Online and Remote Learning

What is the difference between a historian’s grasp of the events of the past and the imaginative leap the writer must take to recreate it? While the historian must be scrupulously faithful to what is the case, the artist must cultivate a sympathetic imagination for the past. This is all about the sensory details as opposed to the overview—the sights, sounds, smells that make up a lived reality. How do you write convincing dialogue that is neither jarringly contemporary nor self-consciously archaic? How does a writer depart from the historically correct to find a story worth telling? How does a writer create characters that feel like flesh-and-blood, while observing the specificities and constraints of the time in which the story is set? Often what feels most “real” is what has been freely invented, and this course will enable the participants to begin the work of thinking like novelists as they approach history, and to create their own fictional worlds. Understand the unique process of creating historical fiction. Apply these techniques to your own work.

The legend of King Arthur has inspired poets and artists in every major European language since the early Middle Ages. The Round Table, the Sword in the Stone, Lancelot, Guinevere, Merlin: many of its images and characters are part of the Western cultural vocabulary. Learn this tradition through reading and discussing a selection of original texts. We’ll consider related themes that still influence modern storytelling, including codes of chivalry, courtly love, knighthood and the quest for the Holy Grail. Trace the evolution of Arthur and his knights from Celtic mythic heroes to Christian saints and exemplars. Learn about medieval monasticism and the monks who penned the legends. Explore the tradition of courtly love and the medieval texts in which its laws of conduct were encoded. Evaluate the symbolism of the Holy Grail:  cup of the Eucharist or pagan fertility symbol?

Selecting strong stocks based on fundamental data is the first step in building a successful portfolio. This course uses case studies, discussions and presentations to teach you how to find undervalued companies based on their estimated intrinsic values. You'll learn how to estimate a stock's target price and draft an equity research report, and study strategies used by legends such as Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham. The course will draw on research to build a database of potential investment picks. Identify undervalued (fundamentally strong) and overvalued (fundamentally weak) companies based on their estimated intrinsic values. Apply value-investing strategies and successful investment habits to your stock portfolio. Calculate the intrinsic value of a stock using absolute valuation and relative valuation models. Develop and present a professional equity-research report for your favourite stock.

Explore writing and meditation practices and overcome blocks to the creative process. In this course, you'll work to create new pathways in your consciousness, open your creativity and eliminate feelings of limitation and inhibition. The course combines meditation, lectures, writing exercises and discussions with a community of like-minded writers. You'll try journaling, sitting, and walking meditation, and writing exercises to help you tell your story, memoir, or poem. As insight develops, creativity, clarity, and happiness arrive. Unblock creative energy and learn lessons of craft. Create connections between your interior and exterior lives. Connect the wisdom within your heart to the written word.  

This course gives you an overview of Enterprise Architecture (EA) and its role in implementing an organization’s strategy.  You'll learn about aligning business and IT and how to use principles, standards, patterns and best practices. Explore the most used EA methodologies, the fundamentals in business, technology and security and the interrelationships between domains. You'll also learn how to measure EA benefits, convey them to key stakeholders and develop architectural and governance skills that follow key frameworks used in the industry (e.g. TOGAF) and use an architectural language (e.g. Archimate). Understand how Enterprise Architecture (EA) helps deliver the organization's vision. Show how EA can influence the overall performance of the organization and affect its competitive advantage. Explain the relationships between business, application, data, technology and security aspects. Advocate good EA practices and appropriate governance. Evaluate the current state of an organization versus its stated vision and goals. Understand the fundamentals about using a disciplined, comprehensive methodology as well as take an agile approach. Explain how an architectural language like Archimate in conjunction with TOGAF. Evaluate the results of an Enterprise Architecture practice.

This course explores contemporary approaches to Enterprise Architecture (EA) and equips learners with practical tools and techniques to support agile, strategic decision-making in the face of rapid technological change. Participants will learn how to apply EA to guide enterprise-level responses to emerging trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), service-oriented architecture, cloud computing, big data, and predictive analytics. You will gain the ability to document and interpret an organization’s current (“as found”) architecture and use languages/frameworks like ArchiMate and TOGAF to plan and communicate future-state designs. Emphasis is placed on developing EA strategies that are responsive, data-driven, and grounded in business realities. By exploring real-world examples and analyzing the impact of past and present technological shifts, learners will enhance their ability to lead architectural thinking in dynamic environments. Apply tools and techniques used in enterprise architecture (EA) practice. Describe the purpose and value of identifying an organization’s “as found” architecture as a foundation for informed EA planning. Analyze the impact of major technological shifts—such as service-oriented architecture, cloud computing, big data, and AI—on enterprise architecture. Evaluate how these changes affect an organization’s current and future architecture. Explain the role of data and information in EA and formulate strategies for effectively leveraging them. Interpret industry surveys and synthesize insights to identify and assess current trends in enterprise architecture. Monitor emerging technologies and assess their potential implications for EA strategy. Recognize and explain the leadership qualities and strategic mindset needed to influence enterprise architecture initiatives.

Organizations use quality management and process excellence to deliver value for customers, generate returns for shareholders and improve workplaces. This course gives you a solid grounding in the ideas and practices of quality management. You'll learn the core ideas that underpin the leading quality and process excellence methodologies and frameworks used today (ISO, TQM, Lean Six Sigma) and how to apply Lean Six Sigma Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) methodology to business and work situations. Understand how quality relates to business strategy. Measure and define quality in your processes from your customer's perspective. Map and analyze your processes. Understand and identify waste in your processes. Understand and be able to apply fundamental project management and Lean Six Sigma tools to improve processes.

When leading organizations get serious about improving processes and optimizing quality, they turn to Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology. In this five-session micro course, you’ll acquire fundamental skills and techniques needed to execute LSS projects. You’ll learn to identify opportunities for improvement, calculate the cost of poor quality and plan a solution that addresses five distinct LSS phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC). You’ll emerge with a keener understanding of why things go wrong and how to design measurable improvements when they do. Within 4-6 weeks of successfully completing this course, you will receive your micro-credential indicating achievement of the outlined learning outcomes and competencies/skills. Micro-credentials are tamper proof, verifiable, blockchain-based and 100% digital. They can be shared on social media, including LinkedIn and Facebook, embedded in websites or downloaded as PDFs. By the end of this micro course, you'll be able to: Identify improvement opportunities within processes. Calculate the cost of poor quality. Plan a DMAIC project. Apply statistical methods to analyze process problems. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Process Mapping Process Analysis Lean Principles Six Sigma Tools DMAIC Methodology Project Management Statistical Methods

Lean Six Sigma is a strategic tool organizations use to deliver value for customers, generate returns for shareholders and create a meaningful workplace environment for employees. This hands-on course covers widely used concepts associated with the Lean Six Sigma methodology. You'll learn how to identify improvement opportunities, develop solutions and ensure that the benefits are realized. Map the value streams in your organization. Analyze a value stream to improve flow and create demand-driven pull. Calculate takt time and quantify the baseline performance of your value stream. Establish and define standard work. Lead kaizen events to improve the effectiveness of your value stream.

Fantasy and science fiction allow writers and readers to step outside familiar boundaries into imaginary worlds. In this workshop-style course, you'll learn the elements of both genres and get feedback from a community of writers as you craft the first draft of a new short story. You'll explore the foundations of world-building, plot, scene-setting, character development, and dialogue, as well as honing your critiquing skills. You'll also find out more about the business side of writing fantasy and science fiction. Create plot, narrative and characters that use elements of fantasy and Science Fiction. Learn some of the business aspect of fantasy and science fiction writing. Benefit from a critique of your manuscript.