Online courses directory (801)

The free online course Strategic Management - Implementing Strategy introduces you to the activities and choices required for effective implementation and evaluation of a strategic plan. The course begins by introducing you to the concept of implementing strategy and describes who will carry out the strategic plan and what should be done to align the company’s operations in a new direction. You will then learn about business functions and the factors differentiating Stage I, II and III companies. You will learn about different types of synergy such as production synergy, marketing synergy, financial synergy and organisational synergy. You will learn about mergers and acquisitions and the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of organisational strategy. You will also learn about diversification and tools that can be used in this area such as SWOT analysis, GAP analysis, and Competition and Risk analysis. This free course will be of great interest to business managers and professionals who are working in the area of strategic management and would like to learn more about practices and procedures of implementing and evaluating strategy.<br />

The free online course Strategic Management - Corporate Strategy introduces you to the concept of corporate strategy and how it defines the markets and businesses in which an organisation chooses to operate. The course begins by introducing you to the important issues involved in corporate strategy such as directional strategy, portfolio strategy and parenting strategy. You will also learn about relative cost advantage and competitive strategy. Next you will learn about tools and techniques that are used as part of the corporate strategy process. You be introduced to the Boston Consulting Group's Growth-Share Matrix and learn how it helps businesses analyze their business units, that is, their product lines. You will also learn more about the General Electric - McKinsey matrix which is a nine-cell portfolio matrix and was developed by GE to screen their large portfolio of strategic business units (SBU). It is similar to the BCG growth-share matrix in that it maps strategic business units on a grid of the industry and the SBU's position in the industry. You will learn how the GE matrix attempts to improve upon the BCG matrix. This free course will be of great interest to all professionals working in the area of corporate strategy who would like to learn more about the tools and techniques used in corporate strategy. <br />

The free online course Diploma in Strategic Management introduces you to the concept of how top management can use strategic practices and procedures to achieve major goals and initiatives within an organisation. The course begins by explaining what a mission statement is and how clearly stated mission statements add focus to the organization's efforts. You will learn how a strategic plan helps determine long-term decisions including an organization's objectives, goals and course of action. You will learn the difference between operating decisions and strategic decisions and what a strategic management decision process involves. The course then introduces you to the decision making process involved in strategic management. You will learn about important decision making steps, from determining the mission or purpose of an organization to specifying objectives and goals to formulating a strategic plan and through to monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the strategic plan. The course then introduces you important topics in strategic management, such as strategic competitiveness, strategic risk, strategic flexibility, and internal and external analysis and what role they play in the decision making process. The course reviews the concept of implementing strategy and describes who will carry out the strategic plan and what should be done to align the company’s operations in a new direction. You will then learn about business functions and the factors differentiating Stage I, II and III companies. The course introduces you to the important issues involved in corporate strategy such as directional strategy, portfolio strategy and parenting strategy. Finally, you will learn about tools and techniques that are used as part of the corporate strategy process. This free Diploma course will be of great interest to all professionals working in management and who are involved in making strategic decisions, and to all learners who would like to learn more about the role of strategic management in business. <br />

The free online course Introduction to Sales Management provides information on the key skills involved in selling. While using the traditional selling tenets as its foundation, the course adapts the concepts to the rapidly changing world of business, including the use of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, wikis, and other interactive ways of connecting with customers. The course introduces the role of sales in everyday life and how selling is also vital in all aspects of business. You will learn about how selling plays a role in your purchase decision about the products and services that you buy (and concepts and causes that you believe in). You will also gain an understanding about how Internet-based tools such as forums, social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, along with Web sites, live chat, and other interactive features allow customers to participate in the sales process no matter what they are buying. Defining your personal brand to create a framework for the way you sell yourself to get the job you want is also covered. Next, you will learn about which personal characteristics and talents are best suited to sales, which industries or sales positions you might work in, and how you can be successful in the profession. You will gain an understanding of the differences between business-to-business, business-to-consumer, Personal selling and direct selling. You will also learn about how to craft your résumé and cover letter in a way that tells prospective employers what your personal brand has to offer, in a concise and compelling way, through the use of objectives, headings and bullet points. Finally, you are introduced to the methods of relationship selling and how making a personal connection with the customer is vital. You will learn about customer relationship management tools and how they are used to organise all of a customer’s interactions as well as adaptive selling, which allows you to truly listen, understand the customer’s needs and adapt your conversation and presentation accordingly. You will also gain an understanding of networking which is an important part of the business world and an even more vital part of sales, and how building strong relationships with customers is an excellent way to build your network. The course will be ideal for sales professionals or entrepreneurs or anyone with an interest in sales and customer satisfaction. This course will also be of great interest to existing sales personnel who are looking to up-skill their capabilities and for entrepreneurs or business professionals who are new to a sales or customer relationship role. <br />

