Online courses directory (19947)

Care relationships within health professions are of great importance and hold a lot of meaning for both the provider and recipient. This free online course will give you a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of care relationships within health professions. The course covers the issue of care relationships in a variety of situations and contexts. Some of the areas covered include: caring in a hospital setting, caring for the elderly and disabled in residential care, hospice care and care as a family affair. Topics such as the limits and boundaries of care, community care, the meaning of home, care transactions, and care of those who are at the end stages of life are also discussed. This course will be of great interest to professionals already in the health or care professions, to learners who are planning a career in the health professions and will also be beneficial to individuals who are either giving or receiving care.

This free online course is intended to introduce students to the whole area of energy sustainability, climate change and renewable energy technologies. Many greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, occur naturally. However, during the past two centuries, human activities have also added significantly to the level of these naturally occurring gases. In particular, large amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are produced by the use of non-renewable energy sources such as oil, natural gas and coal. For a sustainable future these fossil fuels will have to be replaced by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, and biomass fuels. In this online course students will learn the connection between energy use and sustainability, how current energy use is contributing to global climate change, the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources, how to identify and distinguish between different forms of renewable energy, and understand the advantages and disadvantages of different renewable energy sources. The course will be of great interest to teachers and students who want to learn more about energy use and how renewable sources of energy will be of vital importance for a sustainable future.

<p>Google Android applications for mobile devices using the Android operating system are increasing in popularity with millions of these applications being purchased every year. </p><br /> <p>In this free online course, leading Android developers will talk you through a variety of topics relating to Android apps development in a series of video presentations. </p> <br /> <p>Topics covered include architecture overview, application lifecycle, Android APIs, Android app development, development tools and the Android User Interface. </p> <br /> <p>This course is an ideal introduction for students who want to learn more about application development for mobile devices and, in particular, those interested in Android. </p>

One in four adults experience some form of mental health problems at some point in their lives. Anxiety, depression and severe mental problems such as schizophrenia affect not only the individuals concerned but also their families and friends. Mental health problems result in reduced quality of life and possibly loss of life. It is therefore important to understand mental distress and the ways it can be treated. This free course will help you understand mental health and mental illness, mental health practise and care in the community. It will tackle the issues of stigma and discrimination in mental health, explain why the promotion of mental well-being is important and give a history of institutions and segregation. The course will also focus on the positive impact exercise can have on mental health and psychological well-being. This course will be of great interest to professionals in social and health professions, for anyone who has personal experience of mental health problems and anyone with a general interest in this important subject.

Planet Earth is unique in the Solar System as it has just the right systems and resources to give rise to life. This free online course will review the systems and resources found on Earth such as the flow of energy around the planet, the cycling of matter, the geology of the planet, the Earth's atmosphere and biosphere, groundwater and surface water, and mineral, soil and biological resources. The course reviews the impact humans are having on these systems and resources and will look at air, soil and water pollutants, and how humans manage the land. This course will be of great interest to professionals working in areas related to the environmental sciences or earth sciences, to all teachers of geography and science, and to students who are thinking of a career in the environmental sciences or earth sciences. It should also be of interest to anyone who simply wants to understand better our physical place in the universe which is constantly evolving around us.<br />

Humans have been designing and building monuments and buildings of all types and sizes from the dawn of civilisation to the extent that the built environment reflects a people's cultural, religious and political beliefs and characteristics. This free online course reviews early buildings and monuments from the Roman Empire through to the Middle Ages. It looks at examples such as Renaissance and Baroque architecture and well-known examples of 19th and 20th century buildings. Works by famous architects such as Brunelleschi, Bernini, Solomon Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are also reviewed. This course will be of interest to architecture and design professionals, and to learners who would like to pursue a career in the areas of design, architecture and the built environment. Even if you are about to design your new home, you might find inspiration by studying this course!<br />

This free online course was developed in response to the emerging importance of children and youth in international development policy. The course will give the learner a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of development from the early years right through to adolescence. The course will deal with questions such as: What makes young people tick? What shapes and influences a child's development? How can the adults who work with children support them more effectively? After completion of the course, learners will be familiar with the major theories on the development of children. This course will be of great interest to professionals already in health, care or development professions, to learners who are planning a career that centres on youth, and will also be beneficial to parents, carers, and learners who are interested in studying issues related to children and adolescents.<br />

