8.MReV: Mechanics ReView "Start On Jun/01/2013"

ABOUT THIS COURSE

 Mechanics ReView is a second look at introductory Newtonian Mechanics. It will give you a unified overview of mechanics that will dramatically increase your problem-solving ability. It is open to any students who meet the prerequisites (see right), but is especially designed for teachers and those who want to improve their existing understanding of mechanics.

Newtonian mechanics is the study of how forces change the motion of objects. This course begins with force, and moves on to straight-line motion, momentum, mechanical energy, rotational motion, and angular momentum. Optional units include oscillations, planetary orbits, and a review of multi-concept problems.

WHY TAKE OUR COURSE?

Our approach to mechanics is a unique one. Through worked examples and online texts we introduce a strategic overview of core concepts in mechanics. This overview couples with a new approach to problem-solving that will help you break down and solve multi-concept problems. By choosing a system of objects, defining their interactions, and deciding on a model to use to describe them, you will come to solve physics problems more easily and more systematically.

The road to "easy" goes through "hard." This course is more challenging than a standard high school or introductory college physics offering. We will help you become a more expert problem solver, and that process involves solving a variety of problems, in many different ways, with our new approach. The reward is stronger problem-solving ability that carries over to other areas in physics.

Take this course to better organize your mechanics knowledge, to prepare for AP or advanced standing exams, to teach more effectively, or if you enjoy attacking challenging problems!

FOR TEACHERS

If you are a teacher looking to improve your knowledge of mechanics, or to learn new approaches to teach your students, we encourage you to sign up. Our approach has been researched carefully and has proven effectiveness when it comes to preparing students for later courses.

Teachers in the United States, and especially in Massachusetts, can receive extra benefit from this course. We offer Professional Development Points (PDPs) at no charge to teachers in Massachusetts who complete our course. If you are in a different state, we instead offer Continuing Education Units through the American Association of Physics Teachers. There is a fee for this certificate.

COURSE STAFF

David E. Pritchard

Dr. Pritchard is a professor of physics at MIT, and the creator of the MAPS curriculum that is at the core of Mechanics ReView. Dr. Pritchard is a pioneer in atomic physics research and has mentored three Nobel lauriates. His research group currently focuses on understanding how students can learn better, especially from online courses such as this one.

Colin Fredericks

Dr. Fredericks is a postdoctoral fellow at MIT. He is an educational researcher in Dr. Pritchard's group, and winner of the 2010-11 Learning Triangle award for teaching. Colin is the course coordinator for Mechanics ReView.

Course Number8.MReV
Classes Start Jun 01, 2013
Classes End August 31, 2013
Estimated Effort10 hours/week
PrerequisitesAn introductory physics course in high school or college is strongly recommended. Very good algebra and trigonometry skills are essential, introductory calculus and vector calculus are helpful.

Register For 8.MReV: Mechanics ReView

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:45 PM in Edx, HarvardX, Mechanics, MITx, Science, Technology

PH278x: Human Health and Global Environmental Change "Start on May/15/2013

ABOUT PH278X

 One of the greatest challenges of our time is to address global environmental changes, such  as climate change and biodiversity loss, that may harm the health of billions of people worldwide. This class will examine these changes, their causes, as well as their health consequences, and engage students in thinking about their solutions. Those who earn a passing grade will get a certificate of mastery from HarvardX.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Aaron Bernstein

Aaron Bernstein, M.D., M.P.H., is the Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health and a pediatric hospitalist at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Bernstein’s work examines the human health effects of global environmental changes, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of these subjects among students, educators, policy makers, and the public.

Jack Spengler

John D. Spengler is the Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health as well as the Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation. He has conducted research in the areas of personal monitoring, air pollution health effects, aerosol characterization, indoor air pollution and air pollution meteorology. In addition to his academic and research activities, Professor Spengler has been active in professional education workshops, distance learning and short courses. He also serves as an advisor to several global organizations, including the World Health Organization.

1. Course Number
   PH278x
2. Classes Start
   May 15, 2013

Register For  PH278x: Human Health and Global Environmental Change

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:42 PM in Edx, HarvardX, Medicine, Science

UT.1.01x: Energy 101 " Start On Sep/15/2013"

ABOUT ENERGY 101

Energy Technology & Policy

 This multidisciplinary course will give students an overview of energy technologies, fuels, environmental impacts and public policies. Topics will be interdisciplinary and will include an introduction to quantitative concepts in energy, including the differences among fuels and energy technologies, energy policy levers, and the societal aspects of energy, such as culture, economics, war, and international affairs. This course will cover brief snippets of energy history, use real-world examples, and look forward into the future. The course will have interactive learning modules and lecture-oriented around current events related to energy.

PREREQUISITES

None

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Michael E. Webber

Michael Webber is the Josey Centennial Fellow in Energy Resources, Co-Director of the Clean Energy Incubator at the Austin Technology Incubator, and Deputy Director of the Energy Institute at UT Austin, where he trains a new generation of energy leaders through research and education at the intersection of engineering, policy, and commercialization. He has authored more than 150 scientific articles, columns, books and book chapters, including a compendium of his commentary titled Changing the Way America Thinks About Energy, which was published in May 2009.

