Online courses directory (19947)

With each American Presidential election there is always great interest in both the U.S. and around the world in how the American political system actually nominates candidates who run for the positions of President and Vice President, and how a President is elected. In this free online American civics course you will be introduced to the process of primary elections and/or caucuses that are held in each U.S state and territory, and are an integral part of the nominating process for the Presidential election. You will also learn about the Electoral College sytem which is an institution that officially elects the President and Vice President every four years. Once a President is elected he must then form a Cabinet whose members are the heads of the fifteen federal executive departments. You will learn how the executive branch of the U.S. government runs its affairs by examining case studies in areas such as funding social security, introducing taxes, and controlling government deficits and expenditure. This free online course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn more about the American political system. This course will also complement the free online course titled 'U.S. Citizenship Test Preparation' which is available on ALISON and is the ideal course to study for anyone who is preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Test.<br />

Fractional reserve banking is a key concept in banking. It means banks maintain only a fraction of the total amount of money in all their customers’ deposit accounts as cash that is available for withdrawal by depositors. By doing this, banks free up large supplies of capital that can be loaned out to businesses, thereby helping to expand the economy. The economic system of most countries utilise this concept. This free online banking course explains in detail what fractional reserve banking is and how this banking system works. The course reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the fractional reserve banking system; for example, it helps economies grow but banks are also very vulnerable if there is a run on a bank and all depositors try to withdraw their money at the same time. As an alternative, full reserve banking is also explored and you will also see how money is accounted for in the balance sheets of banks. This free online banking course will be of great interest to professionals in the banking, finance, economics and business fields who would like a greater knowledge and understanding of fractional reserve banking and the strengths and weaknesses of this system of banking.<br />

For teachers and trainers to fulfil their instructional role most effectively, their teaching methods must be grounded in educational learning theory. Understanding the learning process is a key element of educational learning theory and provides a framework for teachers and trainers to plan, create and deliver effective lessons, and assess each student's learning. In this free online education course, you will be introduced to the learning process. The course begins by differentiating between teaching and learning, and by describing teachers’ and trainers’ perspectives on learning. The course provides details about two major learning theories: behaviourism and constructivism. Within the section on Behaviourism, operant conditioning and its implications for teaching are examined in detail. The section on Constructivism compares and contrasts two subtypes of constructivism: psychological constructivism and social constructivism. Finally, the implications of constructivism for teaching are discussed using two practical strategies. This free online education course will be of great interest to professionals in the education sector who would like a greater knowledge and understanding of the learning process that will enhance their teaching and training, and to all students who are interested in the process of how we learn.<br />

When learning a new language an important first step is to learn the rules of grammar that allow people express what they want to say and understand what others are saying in a coherent manner. An equally important second step is to practise using the rules of grammar to become proficient in communicating in the language. In this free online English language course you will get to practise using important rules of grammar that will greatly improve your ability to communicate in both spoken and written English. You will practise the use of tenses such as the present continuous, past perfect, past simple, present perfect continuous and past perfect continuous to improve your ability to communicate. You will also practise and learn how to use superlatives and comparatives, and practise using reported speech. This free online English language course will be of great interest to all learners who have studied previous English language courses on ALISON such as 'Fundamentals of English Grammar' and 'Introduction to Conversational English', and who now want to further practise and improve their ability to communicate confidently in English.<br />

A healthy diet is fundamental to sustaining life, supporting vital body functions and maintaining a disease free body. Correct dietary combinations are also necessary in supporting the patient’s healing and recovery process. This free online nursing studies course provides the learner with an overview of the key elements in diet therapy. The module Factors Influencing Diet introduces the learner to the intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting the patient’s diet. The range of lifestyle, cultural and religious factors influencing diet and diet choice are reviewed and the resulting health implications for the patient are outlined. The module Reasons for the Therapeutic Diet examines the range of medical disorders requiring special dietary preparations to assist the healing process, correct an imbalance or supply necessary dietary nutrients when a pre-existing medical condition exits. The module Standard Hospital Diets identifies the range of food combinations used in diet preparation to meet the needs of patients with diverse medical and recovery needs. Food ingredients and preparation methods are outlined, enabling the learner to identify and match diet preparations to patient healing and recovery requirements. The vital active role of the practice nurse in diet therapy in assisting and supporting the patient recovery process is also discussed. The range of nursing interventions in the hospital and patient-care setting are outlined, as is the role of the specialist dietary practitioner. This free online nursing studies course will be of great interest to all professionals in the healthcare sector who would like to acquire a greater knowledge and understanding of diet therapy as a key factor in maintaining overall body health and wellness.<br />

