Online and Remote Learning

Contemporary mindfulness and mindfulness meditation practices attempt to integrate Eastern and Western values and their resulting views of personhood and the world. This course brings these often erroneously contrasted views together, exploring the secular practice through the combining of psychology with philosophies which help explain the practice of mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. A range of philosophies will be explored contributing to an explanation and understanding of the buddhist roots of practice. Phenomenology - the study of perspective, epistemology - the study of knowing, and ontology – the study of ways of being. In this course you will deepen your understanding of mindfulness practice by experiencing an array of philosophical perspectives that focus on how we interact with the world. Learners are invited to explore a new way of relating to their own difficulty and to the suffering of others.   Explore the basics of a world view determined by 500 years of scientific materialism. Identify key shifts taking place in our perspectives that arise out of and are informed by the new sciences (quantum and neurosciences). Consider how these shifts in perspective will change our view of self, personhood, humanity and the moral compass we choose to live by. Learn to integrate the world views of the eastern and western mind as one mind.

In this experiential course  you will reflect on your motivations, intentions, values and practices in order to contribute to a secular, inclusive, universal and embodied practice. Discussions will surround an ancient set of 16 guidelines inspired by leaders committed to a culture that proposes mindful thought, values, relations and compassion-in-action  This course highlights how individuals may embody mindful practices in the everyday. Drawing from an ancient wisdom tradition, translated and stewarded by the Dalai Lama’s foundation in Great Britain, the 16 Guidelines proposes a palette of secular options that cultivate states of the embodied mind.  These guidelines can be integrated into everyday life as a secular practice to optimize one’s human potential as well as to promote a civil society. These include states of mind such as: compassion, kindness, authentic speech etc.   Understand the concept of the embodied mind. Interpret the ancient document known as the 16 Guidelines both historically and in its contemporary application and usage. Develop your own personal guidelines that will provide the scaffolding of your own embodied practice.

This course shows you how advertising fits into an overall marketing strategy, by combining proven principles with modern forms of communication and consumer engagement. Your instructor will combine lectures, readings, case studies, exercises and assignments to explore advertising strategy and principles. You'll see how advertising has responded to changing consumption patterns by exploiting new channels to target customers more effectively. You'll learn how to incorporate consumer insights into advertising strategy and the creative process, and how to measure your success. Understand how advertising fits into a larger marketing/brand strategy.Incorporate consumer insights into advertising strategy.Get an overview of the creative development process.Explore different media channels, both digital and traditional.Plan and execute campaigns from first pitch to final evaluation.

If you want to create effective advertising, this course will give you the right skills. Whether you want to work in an agency, or take on a greater marketing role, you'll learn how to take advertising campaigns from the big idea to execution. You'll learn how to work with creative teams to get the best results. You'll gain a solid theoretical foundation, explore current and historical initiatives across multiple channels and have an opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills. Master the client/agency relationship to produce outstanding advertising. Write and deliver an effective and inspiring creative brief. Manage and critique creative submissions. Work with various media channels on integrated marketing communications. Apply earned-media strategies, including PR, sponsorship exploitation, branded content and others.

In today’s complex media landscape, successful organizations need people with strong storytelling skills to effectively communicate key messages, leverage the power of AI and foster brand loyalty across multiple platforms. You'll learn how to tell coherent brand narratives that translate into compelling stories across mediums like photography, video, podcasts, and social media. You'll work with like-minded colleagues to plan and produce an integrated campaign that marries strategy and creative to achieve key objectives and reach a defined target audience through the web, social, and traditional media. And, you'll learn best practices across multiple media formats, gain practical skills for using AI to aid in the storytelling ideation process and explore the role that legal and ethical issues have in digital content initiatives. Analyze the structure and elements of a multimedia campaign and brand storytelling. Develop an omni-channel strategy in response to a project brief. Create and produce a script and media presentation that meets all objectives. Better understand the legal and ethical framework in which you are working. Apply what you learn to a project related to your current employment or to a personal initiative.

