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Science, Maths & Technology
Practising systems thinking in practice (STiP)
This free course provides a postgraduate level introduction to systems thinking in practice, or STiP. Systems thinking in practice itself has a long history and has developed from many different disciplinary traditions and used many different techniques and approaches, but all based on viewing complex situations as systems. The ideas about ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Understanding systems thinking in practice (STiP)
With media and political attention given to systemic failure, systems thinking is increasingly advocated as an alternative way of managing human interventions associated with socio-economic and environmental development. So what is systems thinking? Why might systems approaches provide better support for strategic planning? Moreover, how might ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to quantum computing
Quantum computing is a developing field with enormous potential societal and economic impact. In the future, quantum computers will enable us to solve a range of complex problems that are currently intractable, potentially revolutionising key sectors including medicine, finance and the pharmaceutical industry. In this free course you will learn ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
White dwarfs and neutron stars
Stars live their lives for millions or billions of years but will eventually die. Low mass stars (like the Sun) will end their lives producing so-called planetary nebulae, and leave behind a collapsed core known as a white dwarf. More massive stars will end their lives by exploding and producing a so-called supernova remnant, and leave a neutron...
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Science, Maths & Technology
The formation of exoplanets
Over the last few decades astronomers have discovered thousands of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun – known as exoplanets. Many of these exoplanets are quite unlike anything we see in our Solar System. These include ‘hot Jupiters’ orbiting very close to their parent star and rocky ‘super Earths’ many times larger than our home planet. ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Returning to STEM
This course offers useful skills and solutions to help you get back into a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).
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Science, Maths & Technology
Engineering: environmental fluids
This course introduces the properties of the atmosphere and how wind movements arise and are affected by pressures and the Earth’s motion, development of weather system, moving onto the Earth’s oceans and seas. Understanding how ocean movements are generated and sustained in the form of waves, tides, flows and currents is important in many ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to complex analysis
This free course, Introduction to complex analysis, is an extract from the third level Open University course M337 Complex Analysis, which develops the theory of functions of a complex variable, emphasising their geometric properties and indicating some applications.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in STEM
This free course, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in STEM, provides a toolkit for conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). SoTL involves educators using their disciplinary knowledge to investigate a question about learning and teaching, gather evidence in a ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Working mathematically
This free course, Working mathematically, is aimed at teachers who wish to review how they go about the practice of teaching mathematics, those who are considering becoming mathematics teachers, or those who are studying mathematics courses and would like to understand more about the teaching and learning process.
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Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to finite element analysis
What is finite element analysis (what is it and why do we carry it out? This free course, Introduction to finite element analysis, introduces the essence of finite element analysis. As an example of its use, you will look at the case of FEA of the tub of a racing car. You will also have the opportunity to try out two exercises to carry out a ...
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Science, Maths & Technology
Exploring anxiety
This free advanced level course, Exploring anxiety, serves as an introduction to masters level study in neurosciences and mental health. Focusing on anxiety, you will consider key issues concerning diagnosis, causes and interventions. You will also learn how to evaluate news items, and to go behind the headlines and begin to explore some of the ...