Most people who learn a second language would like to master enough of that language to be able to engage in basic conversations when meeting people in social settings. This free online English language course will help you improve your social English language skills so that you will be able to communicate confidently with people in social settings. The course starts by showing you how to meet and greet people and how to engage in small talk. You will also learn how to make suggestions, requests, and offers, how to talk about what you do in your spare time, and give opinions on different topics. This free online English language course will give you much greater confidence when communicating with people in social settings and allow you to engage in conversations that are fun and meaningful. This course will be of great interest to all students who have completed the free online course titled 'Introduction to Conversational English' available on ALISON and who would like to further improve their English language skills.<br />

Special education addresses the individual differences and requirements of students with special educational needs. As a teacher or trainer, working with students with special educational needs requires specific skills and strategies to create and deliver effective programs. <br /><br />ALISON's free online education course serves as an introduction to the field of special education. The course begins by outlining core elements of special education, including the change in educational legalization in recent years with particular emphasis on legislation in the United States. The responsibilities of teachers and trainers are also detailed, along with the individual educational plan (IEP). The course describes the most frequent disabilities encountered in the classroom: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders, and physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The course provides key information about each of these disabilities and describes practical strategies on how to assist and teach students with these disabilities. <br /><br />This education course will be of great interest to professionals in the education sector who would like a greater knowledge and understanding of working with students with special educational needs, and to all students who are interested in special education.<br />

If you have completed the ALISON free online course &quot;Introduction to English Grammar - Vocabulary, Pronunciation and Listening&quot;, this new English course will help you further extend your English language vocabulary and improve your pronunciation skills. In this free online English language course, you will cover vocabulary in areas such as shopping, food, and sports, and pronunciation of the alphabet and silent letters. The course also covers the 10 most-used nouns, verbs, and expressions in English. <br /><br />ALISON's online English language course will be of great interest to all learners who already have a basic knowledge of the English language and who want to further improve their vocabulary and pronunciation skills to be able to communicate more effectively.<br />

For learners who have completed the free online introductory yoga course titled &quot;Yoga for a Healthier Lifestyle&quot; available on ALISON, this new yoga course will be a welcome follow-up as it teaches you new yoga exercises and techniques that will help you improve your core strength and flexibility. This free online yoga course teaches you in a step-by-step manner more advanced yoga techniques such as how to fine tune your bodily alignment, improve your balance and posture, yoga techniques for the neck, hips and lower back, and very important breathing techniques for inner calm and stress relief. This free online yoga course will be of great interest to learners who have some knowledge and experience of yoga techniques and would like to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of more advanced techniques that will strengthen the inner core and improve flexibility.<br />

A monopoly exists when one particular business is the only supplier of a commodity or service within any particular sector of the economy. This is a very important concept to understand as to monopolize a market means that a business has significant market power and can charge higher prices. In this free online economics course you will learn about the characteristics of a monopoly, when monopolies might occur, and the economic and financial implications of a business having a monopoly in a particular commodity or service sector. You will learn how monopolies optimize prices. Concepts such as total revenue, marginal revenue, and dead weight loss are clearly explained. Monopolies are also contrasted with oligopolies where a market or industry is dominated by a small number of businesses and where the decisions of one business influence the decisions made by the other businesses. This free online economics course will be of great interest to all professionals in areas such as economics, finance, business and politics who would like to learn more about the economic and financial implications of monopolies existing within any business sector, and to all learners who would like learn more about how monopolies operate within a market.<br />