The free online course Sales Management - Business Ethics and Sales provides information on business ethics and values, understanding behaviour and etiquette in business communications and the theory and practices of consumer behaviour in regard to motivation and sales. The course will be ideal for people working in a sales environment, entrepreneurs or anyone with an interest in sales theory and practice. The course introduces the role of ethics in both business and everyday life and how ethics in selling is vital in business. Company policies and practices encountered in sales are covered such as: conflicts of interest, bribes, and non-compete/non-disclosure clauses. You will learn about the application of ethical behaviour in a business environment and how ethical businesses not only abide by laws and appropriate regulations, they operate honestly, compete fairly, provide a reasonable environment for its employees, and creates partnerships with customers. Next, you will learn about the standard model of communication, based on two parties, the sender and the receiver, exchanging information or ideas. You will also learn about how we use the different types of communication such as: verbal, non-verbal, written and body language. You will gain an understanding of behaviour and etiquette and how they can make the difference in how your customer perceives you and your personal brand. Finally, you are introduced to consumer behaviour, which is the study of consumer patterns that defines how people shop and, more importantly, why they buy. The hierarchy of needs model also explains the difference in what motivates people to buy products and services they need, compared to those they want. You will also gain an understanding of FAB (features, advantages and benefits) and how it is a powerful way to build an emotional connection with a customer. This course will be of great interest to anyone working in a sales related role, and will provide an understanding of the theory and tools needed to drive sales growth in organisations while enhancing both their personal and organisational effectiveness.<br />

The free online course Sales Prospecting and Lead Generation provides information on the tools, techniques and methods used for identifying leads and prospects, researching and preparing your sales goals and making the first sales approach to potential new customers. The course introduces the sequence of steps sales people follow each time they make a sale. You will learn about prospecting, a vital part of the selling process, where you search for new customers and how to follow up with your leads to turn them into sales. You will learn how to use tools such as direct marketing, cold calling and online databases as sources to identify leads. You will also gain an understanding of the sales funnel concept and how it illustrates the value of generating a large pool of leads because many of your prospects won’t qualify or will drop out during the selling process. Next, you will learn about the pre-approach which is a critical step that helps you earn your customers' trust and to sell adaptively. You will learn about using research methods to identify sales opportunities and using pre-call planning worksheets to record your sales objectives. You will gain an understanding of how to identify your customers' problems and goals, how to brainstorm solutions and develop general and specific benefits statements. You will also learn about setting SMART goals and utilising the four Ps, as you plan your sales presentation. Finally, you are introduced to the sales approach and the six Cs which will help you make a good impression when you contact your prospect. You will review techniques like preparation, research, establishing credibility and customisation of the sales approach to the individual customer. You will learn about what to do and what not do in relation to sales calls and also the importance of e-mail and online social networks in sales. You will also gain an understanding of the different types of question approaches which involve leading with questions to learn about your prospect and how to engage him/her in dialogue. This free course will be of great interest to professionals working in a sales or sales management role, and who would like to learn more about the theory and tools used in sales prospecting. The course will also be of great interest to learners who would like to pursue a career in sales or a related field.<br />

