What Are Cookies and Tracking Technologies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit websites. They help websites remember information about your visit, making your next visit easier and the site more useful to you. We also use similar technologies like web beacons, pixels, and local storage.

These tools don't identify you personally. They recognise your browser or device. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your settings to decline them if you prefer.

Types of Tracking Technologies We Use

Different technologies serve different purposes on our site. Here's what we use and why:

How We Use These Technologies

Our use of tracking technologies serves several specific purposes related to our educational mission:

Understanding Learning Patterns

We analyse which topics and layout principles generate the most interest. This tells us what content resonates with people learning about website design. If we see lots of engagement with articles about responsive design, we know to create more advanced content in that area.

Improving Navigation

By tracking how people move through the site, we can identify confusing sections or dead ends. Maybe people frequently leave from a particular page. That tells us something needs fixing there, either the content itself or how it connects to other resources.

Personalising Your Experience

When you return to our site, we can remember where you left off or what skill level you're working at. This means we can suggest relevant next steps in your learning journey rather than showing you beginner content if you're already advanced.

Technical Performance

Some cookies help us identify technical problems. If a particular browser or device has trouble loading certain page elements, we need to know about it so we can fix it. This ensures everyone can access our educational materials properly.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options for controlling how cookies work on your device. Most browsers let you refuse cookies entirely or accept them selectively. Keep in mind that blocking all cookies might affect how well the site works for you.

Each browser works slightly differently, so check your browser's help documentation for specific instructions. You can usually find this in the settings or preferences menu.

Third-Party Cookies

Sometimes other organisations place cookies on our site to provide services we use. For example, if we embed a video from another platform, that platform might set its own cookies. We don't control these third-party cookies.

We carefully select which third-party services we use, but you should be aware that these organisations have their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing their policies if you have concerns about how they handle data.

• Video hosting platforms for educational content delivery
• Analytics services that help us understand site usage
• Content delivery networks that speed up page loading
• Communication tools for enquiry forms and support

Data Retention Periods

Different types of cookies stay on your device for different lengths of time. Here's how long various tracking technologies persist:

You can delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. This immediately removes them from your device, regardless of their set expiration date.

Your Rights and Choices

You have several rights when it comes to how we use tracking technologies:

• You can refuse cookies entirely by adjusting your browser settings
• You can delete existing cookies from your device at any time
• You can request information about what data we've collected
• You can ask us to delete data we've collected through cookies
• You can withdraw consent for non-essential cookies

Bear in mind that some of these choices might affect how well the site functions. Essential cookies are necessary for basic operation, so blocking them will prevent certain features from working.

Changes to This Policy

We review this policy regularly and update it when necessary. Changes might happen because we've introduced new technologies, changed how we use existing ones, or updated our practices to meet new regulations.

When we make significant changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page. For major updates, we might also notify you through a banner on the site or via email if you've signed up for our learning programmes.

We encourage you to check this page occasionally to stay informed about how we use cookies and similar technologies. Your continued use of the site after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.