Online courses directory (19947)

Addressing real customer needs is the core factor of managing innovation successfully. Exactly this is the task of the first stages of an innovation project, also called the Frontend of Innovation (FEI). In this course, you will learn about key concepts and methods of generating customer-centric business ideas and innovative concepts.

Often, the first stages of an innovation project are called "fuzzy", as they are considered to be less structured and less predictable. However, after studying this course, you will get a different perspective: The Frontend of Innovation indeed can be managed by skill and dedicated methods and does not need to rely on luck.

You’ll study sources of information on customer needs as well as different approaches to market research and customer co-creation. In addition, the course reviews the latest methods for generating market insights and how to turn them into promising concepts prior to entering the formal product development process.

You will learn screening activities and how to evaluate concepts based on concept testing with customers or rapid experimentation. This course will also connect theories of innovation and various models, explaining innovation success with actionable knowledge for industry practice.

Besides the online lectures, participants will engage in a series of individual and group exercises that will help deepen their understanding of the topic at hand. Real-life case studies and examples from companies will be used to help participants better prepare for actual situations. In addition, the concepts will be discussed in relation to their theoretical grounding in academic literature.

This course is part of the "Managing Technology & Innovation: How to deal with disruptive change" MicroMasters program designed to teach the critical skills needed to be successful in this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential, you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the six courses of the RWTHx MicroMasters program.

Computational thinking is an invaluable skill that can be used across every industry, as it allows you to formulate a problem and express a solution in such a way that a computer can effectively carry it out.

In this course, part of the Big Data MicroMasters program, you will learn how to apply computational thinking in data science. You will learn core computational thinking concepts including decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking.

You will also learn about data representation and analysis and the processes of cleaning, presenting, and visualizing data. You will develop skills in data-driven problem design and algorithms for big data.

The course will also explain mathematical representations, probabilistic and statistical models, dimension reduction and Bayesian models.

You will use tools such as R, MOA and data processing libraries in associated language environments.

Business innovation is nothing without great ideas. But creativity can be difficult to spark on a schedule. It requires a steady hand to manage the creative process and move it forward in a productive way.

This course focuses on ways to manage creativity effectively and introduces a flexible and iterative innovation management process model. You will learn how to navigate a new product concept through the development stage to launch and review.  

You’ll also be introduced to agile development principles and techniques for technical problem solving. You will learn how novel methods of open innovation enable your company to benefit from external knowledge and ideas.

Besides online lectures, participants will engage in a series of homework exercises and tutorials that will help deepen their understanding of the topic at hand. Real-life case studies and examples from companies will be used to help participants better prepare for actual situations. In addition, the concepts will be discussed in relation to their theoretical grounding in academic literature.

This course is part of the "Managing Technology & Innovation: How to deal with disruptive change" MicroMasters program designed to teach the critical skills needed to be successful in this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential, you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the six courses of the RWTHx MicroMasters program.

Organizations now have access to massive amounts of data and it’s influencing the way they operate. They are realizing in order to be successful they must leverage their data to make effective business decisions.

In this course, part of the Big Data MicroMasters program, you will learn how big data is driving organisational change and the key challenges organizations face when trying to analyse massive data sets.

You will learn fundamental techniques, such as data mining and stream processing. You will also learn how to design and implement PageRank algorithms using MapReduce, a programming paradigm that allows for massive scalability across hundreds or thousands of servers in a Hadoop cluster. You will learn how big data has improved web search and how online advertising systems work.

By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of the various applications of big data methods in industry and research.

The most noteworthy startups and entrepreneurs of our day are known for bucking trends in business and leadership.

New ventures often position themselves in a way that forces their more established competitors to react and rethink the fundamentals of their original value proposition. The advantage of these new players often lies in a different management approach compared with large, more established companies.

You can learn to think like these innovators too.

From this course, you’ll better understand the typical process entrepreneurs follow when launching a new venture, thereby helping you to adequately respond to upcoming threats through newly established companies.

