Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity About the Course In this course we will seek to “understand Einstein,” especially focusing on the special theory of relativity that Albert Einstein, as a 26-year-old patent clerk, introduced in his so-called “miracle year” of 1905. Our goal will be to go behind the myth-making and beyond the popularized presentations of relativity in order to gain a deeper understanding of both Einstein the person and the concepts, predictions, and strange paradoxes of his theory. Some of the questions we will address include: How did Einstein come up with his ideas? Students may choose one of three approaches to the course: a more quantitative approach, a more qualitative approach, or an auditing approach. Course Syllabus Week One (Einstein in Context): Einstein quotes of the week; a thought experiment involving relativity; physics and Einstein circa 1900. Week Five (Spacetime Switching): Einstein quotes of the week; the Lorentz transformation; leading clocks lag; the ultimate speed limit. Course Format
Understanding Research Methods About the Course This course is about demystifying research and research methods. It will outline the fundamentals of doing research, aimed primarily, but not exclusively, at the postgraduate level. This course will appeal to those of you who require an understanding of research approaches and skills, and importantly an ability to deploy them in your studies or in your professional lives. In particular, this course will aid those of you who have to conduct research as part of your postgraduate studies but do not perhaps have access to research methods courses, or for those of you who feel you would like additional support for self-improvement. Course Syllabus The Course syllabus is deliberately focused on four online activities known as e-tivities (Salmon, 2002). Week 1 & 2 – What is research? E-tivity 1: Asking the right question Week 2 & 3 – What is a literature review and why do you need to do one? E-tivity 2: Recognising the field Week 3 & 4 – Planning and managing research Course Format
Art History The Art History discipline is designed to develop visual arts literacy, as well as critical and interpretive thinking skills. As an Art History Major, you will receive a solid grounding in the history of western art as well as the art of certain non-western cultures. The major consists of twelve courses: four mandatory “core program” courses and eight electives. The core program will introduce the principal terminology, methods, and questions that comprise the study of art history and will prepare you to discuss and understand the major issues of art history and the central debates of art historical criticism. Your first course, ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques, will present you with an overview of the language, themes, and techniques most frequently used in art and its study as well as the tools you need to approach visual art from an art historical perspective. In order to complete the major, you will need to take three 400-level electives.
Listening to World Music About the Course With the click of a mouse, now more than ever we are able to access sounds made by people from all around the world. And yet, most of us don't listen to the wide diversity of music available to us, probably because it sounds so strange. Course Syllabus Week One: Introductions with an overview of recording technology history and ties to world music and cultures; vocabulary for talking about world music and global cultural encounters, and a case study of “Chant,” the 1990s Gregorian chant recording that crossed over into the popular music market.Week Two: Graceland, Paul Simon's "collaborative" album. Recommended Background Though it may be useful, you are not required to have any music theoretical knowledge to take the class. In-course Textbooks As a student enrolled in this course, you will have free access to selected chapters and content for the duration of the course. Suggested Readings Course Format Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?
Gamification About the Course Gamification is the application of digital game design techniques to non-game contexts, such as business, education, and social impact challenges. Video games are the dominant entertainment form of modern times because they powerfully motivate behavior. Game mechanics can be applied outside the immersive environments of games themselves, to create engaging experiences as well as assign rewards and recognition. Over the past few years, gamification adoption has skyrocketed. Companies use game thinking for employee motivation in human resources, team building, productivity enhancement, training, health and wellness, sustainability, and innovation. Game thinking means more than dropping in badges and leaderboards to make an activity fun or addicting. Subtitles forall video lectures available in: English, Russian (provided by Digital October), Turkish (Koc University), and Ukrainian (provided by Bionic University) Course Syllabus The course is divided into 12 units. 1. 2. 3.
Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys About the Course This online course is called “Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys” and is based on a course created as part of the Joint Program in Survey Methodology and the Michigan Program in Survey Methodology at ISR. The original course - a core course in our MS program - is one of our most popular courses. It is offered every semester, and in every semester the course is over enrolled. Students with backgrounds in Journalism, Public Health, Criminology, Marketing, Communication, Sociology, Psychology, and Political Science are part of our regular audience. Why does the course have such broad appeal? But designing questions that get good answers is harder than it looks. The target audiences for this course are students and professionals from all fields of social science that are involved in primary data collection. Course Syllabus Click here to view the course syllabus. Recommended Background Course Format
ARTH208: Modern Art Purpose of Course showclose In this course, you will study the various artistic movements that comprise 19th- and 20th-century modern art. You will examine several dozen artists, all of whom helped define their respective artistic styles and eras through their innovative approaches to representation, artistic space, and the role of the artist in society. This course will begin with a brief review of the artists and movements that immediately preceded French Impressionism and will then take an in-depth look at the key artists and characteristics of Impressionism, widely considered the first “modern” art movement. As an example, you will be able to look at Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon and explain why this can be considered the first Cubist artwork, and what makes it one of the greatest achievements in modern art. Course Information showclose Welcome to ARTH208, Modern Art. Learning Outcomes showclose Course Requirements showclose In order to take this course, you must: All Units
Introduction to Philosophy This course will introduce you to some of the main areas of research in contemporary philosophy. Each module a different philosopher will talk you through some of the most important questions and issues in their area of expertise. We’ll begin by trying to understand what philosophy is – what are its characteristic aims and methods, and how does it differ from other subjects? Then we’ll spend the rest of the course gaining an introductory overview of several different areas of philosophy.
Learn to Program: The Fundamentals About the Course A computer program is a set of instructions for a computer to follow, just as a recipe is a set of instructions for a chef. Laptops, kitchen appliances, MP3 players, and many other electronic devices all run computer programs. Programs have been written to manipulate sound and video, write poetry, run banking systems, predict the weather, and analyze athletic performance. This course is intended for people who have never seen a computer program. It will give you a better understanding of how computer applications work and teach you how to write your own applications. Recommended Background This course is intended for people who have never programmed before. Suggested Readings This online course is intended to be self-contained, but if you want additional reading material you will find that Practical Programming (2nd edition): An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python 3 matches the course material closely. Course Format
Animal Behaviour and Welfare About the Course Animals occupy a huge part of the planet and our lives, and although we rely on them for all aspects of our own wellbeing - food, draught power, medical advances, clothing, sport as well as pleasure, protection and comfort - often their quality of life is questionable. Appreciating how animal's experience the world they live in and the different behavioural needs of the various species we interact with, enables us to gain a better understanding of their welfare requirements, so that long term improvements to animal lives can be made. There are now more than 60 billion land animals raised for meat each year around the world, and with increasing human populations and a rise in meat consumption in many parts of the world, these figures are set to double by 2050. Added to this is a huge and growing world population of dogs and cats, many of whom are strays with associated health and welfare issues. Verified Certificates: Link Coursework to Your Identity Course Syllabus
Copyright for Educators & Librarians Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class? Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor. What resources will I need for this class? For this course, all you need is an Internet connection and the time to read, write, discuss, and think about our topic. Is this course only for Americans? Throughout the class we will be discussing the copyright law of the United States, and applying that law to the examples we discuss. What is the coolest thing I'll learn if I take this class? Our goal is to help you become a copyright maven, and the coolest thing you will get from this class, we hope, is confidence to do your jobs without undue fear about copyright. For example, is it copyright infringement to decorate a library floor with the complete text from published books? Can I get professional credit for this class? You can get a Statement of Accomplishment that will be signed by the instructors.