University of Pittsburgh Courses

Isocrates

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The ancient philosopher Isocrates (436-338 BC) founded the first advanced school in Greek history, innovated creatively with new communication technology, and bequeathed a rich intellectual legacy that eventually served as the scaffolding for later efforts (in ancient Rome and modern Italy) to develop humanistic, liberal arts education. Though widely admired, Isocrates was criticized in his own time by Plato and later vilified by contemporary thinkers for advocating organized violence against non-Greek "barbarians." This course provides a basic introduction to Isocrates as a key figure in intellectual history, explores his contributions to the rhetorical tradition, and considers his enduring salience for contemporary rhetorical theory and practice. Primary texts include Isocrates' rhetorical compositions such as Against the Sophists, Helen, On the Peace, Panegyricus, Panathenaicus, Nicocles, and To Philip, among others. Students will read assigned texts (open access versions available online), view video lessons taped by professors Gordon Mitchell, John Poulakos, and their graduate students, complete various evaluations tools, and even have opportunities to remotely join several in-class discussions at the University of Pittsburgh. A traditional, brick-and-mortar graduate seminar in rhetorical theory (focusing on Isocrates) will take place during Pitt's Fall 2013 Term and will run contemporaneously with the MOOC, enabling this exciting hybrid, MOOC-mortar interaction. To follow the graduate seminar blog: http://www.blogospolitikos.wordpress.com

Nutrition and Physical Activity for Health

4.3

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeOver 65 percent of adults and over 30 percent of children meet the classificationof being overweight or obese, and with this excess weight comes numeroushealth conditions that include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletaldisorders, and even impairments in cognitive function. Because in mostcases the core cause of obesity and its related health conditions is apoor quality of diet and lack of sufficient physical activity, it is nosurprise that to reverse this health problem a foundation of proper nutritionand sufficient physical activity is imperative.This course is designed to provide a foundation of nutritional knowledgeto develop a sustainable pattern of healthy eating. To this will be addeda foundation of knowledge related to physical activity and exercise. Thesetwo key lifestyle behaviors are then brought together under the umbrellaof calorie balance, which is the understanding of how we balance the caloriesthat we eat in our diet with the calories that we burn to sustain lifeand to perform all of our daily tasks and functions.Ultimately, this information can only be of value if individuals understandhow to engage in these healthy behaviors within their daily lives whenthey are faced with challenges and barriers. This course will address keyissues and will provide information on effective strategies for adoptingand maintaining these targeted behaviors as they apply to the adoptionand maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

Accountable Talk®: Conversation that Works

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Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeDesigned for teachers and learners in every setting - in school and out,in formal learning environments or at home - Introduction to Accountable Talk isan introduction to the theory and practice of well-structured talk thatbuilds the mind. You will learn from the growing body of research and fromeducators who put it into practice, why intentionally structured talk promoteslearning and how educators can design talk situations that promote learning.The course includes video examples of children and adults engaging in Accountable Talk ina variety of settings and will enable you to begin to build Accountable Talk inyour own learning community. While the Accountable Talk program wasoriginally developed for K-12 classrooms, its structures and practicesare readily and productively applicable to any situation in which peopleget together and talk in order to learn. The course was developed by theSchool of Education and the Institute for Learning at the University ofPittsburgh. The Institute for Learning was founded by Lauren Resnick, aninternationally renowned cognitive psychologist, in 1995. Since then, underResnick’s leadership, the Institute for Learning has worked to support theimprovement of education and achievement of all students in more than 70school districts in 23 different states.

idea 2 IMPACT: An Introduction to Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products

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Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely Freeidea 2 IMPACT (i2I) is an online, 6-week course that will guide you step by step through the experience of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial idea in the area of assistive technology (AT). Each week, you will focus on a stage of the translational process as you work in teams to identify a problem, analyze stakeholders, define a solution, describe its benefits, research the competition, articulate differentiators, and create an action plan.

Epidemics, Pandemics and Outbreaks

4.4

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeWhat can we do to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases from becoming epidemics or pandemic? In this course, you’ll learn the facts about infectious diseases and medical responses. We'll focus on the public health laws and policies that provide the framework for effective prevention, like quarantine laws, drug development policies, and bioterrorism and biodefense.

