Free university courses & what I'm taking
03:18, 30 November 2007
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
Open University, where I got my MSc from, has a free open content initiative called OpenLearn. The more-than-40 units of study offered are spread across nine subject areas: Arts & History, Business & Management, Education, IT & Computing, Mathematics & Statistics, Science & Nature, Society and Study Skills & Language Learning. In short: these are free university courses online, except you don't pay... and you aren't graded. Only downside of OpenLearn: it requires that you use a latest web browser. So if you use an older operating system and cannot update your browser, you are locked out of many of the features (but not the reading materials).
I'm currently taking Achieving public dialogue (S802_1), which looks at active forms of involvement by the public in policy relating to science: how is the public voice heard and understood? What is public involvement of this type for and is the outcome in some way ‘better’ than traditional methods of policy making? What do phrases like "public consultation," "public engagement" and "‘scientific literacy" really mean? How do non-experts weigh the risks and benefits that science offers?
Why am I taking this course? Several reasons:- I have a keen interest in the impact of rumor, myths and "urban legends" on development interventions, aid work and relief efforts, ways such have been addressed in various situations, and ways to prevent such from becoming a problem that defeats a much-needed program or activity.
- I'm always interested in improving my professional communication skills, and further professional development in general
- I know that any course associated with OU is of high quality and relevance
