Online courses directory (208)

Do you want to sound like a native Spanish speaker? Get started by improving your accent. This course provides a practical introduction to Spanish pronunciation for students at all levels. It is taught in English and designed to provide an auditory and visual approach to learning pronunciation. Students will listen to audio files recorded by native speakers and then record themselves pronouncing the same words or phrases. In addition to playing back both recordings to compare the auditory differences, students will have an opportunity to view and compare visual sound waves of both audio recordings. These techniques will help learners assess and improve their pronunciation. Although it will be necessary to some extent, discussion of theoretical issues will be kept to a minimum with the emphasis being on accent reduction.

Writing History is a survey of historical thought, philosophy, and historiography. This course will survey the questions, methods, and debates historians have engaged in over the years and around the world. The course will also address best practices to researching and writing history.

This course is a review of Basic Arithmetic skills that serve as a prerequisite for placement into and success in pre-college and college-level algebra courses. In this course, primary emphasis will be placed on fundamental operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers. Other topics covered include proportions, percentages, representations of data, geometric figures, and measurement. Students who should take this course include: those that have an interest in brushing up on arithmetic skills prior to taking an upcoming placement test or those that have not had math in many years and want to review foundational skills and concepts. This course provides free digital access to all required materials including a student workbook, lesson videos, and online homework practice and assessment. A certificate of completion will be awarded by the instructor to students who complete required activities. The course instructor recommends purchase of a textbook or other course materials. Please see the details below. Required materials: Basic Arithmetic Student Workbook Purchase Info: Hard copy at Lulu.com or access via free digital download. Approximate cost for hard copy: $15

This course will explore the different dimensions of sustainability in healthcare and ways to incorporate those ideas into the managerial and quality improvement processes of healthcare organizations. Then it will compare how those issues have been addressed in different healthcare systems around the world. The course will analyze and discuss the key elements of the five pillars of sustainability of healthcare organizations, which are: environmental, socio-cultural, institutional capacity development, financial, and political. We will review critical issues such as recycling medical waste; sustainable energy solutions for hospitals and healthcare organizations in countries with different levels of development; how to improve community health through sustainable healthcare; and many other issues equally relevant to large and small healthcare organizations in developed or developing countries. As the participants review and exchange lessons learned in different corners of the world, they will discover and exchange ideas and tools to assess the sustainability efforts of their organizations and to implement feasible strategies to advance their initiatives.

Algebra+ is a 10-week online course designed for students who have successfully completed high school algebra but who placed into pre-college level mathematics at their local college or university. This course is for refreshing their math skills with a review of pre-college level algebra. After successfully completing this course, the goal would be to retake your college

Strategy, innovation, ideas. You need all three to be successful in the global economy. But how do you connect your innovative ideas with a winning strategy? Enroll in this course to find out. You’ll learn about the “Innovation and Ideation Process” that will help guide you in decision-making, business sustainability, and organizational change. You’ll gain a competitive advantage (and earn a certificate to prove it). A certificate of completion is available. To qualify and receive certificate of completion for course, individuals must participate in the discussion each week and score at least 85% on weekly mastery exercises. Cost of enrollment: $75.00 OpenLearn™ courses at CSU-Global are not credit bearing. However, students who wish to get credit for their coursework after successfully completing the course can sign up for the online proctored exam. The proctored exam costs $250 and can be attempted twice within a 12 month period. Students who successfully complete the exam will receive three (3) upper division undergraduate college credits for MGT475ex - Strategic Innovation and Ideas. This exam credit may apply towards an undergraduate degree at CSU-Global and may be transferable to other institutions (CSU-Global is a regionally accredited university; however, the amount of transferrable credit accepted by other institutions is at their sole discretion).

This course familiarizes students with creating instructionally focused interactive media. The tool used in the class currently is Adobe Flash. Topics to be covered include fundamental programming concepts (variables, variable types, code re-use, commenting code, and basic control structures) in addition to the fundamentals of the flash environment (animation or

This course provides students with a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the field of game design, along with practical exposure to the process of creating a game. Topics covered include iteration, rapid prototyping, mechanics, dynamics, flow theory, the nature of fun, game balance, and user interface design. Primary focus is on non-digital games. The course instructor recommends purchase of one or more textbooks or other course materials. Please see the details below. * Challenges for Game Designers, by Brathwaite & Schreiber. [Required; estimated cost $16.50] This book covers a lot of basic information on both practical and theoretical game design. It will be referenced heavily throughout the course. * Tabletop: Analog Game Design, edited by Costikyan [Required; free as PDF download] This is a collection of essays on tabletop game design and analysis. * Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, by McCloud. [Recommended; estimated cost $12.50] While this book refers to comics, many of the lessons within it can be applied to game design and other forms of art. It also is written in a comic book format (which makes it fun to read). * A Theory of Fun for Game Design, by Koster. [Recommended; estimated cost $15.50] This book shows the similarities between game design and education. It also incorporated good discussions regarding the concept of Flow.

