Have you heard of Open Culture?! I just discovered this website today and I am in LOVE with this amazing service. Since I know you love free stuff as much as I do, I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
In our quest for knowledge and enlightenment, the internet provides an almost infinite variety of resources. Yet, it can often feel like navigating an ocean without a compass. The sheer amount of available information makes it hard to find the valuable content hidden amongst the flotsam and jetsam. Here’s where Open Culture, an online trove of free high-quality educational and cultural media, comes to the rescue.
They have indexed thousands of free educational resources that are available to internet users. This is a great go-to resource for free online courses, audiobooks, textbooks, movies and more!
What is Open Culture?
Founded in 2006 by Dan Colman, the dean of Stanford Continuing Studies, Open Culture is a dedicated platform striving to make education affordable and accessible. In the spirit of Web 2.0, it presents a carefully curated collection of intelligent audio, video, and textual content – all available for free.
This platform addresses the common challenge of discovering high-quality content scattered across the web by centralizing it. Open Culture aims to provide access to enriching content whenever and wherever desired, serving the worldwide lifelong learning community.
How does Open Culture help?
Open Culture boasts a formidable collection of educational and cultural resources. Their collection includes:
- 1,150 Free Movies
- 1,000 Free Audio Books
- 800 Free eBooks
- 300 Free Language Lessons
- 200 Online Certificate Programs
- 200 Free Textbooks
- 150+ Best Podcasts
- 150 Free Business Courses
- 100+ Online Degree & Mini-Degree Programs
- Free K-12 Education
Although you can get many of these same benefits through your local library system, Open Culture has some resources (like the online courses) that your library may not yet be aware of.
Online Courses
Delve into the world of free online courses with Open Culture. They’ve gathered offerings from elite institutions such as Stanford, Yale, and Harvard, to name just a few. Spanning a diverse range of topics – from archaeology to quantum chemistry – the website has curated over 30,000 hours of free audio and video lectures.
If you seek recognition for your newfound knowledge, be sure to explore the platform’s array of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Although these courses do not typically count towards university credits or degree requirements, they do offer valuable learning experiences and sometimes provide “statements of accomplishment” or “certificates of completion,” giving you something tangible to demonstrate your learning.
Free Movies
While the latest blockbusters may not feature in Open Culture’s film library, it nonetheless boasts over 1,000 free movies encompassing a myriad of genres. From comedies, dramas, and horrors, to westerns, martial arts, and silent films, there’s a movie to suit every taste. The catalog even includes classics from screen legends such as John Wayne and Charlie Chaplin.
For those with a penchant for award-winning films, the site offers 36 Oscar winners. It’s an ideal resource for those wishing to embark on a cinematic journey through the annals of film history.
Free Books & Audiobooks
Open Culture’s literary collection is equally impressive. The website has compiled over 1,000 free audiobooks from authors spanning from Aesop to modern writers, easily accessible via iTunes, Mp3, and various other platforms across the Internet.
For those who prefer traditional reading, Open Culture offers 800 free eBooks, compatible with a variety of devices.
If coloring is more your speed, don’t miss out on their unique collections of coloring books sourced from renowned museums and libraries.
Language Learning
For language enthusiasts, Open Culture is a veritable treasure trove. The website provides free learning materials for 48 languages, from Arabic and Ancient Greek to Urdu and Yiddish. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to enhance your linguistic proficiency, Open Culture can help you on your journey to fluency.
Where does this material come from?
While Open Culture isn’t the creator of these educational resources, it plays a crucial role as a curator and aggregator. Their goal is to bring together the best of free online learning opportunities.
Open Culture serves as a nexus for lifelong learning, demonstrating a commitment to its mission by providing high-quality content accessible to all, at any time, and from anywhere. The platform is continually evolving, inviting suggestions for new materials to include in its vast resource library. Users can stay up-to-date with the latest additions by subscribing to their daily email.
Open Culture focuses on aggregating “high quality cultural and educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community.” They find all the free educational content scattered across the Internet and help you find it faster!
Basically, it’s kind of like Low Income Relief… but instead of focusing on low-income programs, they focus on free online educational resources!
Who can use Open Culture?
Open Culture is a great resource for everyone but there are a few specific groups who can especially benefit from using the resources that this website offers.
- Lifelong Learners: Open Culture is an ideal platform for individuals who have an insatiable curiosity or wish to continuously expand their knowledge and skills. The vast array of free online courses, language lessons, and ebooks cover numerous subjects and can cater to varied interests.
- Students: From K-12 to university level, students can access a wealth of textbooks, audio books, online courses, and more to supplement their school learning. This can be particularly beneficial for understanding complex subjects, preparing for exams, or conducting in-depth research for assignments.
- Teachers and Educators: The resource collections can be used to create engaging lesson plans, provide additional materials for students, or simply to keep up-to-date with recent developments in various fields of study. It also offers inspiration for innovative teaching methods and ideas.
- Professionals: With free business courses and online certificate programs, professionals looking to upskill, switch careers, or delve deeper into their field can find a wealth of resources at their fingertips.
- Movie Enthusiasts and Culture Vultures: The expansive collection of free movies and podcasts cater to those who enjoy exploring different genres of film, arts, and cultural topics.
- Language Learners: Open Culture is a treasure trove for anyone interested in learning new languages. Offering lessons in 46 languages, the website is a fantastic resource for both beginners and those seeking to improve their language skills.
- Parents and Homeschoolers: Parents looking for educational resources for their children, especially those who homeschool, will find a plethora of materials. The website includes free children’s books, K-12 educational resources, and much more.
Anyone with a desire for learning, be it for personal development, professional growth, academic success, or simply the joy of discovery, can significantly benefit from Open Culture. The curated, high-quality content, broad range of topics, and easy accessibility make it an invaluable tool for knowledge seekers everywhere.
Does Open Culture give college credit?
Open Culture itself does not confer college credit. While the platform offers a wide array of educational resources, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from top universities, these courses usually do not count towards college credit or degree requirements.
However, some of these courses may offer “statements of accomplishment” or “certificates of completion.” These certificates can provide a record of course completion, and in some instances may be beneficial for professional development or resume building. But in terms of traditional academic credit, it is generally not granted for completing these courses.
It’s also important to note that policies vary from institution to institution. Therefore, if you are interested in obtaining academic credit for online courses, it’s advisable to check with the registrar’s office at your particular institution or the course provider to see if that’s a possibility.
Summary
Open Culture is an online hub that centralizes and curates high-quality, free educational and cultural resources from around the web. It offers an expansive collection of materials such as online courses, movies, audio books, eBooks, and language lessons, fostering accessible and enriching lifelong learning. Founded in 2006, Open Culture is a go-to platform for students, educators, professionals, and anyone with an inherent curiosity to explore and learn.
Low Income Relief Team
This article is the product of a team effort! Multiple authors from the Low Income Relief team have contributed to this post. We have also used AI tools to organize data and refine the writing in accordance with our Responsible AI Use Policy. All articles on our website are reviewed by our founder and resident poverty expert, Nicole Thelin, prior to publication.