Goldsmiths named as UK FutureLearn partner

Goldsmiths, University of London has been named as one of nine new international university partners to join the online platform FutureLearn in offering free online courses.

A growing number of universities around the world are embracing FutureLearn’s distinctive approach to delivering massive open online courses (MOOCs), guided by the theory of learning through conversation.

FutureLearn has welcomed nine new university partners as it continues to grow the line-up of world-leading institutions offering free online courses on the social learning platform.

The new additions include FutureLearn’s first academic partners from Colombia, France, Spain and Switzerland and three University of London institutions - Goldsmiths, St George’s, and SOAS.

Professor Elisabeth Hill, project lead and ProWarden (Learning, Teaching, Enhancement) at Goldsmiths said:

"Goldsmiths is pleased to be joining the FutureLearn partnership and is delighted to start planning a unique offer of courses in line with our internationally renowned reputation in practice and research."

FutureLearn expands

This announcement follows the addition last month of Korea’s Hanyang University, and marks another major step in FutureLearn’s strategy to grow its roster of international partners.

It brings the FutureLearn partnership to a total of 54, comprising 51 higher and specialist education institutions, and three cultural organisations – the British Council, British Library and the British Museum.

Simon Nelson, Chief Executive of FutureLearn, made the announcement on Monday 9 March during his opening keynote address at the Jisc Digital Festival in Birmingham, which is celebrating the very best in UK digital talent in education. He said:

“As FutureLearn continues to attract more and more international learners, it brings into sharp focus the need to give them the choice to access as many of the world’s leading universities as possible.

“Social learning is proving to be one of the most effective means of delivering online courses at scale, and I am proud to welcome this roll call of prestigious universities from around the world.”

FutureLearn continues to experience comparatively high levels of engagement and participation on its courses:

- 23% of people who start a course complete the majority of steps and all of the assessments.

- 40% of learners are behaving socially, engaging in conversations around the course content and making comments which themselves become a rich source of learning material for others.

- FutureLearn is also bucking the male-dominated trend of many early MOOC platforms, with 60% of its learners being women.