The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university and the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located in Austin—approximately 1 mile from the Texas State Capitol
In the second part of a two part statistics course, we’ll learn how to take data and use it to make reasonable and useful conclusions. You’ll learn the basics of statistical thinking – starting with an interesting question and some data. Then, we’ll apply the correct statistical tool to help answer our question of interest – using R and hands-on Labs. Finally, we’ll learn how to interpret our findings and develop a meaningful conclusion.We will cover basic Inferential Statistics – integrating ideas of Part 1. If you have a basic knowledge of Descriptive Statistics, this course is for you. We will learn how to sample data, examine both quantitative and categorical data with statistical techniques such as t-tests, chi-square, ANOVA, and Regression.Both parts of the course are intended to cover the same material as a typical introductory undergraduate statistics course, with an added twist of modeling. This course is also intentionally devised to be sequential, with each new piece building on the previous topics. Once completed, students should feel comfortable using basic statistical techniques to answer their own questions about their own data, using a widely available statistical software package (R).This course will consist of:Instructional videos for statistical concepts broken down into manageable topicsGuided questions to help your understanding of the topicWeekly tutorial videos for using RScaffolded learning with Pre-Labs (using R), followed by Labs where we will answer specific questions using real-world datasetsWeekly wrap-up questions challenging both topic and application knowledgeWith these new skills, learners will leave the course with the ability to use basic statistical techniques to answer their own questions about their own data, using a widely available statistical software package (R). Learners from all walks of life can use this course to better understand their data, to make valuable informed decisions.Join us in learning how to look at the world around us. What are the questions? How can we answer them? And what do those answers tell us about the world we live in?
Linear Algebra: Foundations to Frontiers (LAFF) is packed full of challenging, rewarding material that is essential for mathematicians, engineers, scientists, and anyone working with large datasets. Students appreciate our unique approach to teaching linear algebra because:It's visual.It connects hand calculations, mathematical abstractions, and computer programming.It illustrates the development of mathematical theory.It's applicable.In this course, you will learn all the standard topics that are taught in typical undergraduate linear algebra courses all over the world, but using our unique method, you'll also get more! LAFF was developed following the syllabus of an introductory linear algebra course at The University of Texas at Austin taught by Professor Robert van de Geijn, an expert on high performance linear algebra libraries. Through short videos, exercises, visualizations, and programming assignments, you will study Vector and Matrix Operations, Linear Transformations, Solving Systems of Equations, Vector Spaces, Linear Least-Squares, and Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors. In addition, you will get a glimpse of cutting edge research on the development of linear algebra libraries, which are used throughout computational science.MATLAB licenses will be made available to the participants free of charge for the duration of the course. To see what former learners have to say about the course, read reviews on coursetalk.We invite you to LAFF with us!
*Note - This is an Archived course*In a world that’s full of data, we have many questions: How long do animals in a shelter have to wait until they are adopted? Can we model the growth of internet usage in a country? Do films with a more adult rating make more money that other rated films?Luckily, the world is also full of data to help us answer those questions. This course will walk through the basics of statistical thinking – starting with an interesting question. Then, we’ll learn the correct statistical tool to help answer our question of interest – using R and hands-on Labs. Finally, we’ll learn how to interpret our findings and develop a meaningful conclusion.This course will consist of instructional videos for statistical concepts broken down into manageable chunks – each followed by some guided questions to help your understanding of the topic. Most weeks, the instructional section will be followed by tutorial videos for using R, which we’ll then apply to a hands-on Lab where we will answer a specific question using real-world datasets.We’ll cover basic Descriptive Statistics in our first “Unit” – learning about visualizing and summarizing data. Unit two will be a “modeling” investigation where we’ll learn about linear, exponential, and logistic functions. We’ll learn how to interpret and use those functions with a little bit of Pre-Calculus (but we’ll keep it very basic). Finally in the third Unit, we’ll learn about Inferential statistical tests such as the t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square.This course is intended to have the same “punch” as a typical introductory undergraduate statistics course, with an added twist of modeling. This course is also intentionally devised to be sequential, with each new piece building on the previous topics. Once completed, students should feel comfortable using basic statistical techniques to answer their own questions about their own data, using a widely available statistical software package (R).I hope you’ll join me in learning how to look at the world around us – what are the questions? How can we answer them? And what do those answers tell us about the world we live in?How long is the course?The course is scheduled to run from November 4, 2014 to February 6, 2015. While this time frame covers 13 weeks, there may be a break from December 22, 2014 to January 1, 2015 to align with the University of Texas at Austin's winter break.Do I need a Windows PC?No. A Mac or a PC will work just fine. You’ll need to download both R and RStudio and install them. Both pieces of software have a PC and a Mac version.Are there any specific technology requirements?Access to a computer with internet access that you can install software on (R and RStudio). You may also need a calculator.Is there a text book associated with the course?Yes and no. The text that we will be using is a custom created open source text that will be embedded into the edX course as PDF readings.This is a past/archived course. At this time, you can only explore this course in a self-paced fashion. Certain features of this course may not be active, but many people enjoy watching the videos and working with the materials. Make sure to check for reruns of this course.
