Online courses directory (148)

This course will introduce you to the field of computer science and the fundamentals of computer programming. Introduction to Computer Science I is specifically designed for students with no prior programming experience, and taking this course does not require a background in Computer Science. This course will touch upon a variety of fundamental topics within the field of Computer Science and will use Java, a high-level, portable, and well-constructed computer programming language developed by Sun Microsystems (now Oracle), to demonstrate those principles. We will begin with an overview of the course topics as well as a brief history of software development. We will cover basic object-oriented programming terminology and concepts such as objects, classes, inheritance, and polymorphism, as well as the fundamentals of Java, its primitive data types, relational operators, control statements, exception handling, and file input /output. By the end of the course, you should have a strong understanding of the fundam…

This course will introduce you to cognitive psychology, or the study of the ways in which we come to know about the world around us and about one another.  While you may understand “cognition” as “thinking” or “thoughts,” we will here use the term to refer to almost any process that takes place within the human mind. Though cognitive psychology as a formal branch of study has only been around since the late 1960s, it has been studied for decades as an area of interest in psychological inquiry and has its roots in philosophy.  In the late 1880s, for example, Ebbinghaus conducted some of the very first scientifically based studies of cognition when he attempted to explain the mechanism of memory.  Memory, along with attention, perception, language, and decision making, are amongst the most prominent issues within the broad and diverse field of cognitive psychology.  While we could spend an entire semester exploring just one of these issues, this course will instead provide you with an overview…

Students of political science should understand how ethics, culture, religion, and morality help to shape public debate, policymaking, and policy execution. This course will provide you with an overview of the role that ethical, cultural, religious, and moral principles play in the formulation and execution of public policy by lawmakers and other public officials. After studying the foundational theories of ethics and morality in politics, you will review arguments about existing issues in domestic and international policy, studying each dilemma from a variety of perspectives.  Common themes seen in ethics debates include justice, equality, fairness, individual liberty, free enterprise, charity, fundamental human rights, and minimizing harm to others. These themes are integrated into various decision-making models, such as the Utilitarian Approach, the Fairness and Justice Approach, and the Rights Approach. In the execution of public policy, it is impossible to do no harm to others; often, public policy…

Great managers are made, not born. Learn about the qualities and skills of great managers in this Business 101 course. Instructor Sherri Hartzell holds both an MBA and Ed.D., so she's an excellent choice to teach you about principles of management.

Start by learning about the different levels of management in organizations and then dive into how good managers lead to great employees. Students of business, budding entrepreneurs and independent online learners alike can benefit from these short, engaging video lessons and interactive online quizzes. Business 101: Principles of Management can prepare you to earn real, widely transferable college credit by taking the Principles of Management CLEP exam or the Excelsior Principles of Management exam .

Humans have been making art for tens of thousands of years, long before there was writing. Why was Egyptian art obsessed with death? Why did the ancient Greeks seek the perfect human form? How did the ancient Romans use art as state propaganda? Why was the naturalism of ancient Greek and Roman art abandoned with the rise of Christianity? This topic explores the art of the ancient world, from the Venus of Willendorf to a 6th-Century Chinese Bodhisattva. Prehistoric Art: Paleolithic Origins. Nude Woman (Venus of Willendorf). The Neolithic Revolution. Jade Cong. Prehistory: Proto-writing. Prehistoric Art Quiz. Introduction. Ancient History: The Alphabet. Sumerian Art: Standard of Ur. Sumerian Art: Great Lyre from the "King's Grave" at Ur. Akkadian Art: Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. Babylonian Art: Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi. Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions (Assyrian). Assyrian Art: Human Headed Winged Lion and Bull (Lamassu). Neo-Babylonian Art: Ishtar Gate and Processional Way. Ancient Near Eastern Art. Introduction. Egyptian Art. Materials & Techniques. Ancient Near Eastern & Ancient Egyptian Art. Old Kingdom: Seated Scribe. New Kingdom: House Altar with Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Three Daughters. Portrait Head of Queen Tiye with a Crown of Two Feathers. New Kingdom: Thutmose's Bust of Nefertiti. Judgement in the Presence of Osiris, Hunefer's Book of the Dead. New Kingdom: Ramesses II. Ptolemaic: Rosetta Stone. Ancient Egypt. Ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient Greek and Roman Art. Geometric: Terracotta Krater. Archaic: Exekias, Attic black figure amphora with Ajax and Achilles playing a game. Archaic: Exekias, Dionysos Kylix, c. 530 B.C.E.. Archaic: Mixing Vessel with Odysseus Escaping from the Cyclops's Cave. Archaic: New York Kouros. The Classical Orders. Archaic and Early Classical: Ancient Greek Temples at Paestum, Italy. Archaic and Early Classical: East and West Pediments, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina. Early Classical: Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer). Classical: Myron, Discobolus (Discus Thrower), Roman copy of an ancient Greek bronze. Classical: Parthenon Frieze. Classical: Sculpture from the Parthenon's East Pediment. Classical: Parthenon Metopes. Classical: Caryatid and Column from the Erechtheion. Late Classical: Lysippos, Farnese Hercules, 4th century B.C.E. (later Roman copy by Glycon). Late Classical: Lysippos, Apoxyomenos (Scraper), c. 330 B.C.E. (Roman copy). Late Classical: After Praxiteles, Venus (Roman Copy). Hellenistic: Barberini Faun. Hellenistic: Dying Gaul. Hellenistic: Nike of Samothrace. Hellenistic: The Pergamon Altar. Hellenistic: Apollonius, Boxer at Rest. Hellenistic: Alexander Mosaic. Hellenistic: Laoco