The free online course Effective Communication and Sales Techniques provides information on techniques such as preparing for and giving sales presentations, turning objections into sales opportunities, and selling your business vision. The course is ideal for business professionals, entrepreneurs, salespeople or those starting out on their sales career path. The course first introduces you to the process of preparing your sales presentation, how you can stay focused on the outcome by using pre-call objectives and how you can adapt the presentation to suit your prospects' needs. You will learn how presentations can also be used for listening, solving problems and building relationships. You will learn about the importance of your appearance and how to dress appropriately for a presentation to convey professionalism, competence and success. You will learn how to keep a customer-centric focus and visualize a successful outcome. The four components of the SPIN model are also covered in detail. Next, you will learn about the specific points during the sales process where objections are most likely to occur, such as when you are first trying to make contact, when making a sales presentation, and when you are attempting to close the sale. You will gain an understanding of the main types of objections that you may encounter such as product objections, source objections and money objections. You will then learn about the six strategies that can help you handle any objection and how you can turn objections into sales opportunities. You will learn how objections can help build relationships because they give you the opportunity to clarify communication and revisit your relationship with the prospect. Having learned about making effective sales presentations and how to turn objections into opportunities the course next introduces you to sales skills needed by entrepreneurs so that you can communicate your business vision in a clear, concise and confident manner. You will learn how to leverage business plan elements such as statement of purpose and marketing, operational, and financial plans to sell your business idea to potential clients and investors. This course will be of great interest to sales professionals and entrepreneurs who would like a greater understanding of the techniques involved in preparing and giving sales presentations, turning objections into sales opportunities, and selling a business vision to clients and investors.<br />

The free online course Diploma in Sales Management provides detailed information about the principles, practices and tools involved in all aspects of the selling process. The course begins by introducing you to the role of sales in everyday life and how selling is vital in all aspects of business. You will learn how Internet-based tools, such as forums, social networks like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, along with web sites, live chat and other interactive features allow customers to participate in the modern sales process. You will learn about customer relationship management tools and how they are used to organise all of a customer's interactions, as well as adaptive selling, which allows you to listen to customers, understand their needs, and adapt your conversation and presentation accordingly. The course then introduces the role of ethics in sales and business. You will learn about the application of ethical behaviour in a business environment and how ethical businesses abide by laws and appropriate regulations. The main factors in relation to customer prospecting are covered in detail. You will learn about the tools used, such as direct marketing and cold calling, as well as the pre-approach, a critical step that helps you earn the customer’s trust. You will learn about the sales approach and the six Cs, which will help you make a good impression when you contact your prospect, as well as techniques like preparation, research, establishing credibility and customisation of the sales approach to the individual customer. You will gain an understanding of the main types of objections that you may encounter in sales and the six strategies that can help you handle virtually any objection. You will also learn about the process for preparing your sales presentation, how you can stay focused on the outcome and how to adapt your presentation to your prospect’s needs. Finally, you are introduced to entrepreneurial selling, and how to research the viability of a business idea by identifying the size of the market to determine if the idea is compelling enough to meet a need. This free diploma course will be of great interest to learners who wish to gain employment or start a career in the sales sector, as well as professionals working in sales and entrepreneurs interested in starting a business.<br />

The free online course How To Use A 3D Printer introduces you to the hardware and software technology behind 3D printing. The course begins by introducing you to the hardware used in 3D printing. You will learn about the different plastic filaments that are used and you will pick up tips on how to feed the plastic filament into the 3D printer for optimal performance. You will learn about the different components of a 3D printer such as the extruder nozzle and contact sensor and their functions. You will then learn how to set up and calibrate a 3D printer so that the object is printed correctly on the printer base plate. You will learn about different 3D print software that can be used to design 3D objects and the importance of using 3D model repair to eliminate errors in the design that can cause defects in the printed object. This course will be of great interest to professionals in the areas of engineering, design and manufacturing who would like to learn more about 3D printing and its applications. It will also be of interest to all learners who would like to learn more about 3D printing and the future applications of this exciting technology.<br />

The free online course Web Page Design Using HTML5 and CSS3 shows you in a step-by-step manner how to use HTML5 elements and CSS3 style sheets for responsive web design. You will learn how HTML structures the content on a web page and how CSS styles the content on a web page. The course begins by showing you the structure of a HTML5 web page - you will learn how to declare a HTML5 document and set up the head and body sections of a web page. You will then learn about a wide range of HTML5 elements and their functions and uses. You will learn about global attributes that can be added to virtually any HTML5 element and how to correctly format them within a HTML5 element. The course then shows you how to link a HTML web page to a cascading style sheet file. You will learn how to code style sheet instructions that style the various HTML5 elements in the web page. You will also learn about Progressive enhancement in web design that emphasizes accessibility, semantic HTML markup, and external style sheet and scripting technologies. This free online course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to to study HTML5 and CSS3 with the aim of using these to create and format web pages. <br />