Astrophysicist Katherine Freese explores the origins and composition of our universe, a quarter of which is thought to be comprised of dark matter, and how scientists are searching for the elusive particles that might comprise dark matter.
*Note - This is an Archived course*Everyone gets sick. Thanks to medical innovations in the past 50 years, many diseases and conditions have been either mitigated or even cured through medicine. How does a research innovation turn into a therapeutic medicine that health care providers prescribe to patients? This course explores the process, challenges and issues in developing pharmaceutical products. Drug development is a dynamic field where innovation and entrepreneurship are necessary to keep up with health care expectations, strict regulations and tightening development budgets. An overview of drug development, approval, and consumer issues will be presented and discussed in the context of research practices, science, marketing, public welfare and business. Participants from all backgrounds and interest, including scientists, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and the general public, are encouraged to participate.Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.This is a past/archived course. At this time, you can only explore this course in a self-paced fashion. Certain features of this course may not be active, but many people enjoy watching the videos and working with the materials. Make sure to check for reruns of this course.
How is career success related to happiness and vice versa? Most of us believe that career success leads to happiness. In fact, however, scientific evidence suggests that the reverse is even more true: happiness leads to career success. For example, one study found that the top 20% of the happiest people earned 32% more salary than least happy 20%. In this short 4-week course, co-taught by award winning professors Raj Raghunathan (author of ‘If you’re so smart, why aren’t you happy?’, and instructor for one of ‘Top 50 MOOCs of all-time’) and Marshall Goldsmith (world-famous CEO coach and author of ‘What got you here won’t get you there’), you will learn about 5 main topics: a. Why does happiness at work matter? b. What are the 5 most important determinants of happiness at work? c. What is holding me back from feeling happy and fulfilled at work? d. What can I do to enhance my own happiness levels at work? e. What can I do to enhance the happiness of my coworkers? In addition to learning about these topics, your happiness levels will improve significantly and, in the process, you’ll be on your way to a more meaningful and successful career.
In this first part of a two part course, we’ll walk through the basics of statistical thinking – starting with an interesting question. Then, we’ll learn the correct statistical tool to help answer our question of interest – using R and hands-on Labs. Finally, we’ll learn how to interpret our findings and develop a meaningful conclusion.This course will consist of:Instructional videos for statistical concepts broken down into manageable topicsGuided questions to help your understanding of the topicWeekly tutorial videos for using R Scaffolded learning with Pre-Labs (using R), followed by Labs where we will answer specific questions using real-world datasetsWeekly wrap-up questions challenging both topic and application knowledgeWe will cover basic Descriptive Statistics – learning about visualizing and summarizing data, followed by a “Modeling” investigation where we’ll learn about linear, exponential, and logistic functions. We will learn how to interpret and use those functions with basic Pre-Calculus. These two “units” will set the learner up nicely for the second part of the course: Inferential Statistics with a multiple regression cap.Both parts of the course are intended to cover the same material as a typical introductory undergraduate statistics course, with an added twist of modeling. This course is also intentionally devised to be sequential, with each new piece building on the previous topics. Once completed, students should feel comfortable using basic statistical techniques to answer their own questions about their own data, using a widely available statistical software package (R).With these new skills, learners will leave the course with the ability to use basic statistical techniques to answer their own questions about their own data, using a widely available statistical software package (R). Learners from all walks of life can use this course to better understand their data, to make valuable informed decisions.Join us in learning how to look at the world around us. What are the questions? How can we answer them? And what do those answers tell us about the world we live in?
This is the third in a series of courses on financial technology, also called Fintech. This course provides an overview of machine learning applications in finance. The course is structured into three main modules. In the first one, we will survey the crowdfunding market. We will talk about equity crowdfunding and P2P or marketplace lending. In the second module, we will first learn what artificial intelligence is, and the attempts to create machines and algorithms that can replicate, mimic, and replace human activities. We will review the main machine learning tools, starting from measuring the accuracy of predictive models, to basic linear regressions, linear and non linear machine learning models, and deep learning, and their applications in finance. We will also use python to model credit application decisions. The third module focuses on quantitative investments, roboadvising, and finance in social platforms. Having a good grasp of machine learning is becoming a necessary skill in the labor market. After you complete this course, you will be able to have a detailed understanding of what machine learning is, and how it is applied in the financial sector. Financial professionals are often required or encouraged to continue their education to practice their profession. For some associations, this program may be used for Continuing Education Credits. Please check with your local or national organization if the program qualifies.Week 1: P2P Crowdfunding- Equity Crowdfunding- Marketplace LendingWeek 2: Overview of Artificial Intelligence- Measuring Accuracy- Overfitting- Linear Machine Learning ModelsWeek 3: - Non-linear Machine Learning Models- Deep learning- Credit ModelingWeek 4:- Robo-advising- Social Investing- Quantitative Investing
Louis Armstrong. Charlie Parker. John Coltrane. You’ve heard their names, but do you know what makes them great? In Jazz Appreciation, you will learn what these artists and many others contributed to America’s great original art form, revered the world over for its innovation and creativity. Jazz emerged during a time of tremendous change and upheaval in American society; this course will also discuss how its evolution both reflected and contributed to those changes.Much more than a lecture series, Jazz Appreciation weaves in musical performances and examples that will deepen your understanding of the musical process and develop your ability to identify and analyze different jazz eras and great jazz soloists. It also incorporates cutting-edge adaptive learning technology that will allow you to practice your new knowledge and skills, at your own pace, until you reach mastery.Join this course to enhance your enjoyment of jazz by developing an informed understanding and deep appreciation of the art.Please note: This course includes a wealth of music. In sensitivity to artists’ rights, course videos including music are available for a limited time only. Materials are released weekly on Saturday mornings, and videos are removed nine days later, on Sunday nights. Please plan to keep pace with the course in order to get the most out of it.
