Online courses directory (801)

Functions was the final strand to be introduced in phase 3 of the new Project Maths Course. This topic provides an essential link between Algebra and Number and introduces the students to applications of calculus in the real world. Functions and Differentiation are used in real life to help us understand rates of increase and decrease. For example, students will solve problems involving the maximum speed reached by a car and the rate of increase in the size of a raindrop as it falls to the ground. Integration is introduced as ‘anti-differentiation’ and students are given excellent examples to reinforce this theory. Applications of integration to find areas under curves and between curves are clearly demonstrated. Finally, the concept of numerical integration is introduced through the use of the ‘Trapezoidal Rule’. <br />

Functions was the final strand to be introduced in phase 3 of the new Project Maths Course. This topic provides an essential link between Algebra and Number and introduces the students to applications of calculus in the real world. Use of differentiation to find the slope of a tangent to a curve at a specified point is introduced. This is then extended to the study of increasing and decreasing functions. Functions and Differentiation are used in real life to help us understand rates of increase and decrease. For example, students will solve problems involving the maximum speed reached by a car and the highest point reached by a firework or rocket. Finally, the concept of numerical integration is introduced through the use of the ‘Trapezoidal Rule’ to find areas under specific curves. <br />

The free online course Strategic Management - Corporate Strategy introduces you to the concept of corporate strategy and how it defines the markets and businesses in which an organisation chooses to operate. The course begins by introducing you to the important issues involved in corporate strategy such as directional strategy, portfolio strategy and parenting strategy. You will also learn about relative cost advantage and competitive strategy. Next you will learn about tools and techniques that are used as part of the corporate strategy process. You be introduced to the Boston Consulting Group's Growth-Share Matrix and learn how it helps businesses analyze their business units, that is, their product lines. You will also learn more about the General Electric - McKinsey matrix which is a nine-cell portfolio matrix and was developed by GE to screen their large portfolio of strategic business units (SBU). It is similar to the BCG growth-share matrix in that it maps strategic business units on a grid of the industry and the SBU's position in the industry. You will learn how the GE matrix attempts to improve upon the BCG matrix. This free course will be of great interest to all professionals working in the area of corporate strategy who would like to learn more about the tools and techniques used in corporate strategy. <br />

The free online course Strategic Management - Decision Making Process and Tools looks at how top managers use the decision making process and associated tools to implement long-term goals and objectives. The course begins by introducing you to the decision making process involved in strategic management. You will learn about important decision making steps, from determining the mission or purpose of an organization to specifying objectives and goals to formulating a strategic plan and through to monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the strategic plan. The course then introduces you important topics in strategic management, such as strategic competitiveness, strategic risk, strategic flexibility, and internal and external analysis and what role they play in the decision making process. Finally, you will learn more about the 7-S Framework from McKinsey. This management model is used as an organizational analysis tool to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of an organization. The components of the 7-S Framework are: Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills, Strategy and Super Ordinate Goals. You will learn how a change in any one of these components of an organization can be analyzed to determine its effect on the other components. This course will be of great interest to managers and professionals in the area of strategic management, who would like to learn more about effective decision making processes that can guide a business’s future direction.<br />

The free online course Strategic Management - Implementing Strategy introduces you to the activities and choices required for effective implementation and evaluation of a strategic plan. The course begins by introducing you to the concept of implementing strategy and describes who will carry out the strategic plan and what should be done to align the company’s operations in a new direction. You will then learn about business functions and the factors differentiating Stage I, II and III companies. You will learn about different types of synergy such as production synergy, marketing synergy, financial synergy and organisational synergy. You will learn about mergers and acquisitions and the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of organisational strategy. You will also learn about diversification and tools that can be used in this area such as SWOT analysis, GAP analysis, and Competition and Risk analysis. This free course will be of great interest to business managers and professionals who are working in the area of strategic management and would like to learn more about practices and procedures of implementing and evaluating strategy.<br />

In this free course Stress Management - Dealing with Personal Stress you will be introduced to stress mapping and how to sensitize yourself to potential stressors in the environment. You will learn mays to manage your own stress such as writing a stress journal and analysing your own personal stress. Learning how to react with your own stressors will help you to cope more efficiently with stress and this course could help you to avoid stressful situations altogether.<br /><br />This course will also inform you on the difference between internal and external locus of control. You will be able to assess whether you have an internal or external locus of control and how this affects the decisions you make. <br /><br />Next, you will learn how to differentiate between stress and anxiety. You will learn how behaviours are related to anxious thoughts and how to manage these thoughts. You will also learn about assertiveness and how your reaction to different situations can be seen as aggressive or passive. This course will complete by informing you why addressing your stress will help you to overcome your stressors. <br /><br />This course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn techniques for dealing with personal stress.