You’ll explore an entrepreneur’s perspective in comparison to a manager in a large company; working through the various stages of the entrepreneurial process.You’ll profile the entrepreneur as a personality type, exploring whether an entrepreneurial mindset is something that people inherently possess or something that can be developed over time. You’ll gain insights into the generation of business ideas and how leaders manage to ensure that their ideas also represent a concrete business opportunity with commercial potential.

The course introduces the decision-making process of successful entrepreneurs and specifies how it differs from that of managers in large companies, identifying common patterns. It further introduces the lean start-up process to give you a concrete toolkit applied by successful entrepreneurs and specific pitfalls that typically occur at various stages of the start-up process - to help you avoid similar mistakes.

Besides the online lectures, participants will engage in a series of homework exercises and tutorials. Real-life case studies and examples from companies will be used to help participants better prepare for actual situations.

This course is part of the "Managing Technology & Innovation: How to deal with disruptive change" MicroMasters program designed to teach the critical skills needed to be successful in this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential, you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the six courses of the RWTHx MicroMasters program.

Gain essential skills in today’s digital age to store, process and analyse data to inform business decisions.

In this course, part of the Big Data MicroMasters program, you will develop your knowledge of big data analytics and enhance your programming and mathematical skills. You will learn to use essential analytic tools such as Hadoop, R and MOA (Massive Online Analysis).

Topics covered in this course include:

• cloud-based big data analysis;
• predictive analytics, including probabilistic and statistical models;
• application of large-scale data analysis;
• analysis of problem space and data needs;
• understanding of ethical and social concerns of data mining.

By the end of this course, you will be able to approach large-scale data science problems with creativity and initiative.

The Big Data Capstone Project will allow you to apply the techniques and theory you have gained from the four courses in this Big Data MicroMasters program to a medium-scale data science project.

Working with organisations and stakeholders of your choice on a real-world dataset, you will further develop your data science skills and knowledge.

This project will give you the opportunity to deepen your learning by giving you valuable experience in evaluating, selecting and applying relevant data science techniques, principles and theory to a data science problem.

This project will see you plan and execute a reasonably substantial project and demonstrate autonomy, initiative and accountability.

You’ll need to reflect on the nature of your data and identify any social and ethical concerns and identify appropriate ethical frameworks for data management.

By communicating the knowledge, skills and ideas you have gained to other learners through online collaborative technologies, you will learn valuable communication skills, important for any career. You’ll also deliver a written oral presentation of your project design, plan, methodologies, and outcomes.

Engage in rigorous strategic analysis to complement your intuition with the deep insights needed to help your organization prosper in times of transition. This foundational course enables you to design effective strategy processes, spot fundamental market and technology changes in your industry and renew your organization’s internal resource base.

1. Unpacking the Process of Strategy:

• What precisely is strategy and why does it matter? What are the origins of the concept and how can we define it?
• What are the building blocks of strategy and how can they be arranged as a process?
• What distinct conceptions of the strategy process co-exist and what are their respective advantages and disadvantages?

2. Analyzing Industry Structures:

• What is the role of the industry and its structure for firm performance? How can we analyze industry structures?
• How can we unpack industries and identify the most attractive strategic positions to occupy therein?
• How do we identify what it takes to outcompete others in our strategic group?

3. Developing Internal Resources:

• Can firms succeed in generally unattractive industries? What is the role of firms’ internal resource base in this regard?
• How can we find out which resources and capabilities are likely to have the greatest strategic value?
• What are dynamic capabilities and how do they matter for firm survival and performance?

All key ideas are illustrated through a real-life case study on Tesla and its role in the technological transformation of the global automotive industry. 

This course is part of the "Managing Technology & Innovation: How to deal with disruptive change" MicroMasters program designed to teach the critical skills needed to be successful in this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential, you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the six courses of the RWTHx MicroMasters program.

Help your organization survive, drive, and thrive on fundamental technological changes in your industry. This advanced strategic management course helps you translate strategic insights into smart strategic decisions on positioning, partnering and being socially responsible.

1. Positioning the Firm:

• How can strategy portfolios guide corporate strategy and help decision-makers scope the activities of their organization?
• How can general strategies help organizations gain competitive advantages in their industries?
• How can organizations make competition irrelevant and create uncontested market space?