The free online course Web Development - Advanced CSS3 Selectors and HTML5 Elements introduces you to advanced features and functionality of CSS3 and HTML5, which allow for very precise styling and formatting of web pages. You will learn how to create a correctly formatted form using the form element and create different types of form inputs. You will also learn how to identify and use input types for the input element, and identify and use attributes for the input element. You will learn how to identify different types of CSS3 selectors and apply these CSS3 selectors to style web pages. You will learn how to list CSS styles in cascading order of precedence. You will learn how to identify and use inline HTML5 elements, and identify and use block style HTML5 elements. You will also learn how to embed a video using the HTML5 video element and add video controls to a video. You will also learn how to work with HTML5 Canvas and with Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) in HTML5. This free online course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to further develop their coding skills using advanced CSS3 and HTML5 elements to style and format web pages. <br />

The free online course JavaScript Application Programming will introduce you in a step-by-step manner to JavaScript programming concepts and functionality. JavaScript was created by Brendan Eich in 1995, became an ECMA standard in 1997 and is now one the three main languages all web developers must learn: HTML5 is used to define the content of web pages, CSS3 is used to specify the layout and style of web pages, and JavaScript is used program the behavior of web pages. The course begins by introducing JavaScript variables, and programming concepts such as declaring variables using the var key word and naming JavaScript variables using identifiers. You will learn about HTML events such as onclick and how JavaScript methods can be used to work with events. You will learn about the different types of conditional statements, their correct syntax and examples of their use. You will learn about JavaScript functions which are blocks of code designed to perform a particular task, and how to write the correct syntax for functions. You will learn about the different types of JavaScript loops (for, for/in, while and do/while loops) and their correct syntax. You will learn about JavaScript arrays which are objects used to store multiple values in a single variable. You will also learn about the different types of 'falsy' values and 'truthy' values. Finally, you will learn about the main types of errors in JavaScript code and how to minimize these errors. This course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn about JavaScript coding techniques to enhance both the interactivity and functionality of their web pages.<br />

The free online course Physical Fitness - Fitness Tips and Workout Routines has been designed to teach you how to improve your physical health and well-being. The course will introduce you to the theoretical apsects of physical fitness and provide you with practical workouts that can help you develop and maintain it. Obesity is becoming a global epidemic in developed countries across the world and is associated with many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Research has consistently proven that maintaining a high level of physical activity and fitness can have significant benefits on many aspects of your life including your physical health and mental health. The course begins by introducing you to the basics of exercise physiology – the branch of science which studies how the body responds and adapts to physical exercise. Firstly, you will be introduced to definitions and terminology that are central to exercise physiology. This will help you obtain a strong grounding in the subject and benefit your learning throughout the course. You will then study the cardiovascular system and the skeletal muscular system. You will learn how the cardiovascular system functions and how the heart supplies oxygen-rich blood to the active skeletal muscles during exercise. Finally, you will examine various activities and workouts that have been shown to increase cardiovascular fitness. This course will be of great interest to professionals who work in the health and fitness industry and to anyone who wants to learn more about improving their physical fitness. <br />

The free online course Health and Fitness - Running Tips, Swimming and Strength Training is designed to show you how running, swimming and strength training can improve your strength, flexibility, endurance and overall fitness levels. It will also show you how you can practice running, swimming and strength training and stay injury-free. The course begins by focusing on running as a means of building and maintaining fitness. You will learn about the importance of using good running shoes, what surfaces to run on to stay injury free and examine the correct mechanics that should be used while running. This section concludes by presenting a range of strategies that will help you increase your running mileage in a safe and progressive manner. The course then looks at how swimming can help you build and maintain fitness. You will learn about equipment that is needed in order to swim safely in both the open water and a swimming pool. This will help you appreciate the difference between open water and pool swimming as they are both conducted in extremely different environments. This section concludes by examining how to develop swimming skills in the freestyle and breaststroke. Finally, the course looks at how strength training can be used as a tool to help you stay fit and healthy. You will learn about the necessary precautions you need to take to ensure that you train safely, including completing warm-up and cool-down before and after exercise and completing all lifts with the correct technique. You will also study a wide range of exercises that can be used to increase strength in all areas of the body, including the legs, back, shoulders, arms and chest. This course will be of great interest to anyone who wishes to improve their overall strength and fitness levels in a safe and progressive manner. The course will also be of interest to professionals who work in the health and fitness industry or individuals who may be interested in pursuing a career in the health and fitness. <br />

