Online courses directory (13677)

A comprehensive introduction to the groups, organizations, and societies which form the contexts for the way we live.

The free online course Introduction to Sociology and Social Life is the first in a series of four courses that describes in detail the concepts of societies and cultures, and the types of processes that produce them. The course introduces you to sociology by giving an overview of the three main theories - Structural-Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. It then covers the history of how sociology evolved from from its founding by Auguste Comte in the nineteenth century right through to the modern theorists. The course reviews social inequality, its causes and impacts, the way people are socialized and how different cultural socialization can cause social division. It also reviews why groups form and how they function. You will learn more about culture and how it is defined, its mores and norms, what differentiates cultures and what is common to all cultures. You will also learn how population and the environment are linked and the impact this can have on society. This course will be of great interest to professionals working in areas as diverse as medicine, politics, law, urban organization and marketing, and any learner who would like to know more about how cultures and societies evolve and change.<br />

In the free online course Introduction to Software Testing you will learn about the principles of testing software and the methodologies involved in testing. <br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the principles behind testing software and why you should test software. You will learn about the process involved in testing and when to begin testing in the software development life cycle. The course will introduce you to the verification and validation processes of testing, and you will learn about the different testing levels and what they test.<br /><br />Next, the course teaches you about the pesticide paradox when testing software. You will learn about the software development life cycle V-model and its strengths and weaknesses. You will also learn about the fault model and how it outlines the types of faults in a program. You will then be introduced to test cases, and the design, planning and strategies for using a test case. You will learn about unit testing and what parts of the program it tests.<br /><br />This free Alison course will be of great interest to programmers and IT developers who are interested in learning more about software testing methodologies and removing bugs from their programs.<br /><br />Prerequisites: The learner should understand programming concepts, and an understanding of the software development life cycle would also be of benefit. <br />

This course explores the basic principles of chemistry and their application to engineering systems. It deals with the r

Introduction to Solid State Chemistry is a first-year single-semester college course on the principles of chemistry. This unique and popular course satisfies MIT's general chemistry degree requirement, with an emphasis on solid-state materials and their application to engineering systems.

Course Format

This course has been designed for independent study. It provides everything you will need to understand the concepts covered in the course. The materials include:

• A complete set of Lecture Videos by Prof. Sadoway.
• Detailed Course Notes for most video sessions, plus readings in several suggested textbooks.
• Homework problems with solution keys, to further develop your understanding.
• For Further Study collections of links to supplemental online content.
• Self-Assessment pages containing quiz and exam problems to assess your mastery, and Help Session Videos in which teaching assistants take you step-by-step through exam problem solutions.

About OCW Scholar

OCW Scholar courses are designed specifically for OCW’s single largest audience: independent learners. These courses are substantially more complete than typical OCW courses, and include new custom-created content as well as materials repurposed from previously published courses. Learn more about OCW Scholar.

Basic principles of Solidworks taught via a series of components, culminating in the design of a dynamic model engine

Learn how to use a solution focused approach, & what the benefits are of integrating this approach into the work you do

Introduction to Spanish is a free online language course that will take you through the basics of saying hello and goodbye, please and thanks, introducing yourself as well as how to count and use dates. You will also learn about the Spanish alphabet and pronunciation and gain a basic understanding of Spanish grammar and verbs. Additional examples are accessible within the course as well as more information on grammar, verbs and vocabulary. Words and phrases are presented as text, with both Spanish and English visible to aid learning. Audio is also used throughout the course and in the assessment. You will also learn how to type Spanish accented letters on your computer. This free online Spanish language course will be of great interest to anybody wanting to travel to Spain, either as a tourist or for business, business people who have regular contact with Spanish colleagues and for any learner who has an interest in speaking or reading Spanish.<br />

Learn to program with Sprite Kit, Apple's 2d game engine for iOS7. Create incredible games with code already in Xcode 5.

Gain a solid working knowledge of the most powerful and widely used database programming language.

Gain a solid working knowledge of the most powerful and widely used database programming language.

This SQL training course is designed for students new to writing SQL queries. Build applications and generate reports.

How to use Staffing Firms to save time, save money and focus on YOUR business!

Improve your understanding of data and learn how to develop graphs and charts so you can use this information to make better decisions.

Learn how stock options can protect your portfolio and help you profit in any type of market.

Everyone knows that when you identify stocks that you believe are going to increase in price you buy them. But how can you profit from stocks that you believe will decline in price? The answer is shorting. Shorting enables you to sell stock that you do not own and buy it back at a later time, ideally at a lower price. In this free online course you will learn more about stocks and shares and how they are valued. You will then learn about the process of short selling, how to borrow stocks that you do not own, what obligations you have to original owner of the stocks, and how to cover your short where you return the stocks after buying them back, hopefully, for less than the cost when you sold them. This course will be of interest to professionals in the financial services sector and anyone who wishes to understand stocks and what the process of short selling involves. Please note that while this free course will teach you about making investments in stocks in general, it does not advocate that you should buy stocks or invest in the stock market, and that any investment made in the stock market may lose money. <br />

Learn the language of film while mastering drawing to achieve great Story Boards for the inner Story teller in you.

The free online course Introduction to Strategic Management introduces you to the concept of strategic management and how management can use the principles underlying strategic management to formulate and implement major goals and initiatives. The course explains what a mission statement is and what it can achieve for a business. You will learn what parameters should be included in a strategic plan and how a strategic plan should help determine long-term decisions including an organization's objectives, goals and course of action. You will learn how clearly stated mission statements add focus to the organization's efforts. You will learn the difference between operating decisions and strategic decisions and what a strategic management decision process involves. You will also learn more about experience curves and how they are used in business strategy. Finally, you will learn about doom loops, how a business can avoid getting into a doom loop, and what steps can help a business get out of a doom loop if they are already in one. This course will be of great interest to all professionals working in management, 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 />

In this free online course Introduction to Stress Management, you will be introduced to stress and the history of stress. You will learn about the different types of stress and what can trigger each of them. You will also learn the three stages of stress and be able to explain each of them individually.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to stress and the history and genesis of stress research. You will learn about the differences between eustress and distress. You will also be able to explain the importance of how stress can be helpful to an individual.<br /><br />The course will inform you about stressors and the different types of stressors. People react differently in stressful situations, from this course, you will be able to explain why this is and why some people return to their resting rate sooner than others after a stressful situation. The course will then present you with information on how to bounce back from stress and the role of personality factors in stress. <br /><br />Finally, you will learn about how stress can occur in college for both a fresher and a senior student and ways to overcome this stress. This free Alison course would be of great interest to anyone who suffers from stress or those who have studied, or going to study, psychology and stress management.<br /><br />

Introduction to Supply Chain Design is a free online course that explains what supply chain design is and provides insights on how to design supply chains to give them competitive advantages over competing supply chains. It is said that in today's market, firms don't compete, supply chains do. Supply chains determine the ability of the businesses included in them to compete in the marketplace and how their supply chains are designed will affect their ability to compete. For example, a business that is attempting to compete in a market where low cost is paramount will have difficulty if it includes high cost suppliers in its supply chain. The course explains the importance of supply chain design and the design process itself. This free online course will be of great interest to all professionals who work in the areas of operations management, logistics, procurement and information technology, and to all learners who are interested in developing a career in the area of supply chain management.<br />