2. Orchestrating Strategic Alliances:

• What is the case for cooperative strategy? When should we move from a competitive to a cooperative mindset?
• What are strategic alliances and what is their payoff?
• How can firms build and orchestrate collaborative ecosystems to enhance their (innovative) performance?

3. Embracing Social Responsibility:

• What is the role of business in society? How do organizations contribute and cause harm to the public good?
• What exactly are the social responsibilities of organizations?
• To whom are they responsible and for what? Why should they care?
• How can ethics inform strategic decisions? How can we encourage ethical behavior and reconcile responsibility and profitability? 

All key ideas are illustrated through a case study on Tesla and its role in the technological transformation of the global automotive industry.

This course is part of the "Managing Technology & Innovation: How to deal with disruptive change" MicroMasters program designed to teach the critical skills needed to be successful in this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential, you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the six courses of the RWTHx MicroMasters program.

How do you create robots that operate well in the real world? Learn the key math concepts and tools used to design robots that excel in navigating our complex, unstructured world in environments such as aerospace, automotive, manufacturing and healthcare.

In this course, part of the Robotics MicroMasters program, you will learn how to apply concepts from linear algebra, geometry and group theory and the tools to configure and control the motion of manipulators and mobile robots.

You will also learn how to use MATLAB, the standard robotics programming environment and learn step by step how to use this mathematical tool to write functions, calculate vectors and produce visualizations. You will get hands on experience applying your knowledge to projects using various simulations in MATLAB.

In this course, you will learn the basics about Skype for Business server infrastructure.

You will learn how to plan a Skype for Business Server deployment, including planning for network readiness and namespaces. You will also learn how to install Skype for Business Server 2015, and how to upgrade from Lync Server to Skype for Business Server. You will also learn how to manage Skype for Business users and deploy and manage Skype for Business clients

This course is part of a series of three courses that will prepare you for 70-334 “Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015” exam.

Please note that the verified certificate option for this course is limited to 300 learners. The verified certificate option will close when this limit is reached.

Analytical models are key to understanding data, generating predictions, and making business decisions. Without models it’s nearly impossible to gain insights from data. In modeling, it’s essential to understand how to choose the right data sets, algorithms, techniques and formats to solve a particular business problem.  

In this course, part of the Analytics: Essential Tools and Methods MicroMasters program, you’ll gain an intuitive understanding of fundamental models and methods of analytics and practice how to implement them using common industry tools like R.

You’ll learn about analytics modeling and how to choose the right approach from among the wide range of options in your toolbox.

You will learn how to use statistical models and machine learning as well as models for:

• classification;
• clustering;
• change detection;
• data smoothing;
• validation;
• prediction;
• optimization;
• experimentation;
• decision making.

Data is the lifeblood of an organization. Competency in programming is an essential skill for successfully extracting information and knowledge from data.

The goal of this course is to introduce learners to the basics of programming in Python and to give a working knowledge of how to use programs to deal with data.

In this course, we will first cover the basics of programming and then focus on using Python on the entire data management process from data acquisition to analysis of data big data and small data.

This is an intensive hands-on course that will equip and reward learners with proficiency in data management skills.

Gene sequences and the rest of the genome play an important role in determining how an organism functions normally and reacts when situations change. DNA sequences can also be used to determine relationships between organisms and form the underpinnings of the Tree of Life.

Since DNA sequences play such an important role in any organism it should not be surprising that any changes to a sequence could lead to alterations in behavior or response. For example, a small number of specific changes in DNA sequence have been shown to lead to tumor development in mammals or the production of enzymes with altered properties.

One of the jobs of a bioinformatician is to help determine where these changes are in a DNA sequence and sort out in that context what effects may result, which is usually done by aligning the sequences in question.

In this course, part of the Bioinformatics MicroMasters program, you will learn about the theory and algorithms behind DNA alignments, practice doing alignments manually, and then perform more complicated alignments using web and software based approaches.

