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Top 25 Free Courses starting in March 2016

Carolyn

Founder at MoocLab
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MoocLab in collaboration with CourseTalk features the top upcoming courses each month based on CourseTalk's user reviews.

5 star rating


Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science - Part 2
Start date: 7th March
By The University of British Columbia via edX

This course is designed to give students a thorough introduction to early (pre-221 BCE) Chinese thought, its contemporary implications, and the role of religion in human well-being. Important themes to be discussed include the ideal of wu-wei or “effortless action,” the paradox of how one can consciously try not to try, mindfulness techniques and self-cultivation, models of the self and society, rationality versus emotions, trust and human cooperation, and the structure and impact of different spiritual and political ideals.

Liderando o Desenvolvimento Sustentável das Cidades
Start date: 29th March
By The Inter-American Development Bank via edX

Entre 1950 e 2010, a taxa de urbanização da América Latina passou de 41% a 79%. Caso esta tendência se mantenha, a taxa de urbanização em 2030 será de cerca de 90%, fazendo da região a mais urbanizada do planeta.
Essa tendência consolida a cidade como o centro do desenvolvimento econômico e humano da região. A cidade está criando trabalho, está inovando, está repensando seus sistemas de saúde e educação, transporte, está fazendo frente às mudanças do clima, está abrindo espaços para o debate e a socialização. Para que esse dinamismo possa traduzir-se em um fenômeno exitoso, a cidade deve aprender a planejar seu presente pensando em seu futuro, buscando o equilíbrio entre crescimento econômico, a inclusão social e o respeito ao meio ambiente. É, portanto, responsabilidade das cidades melhorar a qualidade de vida das gerações presentes sem comprometer o bem estar das gerações futuras.

Introduction to Operations Management
Start date: 29th March
By the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore via edX

Introduction to Operations Management helps you to understand the role of OM in a firm and to develop abilities to structure and solve operations related problems. The course will empower you with skills to address important aspects of business operations including capacity, productivity, quality, and supply chain.

4.5 star rating

Cellular Mechanisms of Brain Function
Start date: 1st March

By École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne via edX

Brain and behavior are inextricably linked in neuroscience. The function of the brain is to govern behavior, and the aim of this course is to causally link biophysical mechanisms with simple behaviors studied in mice. The brain processes information through the concerted activity of many neurons, which communicate with each other through synapses organised in highly dynamic networks. The first goal of the course is to gain a detailed understanding of the structure and function of the fundamental building blocks of the mammalian brain, its synapses and neurons. The second goal is to understand neuronal networks, with specific emphasis on the interactions of excitatory glutamatergic and inhibitory GABAergic neurons. The third goal is to place neuronal network function in the context of sensory processing ultimately leading to behavioral decisions and motor output.

Innovation and IT Management
Start date: 1st March
By the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore via edX
Information Technology (IT) changes the manner and scope in which businesses operate and compete. Innovations in IT have led some businesses to flourish, while others have faltered due to massive changes brought by this industry. IT is notoriously hard to manage. The challenge of managing IT is ensuring that the intended changes and innovations are realized, and the unintended ones are kept under control. This course will cover basic concepts of information technology management.


Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
Start date: 2nd March
By MIT via edX

6.00.2x will teach you how to use computation to accomplish a variety of goals and provides you with a brief introduction to a variety of topics in computational problem solving . This course is aimed at students with some prior programming experience in Python and a rudimentary knowledge of computational complexity. You will spend a considerable amount of time writing programs to implement the concepts covered in the course. For example, you will write a program that will simulate a robot vacuum cleaning a room or will model the population dynamics of viruses replicating and drug treatments in a patient's body.

Human Origins
Start date: 14th March
By Arizona State University via edX

This course will guide you through an exploration of the scientific evidence for the evolution of humans and our fossil relatives and humankind’s place in the natural world. It includes an introduction to evolutionary theory, an overview of the hominin fossil record and what that record teaches us about our place in nature. Dr. Donald Johanson, a world-renowned paleoanthropologist who found the skeleton known as Lucy, will present an exciting in-depth exploration of paleoanthropological field research from his unique perspective.

Algorithms, Part II
Start date: 16th March
By Princeton University via Coursera
This course covers the essential information that every serious programmer needs to know about algorithms and data structures, with emphasis on applications and scientific performance analysis of Java implementations.


Quantitative Biology Workshop
Start date: 29th March

By MIT via edX
Do you have an interest in biology and quantitative tools? Do you know computational methods but do not realize how they apply to biological problems? Do you know biology but do not understand how scientists really analyze complicated data? 7.QBWx: Quantitative Biology Workshop is designed to give students exposure to the application of quantitative tools to analyze biological data at an introductory level. For the last few years, the Biology Department of MIT has run this workshop-style course as part of a one-week outreach program for students from other universities. With 7.QBWx, we can give more students from around the world the chance to discover quantitative biology. We hope that this series of workshops encourages students to explore new interests and take more biology and computational courses.