It is over sixty years since the structure of DNA was first discovered by Watson and Crick. Since then work in genetics and gene technology has expanded to the point where the entire human genome has been sequenced, and there is now hope of being able to cure diseases using gene therapy. There is also on-going work in the area of modifying plant DNA to produce pest-resistant crops that give bigger harvests for more food. Today, people need a thorough knowledge and understanding of genetics and gene therapy so that they can make up their own minds as to the potential benefits and drawbacks of what this field of science can offer us. In this free online course you will discover what genes do and explore and come to understand reference terms such as meiosis and mitosis. The course also covers evolutionary aspects of DNA and the genome. You will also learn about gene technology which includes gene testing, gene therapy and the controversial area of genetic modification in plants. This course will be of great interest to professionals working in the areas of biology, medicine and development, to learners who would like a career in the areas of genetics and gene technology, and to anyone interested in understanding the basic area of science that underpins all living existence.<br />

Children from birth to the age of 18 are now considered academically to represent a distinct sociological and cultural class. This means that children are studied as complete individuals in their own right, separate and distinct from adults.<br /><br />ALISON's free online course is multi-disciplinary in nature, covering developmental, psychological, familial and sociological aspects of children's studies. It begins by reviewing the psychological development of children and how they learn, then looks at the role of the family and the place of the child within modern family structures.<br /><br />The sociological aspects of children’s studies review how the modern state looks after the well-being of its children in a modern society.<br /><br />ALISON’S Diploma in Children’s Studies will be of great interest to all professionals who work with children or who are responsible for their well-being, and to learners who would like a career working with children in the health, social or caring professions.<br /><br />It will also be of interest to parents, or those who want to relate, support, encourage and understand their children better.<br />

Great artists and their works inspire and move people even centuries after the works of art were created. This free online course reviews works of art by great artists through the centuries from Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael during the Renaissance, to artists such as Caravaggio and Jacques-Louis David as well as the artists Edouard Manet and Pablo Picasso in the 19th and 20th centuries. Great works of art such as The Last Supper by Leonardo, the frescos in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo to more modern works such as Guernica by Picasso are reviewed. This course will be of interest to professionals who work in the fields of art, design and graphics, to learners who are pursuing a career in the arts and to those who just love great works of art. If you have ever stepped into an Art Museum saying to yourself that you wish you knew just a little more about how to appreciate great art, this course is for you.<br />

Sustainable development is defined by the United Nations as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. Sustainable development is the concern for both the present and the future inhabitants of the planet as a whole. This course will explain what sustainable development is and how the ecological, economic and social aspects of sustainable development overlap. The course also explains how systems practise can help manage complexity in the area of sustainable development and you will examine case studies which look at aspects of sustainable development in China and Scotland. This course will be of great interest to professionals who work in the areas of international development, sustainability or environmental science, to students who are pursuing a career in the areas of international development and sustainability, and to anyone with an interest in the ecological, economic and social aspects of sustainable development.<br />

Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering focusing on how complex engineering projects should be designed and managed over their life cycles. It deals with work-processes and tools to manage risks on complex projects and is used in areas such as control engineering, industrial engineering, organizational studies, and project management. This free online course will give you a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of systems engineering. The course examines systems and why they are important and you will learn about modern engineering, systems methodologies, systems concepts, ways of thinking, and systems modelling and diagramming. This course will be of great interest to professionals who work in all engineering sectors and also to students of engineering, information technology, software development and management. The course will be helpful for anyone who would like to learn more about the use of diagrams, risk assessment and problem solving. <br />

Modern society across the world is becoming increasingly dependent on communication networks. We depend on them for the smooth operation of economic and social activities. This course examines networks as the means of interconnecting devices so that two-way communication is possible. It examines protocols like HTTP, TCP/IP and ATM as well as the OSI reference model, and provides an overview of the topic for learners who have no significant prior knowledge of the subject. The main topics covered in this course are: Internet protocol (IP), the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Areas that are also covered include the layers of communication, vertical and horizontal communication, protocol architecture, Domain name system, the ATM layers, and an analysis of IP over ATM. This course will be of interest to professionals who work in information technology, network design, and network management, and will also be of interest to students who would like a greater understanding of how networks function.<br />

<p>This free online course on iPhone App Development will be of great interest to professionals who develop applications for mobile phones, and the iPhone in particular, and to students who want greater knowledge and understanding about iPhone app development. </p><br /> <p>Apple iPhones are one of the most popular smartphones on the market today, with thousands of iPhone apps being downloaded every day. </p><br /> <p>Through a series of video lectures, you will learn about iPhone app development including the Objective-C programming language and how it is used to program iPhone apps; the features of the Mac OS X such as the Core OS level, Core Services level, Media level and Cocoa Touch level. </p><br /> <p>You will also learn about programming for single touch and multi-touch functionality and how to develop iPhone apps that use the built-in accelerometer. </p><br /> <p>Many people make a lot of money from developing high quality apps for the iPhone. Study this course and you could perhaps join this elite group! </p>