You learned the basics of multimedia storytelling in our foundations course. You applied them to modern content marketing in the second course. Now learn the most advanced form of multimedia: the omni-channel campaign that integrates virtual and physical environments, multiple assets and technologies. This course will empower learners to build storytelling skills using a digital toolkit they will work with throughout the semester. We will build and refine the technical, creative, analytical and practical skills needed to create multimedia storytelling. Learners will capture different multimedia elements for weekly assignments to practice what they learn, and produce a final digital media project using new media technologies and tools. Recognize the strategic importance of modern storytelling & omni-channel marketing. Produce stories that integrate content, media, technology and space across multiple channels. Meet established standards for production quality, and ethical and legal compliance. Examine conversational interfaces, chatbots, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, advanced marketing automation technologies and other emerging technologies for effectiveness and impact. Develop a measurable plan with key performance objectives to deliver content on time and on budget. Evaluate the key characteristics, quality and effectiveness of your strategy.

Pharmacokinetics is a core competency in pharmacology and an essential component of clinical research. This course is designed to give you the fundamentals, with ample opportunity to practise your skills. It clearly explains the guiding principles of pharmacokinetics - the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of drugs in the body. Whether this is your first time learning pharmacokinetics, or you want to refresh your knowledge, the clarity of the lectures and the interactions with the internationally renowned U of T faculty will help you advance your skills. New employees in contract research organizations, pharmaceutical companies and consulting agencies will especially benefit. You can take this course as a stand-alone option, or as the first part of our three-part series "Pharmacology: Principles and Clinical Applications." This course is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine. Gain the fundamentals of pharmacokinetics ("PK") at a comfortable pace in twenty lectures. Understand how the physiochemical structure of a compound can alter how it is absorbed, distributed and cleared by the body. Appreciate how the route of administration is designed to take into account both the drug’s physiochemical properties and the body’s physiology to ensure that therapeutic concentrations reach targeted sites of action. Understand and explain how drugs are bio-transformed and eliminated by the body, focusing on both renal and hepatic clearance. Practise your skills through sample calculations and problem sets. Apply PK knowledge to issues associated with clearance, drug metabolism and dosing. Appreciate how genetics, disease and multiple drug therapy play a role in an individual’s drug response.

Learn how to approach or enhance a local-history research project in Canada, or how to support such a project. Discover how approaches to the topic have evolved, and what contemporary methods and leading-edge tools you might consider for such a project. We'll take advantage of a wide range of remarkable resources, including vital collections in Canadian libraries, archives and museums. Both beginners and seasoned researchers are welcome! Taught by expert James F.S. Thomson, offered in collaboration with U of T's Faculty of Information. Gain an appreciation of past and current approaches to local-history research. Discover exciting tools and resources which are now available. Explore case studies that show the breadth of the field and the practical application of various methodologies. Identify methods and research resources that could enhance particular projects.

Advance your career by mastering public speaking in internal and external business environments. In this course, you'll learn how to make better pitches, proposals, technical presentations and speeches. You'll become better at leading meetings, networking, relationship-building and media communications. Simulation exercises and useful templates will build your confidence and help you put your skills to work immediately. Learn how to win over your audience, position unfavourable news and handle questions from colleagues, stakeholders and the media with aplomb. Deliver persuasive presentations, speeches and sales pitches. Present technical material so it can be clearly understood. Contribute to meetings confidently and effectively. Network to achieve maximum impact. Handle questions from media and stakeholders smoothly.

Some people find nothing more terrifying than public speaking. But if you understand the dynamics of effective speaking, every presentation is an opportunity to stand out. In this online micro course, you’ll learn how to create dynamic presentations from opening to closing, without visual aids. Whether you’re speaking to large or small groups, you’ll learn how to pitch ideas that stick and field questions effectively. You’ll emerge with a toolbelt of storytelling hacks that make every presentation more confident and compelling. 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: Incorporate tactics to communicate confidence and charisma. Apply a strategy to create dynamic and compelling openings and closings. Use a formula to effectively answer questions. Use a toolbelt of storytelling hacks. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Speaking with Confidence Presentation Skills Answering Questions Explaining Ideas Storytelling Speech Making