Are you paying attention?. Observation: Are you paying attention. Field observations with fresh eyes. Recognizing opportunity in the rain. Challenge: Observation lab. Challenge: Paying attention. Spark a revolution. Reframing problems. Using old things in new ways. The five dollar challenge. Reframing challenge. Reframing reflections. Bring in the bees. Good artists copy, great artists steal. Connect and combine. Combine and share. Connect and combine challenge. Connect and combine reflection. Are you paying attention?. Observation: Are you paying attention. Field observations with fresh eyes. Recognizing opportunity in the rain. Challenge: Observation lab. Challenge: Paying attention. Spark a revolution. Reframing problems. Using old things in new ways. The five dollar challenge. Reframing challenge. Reframing reflections. Bring in the bees. Good artists copy, great artists steal. Connect and combine. Combine and share. Connect and combine challenge. Connect and combine reflection.

John Green teaches you the history of the world in 42 episodes of Crash Course. The Agricultural Revolution. Indus Valley Civilization. Ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Egypt. Greeks and Persians. Buddha and Ashoka. 2000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confuscius. Alexander the Great and the Situation... the Great?. The Silk Road and Ancient Trade. The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or... Which Was It?. Christianity from Judaism to Constantine. Fall of Rome the Roman Empire... in the 15th Century. Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar. The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?. The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?. Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa. Wait for it... The Mongols!. International Commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and The Indian Ocean Trade. Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols. Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners. The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?. The Columbian Exchange. The Atlantic Slave Trade. The Spanish Empire, Silver, & Runaway Inflation. The Seven Years War. The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook. Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution. The French Revolution. The Haitian Revolutions. Latin American Revolutions. Coal, Steam, and The Industrial Revolution. Capitalism and Socialism. Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism. Imperialism. Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I. Communists, Nationalists, and China's Revolutions. World War II. USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War. Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant. Globalization I - The Upside. Globalization II - Good or Bad?. The Agricultural Revolution. Indus Valley Civilization. Ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Egypt. Greeks and Persians. Buddha and Ashoka. 2000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confuscius. Alexander the Great and the Situation... the Great?. The Silk Road and Ancient Trade. The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or... Which Was It?. Christianity from Judaism to Constantine. Fall of Rome the Roman Empire... in the 15th Century. Islam, the Quran, and the Five Pillars All Without a Flamewar. The Dark Ages...How Dark Were They, Really?. The Crusades - Pilgrimage or Holy War?. Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa. Wait for it... The Mongols!. International Commerce, Snorkeling Camels, and The Indian Ocean Trade. Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols. Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners. The Renaissance: Was it a Thing?. The Columbian Exchange. The Atlantic Slave Trade. The Spanish Empire, Silver, & Runaway Inflation. The Seven Years War. The Amazing Life and Strange Death of Captain Cook. Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution. The French Revolution. The Haitian Revolutions. Latin American Revolutions. Coal, Steam, and The Industrial Revolution. Capitalism and Socialism. Samurai, Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism. Imperialism. Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I. Communists, Nationalists, and China's Revolutions. World War II. USA vs USSR Fight! The Cold War. Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant. Globalization I - The Upside. Globalization II - Good or Bad?.