1. Course Number
   UT.1.01x
2. Classes Start
   Sep 15, 2013
3. Classes End
   Dec 2013
4. Prerequisites
   None

Register For UT.1.01x: Energy 101

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:38 PM in Edx, Policy, Science, Technology, UTAustinX

UT.3.01x: Age of Globalization "Start on Sep/01/2013"

ABOUT AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

Globalization is a fascinating spectacle that can be understood as global systems of competition and connectivity. These man-made systems provide transport, communication, governance, and entertainment on a global scale. International crime networks are outgrowths of the same systems. Topics include national identity, language diversity, the global labor market, popular culture, sports and climate change.

However, an increase in integration has not brought increased equality. Globalization creates winners and losers among countries and global corporations, making competition the beating heart of the globalization process.

The globalization process exemplifies connectivity. Globalization is unimaginable without the unprecedented electronic networks that project dominant cultural products into every society on earth.

Learn how to identify and analyze global systems and better understand how the world works.

PREREQUISITES

None, except for intermediate fluency in English reading/writing.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

John Hoberman

John Hoberman holds a Ph.D. Scandinavian Languages and Literature from University of California, Berkeley. He has taught courses on globalization many times over the past ten years. He lectures on the international sports system and the global doping crisis in many countries around the world, and has published almost a hundred sports commentaries in newspapers and popular magazines. His books include Sport and Political Ideology (1984), The Olympic Crisis: Sport, Politics, and the Moral Order (1986), Mortal Engines: The Science of Performance and the Dehumanization of Sport (1992), Darwin's Athletes: How Sport Has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race (1997), Testosterone Dreams: Rejuvenation, Aphrodesia, Doping (2005), and Black & Blue: The Origins and Consequences of Medical Racism (2012). In addition to being full professor and past chair of the Department of Germanic Studies, he has held appointments at The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; The Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies; and The African and African Diaspora Studies Department at the University of Texas at Austin. He's also taught at Harvard University and University of Wisconsin, Madison.

This course is being offered with the support of The University of Texas at Austin’s Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (LAITS). A version of this course is also offered in person on the University of Texas at Austin campus as a Signature Course in the School of Undergraduate Studies.

1. Course Number
   UT.3.01x
2. Classes Start
   Sep 01, 2013
3. Classes End
   Dec 15, 2013
4. Prerequisites
   None

Register For UT.3.01x: Age of Globalization

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:35 PM in Edx, Science, UTAustinX

UT.4.01x: Take Your Medicine - The Impact of Drug Development

ABOUT TAKE YOUR MEDICINE - THE IMPACT OF DRUG DEVELOPMENT

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.

PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites for this course. This course is designed to allow participation by everyone, including the general population and scholars, without prior knowledge.

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Dr. Janet Walkow

Dr. Janet Walkow is the Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer of the Drug Dynamics Institute (DDI). She joined the faculty of the University of Texas in 2008, building on a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, where she led efforts ranging from R&D product development to Corporate Strategy. The DDI brings together scientists and investigators to work on novel solutions for disease and healthcare issues, fostering collaborations and developing ways to eliminate drug development. She is passionate about the need for scientists and the general public to understand how medical therapies are developed. A leader in efforts to empower women, Janet is co-founder of the Leading Women Project, empowering women of all ages and professions learn to lead themselves and others.

Dr. Alan Watts

As Assistant Director of the Drug Dynamics Institute (DDI), Alan works with development-focused pharmaceutical researchers in academia and industry to advance drug products through the preclinical stage. Alan also oversees the UTech Dorm Room, a wet lab incubator space, located within the College of Pharmacy. With academic and industry experience in drug product development, Alan has first-hand knowledge of the steps necessary to help new drug products reach the clinical stage. During his time in industry, Alan developed drugs for delivery to the lungs. His experience in this field has led to a comprehensive understanding of the steps necessary for the formulation, characterization, efficacy testing and safety testing of inhaled drug products.

STAFF

Dr. Donna Kidwell received her doctorate at the Ecole de Management in Grenoble, France, and her Master’s in Science and Technology Commercialization at The University of Texas at Austin. She led the development of The Innovation Readiness Series™, an online course developed to help global innovators. Her research interests include innovation and commercialization. She has worked globally to encourage economic development through science and innovations. Prior to her work with UT Austin, Donna was a software consultant, and developed custom database applications and eLearning environments for companies such as Exxon, Agilent, and Keller Williams Realty International. She is passionate about creating action based online systems to educate and help others achieve their goals.

1. Course Number
   UT.4.01x
2. Classes Start
   Sep 16, 2013
3. Classes End
   Nov 8, 2013
4. Prerequisites
   None

Register For  UT.4.01x: Take Your Medicine - The Impact of Drug Development

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:30 PM in Edx, Medicine, UTAustinX

SPU27x: Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science "Start on Oct/2013"

ABOUT SCIENCE & COOKING: FROM HAUTE CUISINE TO SOFT MATTER SCIENCE

Science & Cooking brings together top chefs and preeminent Harvard researchers to explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa.