Medicine has eradicated or eased the symptoms of many diseases. This course reveals how new drugs go from research innovation to a medicine that can be prescribed to patients. You’ll learn the process, challenges and issues in developing pharmaceutical products. Drug development is a dynamic field where innovation and entrepreneurship are necessary to keep up with health care expectations, strict regulations and tightening development budgets. An overview of drug development, approval, and consumer issues will be presented and discussed in the context of research practices, science, marketing, public welfare and business.Participants from all backgrounds and interest, including scientists, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and the general public, are encouraged to participate.Week 1: Drug Development OverviewAn overview of the various phases of the drug development pathway, highlights of medical innovations and discussion of the changing landscape for new productsWeek 2: Discovery & Preclinical PhasesGreater detail on the discovery and preclinical development, drug repurposing, formulating & testing drug products and how an academic researchers contributed to finding an antidote to anthraxWeek 3: Clinical Trials & RegulationsThe clinical trial phases and challenges, how cancer therapies are developed, FDA’s perspective on new product approvalsWeek 4: Patient Safety, Manufacturing & University InnovationsFDA role to ensure patient safety, how manufacturers assure the medicine you take is what it is supposed to be, the importance of university research to develop novel medicines
This course explores the primary entertainment vehicles that students are exposed to on a daily basis through a series of interlinking concepts such as the digital audio workstation, a Kraftwerk 3D concert, interactive toys, robotics in art, 3D projection mapping, Pokémon Go! and much more.This examination is supported by a critical evaluation of the various kinds of technologies that have emerged along the continuum of entertainment technology.How have these technologies shaped and even created new art forms? How have these transformations informed styles and genres across theater, recording music, feature films, integrated media events, game play from consoles to hand-helds and the explosion of commercially accessible virtual and augmented realities?Information will be synthesized through an understanding that the common thread has been the ever-expanding role of computing technologies in all forms of commercial and popular art.
Are you interested in what’s happening in your global community? Explore economic, social, political, and environmental issues through the lens of geography.By exploring human influences and patterns, you can better understand the world around you, make predictions, and propose solutions to current issues. In this course, you will investigate geographic perspectives and analyze historical and current patterns of migration, population, political organization of space, agriculture, food production, land use, industrialization and economic development.In addition, you will learn helpful strategies for answering multiple-choice questions and free response essay questions on the AP Human Geography test.Each of the seven modules in this course aligns with the concepts in the Advanced Placement* Human Geography course.This course is specifically designed for students who are interested in learning more about the AP Human Geography course before enrolling, supplementary support and exam review, and for use in blended learning classrooms.* Advanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, these offerings.
What are the issues affecting women and minorities in the creative and technological fields?What are some of the ways to solve them? Why is diversity important? These are some of thequestions we will address in this class. The format of our sessions will vary betweenpresentations by the instructor and interviews with guests. We will be looking at case studies,examining our own attitudes and biases, and coming up with solutions. We will have nationallyand internationally renowned guests from various fields at the intersection of art and technology.This is a great opportunity to find out more about fields within and beyond your interests and tostudy the current practices employed by leaders from various creative and technological fields.
The last century ushered in significant progress. Philosophers, scientists, artists, and poets overthrew our understanding of the physical world, of human behavior, of thought and its limits, and of art, creativity, and beauty. Scientific progress improved the way we lived across the world. Yet the last century also brought increased levels of war, tyranny, and genocide. Man pushed boundaries of good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice – and people lost faith in values. Now, thinkers and leaders are reconstructing theories of value and creating institutions to embody them. Join this thought-provoking, broad-sweeping course as it draws intriguing connections between philosophy, art, literature, and history, illuminating our world and our place in it. Before your course starts, try the new edX Demo where you can explore the fun, interactive learning environment and virtual labs. Learn more.
In this interactive pre-Calculus course, you will deepen and extend your knowledge of functions, graphs, and equations from high school algebra and geometry courses so you can successfully work with the concepts in a rigorous university-level calculus course. This course is designed to engage learners in the “doing” of mathematics, emphasizing conceptual understanding of mathematical definitions and student development of logical arguments in support of solutions. The course places major emphasis on why the mathematics topics covered work within the discipline, as opposed to simply the mechanics of the mathematics.