Have you created an outline and now feel prepared to start writing your novel? Or have you started a novel draft only to find your interest or confidence waning? In this course, the international best-selling authors and professors from The University of British Columbia’s renowned MFA program introduce the essential fiction craft toolbox for writers struggling with the common hurdles of first drafts. While ideas and inspiration are often enough to ignite interest in writing a novel, writers can quickly lose confidence, especially when their best efforts have inadvertently produced flat characters, waning conflicts, tangled plots and weak dialogue. Reaching your goal of writing (and perhaps, publishing) a novel requires an understanding of fiction’s deeper mechanics and a familiarity with the specific craft elements that will help translate your creativity and imagination into compelling paragraphs, scenes and chapters. Through writing exercises aimed at developing new skills, concrete examples from published novels, feedback and discussion with fellow writers and opportunities to identify and strengthen weaknesses in their own projects, learners will broaden their knowledge of fiction craft as they explore creating memorable characters, the art of scene design, tactics for managing unwieldy plots and steps for writing layered and meaningful dialogue. Whether you’re beginning your novel draft or nearing the end, this course is a unique opportunity to learn the essentials of strong fiction writing from award-winning authors sharing their proven methods and approaches. The course is recommended for professional and aspiring writers, writing groups, those participating in NaNoWriMo, teachers and anyone who has a novel in progress.

What is violence? What do we mean by it? Is it innate or learned? Are we becoming more or less violent? These are all questions that we will ask throughout this course. A History of Violence will examine the different types of violence that humans have practiced over the centuries, put them into historical context, and try to understand why those different forms of violence are used at particular times, and not others; why some kinds of violence are accepted in some parts of the world but not others? Violence is part and parcel of human history and of human nature. It has been there since the dawn of time and it is, arguably, at the core of what it is to be human. It is the one thing that all cultures and societies, across, time, share in common. It is one of humanity’s most distinctive traits. This course will look at different theories and approaches to studying human violence beginning with a foray into pre-history, before focusing more fully on the different uses of violence in western history, from the middle ages onwards. Topics include: the origins of violence; gendered violence; homicide; public executions and torture; and colonial violence.

Have you ever wondered what causes mental illness, or why we react to stress the way we do? Or what to expect as you get older? Clinical psychology is the study of psychological disorders and the treatments designed to improve the day-to-day lives of people suffering from them. The focus of the course will be on common psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia, and the symptoms of each. We will also discuss the underlying role of stress and how it affects people mentally and physically. We will also consider more general issues and theories around personality and intelligence. You should take this course if you want to better understand psychological disorders and how we can treat them.

If you are unable to access Youtube, the introductory video is available via XuetangX. Connect with the course team and fellow learners on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HKUxArchitecture This 5-week introductory course is for those who would like to explore and be fascinated by vernacular architecture – the subject and study of everyday buildings, landscapes and sites which are not designed by professional architects but “ordinary” practitioners. It explores vernacular architecture as an expression of local identity, indigenous traditions, and assimilation of different cultures. This course covers topics such as native building materials, the interaction between people, culture and the vernacular, as well as the vernacular landscape. It has a special emphasis on the built heritage of Asia, which allows students to take a closer look at examples in diverse locales, such as the leather yurts in Mongolia, timber houses in Japan, brick, mud and straw houses in India, reinforced concrete fortified towers and grey brick courtyard houses in Southern China including Macau and Hong Kong. Designed to promote discussion and dialogue while contributing to the discourse surrounding the concept of the vernacular, this course challenges the perception of tradition and stimulates a deeper analysis of one’s local environment. Indeed, we are keen to hear about how you link your new understanding to vernacular architecture in your neighborhood. Those who wish to extend their experience and exploration please also join our subsequent 5-week course The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia, Part 2 in Summer 2015. 本入门课程为期5周，适合本土建筑爱好者。本土建筑的研究对象是普通日常建筑、景观以及场所。它们并非出自建筑师之手，而是由普通人自己建造。在本课程中，我们将民居建筑视作不同地区的“社区认同”和“本地传统”以及不同文化融合的一种表达方式。 课程内容包括建筑技术和建筑材料、人与文化和传统、 以及本土建筑与景观。本课程以亚洲建筑文化遗产为实例，供学生深入学习，其中包括蒙古地区的蒙古包、日本的木结构房屋、印度的土屋、中国南方澳门与香港一带以钢筋混凝土为建筑材料的塔楼和灰砖庭院。 本课程旨在以讨论和对话的方式研究亚洲的本土建筑，推动本土概念的发展。在此之上，本课程反思了“传统”这个概念，使我们能够更加深入地分析自身所处的环境。我们期待能够听到一些您对本土建筑的新理解。 感兴趣的学生可以参加《探索亚洲地区的民居建筑，第2部分》。

We often think that theology divides us since, we assume, theology is based on the beliefs of particular communities. At the same time, while we’re witnessing significant shifts in the demographics of religious belonging, interest in questions of a theological nature remains high. Humans have long looked to their own experiences for insight into God and God’s ways. This heritage awaits your exploration: writings by Jews, Christians, and Muslims that take up a range of human experiences (friendship, life in society, suffering, pleasure, nature’s relation to us) as theologically productive. We enrich this heritage with modern knowledge--from biology, psychology, philosophy--in viewing the human being as object of theological reflection. In this sense, you’ll discover theology as a scholarly conversation binding together all inquiring minds.