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

Introduction to Openness in Education provides a broad overview of the ways in which openness impacts many areas of education

In Marathon Training 101, 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, exercise physiologist, and author of Running a Marathon For Dummies, Dr. Jason Karp, shows you how to take 26.2 miles' worth of steps to run a marathon, whether it's your first one or fastest one. This unique, four-week online course, which runs January 21 to February 18, includes videos, downloadable podcast workouts, "homework" training runs, and active discussions with other people just like you. It gives you everything you need to know to run a marathon, including: * The fundamentals of marathon training * The knowledge you need to select the right resources for your training * How to structure your very first 20-week marathon training plan * Shoe selection * Ten things you must do on marathon race day * Secrets of long runs * How to avoid injuries The course instructor recommends purchase of a textbook or other course materials. Please see the details below. Recommended materials: Running a Marathon For Dummies, by Jason Karp Where to purchase: www.runcoachjason.com/merchandise or Amazon.com Approximate cost: $18

This online course will introduce you to American laws related to terrorism and the prevention of terrorism. My approach to the topic is the case-study method. Each week, we will read a case study, along with the statutes, regulations, and other law-related materials relevant to the case. We’ll see how the case was handled in court and what reforms were enacted following the trial. Each week’s assignment will include copies of the relevant laws and court rules, a glossary of terms, background readings, and other supplementary materials. The course will commence with the first attempt by Islamic militants to bring down the World Trade Center towers with a truck bomb in 1993. From there, I'll take you through the major terrorist incidents of the past 20 years, including acts perpetrated by homegrown terrorists, such as the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and the trial of the SHAC Seven (animal rights) terrorists in Trenton (NJ) in 2006. Required materials: The textbook for this course is Counter Terrorism Issues: Case Studies in the Courtroom, by Jim Castagnera (estimated cost: $100) Find it at CRC Press

Effective social media policy protects an organization from risk at the same time as it enables employees to develop more effective ways to accomplish work. Driving the implementation of social media policy is a great way for Human Resources (HR) and business leaders to demonstrate value with executive leadership.

Digital Media One is a four-week online course designed for students who want to learn digital media. This may include artists, designers, or photographers who would like to build a Web site or Web portfolio to showcase their work, as well as students who would like to learn more about the curriculum of Peninsula College

Project-based lab course on advanced skills and strategies for integrating technology into the PreK-16 classroom. Optional credit offered.

Effective communication skills are recognized as the number one skill desired by employers (Job Outlook, NACE, 2012). This course focuses on the basics of business writing, starting with the fundamentals and understanding your audience before transitioning to two common, but very important business documents: the cover letter and the resume. This course combines discussion boards and exercises, as well as peer review, to focus on core skills in a collaborative and dynamic environment.

In this course, we will actively explore a powerful framework, Reading Apprenticeship©—described in the book, Reading for Understanding. Through video clips, readings and practice, this course provides snapshots of a proven approach to helping readers use and master a set of powerful literacy tools that will help them enjoy and understand high-quality, complex texts in and beyond school. This course is for: - Educators interested in deepening literacy with innovative, proven strategies - Teachers (K-16) supporting readers in any content area - Administrators, curriculum specialists, and teacher leaders looking for literacy professional learning that will support their schools in meeting Common Core State Standards Learn more about the Reading Apprenticeship at WestEd

This course will provide a generally non-technical introduction to learning analytics and how they are being deployed in various contexts in the education field. Additionally, the tools and methods, ethics and privacy, and systemic impact of analytics will be explored, presenting a broad overview of the current state and possible future directions of the field. Capturing and analyzing data has changed how decisions are made and resources are allocated in the fields of business, journalism, government, military, and intelligence. Through better use of data, leaders are able to plan and enact strategies with greater clarity and confidence. Data is a value point that drives increased organizational efficiency and a competitive advantage. Analytics provide new insight and actionable intelligence. Companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Amazon are investing heavily in technologies and techniques to help individuals and organizations make sense of and unlock the value within big data. In education, the use of data and analytics to improve learning is referred to as learning analytics. Software companies, researchers, educators, and university leaders are starting to recognize the value of data in improving not only teaching and learning, but the entire education industry. The growth of online learning and open online courses generates new sources of data for researchers and educators to better understand the learning experience.

This course is ideal for students who would like to assess their aptitude for legal studies or for those interested in criminal justice or paralegal studies. It also provides an excellent introduction for anyone who wants to learn the basics of the U.S. legal system, the Constitution, and the elements of most crimes and criminal defenses. Course content includes an exploration of criminal defenses, including self-defense, consent, and insanity. Most of the coursework is an analysis of criminal offenses, including inchoate offenses such as attempt, conspiracy, and solicitation; crimes against the person like criminal homicide, sex offenses, kidnapping, assault, and battery; crimes against property, including theft, burglary, and arson; crimes against the public such as crimes involving criminal gangs, drug crimes, and prostitution; and crimes against the government like treason, sedition, espionage, sabotage, terrorism, perjury, bribery, and obstruction of justice. The textbook, Criminal Law v.1.0, will enhance the student's learning experience as it provides full explanations of each topic and many examples and exercises. The textbook is an Affordable Educational Resource (prices start at $19.95) and can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/ReU8R6 Students who complete this course (participation in quizzes and discussions and a passing grade on the final) will receive a certificate of completion from the instructor.

Students often encounter grave difficulty in calculus if their algebraic knowledge is insufficient. This course is designed to provide students with algebraic knowledge needed for success in a typical calculus course. We explore a suite of functions used in calculus, including polynomials (with special emphasis on linear and quadratic functions), rational functions, exponential functions, and logarithmic functions. Along the way, basic strategies for solving equations and inequalities are reinforced, as are strategies for interpreting and manipulating a variety of algebraic expressions. Students enrolling in the course are expected to have good number sense and to have taken an intermediate algebra course.