Introduction to Community Development is the first in a series of free online courses that will introduce you to the concept of community development, what you need to do to get a community group started and how to organise a community group to take action. Using community health as a springboard for understanding community development, you will learn about the values, concepts and practices commonly found in the community development sector. You will learn how to define the community and its characteristics, and identify an issue to be actioned within the community. You will look at the various roles within a community group and the strategies it can use to further its objectives. You will learn about creating a team that can identify issues within the community group, from ensuring inclusive participation to dealing with conflict within the group. You will also learn about the practical aspects of governance, liability and structure of the community group. You will learn about tools that can be used to analyse the community, such as community asset mapping and the community characteristic checklist. You will also get an overview of the types of collaboration that may be possible with other organisations found in the community development sector. This course will be of great interest to professionals or volunteers working in community development and with community organisations. It will also be of interest to learners who would like to know more about community development and its role in changing and improving local communities.<br />

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of the &quot;explosive&quot; spread in the number of Zika virus infections given the wide geographical distribution of the mosquito vector and that there could be 3-4 million Zika infections in the Americas over the next year. Scientists are working on potential vaccines but have warned that they do not expect to have a vaccine available in 2016. This free online course about the Zika virus covers key information points about the disease and its health implications, especially in relation to pregnant women as it has been linked to thousands of birth defects in South America. The course covers topics such as the current geographic spread of the disease, important aspects of symptoms and diagnosis, potential treatments in relation to the development of vaccines against the virus, methods for prevention, and also information about the disease for pregnant women. This course will be of great interest to any learner who lives in or near regions where an outbreak of the Zika virus has occurred and who would like to learn more about the virus and how to avoid becoming infected. It will also be of great interest to all health workers who would like a free resource to help individuals and communities better understand the Zika virus and how an outbreak of it can be controlled.<br />

The free online course C# Programming - Coding with C# Syntax introduces you to the basics of coding correctly formatted C# syntax using Visual Studio Express from Microsoft. The course begins by showing you how to use Visual Studio Express, a free software package available from Microsoft, to write correctly formatted C# syntax in a step-by-step manner. You will learn how to write correct C# syntax for operators, expressions, and statements of duration. You will also learn how to declare and use for iterations, as well as create arrays of values and create, and call simple overload helper methods. The course then shows you how to declare and use while iterations, and the methods used to read data from a text file. You will also learn how to code with Strings and with DateTime. This free C# programming course will be of great interest to all learners who would like study a step-by-step introduction to coding using C# syntax and how to use Visual Studio Express for programming software applications.<br />

The free online course Diploma in Hospitality Management with English Language Studies takes you through the essential principles, concepts and skills required in the hospitality sector. The course also introduces you to the English language skills necessary for working in restaurants and hotels, and the hospitality sector in general. <br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the nature of hospitality, such as the relationship between the hospitality sector and tourism, the various types of accommodation and the different types of hotel guests and their requests. You will also learn about hotel management and the organization of hotel departments and their functions. For example, you will learn about the key duties of the front office department and housekeeping department, and the organization of these departments and the roles involved. <br /><br />The course also covers food and beverage services and its relationship to other hotel departments. You will learn about restaurant operations planning, the organization of the kitchen, menu objectives and planning, table setting and restaurant design and layout. Finally, you will learn about the food handling process, such as food safety and food contamination, and the importance of personal hygiene for catering practitioners. The course also discusses kitchen accidents and how to respond to them, and the procedures that must be in place to ensure staff safety when working with different types of equipment or in the case of fire. <br /><br />Next, you will be introduced to the English language skills necessary for working in restaurants in tourist areas or hotels. This section explains how to take customer orders, including asking and answering questions and recommending dishes. It also includes how to describe dishes and defines the French terms used in restaurant English. <br /><br />You will be introduced to the English language skills necessary for working at a hotel reception or front desk. You will learn how to communicate in English with potential customers during inquiries as well as how to reserve rooms for hotel guests. It also describes the steps involved in check-in and check-out as well as the vocabulary and expressions needed for these procedures. <br /><br />This free Diploma course will be of great interest to professionals working in hotels, restaurants, or any other hospitality service operation. This course will also be of great interest to any learner who would like to gain employment or a career in the hospitality sector. This free online course is also ideal for workers in the hospitality industry who wish to advance to an intermediate level of English with a focus on the restaurant and hotel sectors.<br />