Disaster Preparedness

3.9

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeHave you ever viewed a news report depicting the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster? The damage to human life and property are both staggering and heartbreaking. All parts of the world face the possibility of floods, hurricanes, tornados, fires, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural phenomena. Are you prepared if disaster would strike you? This course will help you prepare!The course is appropriate for any learner who is proactive about developing the core competencies of disaster readiness and survival planning. It is especially useful if you are seeking techniques that can ensure your personal protection, as well as the safety of your family, property, and belongings, during a natural disaster. In addition, it offers essential preparation for a variety of emergency situations and inconveniences, even if you do not live in major tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, or earthquake zone. For instance, could you and your loved ones manage without access to potable water, electricity, fuel, and banking facilities? If you are unsure of your ability to respond in any of these possible scenarios, this course is for you!Throughout the course, you will be introduced to the Disaster Cycle, specifically the Mitigation and Recovery phases, and will create an extensive personal preparedness plan for survival in the absence of common amenities, such as food and water, shelter, and communication. You will also acquire practical, easy-to-apply strategies for maintaining a healthy attitude during disaster which can allow you to remain calm, avoid panic, and draw upon inner and outer resources in dire circumstances. Although death may be an inevitable outcome of extreme circumstances, a balanced outlook can provide comfort for all parties involved. Finally, issues of how institutions and governments can aid in disaster are also discussed.If you are interested in this topic you may be interested in other online programs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Learn more about those programs by visiting our website: http://www.online.pitt.edu/programs/school-of-nursing/

Clinical Terminology for International and U.S. Students

4.7

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeUnderstanding the clinical terms and abbreviations commonly used during verbal or written communication in U.S. hospitals is challenging. This course is designed for U.S. health care profession students and for international students and practitioners who want to become more familiar with the language of the U.S. clinical setting.Others, such as caregivers and medical interpreters, who wish to develop a better understanding of terms and abbreviations used by health care providers will find this course helpful. The course provides visual and auditory learning experiences to enhance the understanding of terms and abbreviations commonly encountered on a general U.S. hospital unit. All content including quizzes are available at no cost to the learner. If you need a certificate, you can apply for financial aid or pay the fee. To find out more, click Learn more and apply next to the information about Financial Aid. (Use a computer, not a mobile device, for this step.)

Gender and Sexuality: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

3.5

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeWhat is sex? What is gender? What is sexuality? What do we mean by LGBTQIA? How are these concepts related to the workplace? How have our understandings of these terms changed over time, and how have these changes impacted work and culture? To help you answer these important questions, this course will introduce you to the exciting field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, and to LGBTQIA identities. We will use a range of interdisciplinary concepts, tools, and methods to understand and analyze how identity shapes our experiences in culture and in the workplace. Because we all live with gender expectations, this course is crucial for any profession, and for understanding the world around us. Also, you will learn key concepts that will help you to interpret and understand the world we share.

A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology

5

Class Central TipsLearn How to Sign up to Coursera courses for free1600+ Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely FreeThe course, “A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology” is aimed at scientifically inclined individuals who want to learn more about nuclear energy and the nuclear power industry. It will address subjects such as: What is nuclear energy? What is its history? Who are its heroes? Why is it controversial? How do nuclear power plants work? What about nuclear weapons? What are the stereotypes and misconceptions? We expect many students who finish this class to want to go on for further study in a closely related field.“A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology” is an overview course that provides broad subject-area coverage to introduce students to application of theory to practical aspects of nuclear science and technology in the world today with special emphasis on commercial nuclear power. The course will begin with a general overview of nuclear physics and the practical applications covered by the field of nuclear engineering. The majority of the course will focus on the theory, design and operation of commercial nuclear power reactors. The course will also touch on contemporary issues regarding nuclear power generation including: the nuclear fuel cycle, the economics of nuclear power, and nuclear non-proliferation.The course will begin with a grand tour of the commercial nuclear fuel cycle and power reactors so the student will have some perspective before delving into the theory that is important to understanding the unique aspects of nuclear energy. The course then will return to the fundamentals of basic nuclear physics, reactor physics, energy removal and power conversion to prepare students for in-depth looks at the theory and function of commercial nuclear power reactors.This course is intended for students who have had little to no academic instruction in nuclear engineering. Some of my incentives to teach this class are (1) to stimulate interest and excitement about nuclear science and technology, and (2) to create a more informed citizenry on the subject of nuclear energy utilization in the future. Introduction – A Grand Tour of the Nuclear Fuel CycleAtomic and Nuclear Physics – The Einstein ConnectionNuclear Reactions and Radiation – The Life and Trials of Neutrons and the Things They CreateRadiation and Radiation Protection – Radiation and RealismFission Reactor Basics – Links in the Chain ReactionOverview of Power Reactors and Nuclear Systems – Over 440 in the World and GrowingNuclear Safety –Should I be frightened?Radiation and Radioisotopes in the World Today