Let me show you how easy it is to build a responsive flexible web design with CSS Media Queries, Dreamweaver, Wordpress!

Want to be the leader with the winning business strategy for the digital future?

Ambitious digital-driven startups are creating and cornering new markets in every sector. And yet, most legacy businesses continue to operate by old playbooks. Most are not keeping pace with the changes in their industry, let alone leading the way―what are you and your company doing? 

In this course, part of the Digital Leadership MicroMasters program, you will understand the three types of players that are shaping the new business landscape; the three phases of transformation that every firm will encounter on its journey to business reinvention; and the three winning moves that will ensure your business success along the way. 

With current case studies and practical experience-based advice, learn how to rethink traditional business models from the outside in, assemble the right team for the journey ahead, and make bold strategic choices along the three phases of digital transformation.

Taught by a professor with expertise at the intersection of business and digital strategies, this course will equip managers to step up to play important roles during the digital transformation processes within companies. Chances are that the company where you work now is engaging in some digital transformation activities and this course will provide you with skills and perspectives to play pivotal roles and guide your company. 

Technology, digital media and mobile access have changed how people learn. Today’s students want to be engaged and self-directed with digital content, available anytime, anywhere. This is a challenge for instructional designers as they create online learning experiences.

As an instructional designer, it’s critical to understand emerging learning theories including Bloom’s taxonomy and constructivism and how they relate to the way people learn in our digitally connected world. This course, which is part of the Instructional Design and Technology MicroMasters Program, explores the evolution of learning theories from traditional Socratic methods to emerging learning sciences. Additionally, you will explore curriculum design models using performance-based assessments to create effective and engaging learning experiences.

After a solid foundation of how people learn today, you will explore technology’s role in supporting and enhancing the teaching and learning process.

Previous background in teaching or professional development is a plus, but not required. Join us and launch your career as an instructional designer.

Want to gain software testing skills to start a career or are you a software developer looking to improve your unit testing skills? This course, part of the Software Testing and Verification MicroMasters program, will provide the essential skills you need for success. 

Software needs to be tested for bugs and to insure the product meets the requirements and produces the desired results. Software testing is essential to providing a quality product. 

Learn the techniques Software Testers and Quality Assurance Engineers use every day, which can be applied to any programming language and testing software.

No previous programming knowledge needed. This course will use Java and JUnit, however, for examples and assignments.

In the information age, data is all around us. Within this data are answers to compelling questions across many societal domains (politics, business, science, etc.). But if you had access to a large dataset, would you be able to find the answers you seek?

This course, part of the Data Science MicroMasters program, will introduce you to a collection of powerful, open-source, tools needed to analyze data and to conduct data science. Specifically, you’ll learn how to use:

• python
• jupyter notebooks
• pandas
• numpy
• matplotlib
• git
• and many other tools.

You will learn these tools all within the context of solving compelling data science problems.

After completing this course, you’ll be able to find answers within large datasets by using python tools to import data, explore it, analyze it, learn from it, visualize it, and ultimately generate easily sharable reports. 

By learning these skills, you’ll also become a member of a world-wide community which seeks to build data science tools, explore public datasets, and discuss evidence-based findings. Last but not least, this course will provide you with the foundation you need to succeed in later courses in the Data Science MicroMasters program.

As your program requirements get more complex, you will find that simple additions to the design method make it easy to write well-structured and well-tested code that is easy to maintain.

By learning how to capture common data and control structures using abstraction, your programs will get shorter and better tested.

Building on the core methods from How to Code: Simple Data, this programming course, part of the Software Development MicroMasters program, quickly expands to cover more complex programs on more complex data. Towards the end of the course, you will design programs that even experienced developers would find challenging.

You will also learn how to design search programs. You will design a program to solve Sudoku puzzles, and will be able to design many other puzzle solvers as well.

Learners who enroll in the Verified track will receive staff grading for the course project and increased interaction with the instructor and staff.

Learner Testimonial

"It's a great course and maybe one of the most important topics to master if you're a programmer (any level). This course will teach you how to design better, cleaner and faster programs." 
- Previous Student