UAlberta is considered among the world’s leading public research- and teaching-intensive universities. As one of Canada’s top universities, we’re known for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeIn the Software Design and Architecture Specialization, you will learn how to apply design principles, patterns, and architectures to create reusable and flexible software applications and systems. You will learn how to express and document the design and architecture of a software system using a visual notation.Practical examples and opportunities to apply your knowledge will help you develop employable skills and relevant expertise in the software industry.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course extends object-oriented analysis and design by incorporating design patterns to create interactive applications. Through a survey of established design patterns, you will gain a foundation for more complex software applications. Finally, you will identify problematic software designs by referencing a catalog of code smells.You will be challenged in the Capstone Project to redesign an existing Java-based Android application to implement a combination of design patterns. You will also critique a given Java codebase for code smells.After completing this course, you will be able to: • Demonstrate how to use design patterns to address user interface design issues.• Identify the most suitable design pattern to address a given application design problem.• Apply design principles (e.g., open-closed, dependency inversion, least knowledge).• Critique code by identifying and refactoring anti-patterns.• Apply the model-view-controller architectural pattern.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeArctic communities have diverse histories and roles in local, regional and global economies. However, the scope and scale of globalization has increased so quickly that vulnerable Arctic communities are facing new kinds of challenges to their survival. In this 3-week MOOC, a unique collaboration between the University of Alberta and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, you will investigate the challenges faced by Indigenous, North American, Russian and Nordic Arctic communities in a modern world.So join us as we venture above the 60th parallel North, and explore how these fascinating communities adjust to change while maintaining their ways of life, socio-economic histories, and cultural traditions.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeIn this six-week capstone course, you will gain practical management experience in a safe, simulated software production setting. You will apply Agile practices and techniques to conquer industry-inspired challenges. Interacting with a realistic client, you will discern what they want and express what they truly need in software requirements to drive software production. Upon completing the capstone, you will be prepared to advance your career as a confident software product management professional.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeIn this Software Product Management Specialization, you will master Agile software management practices to lead a team of developers and interact with clients. In the final Capstone Project, you will practice and apply management techniques to realistic scenarios that you will face as a Software Product Manager. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences and learn from the insights of others as part of a Software Product Management
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThe way that software components — subroutines, classes, functions, etc. —are arranged,and the interactions between them, is called architecture. In this course you will study the ways these architectures are represented, both in UML and other visual tools. We will introduce the most common architectures, their qualities, and tradeoffs. We will talk about how architectures are evaluated, what makes a good architecture, and an architecture can be improved. We'll also talk about how the architecture touches on the process of software development.In the Capstone Project you will document a Java-based Android application with UML diagrams and analyze evaluate the application’s architecture using the Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM).After completing this course, you will be able to: • Compare and contrast the components, connections, protocols, topologies, constraints, tradeoffs, and variations of different types of architectural styles used in the design of applications and systems (e.g., main program and subroutine, object-oriented, interpreters, pipes and filters, database centric, event-based).• Describe the properties of layered and n-tier architectures.• Create UML ipackage, component, and deployment diagrams to express the architectural structure of a system.• Explain the behaviour of a system using UML activity diagrams.• Document a multi-application system with a layered architecture.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeMountains 101 is a broad and integrated overview of the mountain world. This 12-lesson course covers an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the physical, biological, and human dimensions of mountain places in Alberta, Canada, and around the world. Specifically, we'll study the geological origins of mountains, how they’re built-up and worn-down over time; we’ll learn about their importance for biodiversity and water cycles, globally and locally; we’ll explore their cultural significance to societies around the globe, and how that relationship has evolved over time; and we’ll learn how mountains are used, how they’re protected, and how today they’re experiencing rapid change in a warming climate. At the end of each lesson, Mountains 101 will also provide learners with some smart tricks -- Tech Tips -- to safely enjoy time in the high alpine environment: from how to pick the best footwear for hiking to making smart decisions in avalanche terrain. We’ll be delivering your online lessons from valley bottoms to mountaintops, from museums and labs, to alpine huts and other spectacular alpine sites, and we’ll do so with the help of a whole host of experts. We invite you to join us for this online adventure! The mountains are calling...