During each week of the course, you will watch as chefs reveal the secrets behind some of their most famous culinary creations — often right in their own restaurants. Inspired by such cooking mastery, the Harvard team will then explain, in simple and sophisticated ways, the science behind the recipe.

Topics will include: soft matter materials, such as emulsions, illustrated by aioli; elasticity, exemplified by the done-ness of a steak; and diffusion, revealed by the phenomenon of spherification, the culinary technique pioneered by Ferran Adrià.

To help you make the link between cooking and science, an “equation of the week” will capture the core scientific concept being explored. You will also have the opportunity to be an experimental scientist in your very own laboratory — your kitchen. By following along with the engaging recipe of the week, taking measurements, and making observations, you will learn to think both like a cook and a scientist. The lab is also one of the most unique components of this course — after all, in what other science course do you get to eat your lab?

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner is the Glover Professor of Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics, and Harvard College Professor at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He developed the popular Harvard class, "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter," with his colleague David Weitz and chef Ferran Adrià. His research uses mathematics to examine a wide variety of problems in science and engineering, ranging from understanding the shapes of bird beaks, whale flippers and fungal spores, to finding the principles for designing materials that can assemble themselves, to answering ordinary questions about daily life, such as why a droplet of fluid splashes when it collides with a solid surface.

David Weitz

David Weitz is a Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Physics. He developed the popular Harvard class, "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter," with his colleague Michael Brenner and chef Ferran Adrià. His research group studies the science of soft matter materials as well as biophysics and biotechnology.

Pia Sörensen

Pia Sörensen is Preceptor of Science and Cooking at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, and the HarvardX Fellow for Science & CookingX. She earned her PhD in Chemical Biology at Harvard University, studying small molecule inhibitors of cell division.

1. Course Number
   SPU27x
2. Classes Start
   Oct, 2013
3. Prerequisites
   None
   

RiGister For this Cours  Now Over Here

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:24 PM in Cooking, Edx, HarvardX, Science

UT.2.01x: Ideas of the 20th Century "Start by Sep/15/2013"

ABOUT IDEAS OF THE 20TH CENTURY

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.

PREREQUISITES

None, except for intermediate fluency in English reading/writing.

NOTE: While not formally required, prior to or during the course, you might wish to read the book:

Churchill, Winston S. The Gathering Storm. Mariner Books, 1986.

Which can be found in part online in Google Books here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=JjvnPJnk57cC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Daniel Bonevac

Daniel Bonevac is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in metaphysics, logic, and ethics. He was Chairman of the Department of Philosophy from 1991 to 2001. He majored in philosophy at Haverford College, and got his MA and PhD in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, working primarily with Wilfrid Sellars, Gerald Massey, and Carl Hempel. His first book, Reduction in the Abstract Sciences, received the Johnsonian Prize from The Journal of Philosophy. He has written four other books: Deduction, The Art and Science of Logic, Simple Logic, and Worldly Wisdom and edited or co-edited four others: Today's Moral Issues, Beyond the Western Tradition, Understanding Non-Western Philosophy, and Introduction to World Philosophy (the last three with Stephen Phillips). He is also Co-founder of BriefLogic.

Roy Flukinger

Roy Flukinger is the Senior Research Curator of the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, where he assists in the development, administration and interpretation of the collections. He holds degrees from Tulane University and from The University of Texas at Austin, and has taught as an Adjunct Lecturer or Assistant Professor at UT and other institutions of higher learning. He has published and lectured extensively in the fields of regional, cultural and contemporary photography and the history of art and photography, and has produced or participated in over eighty exhibitions. His more recent publications have been on the Center’s famous Gernsheim Collection and upon such twentieth century artists and photographers as Arnold Newman, Fritz Henle and David Douglas Duncan.

Student Technology Assistant

Daniel Muñoz

Daniel Muñoz is a junior at the University of Texas at Austin studying philosophy and linguistics. His philosophical interests are mostly in the philosophy of mind and metaethics. Recently, Daniel was awarded the Mary Sue Collins Hibbs Scholarship in Philosophy for his scholastic achievement. Outside of academics, he serves as co-editor of Ex Nihilo, UT's undergraduate philosophy journal, and president of Texas Secular Humanists, a community service organization for non-religious students he co-founded in 2011. An active choral singer, he has served as president of the University of Texas Men's Chorus.

This course is being offered with the support of The University of Texas at Austin’s Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (LAITS). A version of this course is also offered in person on the University of Texas at Austin campus as a Signature Course in the School of Undergraduate Studies.

1. Course Number
   UT.2.01x
2. Classes Start
   Sep 15, 2013
3. Classes End
   Dec 15, 2013
4. Prerequisites
   None

Rigistre For UT.2.01x Now

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:14 PM in Edx, UTAustinX