This class engages students in a transdisciplinary conversation about representations of HIV/AIDS: in science writing, journalism, visual art, literature, drama, and popular culture. We believe that scientists and cultural critics can learn valuable lessons from one another, even as they create their own responses to HIV/AIDS. Today, over 30 years since the first scientific reports of HIV/AIDS, the pandemic remains a major health concern throughout the world. But, rays of hope have led to speculation that an AIDS-free generation may be possible. In such a timely moment, it is essential for us to connect across the "two cultures" as we consider the social and scientific implications of HIV/AIDS. Courses offered via edX.org are not eligible for academic credit from Davidson College. A passing score in a DavidsonX course(s) will only be eligible for a verified certificate generated by edX.org.

Have you ever wondered about how museum, library, and other kinds of historical or scientific collections all come together? Or how and why curators, historians, archivists, and preservationists do what they do? In Tangible Things , you will discover how material objects have shaped academic disciplines and reinforced or challenged boundaries between people. This course will draw on some of the most fascinating items housed at Harvard University, highlighting several to give you a sense of the power of learning through tangible things. By “stepping onto” the storied campus, you and your fellow learners can explore Harvard’s astonishing array of tangible things—books and manuscripts, art works, scientific specimens, ethnographic artifacts, and historical relics of all sorts. The University not only owns a Gutenberg bible, but it also houses in its collections Turkish sun dials, a Chinese crystal ball, a divination basket from Angola, and nineteenth-century “spirit writing” chalked on a child-sized slate. Tucked away in storage cabinets or hidden in closets and the backrooms of its museums and libraries are Henry David Thoreau’s pencil, a life mask of Abraham Lincoln, and chemicals captured from a Confederate ship. The Art Museums not only care for masterpieces of Renaissance painting but also for a silver-encrusted cup made from a coconut. The Natural History Museum not only preserves dinosaur bones and a fish robot but an intact Mexican tortilla more than a century old. In the first section of the course, we will consider how a statue, a fish, and a gingham gown have contributed to Harvard’s history, and you will learn the value of stopping to look at the things around you. In the next section, we will explore some of the ways people have brought things together into purposeful collections to preserve memory, promote commerce, and define culture. Finally, we will consider methods of rearranging objects to create new ways of thinking about nature, time, and ordinary work. Along the way, you will discover new ways of looking at, organizing, and interpreting tangible things in your own environment. HarvardX requires individuals who enroll in its courses on edX to abide by the terms of the edX honor code. HarvardX will take appropriate corrective action in response to violations of the edX honor code , which may include dismissal from the HarvardX course; revocation of any certificates received for the HarvardX course; or other remedies as circumstances warrant. No refunds will be issued in the case of corrective action for such violations. Enrollees who are taking HarvardX courses as part of another program will also be governed by the academic policies of those programs. HarvardX pursues the science of learning. By registering as an online learner in an HX course, you will also participate in research about learning. Read our research statement to learn more. Harvard University and HarvardX are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy educational and work environment in which no member of the community is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination or harassment in our program. All members of the HarvardX community are expected to abide by Harvard policies on nondiscrimination, including sexual harassment, and the edX Terms of Service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected] and/or report your experience through the edX contact form .

This course, part of the Public Library Management Professional Certificate program, explores strategies for developing effective grant proposals and for engaging the community in crowdfunding campaigns. In this course, you will mock up a crowdfunding campaign and create a grant proposal for a local or state-level funding source.

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 course, part of the Public Library Management Professional Certificate program, we’ll explore the nuts and bolts of creating a strategic plan by reviewing and reflecting on the strategic plans of a variety of library types. Strategic planning is a strategy for setting an organization’s goals, vision, and desired future. You’ll learn how library leaders, in partnership with trustees, library boards, and/or municipal leadership, use strategic planning to set long-term goals as well as identify the necessary funding priorities, staffing needs, and other elements needed for success. You’ll also learn how an effective strategic plan is more than mere paperwork: it is an ongoing planning, action, and reflection process that can engage all stakeholders in a common set of expectations and action steps for the future.