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course covers the techniques required to break down and map requirements into plans that will ultimately drive software production.Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:- Create effective plans for software development- Map user requirements to developer tasks- Assess and plan for project risks- Apply velocity-driven planning techniques- Generate work estimates for software products
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThe University of Alberta, the University of Tromso and the University of the Arctic invite you to explore this four week course that examines the environment and climate of the circumpolar North. This course is the result of an international collaboration and provides you with an insight into our planet's North. Following an overview of regional geography, we will focus on the cryosphere (ice), as well as the atmosphere and ocean of the region. We will learn why the Arctic is cold and ice covered, and how that impacts its climate and ecosystems. We will also consider how the Arctic is connected to the rest of the world. Finally, we will examine present day climate change, the processes driving it, and evidence for it in the Arctic, before looking at the implications in the rapidly evolving North. Watch a preview of the course here: https://uofa.ualberta.ca/courses/arctic-climate
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course delves into a variety of processes to structure software development. It also covers the foundations of core Agile practices, such as Extreme Programming and Scrum.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeDino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology is a 12-lesson course teaching a comprehensive overview of non-avian dinosaurs. Topics covered: anatomy, eating, locomotion, growth, environmental and behavioral adaptations, origins and extinction. Lessons are delivered from museums, fossil-preparation labs and dig sites. Estimated workload: 3-5 hrs/week.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeVideo games are a globally entrenched entertainment medium that entertains, informs and challenges us. These games are defined by, and define our modern culture. In this course, students will learn how to study games and engage in informed discussions about them. Ultimately, this course is about understanding the literacy of video games.Understanding Video Games was created with the help of world renowned video game developer, BioWare Corp, located in Edmonton, Alberta.The three main parts of the course are: 1) developing the terminology that enables us to talk about video games; 2) exploring how these terms are used in theoretical frameworks to interpret games, and; 3) turning these theories toward cultural aspects of games in order to understand how the medium has impacted society. One of the most important insights students will gain from the course will be an understanding of the interplay between video game designers, players and the games themselves.Course material is delivered in a student-friendly short-form fashion, with numerous formative feedback sections. Students will gain access to a number of special interactive modules designed specifically for this course. These modules will give users the opportunity to design their own video game avatar, as well as explore the short but fascinating history of video game releases. This course's unique lesson delivery, combined with classic quiz structure, will enable students to quickly gain a solid foundational understanding of video games within the context of modern culture. UAlberta students can earn course credit: Learn how.For information on how non-UAlberta students can earn course credit, please see the FAQs below on this page.Understanding Video Games is part of an ongoing program of research into digital learning conducted by the University of Alberta and therefore anonymized data provided by Coursera and survey information can be made accessible to the researchers.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeOf all the animals on earth, which are the strongest for their size? What about the fastest? Who were the first animals to evolve flight? Insects take all of these titles and more! As the most abundant animals on the planet, insects and other arthropods affect our lives in so many ways. From beneficial interactions like pollination and biological pest control, to the transmission of life threatening diseases; this course will teach you about the big ways that these little arthropods impact our lives. In Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions, you will be plunged into the diverse (and sometimes alien) world of arthropods to learn how they work, what they do, and how insects and humans interact every day.After completing this course, you will be able to:Describe the evolutionary relationships between insects and their arthropod relativesInventory major groups of insects and their diversity Demonstrate evolutionary adaptations that make insects successful Discuss insect biology and human-insect interactionsEvaluate positive and negative interactions between insects and humansPropose practical and symbolic roles insects play in human societies
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeWhat is a black hole? Do they really exist? How do they form? How are they relatedto stars? What would happen if you fell into one? How do you see a black hole if theyemit no light? What’s the difference between a black hole and a really dark star?Could a particle accelerator create a black hole? Can a black hole also be a wormhole or a time machine?In Astro 101: Black Holes, you will explore the concepts behind black holes. Using the theme of black holes, you will learn the basic ideas of astronomy, relativity, and quantum physics.After completing this course, you will be able to:• Describe the essential properties of black holes.• Explain recent black hole research using plain language and appropriate analogies.• Compare black holes in popular culture to modern physics to distinguish science fact from science fiction.• Describe the application of fundamental physical concepts including gravity, special and general relativity, and quantum mechanics to reported scientific observations.• Recognize different types of stars and distinguish which stars can potentially become black holes.• Differentiate types of black holes and classify each type as observed or theoretical.• Characterize formation theories associated with each type of black hole.• Identify different ways of detecting black holes, and appropriate technologies associated with each detection method.• Summarize the puzzles facing black hole researchers in modern science.
Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThis course examines the nature of both science and religion and attempts to explore the possible relationships between them. The primary purpose is to dispel the popular myth that science and religion are entrenched in a never-ending conflict. As a result, this course argues that if the limits of both science and religion are respected, then their relationship can be complementary.Topics include: Science and Religion Categories and Foundational Principles, Definitions of Science and Religion, Science-Religion Models and Relationships, Intelligent Design and Natural Revelation, the Galileo Affair, Geology and Noah’s Flood, Evolution and Darwin’s Religious Beliefs, the Modern “Evolution” vs. “Creation” Debate, the Problem of Evil, and Interpretations of the Biblical Accounts of Origins in Genesis 1-11.The course employs a Constructive Teaching Style in order that students can develop their personal views on the relationship between science and religion and on each of the topics listed above.St. Joseph's College is a Catholic, undergraduate, liberal arts college on the University of Alberta campus. It is an independent institution that is affiliated with the University of Alberta.Denis O. Lamoureux is Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph's College in the University of Alberta. He is the author of Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution (2008),Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes! (2016), and The Bible & Ancient Science: Principles of Interpretation (2020). Lamoureux is a Research Associate in Paleontology and has contributed to a dozen scientific papers. He is cited in the Who’s Who of Theology and Science and has delivered over 600 lectures throughout the United States and Canada. Lamoureux holds three earned doctoral degrees—dentistry, theology, and biology.