The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, England, the United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881 and granted a Royal Charter in 1948.
Discover sources that help you understand the past, and explain the present!The language of history determines how we view our world and understand urgent issues, such as the environment, conflict and human rights. This language is shaped by documents held in libraries and archives, and the ways in which researchers interpret these is constantly developing. This course will provide you with skills to discover and critically analyse the records of the past, including hidden treasures from the British Library’s collections. Researchers at the University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham will show how these collections influence the way we view our world today.No prior knowledge or training is needed. This course is for people who are interested in how history informs the ways in which we view the world today, or are already using records to find out about the past. You may be thinking about starting a postgraduate course, want to find out more about a specialist interest, or are working on a family or local history project.You don’t need any specific tools beyond those that you are using to access this course.
##Sustainability is one of the big global issues of our time. It is crucial that we all play our part in protecting our world for current and future generations. This course provides you with the knowledge and skills to do this by investigating sustainability from multiple angles and exploring what small steps you can take to have a real impact upon all our futures.The course team includes academics and postgraduates from many disciplines and is led by Professor Sarah Speight, from Nottingham’s School of Education. Through videos, readings, activities and discussions, you will explore sustainability from the perspective of the environment, the economy, health, politics, society and culture, education and community.You will be encouraged to look at your own behaviours and undertake activities such as measuring your water footprint, conducting a waste audit, researching, blogging and sourcing images. We encourage course participants to find, produce, share and discuss resources for sustainability.The University of Nottingham is an education partner of IEMA, the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment. IEMA’s role is to support individuals and organisations to set, recognise and achieve global sustainability standards and practice. Nottingham and IEMA are pleased to be working collaboratively on this course.Recommended readingWhy not download some of our free eBooks to help you read around the topic and be ready to join the discussions. Extracts from these books are used throughout the course.Or find out more in Sarah’s post for the FutureLearn blog: “What do the new UN sustainable development goals mean for you?”This course is intended for anyone with an interest in sustainability. It does not require any prior experience of studying the subject.
Explore the relationship between the Qur’an, Judaism and ChristianityThis online course will illustrate how the Qur’an situates itself as part of, and as a correction to, the religious discourse of the Jewish and Christian communities of Late Antique Arabia.The course will use the Qur’an, as well as Jewish and Christian historical documents, to reconstruct the religious landscape to which the Muslim scripture reacts in a pointed, precise and nuanced way.This will give you a historically more informed understanding of nascent Islam, and will allow you to reconsider many of theological and cultural tenets of Late Antique Judaism and Christianity.This course is open to anyone who is interested in the history of the Qu’ran. It will be of particular interest to educators, clerics, journalists, lawmakers or scholars.
Prepare for university by improving your mathematical skillsMathematical methods are fundamental to the study of science subjects at university level. This course from the University of Nottingham will help you to strengthen your maths skills in preparation for your degree.This course will help you develop the fundamental mathematical skills you need to study physics, engineering, computer science and other STEM subjects.Unclear on how to do algebra, unsure of your mathematical problem-solving skills, or uncertain on differentiation and integration? This science skills course is designed for you.Apply mathematical methods with confidenceThis science skills course covers mathematical fundamentals, including how to solve algebra problems and tackle trigonometry, vectors and more.By completing this course, you will develop confidence in the usage and evaluation of mathematical methods. You will be able to apply mathematical problem-solving techniques to the challenges you will face in university-level science. You will be able to reflect upon and identify common mathematical misconceptions.This introduction to mathematical methods is aimed at those looking to strengthen fundamental mathematics skills before studying science subjects at university.It will also help reintroduce non-traditional university students to formal learning.
Learn to translate real experiences into e-learning for health and social careHow can our e-learning tell powerful stories? How can we design high quality and reusable e-learning resources? How can we best get our ideas across to multiple audiences?We will introduce a methodology that you can use to design your own e-learning objects in all sorts of contexts, not just health.By the end of the course, you will have created your own storyboard and specification for a high-quality piece of e-learning, which you can develop further after the course.This course is relevant for people who work in e-learning in any area of medicine and healthcare.The practical nature of the course means that you can easily apply what you learn in the workplace.While the focus is around e-learning for health, the course and methods presented are transferable to many other contexts and sectors so it is suitable for anyone with an interest in designing e-learning.
##Think about the conversations you have had in your workplace over the past few months. Do you ever come out of meetings wishing you had said something differently, felt misunderstood or not been given credit for your ideas? Do you have difficulty talking to people more senior than you? How do you handle difficult conversations at work? ‘How to read your boss’ will provide you with practical tools by introducing you to the world of workplace communication through linguistics.How to Read Your Boss will be useful for anyone working in businesses or organisations in public, private or third sectors, anywhere in the world, including managers and those with leadership responsibility. No previous experience of linguistics or previous courses is required. It is designed to assess the effectiveness of the communication styles in your workplace and identify the type of communications culture where you work. It will offer alternative strategies for future business talk. If you want to explore this topic in more depth, the University Of Nottingham has a suite of follow-on online CPD courses on business communication covering a range of topics, delivered by international experts in the field.
