Online courses directory (19947)

Albert Einstein has become the icon of modern science. Following his scientific, cultural, philosophical, and political trajectory, this course aims to track the changing role of physics in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. This history course addresses Einstein's engagement with relativity, quantum mechanics, Nazism, nuclear weapons, philosophy, the arts, and technology, and raises basic questions about what it means to understand physics in its broader history.
 
Participants in the course will follow seventeen lessons, each of which will present a mix of science (no prerequisites!) and the broader, relevant cultural surround.  Some weeks will examine the physics concepts, while others will see excerpts of films or discuss modernist poetry that took off from relativity. Or we might be looking at the philosophical roots and philosophical consequences of Einstein’s works.  At other times we will be fully engaged with historical and political questions: the building, dropping, and proliferation of nuclear weapons, for example. 
 
Typically, in a lesson (about an hour of streamed material), there will be opportunities for individual mini-essay writing, some multiple choice questions to bolster your understanding of the science, and a group activity which might one week be a debate and another a collective commentary on elements of an artwork from 1920s Weimar Germany.   

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HarvardX pursues the science of learning. By registering as an online learner in an HX course, you will also participate in research about learning. Read our research statement : http://harvardx.harvard.edu/research-statement to learn more.

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Learn the fundamentals of English grammar. Designed to help college & high school students & English-language learners.

This course surveys the social, cultural, and political development of western Europe between 500 and 1350. A number of topics are incorporated into the broad chronological sweep of the course, including: the Germanic conquest of the ancient Mediterranean world; the rise of a distinct northern culture and the Carolingian Renaissance; the emergence of feudalism and the breakdown of political order; contact with the Byzantine and Islamic East and the Crusading movement; the quality of religious life; the vitality of the high medieval economy and culture; and the catastrophes of the fourteenth century.

This subject studies the changing structure of American politics, economics, and society from the end of the Civil War to the present. We will consider secondary historical accounts and primary documents to examine some of the key issues in the development of modern America: industrialization and urbanization; U.S. emergence as a global power; ideas about rights and equality; and the changing structures of gender, class, and race. This subject also examines the multiple answers that Americans gave to the question of what it means to be an American in the modern age. As a communications intensive subject, students will be expected to engage intensively with the material through frequent oral and written exercises.

Learn about the history of the Middle East for a deeper understanding of current regional developments!

Learn about the history of the Middle East for a deeper understanding of current regional developments!

Learn about the history of the Middle East for a deeper understanding of current regional developments!

Learn how 9 different ways of thinking and behaving affect every aspect of our lives on a daily basis.

Learn to think like a futurist! Futurism is not about predicting the future, but making informed decisions today that will impact future developments. The Emerging Future: Technology Issues and Trends MOOC offered by the School of Library and Information Science at San José State University provides the planning skills and technology trends needed to create your personal and organization’s future. Knowing who and what to watch will keep you informed on the latest technology issues and trends that will impact the future. The Emerging Future MOOC is a professional development opportunity designed for information professionals and those interested in the topic. The MOOC is not offered for academic credit. SJSU SLIS graduate students who participate in the MOOC will not receive credit toward their master's degrees. The technology landscape changes rapidly, and these changes have economic, social, and ethical significance for individuals, organizations, and the entire world. The Emerging Future: Technology Issues and Trends MOOC brings focus to the planning skills that are needed, the issues that are involved, and the current trends as we explore the potential impact of technological innovations. Participants will experience an interactive online learning environment via a wide range of tools and diverse materials (e.g., freely accessible readings, recorded presentations, and online videos), and they will have an opportunity to: Explore the current technological environment Become immersed in the literature and practices of current futurists Select appropriate resources to use in planning for new technologies. Discuss key impact factors and trends affecting our personal and global existence Engage with peers and instructors, heightening their learning and taking full advantage of this professional development opportunity. Earn badges and MOOC certification on completion of activities related to each of the modules.

Chris Larsen, a veteran entrepreneur, CEO and co-founder of Prosper.com shares the ups and downs he faced during the fir

How To Bring Peace & Laughter Back To Mealtimes

This course will explore how Americans have confronted energy challenges since the end of World War II. Beginning in the 1970s, Americans worried about the supply of energy. As American production of oil declined, would the US be able to secure enough fuel to sustain their high consumption lifestyles? At the same time, Americans also began to fear the environmental side affects of energy use. Even if the US had enough fossil fuel, would its consumption be detrimental to health and safety? This class examines how Americans thought about these questions in the last half-century. We will consider the political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, and technological aspects of the energy crisis. Topics include nuclear power, suburbanization and the new car culture, the environmental movement and the challenges of clean energy, the Middle East and supply of oil, the energy crisis of the 1970s, and global warming.

Numerous recent studies have shown that the U.S. has relatively low percentages of students who enter science and engineering and a high drop-out rate. Some other countries are producing many more scientists and engineers per capita than the U.S. What does this mean for the future of the U.S. and the global economy?

In this readings and discussion-based seminar you will meet weekly with the Dean of Undergraduate Education to explore the kind of education MIT and other institutions are and should be giving. Based on data from National Academy and other reports, along with what pundits have been saying, we'll see if we can decide how much the U.S. may or may not be at risk.

In this introductory course, you’ll learn some engineering principles that can be applied to structural systems everywhere: in nature, in furniture, in mechanical and aerospace systems, and in any solid object that resists a load.

Together we’ll explore how structures work, why they were designed the way they were designed, how they support loads, and where forces flow through them.

More specifically we’ll:

• Learn about funicular forms and how ropes and cables resist tension.
• Discuss how columns, arches, and anti-funicular forms resist compression.
• Discover how trusses, beams and walls resist loads. • Sketch the flow of forces through structures.
• Compare and contrast different structural forms and systems to answer a range of questions such as: Why might an engineer choose a beam over a truss? How do the dimensions of a structure affect its response? How do engineers choose forms and systems to create structures that are both elegant and functional?

Join us in exploring the engineering of structures around us.

The main course image, Kurilpa Bridge credited to: Alastair Smith, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

A survey course covering the English Reformation, one of the most pivotal periods in English and world history.

A Skill Building Online English Course for Intermediate-Advanced English Language Learners.

Learn this ancient and powerful tool for self-awareness and compassion. Discover which of the 9 types you have!

Learn how to identify and address common organizational traps when introducing Lean Startup to large organizations.

Learn how to start and run your business the right way, and in the right direction.

Offered by Sonoma State University and taught by Dr. Paul Porter and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Mark Nelson, this course highlights the role of entrepreneurial thinking in contemporary education. Based on core modules, it covers defining features of entrepreneurialism in education, including becoming an economic unit of one, overcoming obstacles and failing forward, rethinking risk, and building alignment with business-education connections. Join us for an exciting introduction to edupreneurialism!