4 star rating

Introduction to People Management
Start date: 1st March
By the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore via edX
Do you aspire to be an ideal people manager? The journey from being an individual contributor to a people manager requires significant personal development and growth. If you are a first time manager, you may have asked yourself:
  • Where did I go wrong in managing this particular employee?
  • How should I give feedback to my subordinates?
  • How do I handle potential assessments?
  • How should I motivate people who report to me?
The objective of this business and management course is to smoothen the transition for newly appointed people managers, motivate and guide people who are aspiring to become one and to think back and reflect for seasoned managers.
The course will provide learners with an enhanced understanding of the role of people management in organizational context.


La Química Orgánica, un mundo a tu alcance
Start date: 1st March
By Universidad Autónoma de Madrid via edX
¡La Química Orgánica está en todas partes! Simplemente nos rodea. ¿Te has dado cuenta que nosotros mismos somos Química Orgánica? Las moléculas biológicas son Química Orgánica. En este curso se introducen los fundamentos de la Química Orgánica y de la estructura molecular, sin que sea necesario tener ningún conocimiento previo de Química, ¡lo creas o no!.


Educación de calidad para todos. Equidad, inclusión y atención a la diversidad
Start date: 1st March
By Universidad Autónoma de Madrid via edX

¡Si te interesa la educación escolar como espacio para contribuir a una sociedad más justa e inclusiva, este curso es para ti! Sobre todo si crees que es necesario revertir los procesos de segregación, marginación y fracaso escolar que afectan a tantos alumnos y alumnas.
Este curso te facilitará la comprensión de principios y conceptos clave para el desarrollo de sistemas, centros escolares y prácticas educativas inclusivas
Aprenderás a entender por qué hoy la “educación inclusiva” se va extendiendo por el mundo como el “camino hacia el futuro”, para ayudar a construir sociedades también incluyentes.
Del análisis de ejemplos de exclusión y discriminación escolar y social de muchos grupos (personas con discapacidad, migrantes, alumnas, poblaciones originarias…), sacaremos las lecciones que han de guiar nuevas prácticas escolares para todo el alumnado.


Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics – Part A

Start date: 1st March
By Osaka University via edX
This course introduces Cognitive Neuroscience Robotics with two approaches: the synthetic and the analytic approach. The synthetic approach means an engineering approach to understand human cognitive functions synthetically, trying to understand human cognitive functions by replicating them as artificial systems and putting them into social environments. Specifically, it develops artificial systems such as robots based on findings in neuroscience and physiology, and investigates how they could acquire intelligent behaviors through interaction with others and the environment.

Programación y políticas financieras, Parte 1: Cuentas macroeconómicas y análisis
Start date: 2nd March
By The International Monetary Fund via edX

La programación financiera es un marco que permite analizar el estado de la economía, prever el curso de su evolución y determinar las políticas económicas que pueden cambiarlo.
La primera parte del curso PPF, presentada por el Instituto de Capacitación del FMI, le permitirá adquirir conocimientos básicos para realizar la programación financiera. En el curso se presentan las características principales de los cuatro grandes sectores que comprenden la macroeconomía (real, fiscal, externo y monetario), enseña cómo analizar e interpretar las cuentas de estos sectores y cómo estos sectores están relacionados entre sí.


Combinatorial Mathematics 组合数学
Start date: 10th March
By Tsinghua University via edX
Our lives are full of combinations. Combinatorial mathematics is just the science to deal with combinations of discrete items. As an ancient field, the history of combinatorial mathematics can be traced back over 4000 years to the age of the Great Yu in ancient China. Today, combinatorial mathematics is regarded as the basis of computer science since the algorithms in programming heavily rely on the analysis of the discrete elements.
Instead of relying on the traditional mathematical "theorem - proof" format, this course demonstrates various principles in an intuitive manner with ancient stories, the scenes of movies and even a magic show.


English Composition
Start date: 14th March
By Arizona State University via edX
This introductory writing course will help you develop and express ideas effectively for a variety of purposes, audiences and occasions.
During the course, you will complete several major written projects, along with a reflection for each project. For each project, you can decide what level of technology you wish to use.
If you wish to earn university credit for the course, which will count as credit for ASU’s First-Year Composition course, we will ask you to complete a portfolio in which you demonstrate what you have learned. Specifically, you will address what you have learned in the course and provide evidence that you have acquired the skills and knowledge taught during the course.