In this free course Stress Management – How Stress Affects Your Health you will learn about the different ways stress can affect your health. You will learn about the nervous system and how it induces stress and how the brain responds during a stressful situation. You will also learn how stress affects different organs. <br /><br />The course begins be explaining disorders that can be caused by stress and the symptoms to look out for. You will learn about the different parts of the brain and which of these parts are triggered by stress. You will also learn the role of the endocrine system during a stressful period and be able to explain how stress can have a number of effects on the immune system. <br /><br />The second module will delve into the psychiatric disorders that are associated with stress. You will be given real-life examples to help you further understand the effects of stress and explain how the immune system’s ability to fight of antigens is reduced when you are stressed. <br />This course is suitable for anyone wishing to learn more about how stress can be caused and how we respond to it. <br /><br />This free Alison course would suit students studying science and how the brain works or psychology. <br />

In this free course Stress Management – Techniques for Coping with Stress you will learn about coping strategies that are helpful for managing stress and you will learn how to develop positive coping strategies. <br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to different types of coping strategies and explains how coping strategies differ from one individual to the next. You will learn about the difference between adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. You will also learn about the difference between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, and how to implement relaxation techniques to help you cope with stress. <br /><br />Next, you will learn how to use exercise to reduce stress. You will learn about the relationship between the brain and exercise, and the positive, long-term effects exercise can have on your health. The course will finish by informing you on how to create your own DIY program that will help you to identify stressors in your life.<br /><br />This course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to learn techniques for dealing with personal stress. <br />

The free online course Study Skills provides detailed information on a variety of techniques you can use to greatly improve your study skills. The course also has advice on how you can identify and overcome common study problems, how you can manage your study workload and how you can develop good time management skills. The course begins by showing you how learning occurs most effectively in a cycle of four steps: Preparing, Absorbing, Capturing and Reviewing. Goal setting and planning ahead are also covered as well as the best ways to stay focused and motivated to reach your study goals. You will also learn about strategies for managing, prioritizing and dealing with time. Next, you will learn about learning strategies such as the process of storing and retrieving information, the use of mnemonics for memorizing lists and data, and the most effective ways to ask questions either in a classroom setting or in an online forum. The four main methods and formats of note taking are explained. You will also learn about the critical thinking process such as asking the right questions to understand a problem and considering the value of research material and deciding how to use it. You will learn effective strategies for studying online e-learning courses, and how you can stay motivated to successfully complete online courses. You will learn about the process of active reading, and the strategies used to engage with text-based materials. You will also learn about how to review and evaluate different types of texts with a particular focus on the methods used with math and science based material. Exam situations are also covered, explaining the different types of tests, how to combat test anxiety and how study groups can give you new perspectives on material and help you fill in gaps in your notes. Finally, you are introduced to the methods of academic writing such as how to produce a first draft and review it for errors, and how to present it in a professional format. The three stages in the writing process are explained: Preparing, Writing the draft and Revising and editing. You will also learn how writing skills are transferable and can be used in the classroom, in online courses or in exam situations. This course will be of great interest to learners studying a wide range of subjects as it will help you develop and implement very effective study skills that will increase your confidence and performance.<br />

In the free online course, John Doerr talks about how to succeed as a venture capitalist. John is a legend in venture investing having played a key role in the emergence and development of some of Silicon Valley’s most successful companies. He is a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp; Byers, joining them in 1980, and has sponsored a series of investments including Compaq, Cypress, Intuit, Macromedia, Netscape, Lotus, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, S3, Sun Microsystems, Amazon.com, and Symantec. In this course he talks about what distinguishes successful companies from others. He views entrepreneurs as missionaries and gives valuable advice on assembling a great team of people. He discusses important new disruptive technologies and the impact of social entrepreneurship. He gives valuable career advice and predicts what the future of technology and venture capital will look like. You will learn what it takes to become a great venture capitalist and also how to treat negotiations when pursuing initial venture capital funding. This course will be of great interest to entrepreneurs and business professionals who would like to find out how venture capitalists work and what it takes to persuade them to financially back your company or business idea.<br />