The free online course Diploma in HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript introduces you to the three main languages all web developers must learn: <br /> <ul> <li>HTML5 which is used to define the content of web pages</li> <li>CSS3 which is used to specify the layout and style of web pages</li> <li>JavaScript which is used program the behavior of web pages</li> </ul><br />The course begins by showing you how to use HTML5 elements and CSS3 style sheets for responsive web design. You will learn how to declare a HTML5 document and set up the head and body sections of a web page. You will then learn about a wide range of HTML5 elements and their functions and uses. You will learn how to identify different types of CSS3 selectors and apply these CSS3 selectors to style web pages. You will learn how to list CSS styles in cascading order of precedence. You will learn how to identify and use inline HTML5 elements, and identify and use block style HTML5 elements. You will also learn how to embed a video using the HTML5 video element and add video controls to a video. You will also learn how to work with HTML5 Canvas and with Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) in HTML5. <br /><br />The course then introduces you to JavaScript variables and programming concepts such as declaring variables using the var key word and naming JavaScript variables using identifiers. You will learn about HTML events such as onclick and how JavaScript methods can be used to work with events. You will learn about the different types of conditional statements, their correct syntax and examples of their use. You will learn about JavaScript functions which are blocks of code designed to perform a particular task, and how to write the correct syntax for functions. You will learn about the different types of JavaScript loops (for, for/in, while and do/while loops) and their correct syntax. <br /><br />You will be introduced to the concept of the Document Object Model and how you can add greater functionality to your web pages using jQuery plugins. When a web page is loaded, the browser creates a Document Object Model (DOM) of the page. The HTML DOM model is constructed as a tree of objects and JavaScript can interact with elements in the DOM to add much greater functionality and interactivity to web pages. You will also learn about jQuery which is the most popular JavaScript library in use today. You will learn how jQuery's syntax is designed to make it easier to navigate a document, select DOM elements, create animations, handle events, and develop Ajax applications. You will learn about jQuery plug-ins which are available on the Web and cover a range of functions such as drag and drop, dynamic lists, events and many others. <br /><br />This course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn about HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript coding techniques to enhance both the interactivity and functionality of their web pages.<br />

The free online course JavaScript - Working with the Document Object Model and jQuery Plugins introduces you to the concept of the Document Object Model and how you can add greater functionality to your web pages using jQuery plugins. When a web page is loaded, the browser creates a Document Object Model (DOM) of the page. The HTML DOM model is constructed as a tree of objects and JavaScript can interact with elements in the DOM to add much greater functionality and interactivity to web pages. For example, you will learn how JavaScript can change all the HTML elements in the page, change all the HTML attributes in the page, change all the CSS styles in the page, remove existing HTML elements and attributes, add new HTML elements and attributes, react to all existing HTML events in the page and create new HTML events in the page. You will also learn about jQuery which is the most popular JavaScript library in use today. You will learn how jQuery's syntax is designed to make it easier to navigate a document, select DOM elements, create animations, handle events, and develop Ajax applications. You will learn about jQuery plug-ins which are available on the Web and cover a range of functions such as drag and drop, dynamic lists, events and many others. You will learn how to link your web pages to a jQuery plugin to add even more functionality to your web pages. This free course will be of great interest to all web developers who would like to learn more about using JavaScript to work with the DOM and jQuery plugins to enhance the functionality and interactivity of web pages. <br />