Western Civilization: Ancient and Medieval Europe
Start date: 14th March
By Arizona State University via edX
This course will provide a general outline of European history from Ancient times through 1500 AD, covering a variety of European historical periods and cultures, including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Celtic, Frankish and others.
This course satisfies the Social-Behavioral Sciences (SB) and Historical Awareness (H) general studies requirements at Arizona State University. This course may satisfy a general education requirement at other institutions; however, it is strongly encouraged that you consult with your institution of choice to determine how these credits will be applied to their degree requirements prior to transferring the credit.



Ethical Leadership: Character, Civility, and Community
Start date: 15th March
By Boston University via edX

Ethical leadership is the critical appropriation and embodiment of traditions that have shaped the character and shared meanings of a people. Ethical leaders, therefore, are leaders whose characters have been shaped by the wisdom, habits and practices of particular traditions, often more than one, yet they tend be identified with a particular cultural ethos and narrative. Finally, ethical leadership asks the question of values in reference to ultimate concern.

Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation
Start date: 21st March
By The Open University via FutureLearn

Explore how your own mind works, and discover how the limitations of the human brain can lead to major miscarriages of justice.
Despite advances in forensic science, eyewitness testimony remains a critical component of criminal investigations. Psychological research has revealed the dangers of relying on evidence gained from an eyewitness and also how careful the police need to be when questioning witnesses.
Using videos of real witnesses and from cameras that go behind the scenes of a police investigation, this course explores the psychology of eyewitness testimony. You will get the chance to test your own cognitive skills and to see whether your powers of investigation are as good as a crack squad of police officers, as you try to solve a crime using nothing but evidence from eyewitnesses.

Mastering Quantum Mechanics Part 2: Quantum Dynamics
Start date: 23rd March
By MIT via edX
This physics course covers Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and the concept of compatible operators. You will also learn about the Schrödinger and Heisenberg pictures of quantum mechanics and the coherent and squeezed states of the harmonic oscillator. The course concludes with two state systems and their applications to NMR and masers.

Modern Japanese Architecture: From Meiji Restoration to Today

Start date: 23rd March
By the Tokyo Institute of Technology via edX
Examine how architecture reflects Japan’s history, starting with its emergence as a new nation in the 19th century and the building of the Western-style capital city of Tokyo on the foundations of Edo. New building materials and construction methods reflected changing times, and the radical contrast between tradition and modernism in the nation was clearly visible in architecture throughout Japan.

Liderando el Desarrollo Sostenible de las Ciudades
Start date: 29th March
By the Inter-American Development Bank via edX
Hoy en día, más del 80 por ciento de la población en América Latina y el Caribe vive en zonas urbanas, y para el 2050 será casi el 90 por ciento. Esta creciente urbanización plantea desafíos importantes para los más de 15 mil municipios que existen en la región, exigiendo a los mismos hacer frente a las demandas de nuevos empleos, servicios urbanos, escuelas, transporte, viviendas y seguridad de forma consciente y planificada. Estas ciudades quieren avanzar hacia el desarrollo sostenible, buscando la manera de crecer económicamente, de forma inclusiva y respetando el medioambiente. ¿Pero cómo se avanza hacia el sueño de la sostenibilidad? ¿Cómo conseguimos crear actividad económica sin contaminar el aire y los ríos? ¿Cómo podemos crear riqueza y que los recursos lleguen a todas las personas? ¿Cómo hacer ciudades más seguras y participativas?

Computational Geometry: GIS, CAD, and Other Applications

Start date: 29th March
By Tsinghua University via edX
Geometry can be traced back to ancient Greece, but Computational Geometry evolved less than 40 years as a branch of computer science. The Computational Geometry taught in this course is derived from classical discrete/combinatorial geometry and modern computer science.
Computational Geometry first appeared on the horizon when M. I. Shamos presented his Ph.D. dissertation in 1978. Since then, this phrase has been used to refer to algorithmic study on discrete and combinatorial geometric structures and can also be regarded as the geometric version of Algorithm Design and Analysis. Computational Geometry is now considered the basis of robotics, computer aided design and manufacturing (CAM and CID), and geographic information systems (GIS).


Introduction to Mobile Application Development using Android
Start date: 30th March
By Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via edX
Join us on a gentle journey through the mobile application development landscape, using Android as the platform. Along the way we will learn to use Android Studio, the integrated development environment (IDE) for Android apps. This course is intended for students who have some prior programming experience. The course will introduce you to the basics of the Android platform, Android application components, Activities and their lifecycle, UI design, Multimedia, 2D graphics and networking support in Android.


Implementing Predictive Analytics with Hadoop in Azure HDInsight
Start date: 31st March
By Microsoft via edX
Learn how to implement predictive analytics solutions using Hadoop machine learning technologies like Mahout and Spark on Microsoft Azure HDInsight. In this four-week course, you will learn the basic concepts of data science and also use R programming on an HDInsight cluster.

 
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