In the free online course Sustainable Business - Entrepreneurship and Innovation learn how entrepreneurship and innovation can relate to sustainable business and how entrepreneurial innovators forge new paths and break with accepted ways of doing things in new or existing businesses. <br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the process of entrepreneurship and explains different challenges that can occur when you become an entrepreneur. You will learn how different types of entrepreneurs run successful businesses whilst undertaking sustainable practices. Next, you will learn the importance of innovation when running a sustainable business. You will learn how technology and innovation are related and how they are useful for business sustainability. You will learn how important it is to create new relationships and contacts when running a business. <br /><br />Finally, you will be introduced to Simply Green Biofuels, a sustainable fuelling company. You will follow the company’s journey from the beginning, learning about challenges it faced and success it achieved. Through this case study you will gain a stronger understanding how sustainability can be linked with entrepreneurship and how sustainability entrepreneurship can be a successful and worthwhile venture.<br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to business professionals and entrepreneurs who would like to learn how entrepreneurship can lead to innovation in regards to sustainability in business and how this can benefit both the economy and society. <br />

In the free online course Sustainable Business - Managing Finances, Human Resources and Accountability learn how modern businesses display their sustainability efforts to the public and how they make sure sustainable practices are undertook at all levels of the organization. Such efforts can give a business a competitive advantage by acknowledging and addressing social, environmental, and economic impacts throughout the business.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the concept of accountability in business and explains why accountability is essential to run a sustainable business. You will learn how businesses use sustainability reporting in order to communicate and be accountable for their actions. Next, you will learn about how sustainable businesses deal with human resource issues in order to create a corporate culture that ensures sustainability is valued and maintained throughout the business. <br /><br />Finally, you will learn about the relationship between finance and running a sustainable business. You will learn about financial incentives to running a sustainable business. You will learn about investment opportunities that are socially responsibly and good for your business. You will learn about the insurance industry’s interest in sustainability and their efforts to address social, environmental, and economic impacts that businesses have.<br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to business professionals and eco-entrepreneurs who would like to learn the benefits of running a sustainable business and the efforts that businesses go to in ensuring that they have a positive impact on the world.<br />

In the free online course Sustainable Business - Marketing Strategy for Sustainable Products and Services learn how a business can conduct sustainable marketing by developing and promoting products and services that meet consumer needs utilizing resources responsibly to ensure a better quality of life now and for future generations to come.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the practice of sustainable business marketing. You will learn how sustainable business marketing draws on traditional marketing methods and applies them to sustainable initiatives and products and services. You will learn that ways in which a business creates a strong sustainability marketing strategy in order to be successful. Next, you will be introduced to the marketing mix. You will learn how basing the marketing mix on sustainability principles allows for an effective sustainable marketing approach. You will learn the importance of market segmentation in order to tailor marketing efforts to consumers that are best aligned as potential buyers or customers of a product or service. <br /><br />Finally, you will be learn about the market barriers that need to be considered and addressed by sustainability marketers in order to better position their products and services for growth. You will learn about the various business risks involved in sustainable business marketing that can cause problems with a company’s marketing plan.<br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to business professionals, marketers, and eco-entrepreneurs who would like to learn how a business can successfully market sustainable products and services in a sustainable way.<br />

In the free online course Sustainable Business – Managing the Triple Bottom Line learn how modern businesses are adopting sustainable business practices to become resilient over time by being connected to healthy economic, social and environmental systems.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing you to the concept of sustainability and sustainable business practices and explains why running a sustainable business is an increasingly popular and beneficial venture. Next, you will learn about the Triple Bottom Line; a business’s contribution to social justice, environmental quality, and economic prosperity. You will learn how all businesses rely on the sustainability of the world’s resources in order to succeed and thrive so it is in their long-term interest to address the Triple Bottom Line. You will learn different ways in which sustainable businesses improve their social, environmental and economic impact and how that can help the business itself and the wider community surrounding the business. <br /><br />Finally, you are introduced to the science behind sustainable businesses. You will learn about different theories that relate to economic growth and impact on business sustainability. You will learn how sustainability involves having an understanding of the relationship between business, humanity, and nature. You will also learn about the Earth’s ecosystems and the importance of healthy ecosystems to human society. You will be introduced to key resources that support the earth and why a sustainable business should consider the impact of their actions on those key resources. You will learn about different threats to ecosystems that have been caused by human activities, thus emphasising the importance of running a sustainable business. <br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to business professionals and eco-entrepreneurs who would like to learn how sustainable business practices can benefit the economic activity of the business itself and also the wider social community and ecosystems.<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 />

