Online courses directory (801)

Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone of any modern economy - Everyday entrepreneurs around the world are starting their own business. This free online course from ALISON examines characteristics of entrepreneurs and also examines the kind of business models and marketing strategies an entrepreneur can use to start a business. This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn more about entrepreneurship or who may be thinking about starting their own business.<br />

ALISON’s &quot;Geography 1&quot; course introduces environmental awareness and raises awareness of the global importance of a safe, healthy and sustainable environment. The course offers learners a pragmatic introduction to the various issues currently facing key geographic areas such as Antarctica. It examines resource use, development and the environmental consequences of their misuse. This course is suitable for anyone interested in geography and the environment.

The free online course Essential Management Skills for the Workplace will introduce you to essential workplace skills that will help you be a more effective and successful manager. The course begins by introducing you to aspects of change management and how to implement change within a business or organisation. You will then learn about bargaining and the strategies you can use to increase your bargaining power. You will learn about the five qualities that all workplace objectives should have and how they should be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. You will learn about assertiveness and how assertive behaviour is the emotionally intelligent mid-point on a scale which starts with passive at one end and leads to aggressive at the other. You will also learn how to reflect an inner confidence outwardly by being serious about your appearance, making eye contact with the other person, and controlling your hands, feet and facial expressions. You will learn how to prioritise tasks - Important tasks need not become urgent if they are planned and executed well. Urgent tasks often help others achieve their goals and are not necessarily important. You will learn more about the four Cs of motivation in the workplace - Contribution, Cohesion, Compensation and Comfort. You will learn about the stages of development that all teams go through, from the forming stage where team members get to know each other right through to the adjourning stage (wrapping up the task and breaking up the team). Finally, you will be introduced to virtual teams which are a group of people who work together across time and space; their links strengthened by use of electronic communication technology. You will learn about the benefits of virtual teams for both employers and employees. This course will be of great interest to existing junior managers or those wishing to move into the managerial level and who would like to develop core managerial skills. It will also be of interest to learners who would like to develop managerial skills needed for advancement within any business or organisation.

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 />

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 />

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 />

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 />

Financial funds are a very important topic to understand in the area of financial economics. The terms hedge funds, open ended funds and mutual funds are often mentioned in the business and financial media and during interviews with traders, investors and fund managers. But what are hedge funds, open ended funds and mutual funds all about? This free online financial funds course will explain in clear and precise terms what is involved in the main financial funds. You will learn that hedge funds are typically open ended funds invested in a diverse range of assets. Open and close ended funds are straight forward in that one is open to shareholders buying and selling their shares whereas the other is closed and once you buy in you cannot leave unless you personally trade your share. Hedge funds are more dynamic in nature, but are not sold to the public. Since the introduction of new legislation in the US in 2008 due to the credit crisis you will learn why the US government will now play a more active role in how hedge funds are managed and regulated. This free online financial funds course will be of interest to professionals in business and finance, and to financial, business and economic students who want a clearer understanding of the role of funds in financial economics.<br />

What you do not know about money can really affect your entire life! Financial Literacy is a free, online introductory course about personal financial management. In this interactive multimedia course, a series of seven dynamic modules covering everything from how to set up your first bank account to planning for your retirement will put you on the path to financial fitness!

In today’s economy financial math skills are indispensable. This maths course is designed to provide learners with some of the essential skills required for managing personal finances. The aim of this course is to convey the basic concepts of financial maths; and it is designed for those individuals seeking to better understand the role that maths can play in their everyday economic life. Upon completion of this course, learners will gain the skills necessary for working with commonplace financial maths and the essential mathematical background required to interpret their personal finances. This course contains a series of 24 videos followed by a short assessment intended to assist the learner in better evaluating their overall comprehension of the material.<br />

Fiscal and monetary policies are two strategies used to direct a country's economic goals. Fiscal policy involves the government and how it uses revenue and expenditure to influence a country's economy. Monetary policy is implemented by the central bank of a country and is used to influence that country's money supply. Fiscal and monetary policies are very important concepts to understand in economics as they can have profound effects on the lives and livelihoods of a country's entire population. In this free online economics course you will gain a thorough knowledge and understanding of the economic concepts behind both fiscal and monetary policies and how they are implemented to influence a country's economic goals. You will also learn about supply and demand for money and how this impacts interest rates. This free online economics course will be of great interest to all economics and finance professionals who would like to learn more about the role fiscal and monetary policies play in shaping a country's economy, and to all learners who would like to learn more about economic policies that can have a direct effect on their lives.<br />

This free course from ALISON is compiled from the Food Safety Knowledge Network's Basic Level Requirements for Food Manufacturers. Topics covered include hygiene, water quality, allergens, and pest control, as well as contamination, food hazards, and incident management. The practices outlined in the course adhere to internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, and guidelines relating to food, food production, and food safety recognized by the WHO (World Health Organization) and United Nations. <br /><br />This course is ideal for individuals, food safety managers, and businesses responsible for food safety.<br />

Having a good sanitation and safety program is vital to any food service operation, big or small. This is a follow-on course from our basic level requirements course and will help you understand different aspects of food safety and sanitation. It will teach you different programs that can be brought into effect within your operation. From individual cleanliness guidelines that are applicable to everyone within the sanitation and safety operation, to the imperative role the manager plays in the operation, this free online course will quickly ensure that your food service operation will have a reputation for good cleanliness and sanitation. This course will teach you what to look out for when purchasing and receiving foods from an outside supplier, how to store food in the correct environment and how to prepare foods hygienically. Learn how to prevent and avoid accidents such as burns or cuts, and food borne illnesses by learning how they are caused. This online course will be of great interest not only to a person who wishes to start their own food service operation or who is already working in one, but to anyone who wants to know more about preparing food in a sanitary manner.<br />

