This is a list of free or almost free online courses that will make you a better researchers. A broad knowledge base is so important! If you find the links don’t work, or you know other good ones that should be included, please email me!
Tangible Things
https://online-learning.harvard.edu/tangible-things?delta=0
What you'll learn
Understanding of museum curation approaches
The basics of historical analysis and interpretation
A sense of the work that historians, curators, and collectors perform
Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
How things that seem to belong to different disciplines actually can “talk” to one another
How close looking at even a single object can push beyond academic and disciplinary boundaries
Backyard Meteorology: The Science of Weather
https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/backyard-meteorology-science-weather?delta=1
What you'll learn
The role of air, water, and wind in weather systems
How to estimate local wind speed and direction
How to avoid being struck by lightning
How to identify cloud types and features
How to describe the attributes of thunderstorms and tornadoes
How to collect and interpret data and observations to predict the next day’s weather
Principles, Statistical and Computational Tools for Reproducible Data Science
Understand a series of concepts, thought patterns, analysis paradigms, and computational and statistical tools, that together support data science and reproducible research.
Fundamentals of reproducible science using case studies that illustrate various practices.
Key elements for ensuring data provenance and reproducible experimental design.
Statistical methods for reproducible data analysis.
Computational tools for reproducible data analysis and version control (Git/GitHub, Emacs/RStudio/Spyder), reproducible data (Data repositories/Dataverse) and reproducible dynamic report generation (Rmarkdown/R Notebook/Jupyter/Pandoc), and workflows.
How to develop new methods and tools for reproducible research and reporting, and how to write your own reproducible paper.
The Architectural Imagination
https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/architectural-imagination?delta=2
What you'll learn
How to read, analyze, and understand different forms of architectural representation
Social and historical contexts behind major works of architecture
Basic principles to produce your own architectural drawings and models
Pertinent content for academic study or a professional career as an architect
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Understanding Research Methods
https://www.coursera.org/learn/research-methods
The course will appeal to those of you who require an understanding of research approaches and skills, and importantly an ability to deploy them in your studies or in your professional lives. In particular, this course will aid those of you who have to conduct research as part of your postgraduate studies but do not perhaps have access to research methods courses, or for those of you who feel you would like additional support for self-improvement. No prior knowledge or experience in research is required to take this course and as such, the course is for everyone.
Exploring Our Ocean
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/exploring-our-ocean
Explore the half of our planet covered by deep ocean and discover how our lives impact the ocean depths and marine life.
Invisible Worlds: Understanding the Natural Environment
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/invisible-worlds
Explore the connection between life and the Earth's invisible systems and gain new insights into the natural environment.
Archaeology: from Dig to Lab and Beyond
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/archaeology
Get an introduction to studying archaeology, exploring exciting discoveries in the Vale of Pewsey, near to Stonehenge and Avebury.
Introduction to Animal Behaviour
https://www.mooc-list.com/course/introduction-animal-behaviour-edx
Explore the amazing range and complexity of wild animal behaviour. Discover how animals learn, communicate, find food, avoid predators, and interact socially. Do you want to understand how and why animals behave the way they do, and how we test hypotheses about behaviour scientifically? This biology and life sciences course provides an introduction to the complexities of wild animal behaviour, and how it is studied.
Working in Teams: A Practical Guide
https://www.mooc-list.com/course/working-teams-practical-guide-edx
This course is an introduction to teamwork skills for all disciplines that will help you improve your own performance and that of your team.
Qualitative Research Methods: Conversational Interviewing
https://www.mooc-list.com/course/qualitative-research-methods-conversational-interviewing-edx
A short course that will teach you how to prepare for and conduct conversational interviews, that will produce rich qualitative data.
Introduction to Genetics and Evolution
https://www.mooc-list.com/categories/sci-biology-life-sciences
Explore the secret of life through the basics of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA, genomics and rational medicine. 7.00x is an introductory level biology course hosted by professor Eric Lander, who was one of the leaders of the Human Genome Project.
Building Technology I: Materials and Construction
This course offers an introduction to the history, theory, and construction of basic structural systems as well as an introduction to energy issues in buildings.
Big History - From the Big Bang until Today
https://www.classcentral.com/course/bighistory-7638
Welcome to this Big History course! In this course, renowned scientists and scholars from the University of Amsterdam and beyond will take you on a journey from the Big Bang until today while addressing key questions in their fields. After completing this journey you will have developed a better understanding of how you and everything around you became the way they are today. You will also have gained an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that have helped shape the history of everything and how they wil help shape the future. Last but not least, you will have developed the skill to use this knowledge to put smaller subjects into a bigger perspective with the aid of the little big history approach, which can help you develop some new ideas on these smaller subjects.
Animal Physiology
The course will be an informal journey to ‘know your own body’. It will provoke you to think the following:
How our body functions?
What it is made up of and what are the organizational hierarchy of your body?
How its regular function is disrupted and how the body tries to restore its normal functioning?
How the body adjusts itself under extreme physiological situations and how it re-calibrates its functions?
Zoology
The course will begin with an introduction to and definition of zoology, invertebrate phyla, and vertebrate phyla. You will then study the history and evolution of animals. This course will also cover taxonomy, focusing on classical and modern means of classification and providing a broad survey of animal phyla, including some of their shared features and unique characteristics. It will also introduce you to the comparative anatomy and physiology of animals. Finally, the course will address animal ecology: the interaction of animals with one another and with their environment.
Light and The Photographer
When it comes to light and photography, its helpful to understand some of the basic physics behind light and lenses. The word “photography” was created from the Greek roots (phōtos, phōs, and graphé) which together means “drawing with light”. It is important to remember that light is the primary working tool of any photographer.
Introduction to Forensic Science
Learn forensic science online, from crime scene investigation to reporting evidential value within a case.
