Online courses directory (4179)

Contracts are agreements entered into by two parties with the intention of creating a legal obligation and contracts in law are very important and serious documents. Yet many individuals or business owners do not fully understand the implications of signing a contract or breaching a contract. This free online course reviews the elements which make up a contract and reviews a scenario about how a contract can be breached if one or more of the parties involved do not fulfil their part of the agreement. Resolving broken contracts in the form of damages is also discussed. This course will be of interest to business professionals who, for example, work with third party suppliers for goods or services on a contract basis. It will also be of interest to the average lay person who wishes to clearly understand the implications of having a written contract should they wish to enter into a legal agreement with another party.<br />

In this free online English grammar course provided by ALISON, the basics of conversational English are covered, such as what you might say when you meet people for the first time and how to talk to people and make new friends.<br /><br />This online English grammar course allows you to practice simple conversational techniques that will give you confidence when meeting and greeting people using the English language as well as reviewing basic auxiliary verbs, main verbs, adjectives and open questions.<br /><br />It is ideal for those who want to improve their basic conversational English and will help learners on their way to becoming more confident when communicating. Learn English grammar online with ALISON's free online course.<br />

With the wide-spread use of the Internet copyright has become a very important issue for publishers of books, music, software, films, television programmes and many other industries. This free online course is an introduction to copyright law as practised in the United States, however, the principles and concepts will be of interest to legal professionals in other jurisdictions. The course reviews the structure of copyright under federal law, the basics of legal research and legal citations. It examines copyright and its applications in the music and broadcasting industries, and looks at legal cases involving examples such as Napster, Grokster and peer-to-peer file sharing services. It also reviews software licensing, and the General Public License and free software. This course will be of great interest to legal and business professionals who would like to learn more about copyright law and how it is practised in the United States, and to students who are pursuing a career in the legal professions and would like to learn more about this very important legal topic.<br />

Information Technology (IT) has become one of the key elements in the design of business frameworks and it is also a key influence in determining corporate strategy. The modern manager must have a thorough knowledge of both the structure of the organization and the capabilities of modern technology, and this knowledge is especially important when designing business frameworks and determining corporate strategy. In this free online course the learner is introduced to the importance of IT in the design of business frameworks and the different elements that influence framework design. The course also outlines the basics of information systems, the different types of information systems and the characteristics of each one. The course explains the importance of IT in creating a flexible, modern organization and discusses the benefits IT can bring when determining corporate strategy. This free course will be of great interest to management professionals who would like to learn more about the importance of IT in a business framework, and how to use IT in determining corporate strategy.<br />

This course provides an overview of the evolving field of cybersecurity, with an introduction to cybersecurity standards and law. Students will learn about common cyber attacks and the techniques for identifying, detecting, and defending against cybersecurity threats. They will also gain a basic understanding of personal, physical, network, web, and wireless security, as well as a foundation for more advanced study of cybersecurity.

In the free online course Introduction to Database Concepts you will learn about the structure of a database, and how to establish relationships within your database. You will learn about the objects and data that make up a database, and the ways to create databases to store data.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the core concepts of databases. You will learn about applications for performing tasks and interacting with a database. Next, you will be introduced to concepts that you need to understand to be able to construct a database. You will learn about the normalization process of organizing data in a database, and the constraints that make data consistent and unique when required. You will learn about referential integrity and how constraints are a fundamental part of it.<br /><br />Finally, you will be introduced to objects that make up a database and the various datatypes you can store within a database. You will learn about creating, altering and deleting databases using the Data Definition Language.<br /><br />This free Alison course will be of interest to those wishing to learn about the core concepts of databases, database creation and database structure.<br />

In this free online course Introduction to Design Thinking and People Centred Design you will learn what design involves, how to examine design problems, and frame problems from a design point of view.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to design thinking for people centred design. You will learn about the seven mindsets for designers. You will learn about being people centred with your designs and how there is more than aesthetics to design, such as the perceived value that people place on what they see.<br /><br />Next, you will learn how to examine and reflect on design problems. You will be introduced to the questions you should ask when facing a design problem and how to examine a problem by looking at it from different angles. You will learn the importance of asking 'why' to explore a problem and its different aspects. Finally, you will learn about framing your problem from a design point of view.<br /><br />This free Alison Course will be of great interest to professionals working in the areas of product and service design and who would like to learn more about design thinking for people centred design. <br />

In the free course Introduction to DevOps you will be introduced to concepts and practices behind DevOps which can lead to improved customer satisfaction, improved productivity and efficiency, and the increased ability to build the right product by fast experimentation (DevOps is a clipped compound of the words 'development' and 'operations').<br /><br />The course begins by explaining what DevOps is and its benefits as a collaboration and communication methodology for both software developers and other information-technology (IT) professionals. You will learn about different aspects of DevOps such as how it can be used to establish a culture and environment where building, testing, and releasing software can happen rapidly, frequently, and more reliably. Testing occurs in almost every cycle of software development and is a useful way of knowing what works and your end user needs. You will learn about continuous integration and MTTR.<br /><br />The course then delves into continuous deployment and release management. You will gain knowledge about the three stages of deployment, how you can set up your own private agent, and the functionality of artifacts in DevOps. You will then learn about the process of configuration management, application performance monitoring, and availability monitoring. <br /><br />Finally, the course provides you with information on advanced processes of DevOps. You will learn about different advanced processes such as rollback and roll-forward, automated environment de-provisioning, and user telemetry. <br /><br />This course will be of great interest to software developers and other IT professionals who would like to learn more about DevOps and how it can bring significant benefits such as shorter time-to-market, better product quality, and more reliable releases.

