FutureLearn

2025/04/30

Image: FutureLearn "Modernizing Japan: Fukuzawa Yukichi's Struggle" Course Image

From rare Japanese books to cutting-edge quantum computers and Japanese subcultures, FutureLearn allows you to easily learn about the wide range of "knowledge" held by Keio University online.

FutureLearn is a UK-based global online learning platform, currently offering over 1,700 learning courses from more than 200 universities and organizations. One of the features of FutureLearn is that these courses can, in principle, be taken for free, with the exception of some features.

Keio University began offering its first course, "Japanese Culture Through Rare Books (1): The World of Wabon," in 2016. As of March 2025, it has provided 13 courses, with over 100,000 learners from 208 countries and regions registered. In these courses, faculty members from various faculties, graduate schools, and Research Centers and Institutes of Keio University serve as instructors. They provide learners worldwide with a learning experience unique to Keio University, using the university's valuable cultural assets and cutting-edge research as subject matter.

When people hear the term "online learning," many likely imagine a scene where videos of instructors giving lectures continue indefinitely, but learning on FutureLearn is distinct from that. FutureLearn courses are divided into "steps"—text materials or videos that can be completed in about 5 to 10 minutes. This makes it possible to learn by utilizing small pockets of free time, such as during a commute or before going to bed. Additionally, learners can enjoy a variety of learning experiences unique to the online environment, such as animated illustrations, quizzes, and communication through comments between learners.

The Research Institute for Digital Media and Content (DMC) is responsible for course development and operations. A collaborative team including the Graduate School of Media Design (KMD), the Keio Global Research Institute (KGRI), and Keio University Press works daily to develop new courses and improve existing ones. These activities are expected not only to lead to research results as research and practice in online learning design but also to play a role as part of Keio University's overseas promotion.

New courses are scheduled to continue opening in the future, and this spring, a course on Internet governance featuring Project Professor Jun Murai is expected to be released. Furthermore, Keio students and faculty/staff can use some of FutureLearn's paid features for free, such as unlimited access and the issuance of certificates of completion. We hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy learning on FutureLearn.

(Shun Arima, KGRI Project Assistant Professor)