The essential role of nurse as caregiver is well recognised but the modern nurse can also be a team leader and healthcare teacher. This free online nursing course provides an overview of the varied dimensions associated with the practical nurse as team leader within the healthcare setting. The course defines team nursing as well as reviewing the types of leadership styles employed and their impact on team performance and productivity levels. Additionally, the learner is introduced to the practical nurse as teacher within the healthcare setting. Key elements of the course encompass teaching and learning strategies, factors which affect learning and steps in the teaching-learning process. The importance of preparation, lesson planning and evaluations to ensure effective delivery of the learning programme are outlined. This free online nursing course will be of great interest to healthcare practitioners and those learners who wish to develop their understanding of the varied and multi-dimensional role of the modern nursing professional.<br />

Student development and student diversity need to be studied and understood simultaneously. While there are general similarities between students, ultimately every student develops in a different way depending on a variety of social, cognitive, cultural and gender-related factors. This course aims to further your understanding of student development and diversity. The course discusses physical, cognitive, social and moral development of students in detail. Key development theories are examined and practical classroom examples are supplied to engage the learner. Vital information about student diversity is also presented. It zones in on two core elements of student diversity: gender and culture. This free online education course will be of great interest to professionals in the education sector who would like a greater knowledge and understanding of student development and diversity, and to all students who are interested in development and diversity in education.<br />

German is spoken by nearly one hundred million people in central European countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union. Germany is internationally recognised as the industrial and economic powerhouse of Europe, so a working knowledge of German is essential for professionals in areas such as business, finance, economics and politics. In this free online German language course you will be introduced to basic German vocabulary and grammar. You will learn about times of the day, colours, numbers, the alphabet, and important verbs. This free online German language course will be of great interest to all professionals who would like to begin learning German, and to all learners who would like to be introduced to this very important European language.<br />

In this free online accounting course you will be introduced to accounting and its use in making business decisions. You will learn how to identify and describe the three basic forms of business organizations, and also distinguish among the three types of activities performed by business organizations. The course then describes the content and purposes of the income statement, statement of retained earnings, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. You will learn about the basic accounting equation and describe its relationship to the balance sheet. The course then shows you how to prepare an income statement, a statement of retained earnings, and a balance sheet, and also how to analyse and use the financial results—the equity ratio. This free online accounting course will be of great interest to entrepreneurs and business professionals who would like to get a thorough introduction to accounting principles, and to any learner who is interested in accounting as a future career.<br />

The power of electrical energy has been harnessed by engineers over the past century to transform society and how we live our lives. The phenomenon of electrical energy has been known since the 16th century, but it was only in the 19th century that rapid progress was made in the areas of electrical technology and electrical engineering. <br /><br />ALISON's free online electrical technology course introduces the basic laws of electricity, sources of electricity and electricity safety procedures. It also reviews electrical technology such as resistors, inductors, capacitors and series, and parallel circuits. <br /><br />ALISON's free online electrical technology course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn the basics of electricity and how electrical technology works to bring all the benefits of modern living into our lives.<br />

<p>This free online anatomy course will be of great interest to healthcare professionals who would like to obtain a greater knowledge and understanding of the human nervous system, and to anyone who would like to know more about the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems. </p><br /> <p>The human nervous system is made up of two main parts - the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system consists of the nerves that extend to all the other organs in the body. The autonomic nervous system is part of the peripheral nervous system and comprises the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. </p><br /> <p>In an Introduction To The Human Nervous System you will learn about the structure and function of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system; the structure and function of the brain and spinal cord, and how these control and coordinate the sensory inputs and movements of the body. </p><br /> <p>The course also examines the peripheral nervous system and, in particular, the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system. Nerve impulses and synaptic transmission are also explained in detail. </p>

Supply and demand in a market economy is one the most fundamental concepts in economics. Demand refers to the quantity of a product or service that is demanded by consumers. Supply refers to how much of the product or service the market can offer. The price of a good or service is greatly influenced by supply and demand and will usually settle at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers will equal the quantity supplied by producers. This free online economics course will review in detail the laws of supply and demand, how they operate in a market economy and how they determine the price of goods and services. The course outlines factors that affect both supply and demand, and how there is an in-built price elasticity within supply and demand for goods or services. This free online economics course will be of great interest to all professionals in the areas of economics, finance, business and politics who would like to learn more about how the price of goods and services is determined, and to all learners who would like a greater understanding of the fundamental laws of supply and demand.<br />

