Online and Remote Learning

To succeed in today’s competitive business environment, organizations must not only collect reams of data but glean the most useful insights from this information. In this five-session micro course, you’ll learn to use Python to organize and analyze data and tell compelling stories your customers and stakeholders understand. You’ll plan your own analytics project, using Python to import data, organize it into a data frame and analyze it correctly. You’ll emerge well equipped to apply these methods at work and become a better business storyteller. 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: Plan an analytics project. Apply basic statistical methods. Import data into Python, organize into a data frame and conduct basic analysis. Tell a compelling story with data. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Python Programming Descriptive Statistics with Python Querying Databases with SQL Data Analytics Data Visualization Business Storytelling with Data

If you already know how to use Python to organize and analyze data, this second-level micro course is for you. You’ll learn to apply data cleansing techniques and inferential statistical methods. You’ll develop a clearer understanding of how predictive models can support more informed business decisions, and create one using the insights you pulled. You’ll explore the fascinating world of data visualization and machine learning and emerge with greater confidence in the stories you tell and the data they’re based on. 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: Apply data cleansing techniques to your dataframe. Apply inferential statistical methods. Build a basic predictive model and draw insights. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Cleaning Data Exploring Data Predictive Modeling Drawing Inferences from Data Assessing Data Quality Data Privacy Data Security

This course will equip you with the fundamental machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and techniques for mining and analyzing data, and extracting insights for data-driven decision making. You will learn how to formulate a ML/AI problem, prepare data, build and optimize predictive models using a wide range of algorithms and evaluate the performance of those models. Throughout the course you will use Scikit-learn and TensorFlow hands-on to build applications that learn from data. The Data Science courses are also offered online in partnership with University of Waterloo - WatSPEED.  3586 - Machine Learning - ONLINE Note: If you wish to apply the 3586 - Machine Learning - ONLINE completed at University of Waterloo - WatSPEED towards the Certificate in Artificial Intelligence at School of Continuing Studies, please follow the Prior Learning Application form on SCS website.   Formulate machine learning and AI problems Learn techniques to pre-process data for modeling  Train generalized predictive classification and regression models Identify clusters in data such as market segments Evaluate and combine models for best performance

The intent of this learning experience is to help you strengthen your own personal and professional contributions in group settings, to lead and develop stronger teams. You’ll learn how mindfulness can improve interpersonal relations, personal accountability, information sharing, productive conflict, support psychological safety and enhance team performance. You’ll also learn practical mindfulness techniques that can be applied in various team settings. Each live, weekly session will combine theory and experiential learning practices including several discussion points to cultivate a team environment amongst participants. Each week will also have a self-directed learning component that will include posting self-reflective assignments to support your understanding of the course content while creating opportunity to engage in on-going discussions to strengthen relationship building and enhance the course’s team environment. By the end of this course, learners will have an increased understanding on: How mindfulness can improve self-awareness and interpersonal communication to strengthen team relationships. The competencies and environments that contribute to team effectiveness. The top two downfalls of teams and how to overcome them. How to lead groups through a mindful pause and at least one additional mindful practice.

Are you driven by a need to better inform the public about the issues that matter to you and your community? This course will help you start or boost your journalism or freelance journalism-writing career. Polish your newspaper, broadcast and magazine writing skills by exploring the essential journalistic tools and techniques required to produce compelling news copy, feature stories and opinion articles in both traditional and independent news outlets. This course also provides a unique opportunity to tap into the expertise and lived experiences of established journalists. As a class, we will collectively assess journalism’s responsibilities in an age of rampant misinformation and AI, and examine its often distorted representation of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities. Learners from this class have had their assignments published in CBC Arts, The Guardian, The Globe and Mail and Vice News.   Work on the fundamentals of writing articles for digital use. Adapt your writing knowledge and skills to a digital context. Use a range of online platforms to tell and promote your stories. Create resonant stories that integrate an online strategy. Build a portfolio of original online material you can share with employers and talent developers.

Human-service organizations need strong leaders to provide the best outcomes for their user groups. If that sounds like you – if you want to start or strengthen your leadership role – this two-day module is for you. You’ll learn how to engage successfully with government and for-profit actors to improve the social impact of your existing services. You’ll learn about key leadership characteristics and qualities, how to influence the culture of an organization and how to develop successful partnerships across multiple sectors. Know what makes a good leader in human services. Initiate and support organizational change. Understand and apply principles of strategic planning. Take a leadership approach with organizational personnel. Partner effectively with human service organizations, government and for-profit actors.

Human services leaders need to understand, manage and advance their organization’s financial resources. In this two-day workshop, you’ll learn the full range of funding sources available, including government, nonprofits and social enterprises. You’ll study financial reporting, including financial reports, budgets, audited statements and other critical data. You’ll learn about government procurement, social-impact bonds, social-investment funds and pay-for-performance contracts. You’ll emerge with a foundation of knowledge and skill that could help you launch or sustain programs in your human services organization. Acquire funds from diverse sources. Manage and advance your financial resources. Create budgets that work, and that people understand. Read and interpret financial statements. Know the regulations that apply to your organization.

Good managers need to maximize employee performance to achieve their organization’s strategic objectives. In this two-day workshop, you’ll acquire tools and skills you need to get the most out of individual employees and teams. You’ll learn which policies and procedures work, and how to engage your workforce to get the buy-in you need. You’ll learn how to keep your teams focused on improving and adapting. You’ll explore better hiring practices, effective human-resource management techniques and ways to handle interpersonal dynamics. Effectively manage human resources in human service organizations. Develop effective human-resource policies and practices. Align the vision and values of your workforce. Create and support opportunities for professional development and worker learning. Supervise your team more effectively.

Human service organizations can never stop changing. They must continuously evolve and adapt to meet new environmental demands and user needs. If you’re a change agent in such an organization, this two day module focuses on the knowledge and skills senior managers and practitioners need to engage key stakeholder groups. You’ll learn how to improve outcomes for user groups and support change by developing your own vision, values and skills. You’ll study models of organizational change and ethical issues involved. Develop evidence-based proposals for organizational change. Work effectively within governance structures and processes. Strengthen interpersonal relationships with key stakeholders. Engage workers and clients in the process of change. Create an environment that’s accessible and responsive.

Delivered in condensed format over 17 sessions, this course focuses on the full spectrum of roles and responsibilities of a facilities manager, including leadership and change management, effective communication, negotiation, team work, and conflict resolution. It also covers key business processes, real property assets and technological and knowledge resources. You'll learn how to manage risks and security, ensure business continuity and use technology in ways that are sustainable and smart. Other key topics include budgeting, capital planning, energy management and benchmarking. Successful completion of this course fulfils the requirement for a Certificate in Facilities Management. Acquire and apply fundamental tools for planning, financial and project management, operations and maintenance, and accommodation planning An overview of legal and regulatory issues that affect the built environment Skills for managing multi-disciplinary teams, including communication, negotiation and conflict resolution Manage risks and security and ensure business continuity Effective use of systems for data and information management