This free diploma course provides students with the mathematical knowledge and skills needed to study Business or Commerce at third-level. The course consists of maths tutorial videos in which qualified maths teachers resolve problems in real-time. Furthermore, a comprehensive assessment tests students on all aspects of mathematics which are related to Business &amp; Commerce. This course will appeal to third-level students who are lacking confidence in their mathematical knowledge and skills. This course will also appeal to students who are re-entering formal education after a significant absence. This diploma course will help to help to build students’ confidence in their mathematical ability and ensure that they are prepared for third-level study. The topics covered in this course are, Introduction to Mathematics, Algebra, Equations and Functions, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Calculus, Matrices, Statistics and Introduction to Business Mathematics.<br />

This free diploma course provides students with the mathematical knowledge and skills needed to study a Science, Technology or Engineering discipline at third-level. The course consists of maths tutorial videos in which qualified maths teachers resolve problems in real-time. Furthermore, a comprehensive assessment tests students on all aspects of mathematics which are related to science, technology and engineering. This course will appeal to third-level students who are lacking confidence in their mathematical knowledge and skills. This course will also appeal to students who are re-entering formal education after a significant absence. This diploma course will help to build students’ confidence in their mathematical ability and ensure that they are prepared for third-level study. The topics covered in this course are, Introduction to Mathematics, Algebra, Equations and Functions, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Calculus, Matrices, Trigonometry and Complex Numbers.<br />

This beginners math course is an ideal introduction to fractions. The tutorial uses an interactive multimedia format and relevant examples to thoroughly examine the topic. It is ideal as a study aid or as a complement to face-to-face classes.

The free online language course French Language Studies – Dining Out, and Describing People and Places is designed for anyone who wants to learn to speak basic French. The course, the second in a series, is broken down into the basics of conversation and begins by introducing vocabulary and grammar for talking about food – from meals to shopping to ordering a coffee. The course then introduces vocabulary and grammar for describing your physical features and your personality, so that you talk about and describe yourself and other people. The course also covers the vocabulary you will need to get around a city, from asking for directions to being able to describe public buildings. The phonetics section covers syllables, the French R and the correct pronunciation of vowels. The course lays down the foundations of the spoken language by introducing learners to the pronunciation of words and phrases through text and audio. Short audio segments let you hear how the words and phrases are pronounced. These are reinforced with longer videos, including transcripts and translations in English, using related interviews with French speakers. This course will be of great interest to anyone who wants to learn to speak French for use in business or social occasions, and for those wanting to travel to any French speaking country or region in Europe.<br />

The free online course French Language Studies – Holidays, At Home and the Media is designed for anyone who wants to learn to speak basic French. In this course you will learn how to talk about national holidays, how you celebrate them and what your traditions are. You will also learn the key French language skills for describing your home including the rooms and furniture and the domestic chores you carry out in the house. Also covered is the French vocabulary about aspects of the media such as what you watch on television and listen to on radio, and what you use the internet for. The phonetics section covers syllable, the French R and the correct pronunciation of vowels. Learners will also be directed to the relevant sections of grammar in a Grammar reference resource. The course lays down the foundations of the spoken language by introducing learners to the pronunciation of words and phrases through text and audio. Short audio segments let you hear how the words and phrases are pronounced. These are reinforced with longer videos, including transcripts and translations to English, using related interviews with French speakers. This course will be of great interest to anyone who wants to learn to speak French for use in business or social occasions, and for those wanting to travel to any French speaking country or region in Europe.<br />

French Language Studies – Introduction is a free online course which is designed for anyone who wants to learn to speak basic French. The course, the first in a series, is broken down into pronunciation of the alphabet, numbers and words and the basics of conversation, covering hello, goodbye and introductions, time and days. The course lays down the foundations of the spoken language by introducing learners to the pronunciation of words and phrases through text and audio. Short audio segments let you hear how the words and phrases are pronounced. These are reinforced with longer videos, including transcripts and translations to English, using related interviews with French speakers. You will learn how to greet people and address them correctly, both formally and informally. You will also learn the basics of numbers, time, days and months as well as pastimes and activities. This course will be of great interest to anyone who wants to learn to speak French for use in business or social occasions, and for those wanting to travel to any French speaking country or region.<br />

JavaScript is a client side scripting language and is one of the most widely used programming languages for the web. The most common use of JavaScript is to write functions which are part of HTML pages and that interact with the Document Object Model (DOM) of the web page. jQuery is used as a library of JavaScript functions that simplifies web page development and AJAX interactions. This free online web programming course will greatly increase your understanding of JavaScript, jQuery and AJAX by showing examples of code and how they function together to provide the interactive and dynamic web pages that are widely used in today’s web environment. You will also learn about AJAX and how it provides JavaScript programmers with a way of coding that widens the scope and functionality for real time updates such as retrieving data from the server side without reloading the entire web page. This free online web programming course will be of great interest to IT and business professionals who would like to learn more about the functionality of JavaScript, jQuery and AJAX and how they work to provide much more dynamic and engaging web pages.<br />