What is Google AdSense? Google AdSense allows publishers of websites to serve automatic text, image, video and rich media adverts that are targeted to site content and audience. This Google AdSense tutorial and course will give you a general introduction to Google AdSense, and will cover topics such as Google AdSense policies, custom channels, search box placement, rich image ads, placement targeting, blocking and allowing ads, reviewing your ads and performance reports, and finally how to use Google AdSense to help you earn a living, allowing you perhaps the freedom to work for yourself, from home, or abroad. This Google AdSense tutorial course will be of great interest to professionals who want to promote their website more effectively and to learners who want a better understanding of how to use Google AdSense and how it operates. This course is essential learning for any budding online entrepreneur or individual seeking a career in an online business environment.<br />

Google Apps helps businesses, groups and individuals work more productively. This course will give you a general introduction to Google Apps, and will outline the benefits of “Going Google”. You will be introduced to the Google Marketplace where you can choose which apps will be of use. The course will cover topics such as the benefits of Google Apps for business, security and data protection, and will introduce you to six businesses that use Google Apps and their opinions of the service. This course will be of great interest to business professionals and groups or individuals who wish to make their daily work more productive and impactful. This course covers introductions to what are becoming some of the world’s most compelling online productivity tools.<br />

Google Analytics is one of the premier tools for analysing web traffic data. Whether you manage or own a small blog, or run a major international commercial website, understanding how this free tool works can be a source of great possibilities. Google Analytics gives you access to an abundance of data. You can see where your visitors are coming from, what content is popular and whether your website is working well for you. This course will be of great interest to anyone running a website and wishing to understand the dynamics of online marketing. The course will be useful to professionals in business and marketing, as well as to the casual learner. Understanding website traffic statistics is important in every business today and understanding this tool well, will make you a more competitive employee or entrepreneur.<br />

Google enterprise products make businesses and their users more productive by combining the ease of use of Google's consumer products with the features, security and support that a company or organization requires. This course will outline four features of Google’s enterprise products that are aimed at reducing costs and improving employee efficiency and productivity; Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Google Apps and Google Docs. Google Analytics gives you access to an abundance of data. You can see where your visitors are coming from, what content is popular and are your goals being converted. Google AdSense is a program run by Google that allows publishers of websites to serve automatic text, image, video, and rich media adverts that are targeted to site content and audience. Google Apps offers powerful messaging and collaboration apps that meet business-critical needs, they are completely integrated online, which means you can access them from many different computers in many different areas. Google Docs is a free, Web-based office suite and data storage service offered by Google. It is a collection of applications that make it easier to produce the kinds of files commonly used in corporate environments: documents, spreadsheets and presentations. This course will be of great interest to all business professionals who want a greater understanding and knowledge of what Google applications have to offer business, and to all learners who would like to learn more about the power and versatility of various Google applications. <br />

Google Docs is a free, Web-based office suite and data storage service offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users. It is a collection of applications that make it easier to produce the kinds of files commonly used in corporate environments: documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. In this Google Docs training course, you will be given a basic introduction on how to use to Google Docs. Topics covered in the course include: Google collaboration and the sharing of information online, Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets, Google Forms, Google Presentations and Google sharing and other tips on how to use Google Docs. This Google Docs training will be of great interest to business professionals and individuals who would like to know how to use Google Docs to help improve productivity. Google Docs is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular online tools. If you are not aware of Google Docs, here is your opportunity to learn some very cool new skills.<br />

Over 600 million people have used Google Earth to explore the world around them. You can view the highest mountains, the depths of the ocean, the tallest buildings and the busiest cities. You can zoom in and out of this stunning imagery, tilt your view and share these views with your friends. In this course you will learn exactly how to use Google Earth and experience its stunning 3D imagery and terrain. You will explore the global seafloor and view cities in 3D. This course explains how you can easily build 3D models yourself of the places that are important to you. You will see how Google Earth has been used to improve life for slum dwellers in India. You will examine how Google Earth is helping the US forest service to save lives, property and resources. You will also watch an example of a flight path using the track feature in Google Earth. This course will be of interest to learners who would like to learn more about Google Earth and its features in more detail. More than anything, this course is simply a lot of fun - for just yourself or your family!<br />