FutureLearn courses open for registration
07 May 2014 – The following free, online courses will open for registration on FutureLearn, the social learning platform.
England in the Time of King Richard III
University of Leicester
Start date: 30 June
Lead Educator: Deirdre O’Sullivan, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History
In the aftermath of the exciting discovery of the skeleton of Richard III, a team of scholars from the University of Leicester address a broad set of themes about the England Richard would have inhabited in the 15th century. The political scene in this period of history was dominated by savage dynastic warfare – the Wars of the Roses – in which allegiances and power shifted among an aristocratic clique, with devastating outcomes. The century also saw the abandonment of many villages through general population decline, and a shift towards greater use of the land for pasture farming. But demand for labour meant that the prosperity of working people rose, and towards the end of the century, the introduction of printing transformed access to literacy and books. Each week we will address a different perspective: medieval warfare, the lives of peasants and farmers, food and culture, death and commemoration, reading and the introduction of printing. Finally, we will look at how historians and archaeologists have reconstructed Richard’s road to Bosworth and how one of England’s most famous Kings came to be buried in Leicester.
Study Skills for International Students
University of East Anglia
Start date: 19 May and 30 June **Please note there are two sessions of this course
Lead Educator: Paul Hammerton, Lecturer in Mathematics, UEA
This course looks at some of the key skills that international students need in order to be successful at a UK university. It pulls on the experiences of international students and focuses on specific challenges they have identified. This course has been developed as a result of what former international students have told us as well as the experience the organisation placing students at UEA, INTO, has in preparing thousands of international students for university study. Over the four weeks of the course you will hear top tips from international students already studying at university in the UK. You will also hear UEA teachers talking about the key skills that international students need to do well.
Starting a Business: Realise Your Vision
University of Leeds
Start date: 30 June
Lead educator: Nigel Lockett, Professor of Enterprise at the University of Leeds, Experienced Manager, Entrepreneur and Community Leader
If you dream of starting your own business, or are simply interested in the process of how ideas and visions become businesses, then this two-week course is for you. We will help you spot when an idea is genuinely a good business opportunity and then take you through the steps of how to turn it into a successful business. You will learn about the resources needed, how to target the right customers and the range of finance options available. We will do this through the eyes of enterprising students and graduates who have successfully started their own business, using video case studies, real life business plans and plenty of discussion. Throughout the course, you will be supported by university academics and experienced advisors, who will explain underlying principles and offer expert opinion. This course will give you the opportunity to purchase a Statement of Participation.
Innovation: The Key to Business Success
University of Leeds
Start date: 15 September
Lead Educator: Dan Trowsdale, Senior Teaching Fellow, Product Design
If you are interested in commercial innovation, how innovations emerge and how ideas become reality, then this three-week course is for you. Very few innovative ideas are new; the vast majority take something that is already working and improve it. This may be a product, service or process. Those who are closest to the business often have the most innovative ideas. You will complete this course understanding how to turn ideas into reality for the benefit of the business and, in many cases, the wider society and the way we live. Using case studies from the University of Leeds and major high street retailer Marks & Spencer, we connect theory and practice to demonstrate the importance of innovation in growing and sustaining a business. This course will give you the opportunity to purchase a Statement of Participation.