The free online course Introduction to Conflict Management and Negotiation introduces you to the different types of conflict that can occur in your work and personal life, reasons why conflict can arise, and various conflict-handling styles to help you effectively manage conflict. This course will also present you with the knowledge and skills necessary to have successful negotiations including how to avoid common mistakes in negotiation.<br /><br />The course begins by explaining what conflict is. You will learn about the various types of conflict that can occur and the level of conflict that is most effective for high performance. You will study potential root causes of conflict arising within a workplace and the positive and negative outcomes of this conflict. You will then learn multiple ways on how to resolve organizational conflict and the most common styles people have for handling conflict. This section concludes by explaining how an awareness of our emotions and thoughts are important for the success of managing conflict and the key to keeping disagreements healthy. <br /><br />The course then introduces you to the five stages of negotiation. You will study a detailed description of each stage including examples highlighting the relevance of each stage. You will learn about negotiation strategies as well as how to avoid common mistakes that could negatively impact the result of your negotiation. From here, you will learn about third-party negotiations and alternative dispute resolutions recognising when it is time to enlist a third-party negotiator. You will then learn about ethics and negotiations. This section will explain how you can effectively negotiate with people from around the world and different cultures without insulting cultural traditions. To conclude this section of the course, you will learn about tips for negotiating success and also steps you can take to negotiate for a higher salary.<br /><br />This course will be of great interest to professionals working in the areas of conflict management, negotiations and human resources. It will also be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn more about the various types of conflict that can occur and the negotiation skills that can be used to manage conflict.

Fixed cost, variable cost and marginal cost are very important concepts to understand in economics. Fixed costs are business expenses and are often time-related such as salaries and rents which are paid on a monthly basis. Variable costs are expenses related to business activity and change in proportion to an increase or decrease in this activity. Marginal cost is the change in total cost that arises when the quantity of goods produced increases by one unit. It is a measure of the cost of producing one additional unit. This free online economics course explains in a simple and clear manner the concepts behind fixed, variable and marginal costs using worked examples. The relationship between marginal cost, average total cost and marginal revenue is also outlined. By studying this course the learner will appreciate the importance of these costs in economics, and why and how they are calculated. This free online economics course will be of great interest to all professionals in economics, finance and business who would like a greater knowledge and understanding of fixed, variable and marginal costs, and to all learners who would like a greater insight into the factors that determine these key costs in economics.<br />

Nursing staff provide essential support during all phases of the surgical cycle, which encompasses the peri-operative, pre-operative, intra-operative and recovery room phases. In this free online nursing studies course the learner is introduced to the vital roles performed by the medical team throughout the surgical experience. The range of surgical interventions performed in the treatment of disease and disorders are outlined, along with the related nursing implications and corresponding patient care procedures applied during the surgical cycle. Peri-operative patient care introduces the surgical experience with particular reference to the types and classification of surgical interventions, their function, risk level and impact on the patient. The pre-operative phase outlines patient preparation procedures which start once surgical intervention is agreed, through to the patient's arrival on the operating table. Nursing implications, patient care, communication and the relevant documentation process are outlined. The intra-operative phase refers to patient surgery and ends when the patient is transferred to the recovery room. The learner is introduced to the surgical team and their respective functions. The selection, type, effect and administration method of the anaesthetic agents is also discussed. Patients are transferred directly to the Recovery Room after the surgical intervention procedure is complete and remain there until sufficiently conscious to respond to stimuli. Key elements of the course focus on post-operative complications and patient care procedures in relation to body systems treated. This free online nursing studies course will be of great interest to all healthcare professionals who would like to acquire a greater understanding of the key phases in the surgical experience and the types of surgical interventions performed in the treatment of injury, disease and disorders. <br />