How do antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop and find their way into our food?Learn what antibiotics are, how they work, and how bacteria become resistant to their effects. Hear how antibiotics are used from the perspective of healthcare and veterinary professionals. Explore how antibiotics are used in farming: How can antibiotic-resistant bacteria find their way onto our food? What impact does the environment and global trade have on the spread of this bacteria? Finally, consider what might be done to tackle antibiotic resistance: How effective are current policies? Can we find new types of antibiotics or alternatives to antibiotics? What can we do internationally?This course is for anyone with an interest in antibiotics, food and farming, and how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will affect our lives in the future. We aim to give you up-to-date information on the key issues in this topic, along with the opinions of leading experts from the world of industry, academia, medicine/veterinary medicine and government.For those keen to learn more about this area, we also offer a more in-depth online course on Poultry Health, in which we explore how disease can be controlled in the poultry industry; a sector that is particularly susceptible to the challenges of antimicrobial resistance.
This free online course explores the building blocks of our political views: freedom, community, place, justice and choice.These words mean different things to different people – such radically different things in fact, that individuals, protest movements and entire states often go to war to assert their understanding of, say, freedom over somebody else’s.Understand how propaganda works with our everyday beliefsOver five weeks, we will explore how and why words come to mean such different things, across time and space. We will look at how we come to be political, and how political ideology and propaganda pick up on the words, images and symbols we use to express our own convictions and sentiments.The course draws on the academic expertise of The University of Nottingham’s Centre for the Study of Ideologies (CSPI), as well as collections showcased in the British Library’s 2013 exhibition, Propaganda: Power and Persuasion.We will examine examples from different periods and contexts in the 20th and 21st centuries, looking at how propaganda is used to promote causes both “good” and “bad” in the arenas of public health, identity and belonging, and freedom and responsibility.Share your beliefs with a global community of learnersThroughout the course, you will be able to share your thoughts, beliefs and experiences with other learners, and post images to an online archive, helping to show us what freedom, community or protest might mean to you.In this way, you can join a global conversation, where people discuss politics across national, social and religious dividing lines, helping all of us appreciate where our differences of views originate.This course is designed for anyone with an interest in politics, history and propaganda. No previous experience or qualifications are required.
Shale gas is seen by many as a cheap, clean and plentiful source of energy; a low-carbon ‘game changer’ helping us meet the world’s rapidly growing demands for energy and offering greater energy security. Its rapid rise has not been without controversy, however. Earth tremors, surface and groundwater contamination, and the effects of fracking on human and animal health are all high profile concerns.During this four-week course, we’ll study the politics, economics, and science of shale gas. We’ll examine how shale gas was formed, and how we extract it through hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. We will look at the impact of shale gas on energy markets and energy security.We then move on to the environmental politics of shale. What are the local effects in terms of water contamination, seismic activity, and air pollution? What are the global effects? Does shale gas offer a ‘bridge’ to a low-carbon future, or would we be walking the plank?Finally we look at the question of what the public thinks, an area where the University of Nottingham has particular expertise, having run a public opinion survey on shale gas since 2012. Why are the US and UK experiences so different? What do the public think of allowing unconventional gas to be developed?At the end of the course you will have improved you understanding of the costs and benefits of shale gas, and you will have made your contribution to the public debate on this important topic.Keep up to date with announcements and discussions by following the course on Twitter @ShaleGas_MOOC. Or find out more in Wil Knight’s post for the FutureLearn blog: “Shale gas: understanding the politics and science.”This course is designed for those with an interest in climate change, energy, politics, geology or science. No prior knowledge of fracking or shale gas is required.
Improve your image analysis knowledge and ability to analyse your imagesThe use of automatic image analysis in the biological sciences has increased significantly in recent years, especially with automated image capture and the rise of phenotyping.This online course will help improve your understanding of image analysis methods, and improve your practical skills and ability to apply the techniques to your images.You will explore the process of image acquisition, through to segmenting regions, counting objects and tracking movement. Importantly, we’ll also try to highlight what to watch out for when using different image analysis approaches.This course is designed for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers in biological sciences.The use of automatic image analysis in the biological sciences has increased significantly in recent years, especially with automated image capture and the rise of phenotyping.This online course will help improve your understanding of image analysis methods, and improve your practical skills and ability to apply the techniques to your images.Development and delivery of this course is supported byBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Training Grant BB/P011845/1 Image Analysis for Biologists: An Online Course.The course and practicals refer to the open-source Fiji software (http://fiji.sc/).To use this you will need a computer (rather than a tablet or smartphone). Please see installation instructions at the Fiji website.
