to care, particularly in elder care scenarios. 

Both courses are free to join starting from the 6th of January, they are four weeks long and have been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development. 

Nigel Smith, MD of courses and learning at FutureLearn, commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the University of Surrey, an outstanding institution who shares our commitment to practical learning and professional development. I am particularly excited about the launch of the two new courses, It’s fantastic that our partners can provide our learners with such relevant courses with real world application. I’m confident the University of Surrey will add great courses to our portfolio as well as be a great addition to our network of partners across the world.”

Professor Osama Khan, Vice-Provost, Education at the University of Surrey, said: “The world is changing at an unprecedented rate for better where communities are connected through digital social and collaboration platforms. We, at the University of Surrey, are delighted to be part of the FutureLearn initiative offering two exciting MOOCs to the world community. This is one way we can connect with learners across the globe so they can receive Surrey education informed by the research undertaken by our talented academics. We have ambitious plans to expand our MOOCs and other online course delivery in the future, increasing access to Surrey Education across the globe.”

ENDS 

About The University of Surrey 

The University of Surrey is a leading UK higher education institution. With 125 years of academic heritage since our founding in Battersea, and 50 years of world-class teaching and research in Guildford, the University of Surrey is the intellectual home for more than 16,000 students, 117,000 alumni and over 3,000 staff.  

Freedom of thought, pursuit of academic excellence, and the advancement and application of knowledge underpin the wonderful things happening here. Our mission is to transform lives and enrich society through outstanding teaching and learning, pioneering research and impactful innovation. 

The University of Surrey has been recognised by four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Further and Higher Education and is a destination of choice for higher learning in subjects ranging from Engineering to the Arts. As a global University, we are proud of our strong partnerships with internationally leading institutions and businesses, while being firmly engaged with our local community in Guildford and Surrey. We are committed to educating the next generation of professionals and leaders, and to providing thought leadership and innovation to address global challenges and contribute to a better tomorrow for the world.

About FutureLearn 

FutureLearn is a leading social learning platform formed in December 2012 by The Open University and is now jointly owned by The Open University and The SEEK Group. FutureLearn has over ten million people signed up worldwide. FutureLearn uses design, technology and partnerships to create enjoyable, credible and flexible online courses as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees that improve working lives. It partners with over a quarter of the world’s top universities, as well as organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, CIPD, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (HEE). It’s also involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education.