This free five-module online introductory course gives you the essential concepts, techniques, and skills to effectively work with data and produce compelling data stories under tight deadlines. Comprised of video lectures, tutorials, assignments, readings, and discussion forums, this course is open to anyone in the world with an Internet connection who wants to tell stories with data. Our media environment is increasingly saturated with data, including large collections of leaked documents published by Wikileaks, public databases about lobbying or government spending, and “big data” from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. As a result, many media organisations seek data-savvy journalists to help them process this information to understand what is in it, to identify what is important, and to provide insights to readers in a compelling way. Modules: 1. Data journalism in the newsroom, with instructor Simon Rogers 2. Finding data to support stories, with instructor Paul Bradshaw 3. Finding story ideas with data analysis, with instructor Steve Doig 4. Dealing with messy data, with instructor Nicolas Kayser-Bril 5. Telling stories with visualization, with instructor Alberto Cairo Meet the instructors: Recommended reading: The Data Journalism Handbook Sponsors: Google; Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands; African Media Initiative; The World Bank Advisory board: Justin Arenstein (African Media Initiative); Josh Hatch (The Chronicle of Higher Education); Scott Klein (ProPublica); Angélica Peralta Ramos (La Nacion, Argentina); Aron Pilhofer (The New York Times); Guido Romeo (Wired Italy); Sascha Venohr (Zeit Online) Organisers: The European Journalism Centre is a non-profit international foundation with the remit to improve, strengthen, and underpin journalism and the news media in the interest of a functioning democratic public sphere. This mission has two main aspects: safeguarding, enhancing, and future-proofing quality journalism in Europe and the world and media freedom in emerging and developing countries. Data Driven Journalism is one of the leading initiatives for training, resources and networking in the area of data journalism. Founded in 2010, the programme is dedicated to accelerating the diffusion and improving the quality of data journalism around the world. We run the website DataDrivenJournalism.net as well as the School of Data Journalism, and produced the Data Journalism Handbook. For more information about this course, please visit the course website.

Gender Through Comics: A Super MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) coming Spring 2013 that examines how comic books can be used to explore questions of gender identity, stereotypes, and roles. This highly engaging learning experience is designed for college-age and lifelong learners. The course, led by Christina Blanch of Ball State University, uses a study of comic books incorporating highly interactive video lectures, online discussions between students, and real-time socially driven interviews. Interviews with the comic industry's biggest names such as Terry Moore, Brian K Vaughan, Mark Waid, as well as others address questions of gender representations and constructions involving both men and women. To purchase the required materials for this course, please visit the Comixology page for Gender and Comic Books. View a video teaser about Gender Through Comic Books

Do you know what you’re watching? What you’re reading? You might think that what comes across your television or web browser, in your newspaper or magazine, or on your movie screen is pretty much the whole message; what you see is what you get. But the content we see, read, and hear is the product of complex forces − economic, governmental, historical, and technological. This course will explore those underlying forces and provide analytical tools to evaluate media critically. An overall goal is to become media literate, to gain an understanding of mass media as cultural industries that seek to influence our behavior and affect our values as a society. Unit 1 aims to define mass communication, mass media, and culture. It also will introduce the core concepts of media literacy and the concept of transmedia, the practice of integrating entertainment experiences across a range of different media platforms. Unit 2 will introduce selected theories that will help in analyzing mass communication and its effect…

This course will introduce the concept of environmental ethics, a philosophy that extends the ethical concepts traditionally applied to human behavior to address the entire natural world. The course will outline the history of environmental ethics, discuss the idea of environmental justice, and explore how our views about the natural world have changed over time. Though environmental ethics is considered a fairly new branch of scientific philosophy, it has actually been debated avidly since the 19th century. From the frontier era of the developing United States through to the modern-day environmental movement, you will identify and analyze the key pioneers and events in the move to help preserve our planet for future generations and species. You will also explore the notion of environmental justice and how this impacts certain social groups, particularly in poorer communities throughout the world. Finally, you will familiarize yourself with the major environmental laws and world views that support the envir…

Abnormal psychology is one of the most recognizable and intriguing subfields of study in psychology. Part of what makes this field so intriguing is that it challenges us to define what is normal and abnormal. Most experts in the field have settled on several criteria to define abnormal behavior; however, this definition and even the very existence of certain disorders still remain a source of debate. This course will help us to define abnormal and normal behaviors and to group these abnormal phenomena into disorders. These disorders are used to capture a particular type of abnormal psychological phenomena and to help us diagnose or make an educated decision regarding what disorder a patient/client may have. In order to distinguish between different disorders, clinicians often use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which identifies the specific criteria used when diagnosing patients/clients. This manual represents the industry standard for psychologists and psychiatrists, who often…