In the free online course Introduction to Drones learn about the main components and parts that are found in drones and how they are built and prepared for flight. <br /><br />The course begins by introducing common acronyms that are used when talking about drones and it then describes the common components found in a drone. You will also learn about flight terms such as roll, pitch, yaw and throttle. <br /><br />Next, you will be brought through the steps in building a Rush 4 drone for the first time. You will learn about the process of preparing the motors, electronic speed controllers and power distribution board. You will be guided on how the first-person view is attached in order to film while you fly the drone. The course also reviews the process for the final assembly of a drone.<br /><br />Finally, you will learn about what steps need to be taken before you first fly a drone, in particular you will be introduced to the software tools that you can use to prepare your drone before flying.<br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to anyone who is interested in drones and would like to know how a typical drone is assembled.

Major advances in technology have seen e-commerce becoming extremely viable for business and also very convenient for consumers. Various topologies and security plans allow producers and consumers to sell and purchase with ease. This free online course introduces the learner to various topologies used within e-commerce, the infrastructure required and security needed to make e-commerce possible. This free online course will be of great interest to business professionals, as well as any learner wanting to expand their knowledge and understanding of e-commerce.<br />

The free online course Introduction to E-Learning Theory and Practice is an overview of internationally recognised and research-based e-learning theory and methodologies for creating effective e-learning courses. The course begins by reviewing what is meant by the term &quot;e-learning&quot; and what the benefits are in creating e-learning content. The course then reviews the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Development, how learning occurs in a multimedia environment, and how to identify relevant course material using topic analysis and task analysis methodologies. You will learn about the importance of writing learning outcomes first when creating a course, and how to write learning outcomes about specific aspects of the course that describe a competency or performance capability that is to be acquired by the learner. Next you will learn how to storyboard a course using presentation techniques such as storytelling, a scenario-based approach, a demonstration-practice method, or a toolkit approach. Finally, you will learn how to create different types of assessments that monitor and evaluate student learning. This free online course will be of great interest to teachers, trainers and all subject matter experts who would like to learn more about the theory and practice behind designing and developing effective e-learning courses.<br />

The free online course in Introduction to Ecology provides detailed information about the different types of ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic biomes, and the effects of climate change on biodiversity. The course first introduces you to the scope of ecology and biogeography with a focus on the distribution of plant and animal species and their impact on the terrestrial environment. You will learn how to differentiate between ecological patterns and processes at different scales and levels of biological organisation (population, community and ecosystem). Next, you will learn to identify and recognize the distinguishing characteristics of terrestrial and aquatic biomes. You will gain an understanding of what controls animal and plant distribution, abundance and biodiversity. You will learn how plants and animals absorb energy and nutrients from the ecosystem around them as well as how species interact with each other. You will learn about the biology of various habitats from marine and freshwater to terrestrial habitats and the soil. Finally, you are introduced to climate and the effects of global climate change where you will learn about the interaction between humans, animals and the environment with specific reference to the effects of modern technological advances. You will gain an understanding of the role ecology plays in conservation, wetland and natural resource management, forestry, agriculture and fisheries, as well as the climatological challenges faced by society. The course will be ideal for professionals working in the area of biology, ecology or environmental science, for students who wish to pursue a career in the sciences, or for those who simply want to learn more about building a sustainable existence on this planet. This course will also be of great interest to anyone who would like to learn more about ecological diversity and the distribution of organisms in the global ecosystem around them or those who are concerned about their impact on the environment. <br />

This course provides an integrated introduction to electrical engineering and computer science, taught using substantial laboratory experiments with mobile robots. Our primary goal is for you to learn to appreciate and use the fundamental design principles of modularity and abstraction in a variety of contexts from electrical engineering and computer science.

Our second goal is to show you that making mathematical models of real systems can help in the design and analysis of those systems. Finally, we have the more typical goals of teaching exciting and important basic material from electrical engineering and computer science, including modern software engineering, linear systems analysis, electronic circuits, and decision-making.

