Online or Distance Learning

MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses), SPOC (Small Private Open Courses), FOAD (Formation Ouvertes A Distance - remote open training), digital resources etc. There are many ways for you to take an online and correspondence training programme and train from home.

Several possibilities

Note the difference between:

• A MOOC: Massive Online Open Course, free, offered on a platform for a limited-time session. You may have to pay to obtain certification. An MOOC does not confer a diploma; it provides you with complementary training on a specific subject.
• A SPOC: Small Private Open Course: an MOOC that is reserved for about thirty previously-selected participants. An SPOC is like a virtual class; you must pay to join.
• A FOAD: Remote Open Training, offered by an educational institute, open to everyone, with a flexible timetable and teaching organisation. Not just on-site courses. An FOAD may confer a diploma. If it is a diploma programme, you will be given a student card and must pay registration fees.
• An access to free online digital resources (videos, exercises, classes, quiz, guides and others) to complete and improve your knowledge without the need for a registration, with no degree issued.

Here are a few suggested platforms and sites where you can find online training, distance trainings or access to digital resources offered by French institutions and/or in French.

"FUN", the French MOOC platform

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France has the MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) platform: this is called FUN for "France Université Numérique" (France Digital University) and offers over 300 free online courses open to everyone. Some of the courses are provided in English, too! It involves the participation of over 80 French educational institutes.

Nearly 50 subjects are offered. Classes begin throughout the year; the beginning of the academic year is not necessarily in September.

Available correspondence courses in France

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The Fédération Interuniversitaire de l’Enseignement à Distance (Interuniversity Federation of Correspondence Learning) is an association recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Its goal is to establish a network of universities that have developed online and correspondence programmes. You can find the programme that you're interested in by searching by field, subject or degree.

For example, the CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers - National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts) offers nearly 500 correspondence courses through its PLEI@D platform. The CIEP (Centre International d’Etudes Pédagogiques - the National Centre of Pedagogical Studies), the CNED (Centre Nationale d'Enseignement à Distance - the National Centre for Correspondence Education), Greta (Groupements d’Etablissements pour la formation des adultes - Group of Establishments for Adult Education) network (with the e-Greta platform) also provide correspondence programmes.

Correspondence programmes are also listed on the directory of correspondence trainings by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation on its website www.sup-numérique.gouv.fr.