In the free online course The GreenPlan Champion for Communities learn how a community can save money, reduce carbon and help society by joining The GreenPlan. The GreenPlan is a system that empowers society to tackle climate change.<br /><br />The course begins by introducing The GreenPlan and its origins. You will learn about the problems that The GreenPlan tackles. You will learn how Neil McCabe originally came up with the idea for The GreenPlan and how successful it has been since then. <br /><br />Next, you will be introduced to the different parts that make up The GreenPlan system. You will learn how a community can approach using The GreenPlan system. You will learn about the seven themes of The GreenPlan. You will also learn about the two core principles of The GreenPlan - behavioural change and carbon emission reduction.<br /><br />Finally, you will learn the steps to implementing The GreenPlan system in a community. You will learn how a community joins The GreenPlan and what is involved in the community preparation process. You will learn how a community can gain a GreenPlan certificate.<br /><br />This free course will be of great interest to communities that wish to do their part in tackling climate change and save money in the process. <br />

Vinod Khosla grew up dreaming of being an entrepreneur and in 2004, he formed Khosla Ventures which offers start-up assistance, strategic advice and financial backing to entrepreneurs. The firm helps entrepreneurs extend the potential of their ideas in both traditional areas like the Internet, computing, mobile, and silicon technology, and also supports clean technology areas such as bio-refineries for energy and bio-plastics, solar, battery and other environmentally friendly technologies. In this free online course he explains how his ambition in life from a young age was to be an entrepreneur but how he had to learn from failure early on in his career. He explains his business motto of why you should think big and act small. He talks about taking risks and why companies are more successful when they have a mission to change the world. You will learn what areas of investment interest and excite him and why he considers any big problem to be an opportunity. He discusses his views on technology driven entrepreneurship and why social entrepreneurship is so important. In terms of teamwork, he explains how to build strong teams and why great CEOs must build great teams. This course will be of great interest to entrepreneurs, business professionals and anyone who wants to learn from the experience and wisdom of a very successful business person.<br />

Endeavor is a global leader in guiding entrepreneurs around the world to create and develop business and economic growth in their own countries. Endeavor consists of entrepreneurs who want to give back to the world their knowledge and expertise to those in business who lack the same opportunities to grow. In this free online course the chairman of Endeavor, Edgar Bronfman, discusses the mission of Endeavor, why it was started, and how it can be implemented worldwide. You will learn about Endeavor's core values and beliefs, and how they can help entrepreneurs overcome obstacles that they encounter. This course will be of interest to entrepreneurs who have plans to start a business and would like help and guidance to get them on the road to building their own company, and to entrepreneurs with existing businesses who would like advice on how to overcome obstacles to grow their businesses further.<br />

Touch typing is a skill that will serve you for a lifetime. Develop your keyboard skills and save yourself hours with this free online course from ALISON, which will improve your typing speed and accuracy.<br /><br />ALISON's Touch Typing Training includes typing tests, which will help you to work effectively and efficiently, increasing your productivity at work and home.<br />

As with all industries, the tourism industry is centered upon sales. Up to ten years ago most holiday packages were sold through high street travel agencies but since then online booking has greatly increased its share of revenue. This free online course explains how the travel industry packages and sells tourism products to consumers. The industry is very effective at packaging its services and selling them as products through retail and online channels. The first section explains the role of tourism wholesalers in the travel industry and the methods they use to create an appealing product. The following section describes how travel agencies create an effective retail space for tourism products. The final section describes how online travel retail developed, how it benefits the customer and what its effect on the travel industry as a whole has been. This course will be of great interest to tourism professionals working in tourism retail. It will also be of interest to owners of tourism businesses as well as anyone interested in a career in the area of retail travel sales.<br />