Online and Remote Learning

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

Learn to deliver business presentations with impact and build your confidence in this five-week micro course, the companion to 3197A Speaking Publicly with Confidence and Clarity. You'll structure step-by-step presentations, from opening to summary, that people can follow easily. Harness images that transform mundane information into something more compelling as you learn how to pitch yourself and your ideas. 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: Create modern and sleek presentations and visuals. Understand how to make a unique value proposition. Apply strategies to presenting numbers impactfully and simplify complex ideas Create a step-by-step presentation structure. Understand the elements of a good pitch that compels interest and buy-in. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Presentation Design Presentation Skills Presentation Structure

Want to get ahead in business? You need to know how to persuade and negotiate. In this industry-driven course, you’ll learn how to isolate problems, find innovative solutions and build strong, well-supported arguments. You’ll learn how to persuade others in written and verbal communications and negotiate strategically to get what you want. Whether you’re an individual seeking that competitive edge or represent an organization whose employees could benefit from stronger persuasion and negotiation skills, this course is for you. Influence others in written and verbal communications. Isolate problems and desired outcomes. Envision and communicate win-win solutions. Build strong, well-supported arguments. Negotiate strategically to achieve your goals. 

Enterprises today are increasingly vulnerable to cyber security attacks that can cripple or shut down business operations. In this course, you’ll learn how to identify, analyze and respond to such attacks and threats. You’ll explore hacking techniques, malware, viruses and other attack methods. You’ll learn how to investigate incidents; develop, refine and test your incident management plans; organize and train response teams; develop corrective actions; integrate incident management plans with disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans; and communicate with internal and external stakeholders. Understand hacking techniques, including malware, viruses and phishing. Develop response plans and procedures to deal with cyber security threats and attacks. Integrate response plans with disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans. Communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders. 

Enterprises today have to protect themselves from risks related to cyber security, including hacking, malware and phishing. In this 12-week hands-on course, you’ll learn how to develop a cyber security strategy and manage it over time. You’ll learn the best practices of modern cyber security and how to integrate your strategy into business functions and life-cycle activities. You’ll explore cyber security architecture, program maintenance and the best evaluation metrics – a full range of content consistent with ISACA’s CISM body of knowledge. Design and develop an effective cyber security strategy. Communicate security standards, policies and procedures. Align cyber security to the enterprise mission and manage programs through business cycles. Establish metrics to evaluate program effectiveness. Get closer to the coveted ISACA CISM certification.

Improve and polish your writing skills as you learn how to report, research and produce digital journalism feature stories. You will be introduced to how, and why, journalists use digital tools and social media to collect and distribute information in feature stories that engage audiences. And you'll produce a project by the end of the course that you can use to showcase what you've learned! Ethical guidelines for interviewing and taking photographs of diverse and sometimes vulnerable subjects will also be discussed, providing insights that are especially useful for writers and communications professionals covering development issues or the Global South. Weekly modules, instructor and class feedback, interactive discussion boards, and self-reflection critiques will all play a role in this learning process. Webinars will include interactive exercises to hone interviewing and writing skills. Gain insights into audience engagement, and how journalists use digital tools such as interactive maps, infographics, and audio/video to help tell and amplify their stories. Learn how to make your storytelling more accessible and visually appealing to reach targeted audiences. Understand practical and ethical considerations and rights issues specific to digital journalism (including photojournalism).

This industry-driven course focuses on business writing deliverables and grounds students in the writing process, providing them with strategies to capture the attention of a perpetually distracted audience. We will extend the principles of good writing to the task of structuring and preparing engaging business documents, as well as to creating a professional social media profile. We'll also consider the use of AI resources as tools to enhance efficiency and precision. Explore some of the most common errors made in business communications today and learn how to emulate the narrative style of today’s most influential business leaders. If you wish to strengthen your written communication skills and advance in your workplace, or gain a competitive edge in securing a desired role, this course is for you. Organizations wishing to support their employees in sharpening their business writing skills will find this course fits their needs. Understand the writing process and how to plan, draft, edit, and format a business communication, with optional AI support. Apply the principles of good writing to all business communications, including narrative and corporate storytelling techniques. Create a compelling online profile. Prepare a persuasive PowerPoint presentation. Know how to avoid common grammar, style, and usage errors

Strong writing is the best way to grab the attention of today’s distracted audiences. In this micro course, you’ll learn to sharpen your writing skills, so your work stands out. Whether you’re writing a short blog post or a longer report, you’ll apply principles of good storytelling, avoid common mistakes in usage and grammar, and eliminate repetition and jargon. We'll also consider the use of AI resources as tools to enhance efficiency and precision. You’ll learn to plan and execute engaging pieces across all platforms, from eye-catching subject lines to longer work that springs to life. 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: Use the writing process to plan, draft, edit, and format a business communication with optional AI support. Craft compelling email subject lines and messages. Adopt storytelling techniques to write an engaging blog post. Remove jargon and passive writing from your correspondence. Avoid common grammar, style, and usage errors. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Writing Business communication