Get virtual vet work experience before embarking on a veterinary degreeThe COVID-19 pandemic means that many potential vet students cannot undertake animal handling work experience.On this course, you’ll get insight into the reality of life as a vet so that you can make an informed decision before embarking on a veterinary degree course.You’ll learn about the structure of veterinary practice and the different governing bodies, as well as discover the day to day challenges a vet might face.You’ll also explore the different roles available outside of general practice and find out the great opportunities such a degree can bring.This course is designed for students considering a degree in veterinary medicine and science.The course will also benefit anyone considering a role within the wider veterinary team.
This free online course offers an introduction to the field known as cognitive poetics – applying cognitive science (the study of the mind and its processes) to how we read literature.Understand cognitive poetics: what happens in our minds when we readTaking our best current knowledge of how our minds and language work, we will ask some key questions about reading literature:Why do we feel anything for fictional characters?Why do we get angry, moved, irritated, annoyed or sentimental about imaginary people in imaginary worlds?And why do the lives of fictional characters matter so much to readers?The answers to these questions are surprising and empowering, and as we explore each, we will introduce you to some key concepts frompsychology, linguistics and philosophy.In advance of the course starting you can join the conversation using #FLread or follow lead educator @PeterJStockwell on Twitter.There are no previous requirements needed to take part in this course.
Learn to decode photos and visit secret archives for a new view of history.This course, created by academics from Nottingham and the UK’s National Holocaust Centre and Museum, invites you on a visual journey of discovery.Explore with us how photos can offer new insights into the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust – and what problems we face when relying on the “perpetrator gaze”.Find out how the historical picture changes if we consider the secret photo archives created by the victims of Nazism. Discuss how seeing history in a new light can change our view of the present, and how to view photos of victims of persecution and violence today.Explore life in Nazi Germany through personal and propaganda photographyUsing the medium of historical photography, you’ll explore what happened to individuals in Germany during Nazism and the rise of Hitler.You’ll examine how people’s photography engaged with the official Nazi visual culture - including which elements of it they rejected or ignored.Study German politics and historical photography with insights from the Holocaust MuseumThis course is delivered by the University of Nottingham’s lead educator in history, Maiken Umbach, and is run in collaboration with the Holocaust Museum. You’ll have special access to fascinating displays from the Holocaust Museum itself and benefit from the specialist knowledge of museum staff.By the end of the course, you’ll have an in-depth understanding of the problems of the Nazi’s political propaganda photography and you’ll know all about the humans behind – and in front of – the camera in Germany during WW2.Course image: Stroop Report Warsaw ghetto uprising, National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsAnyone interested in modern European history, National Socialism, the Holocaust, and those who are keen enhance their media literacy in contemporary contexts.
Gain expert knowledge and skills to care for individuals living with dementiaDementia is becoming more common worldwide. On this course, you will learn to understand people with dementia and to care appropriately as a professional or family supporter. Spanning six topics from prevention and diagnosis to end of life care, the course also offers insights from recent research.Whatever your role in dementia care, by engaging with the resources and exchanging views with others, you will gain knowledge, skills, and confidence in dealing with people with dementia. Some of the material is specific to England and Wales, such as the legal context and health service provision.This course would suit health and social care professionals (e.g. nurses, doctors, therapists and social workers). It will also interest students, carers of people with dementia, individuals with a recent diagnosis, volunteers, and dementia researchers.
Become an expert health educator and make a differenceConnect with a global network of multi-professional educators in healthcare, and gain new perspectives on your teaching strategies and values as a health educator.On this course from the University of Nottingham, you’ll identify and apply the fundamentals of education to the healthcare professions. You will be empowered to make evidence-based improvements to your teaching.The course is designed to share with new or established educators the latest evidence-based approaches and thinking around delivering effective education in healthcare.Create an effective learning environment for your studentsThe course will begin by exploring the concept of motivation, and asking why it’s essential for effective learning. You’ll discuss Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as well as learning styles and strategies.You’ll learn about the role of memory in learning, and discover the types of memory and exercises that will allow you to help your students.Discover cognitive load theory and instructional designThere are several effective approaches to designing teaching. You’ll learn about the types of cognitive load, the principles of instruction, and instructional design.Assessments are also a vital part of teaching, so you’ll learn about assessment methods. You’ll think about what makes a reliable and valid assessment, and then explore what comprises good feedback.Learn to create a positive group dynamicIn the final few weeks, you’ll investigate how to create a good group dynamic in the classroom. From considering the psychological safety of students to developing group-based activities, you’ll learn to foster a positive learning environment.Ultimately, you’ll learn some of the fundamental concepts around learning, teaching, assessment, feedback, the environment, and curriculum design.This course is designed for healthcare professionals who work in, or have an interest in, delivering formal or informal education.