Course Format

This course has been designed for independent study. It includes all of the materials you will need to understand the concepts covered in this subject. The materials in this course include:

• Lecture videos from Spring 2011, taught by Prof. Dennis Freeman
• Recitation videos, developed for OCW Scholar by teaching assistant Kendra Pugh
• Course notes
• Software and design labs
• Homework assignments and additional exercises
• Nano-quizzes and exams with solutions

Content Development

Installing electrical wiring is an integral part of an electrician's job. Working with electrical wiring involves working with device boxes, raceways, conductors, and cables. This free online course will introduce the learner to the basics of the electrical wiring system. From explaining the key installation procedures for electrical device boxes and raceways to outlining the correct technique for using hand-benders to bend conduits, this course covers the essential requirements of the job. The course also provides information on metal conduit fittings and some common types of fasteners used to attach raceway supports. Besides this, the course includes a list of commonly used terms associated with electrical wiring. The course will be of great interest to all professionals who would like to learn about the electrical wiring system. It will also be of interest to all learners who are interested in developing a career in the field and learning the practical aspects of the trade. If you are interested in a career in construction, you may find this course of general professional interest. If you always thought you would like to know more about electrical systems, then this might just be the opportunity you have been waiting for to learn more.<br />

A guide for Lay Responders in how to approach the scene of an Emergency

An employer becomes aware of possible illegal or inappropriate conduct by a member of staff. The employer now has to consider what action they will take to establish the facts and, if appropriate, take disciplinary action or contact the police. This free online employee investigation course takes the learner through the role of an Employee Investigator referencing the Private Security industry, the Police force and the law as it applies in the UK. To work within the law in the UK the learner will be introduced to all the major legislation impacting on the role of Employee Investigator, from RIPA and PACE to the TORT law and what constitutes theft. The learner will also be introduced to Employee Rights, how to document any findings from an investigation, how the Employee Investigator should conduct him/herself during the investigation, how to report back to the client and how to proceed with an arrest should that become necessary. This free online employee investigation course will be of great interest to security professionals wanting to work as an Employee Investigator, and to employers and human resource professionals who need to understand the role of the Employee Investigator.<br />

This free online English grammar course teaches you about English grammar, tenses and sentence structure, giving you effective communication with other people in the English language.<br /><br />You will learn examples of Past, Present and Future tenses, the common mistakes made when using these tenses, and their correct usage. You will also learn the word order of a sentence structure and how to turn a sentence into a negative or a question.<br /><br />This will be of great interest to all English language students, language teachers, and anyone looking to improve their use of the English language. This course is complemented by a number of free English language courses hosted for free on ALISON.<br />

Many non-native English speakers find when they study the English language that there is quite a leap from basic informal conversational English to more formal business-like English. The use of colloquial expressions by native English speakers can also be quite confusing to the non-native speaker. In this free online course you will study comparisons between informal and formal uses of greetings, introductions, offers, expressions of gratitude and apologies. You will learn how to recognise the differences between these so that you will be able to decipher what exactly is being communicated. You will practise examples to further increase your knowledge and understanding of the English language. This free English Grammar course will be of great interest to all learners who want to go beyond a basic level of spoken and written English and take their knowledge and understanding to a higher level.<br />

Environmental sustainability involves individuals, communities and countries acting to protect the natural world, so that the capability of the environment to support human life is preserved for future generations. It is becoming an increasingly important subject as people are realising the full impact that businesses and individuals can have on the environment. In this free online course you will be introduced to environmental sustainability and its importance, the sustainability of energy resources such as wind and solar power compared with oil and gas resources, the adverse impacts individuals, communities and businesses can have on the environment, how the global transport of food and goods affects the environment, how communities can become more sustainable by making simple yet effective decisions, and how globalisation in industry and business can affect the environment at both regional and national levels. This free online course will be of great interest to professionals in the areas of ecology studies, environmental organisations, education, local and national governments, business and finance who want to learn more about the importance of environmental sustainability. It will also be of great interest to all students who want to learn how they as individuals can make the right decisions to protect the environment.<br />

In this free course Introduction to Excel 2013 Power BI you will learn about the Power Business Intelligence (BI) tools you can add to Excel 2013. You will learn about using power query to import data from the Internet, and add that data to your Excel worksheet. This course also teaches you to display your data with Power Views and Power Maps.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the Power BI tools and setting them up in Microsoft Excel 2013. It teaches to create a power query to get data from a web page, where you will also learn about modifying your power query and adding the data from the query to your Excel worksheet. This course also includes learning about preparing your data model for creating a power view and adding an url image to your data tables.<br /><br />You will learn about the different visualizations you can use to display your data in power view and interacting with reports in power view to get them to display different data. You will also learn about tiling a card report so it won’t affect your other reports in the same power view, and how to add a simple map to display in your power view.<br /><br />Finally, this course will teach you to create power maps and about data you need to modify in your data model to activate it. You will learn that power maps uses Bing maps and you will need geographical information in your data model for power maps to work properly. You will also learn about creating new scenes and displaying your data on a power map. You will learn about setting the transition between your scenes and creating a video out of your finished power map.<br /><br />This free Alison course will be of great interest to business, accounting and finance professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of Microsoft Excel 2013 and learn about displaying their Excel worksheet data for more dynamic and engaging presentations. <br /><br />Prerequisites: The learner should have basic skills in using Microsoft Excel 2013 and an understanding of data relationships. <br />