In this course, we will study the architecture of Ancient Rome, beginning with its origins in the eighth century BC, and continuing through the fourth century AD with the move of the Roman capital to Constantinople.  The course of lectures and readings outlined below will familiarize you with the major building methods and styles used in Roman architecture.  In addition, interior decoration (including the very important topic of Roman wall painting) will be addressed.  By the end of the course, you will be able to identify some of the most important works of Roman architecture and discuss the historical and cultural conditions that informed their production. An important theme throughout the first half of the course is the relationship between Ancient Rome and Greek and Etruscan cultures, which were highly influential in the formation of a distinctive Roman architecture.  Understanding the role that Roman architecture played in the eastern and western Roman provinces is also significant to this course,…

Build your earth science vocabulary and learn about cycles of matter and types of sedimentary rocks through the Education Portal course Earth Science 101: Earth Science. Our series of video lessons and accompanying self-assessment quizzes can help you boost your scientific knowledge ahead of the Excelsior Earth Science exam . This course was designed by experienced educators and examines both science basics, like experimental design and systems of measurement, and more advanced topics, such as analysis of rock deformation and theories of continental drift.

Build your earth science vocabulary and learn about cycles of matter and types of sedimentary rocks through the Education Portal course Earth Science 101: Earth Science. Our series of video lessons and accompanying self-assessment quizzes can help you boost your scientific knowledge ahead of the Excelsior Earth Science exam . This course was designed by experienced educators and examines both science basics, like experimental design and systems of measurement, and more advanced topics, such as analysis of rock deformation and theories of continental drift.

Build your earth science vocabulary and learn about cycles of matter and types of sedimentary rocks through the Education Portal course Earth Science 101: Earth Science. Our series of video lessons and accompanying self-assessment quizzes can help you boost your scientific knowledge ahead of the Excelsior Earth Science exam . This course was designed by experienced educators and examines both science basics, like experimental design and systems of measurement, and more advanced topics, such as analysis of rock deformation and theories of continental drift.

Build your earth science vocabulary and learn about cycles of matter and types of sedimentary rocks through the Education Portal course Earth Science 101: Earth Science. Our series of video lessons and accompanying self-assessment quizzes can help you boost your scientific knowledge ahead of the Excelsior Earth Science exam . This course was designed by experienced educators and examines both science basics, like experimental design and systems of measurement, and more advanced topics, such as analysis of rock deformation and theories of continental drift.

Aspiring teachers need to pass one or more of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) to qualify for licensure in this state. The CSET for social science teachers consists of three subtests covering history, geography, civics and economics. Subtest I focuses on world history and world geography. It includes 39 multiple-choice questions, two short response essay questions and one extended response essay question. You'll have five hours for your testing session, and you can choose to take one, two or all three subtests during this time. The test is offered only in a paper-based format, and you'll need to bring your own #2 pencils on test day. You can prepare for the exam with Education Portal's study guide, which includes video lessons and quizzes on the following topics:

• Ancient civilization
• Medieval and early modern times
• Modern world history
• Tools and methods for geographic study
• Geographic diversity

You'll encounter questions about the social and cultural structures, intellectual contributions and philosophical traditions of ancient civilizations from a wide range of geographical regions. Significant economic and political developments occurring in early modern Europe are covered as well. You can also expect to answer questions on topics ranging from the causes and outcomes of 18th century conflicts like the American Revolution to the impact of 19th century imperialism. Additional exam topics include the effects of world wars I and II and the Cold War. You should also be familiar with physical and human geography to do well on the test.

Preparing and Registering for the CSET Social Science Subtest I

Education Portal's study guide provides you with short video lessons that discuss all of the topics included on the exam. The instructors break down the information into manageable sections that are engaging and easy to follow. You can even use the corresponding quizzes to assess your understanding of the material and find out how the exam's multiple-choice questions are formatted.

Begin the registration process by creating an online account through the CSET website. Once you've selected a username and password and entered in your personal information, you'll be able to choose the test date and testing location that suits you. The social science subtests are administered four times a year. The regular registration deadline falls about one month before the test date, though you can sign up by the late and emergency registration deadlines for an additional fee.

Bootcamp for NGO Reps, Global Citizens & Interns Leading Change At The UN & Intergovernmental Meetings

A basic level survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture.