Online and Remote Learning

Understanding the target users’ behaviours, needs, motivations and challenges is essential to building an accurate picture of the context for your design, and therefore is a vital part of the overall design process. In this six-week online course, you’ll learn how to gain deeper insight into your users through research. You’ll learn how to conduct this research using common research methods – interviews, surveys, focus groups, contextual inquiries and others. You’ll also learn to synthesize the research data and use it to develop more empathy and more meaningful solutions for your users. 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: Understand how to prepare for and facilitate User Research studies Apply some of the most common User Research methods Understand the foundations of analyzing research data and articulating Insights Create research artifacts that build empathy, including Journey Maps Apply best practices for presenting research results to decision-makers Advocate for the value of User Research in the UX/Service Design Process   Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Research Planning & Facilitation Research Data Analysis Insights Development Stakeholder Communication

Learn to create more engaging user interfaces (UI) in this exciting six-week online course. You’ll discover how the best UI designs make applications, apps and websites more interactive and responsive. You’ll learn about the value and importance of establishing a shared visual design language to ensure a consistent approach across teams and products. You’ll adapt UI to platforms of all sizes, guiding users through your product’s interface in ways that keep them coming back. 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. •    Create more engaging, interactive user interfaces. •    Adapt UI to a wide range of various platforms and devices. •    Strengthen your product's brand through improved graphic identity. •    Collaborate with the front-end developers who bring your ideas to life. Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Interface design   Defining a design process   Design of language system   Stakeholder communication   

This course is for the Spanish-speaking writers with some previous writing experience who desire to explore the craft of the novel in their own language. Acquire the basic concepts and vocabulary that will allow you to read and write critically. We will discuss the key elements of the novel (plot, structure, character, point-of-view, dialogue) and we will read excerpts of novels that illustrate these  concepts. The course will also provide you with practical writing exercises and will engage you in critical discussions about your own work-in-progress.  Each session will have a tripartite structure: first we will discuss one key element of the novel assigned excerpts of novels as concrete examples for exploring techniques and style. Next we will move to a short writing exercise related to the concept that has been discussed. Filnally the group and the instructor will provide feedback on the manuscript of one or two students. Depending on the number of students, their manuscripts may be critically discussed more than once. Este curso está dirigido a los escritores de habla hispana con cierta experiencia previa que deseen explorar la escritura de la novela en su propio idioma. Los estudiantes adquirirán los conceptos y el vocabulario básico para leer críticamente tanto la obra ajena como la propia. Se discutirán los elementos fundamentales de la novela (trama, estructura, personajes, punto de vista, diálogos) y se leerán fragmentos de novelas que ilustran los conceptos comentados en clase. Al mismo tiempo, este curso permitirá a los estudiantes la realización de ejercicios prácticos de escritura y la discusión crítica de sus propios manuscritos.  Cada sesión tendrá una estructura tripartita: en la primera parte se abordará un elemento clave de la novela a partir de los ejemplos de lecturas asignadas, con el propósito de explorar diversas técnicas y estilos. En la segunda parte se realizarán breves ejercicios de escritura relacionados con el concepto abordado. En la tercera parte el grupo y el instructor comentarán el manuscrito personal de uno o dos de los estudiantes. Los manuscritos podrán ser comentados más de una vez dependiendo del número de estudiantes inscritos. By the end of the course the students will have revised and completed the first chapter of a novel in Spanish and, if desired, an outline that will allow them to continue working on their own. By the end of the course the students will be familiar with the basic elements of the novel and capable to apply them to their own continuing writing process  Objetivos del curso: Al finalizar del curso los estudiantes presentarán un primer capítulo de novela completo y revisado y, si así lo desean, una escaleta que les permitirá seguir trabajando por su cuenta.  Al finalizar el curso los estudiantes estarán familiarizados con los elementos básicos de la novela y serán capaces de aplicarlos a su propio proceso de escritura.

Learn how to write for the booming world of content marketing! These days, most organizations are producing a steady stream of content to help promote their brand and offerings, which is why writing for these projects is such an in-demand skill. This course teaches you the insights and techniques you need to write effective website pages, blogs, social media posts, articles, videos, ebooks, white papers and more. Learn to brainstorm, outline, summarize, and edit using generative AI tools, while applying critical thinking skills to fact-check, customize, and improve the AI writing outputs. This is a hands-on course with plenty of real-world examples and assignments that reflect today's content marketing world. It's taught by an experienced expert and you'll receive practical feedback on your work. Learn the basics of content marketing Master writing that engages an online audience. Know how to write effectively for websites, blogs, social media, online articles and videos. Understand how to research and integrate SEO keywords into your web copy. Boost your ability to write clear and engaging web copy that consistently gets good results. While using AI tools (like ChatGPT, Jasper and others) in your writing, continue to develop your own unique voice.

If you have completed Translation: French to English Level II and are already producing more nuanced and complex translations, this self-study course will build your skills in translation, always in demand in the Canadian civil services, law, business, literature and media. All materials are provided in PDF format and you communicate with your instructor by email and webinar. Handle challenging translations with confidence. Use elegant sentence structure, syntax and phrasing. Avoid Gallicisms and awkward syntax. Write subtle and nuanced translations.

Harnessing data helps any enterprise come to the right decisions and communicate them clearly. If Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance departments work best when maximizing analytics, why not Human Resources? In this HR analytics course, you’ll learn to apply analytics to identify human capital issues and develop data-driven solutions. You’ll examine how to align HR objectives with your overall business strategy, while using your new skills to develop stakeholder support, avoid fraudulent use of data, and ensure ethical guidelines are met. This course is exclusively offered during the Fall term. Identify data related to human capital problems and business objectives. Assess and maximize the value from technology, partners, and datasets to driving analytics. Ensure HR and workforce data analytics are handled with care and high ethics.  Create narratives that stakeholders clearly understand – and support. Avoid and detect false interpretations and fraud.

Fictionalized, mythologized, current: art crime continues to make headlines despite intense surveillance. Our own AGO has been the victim of theft. Join art historian Angela Glover in exploring the who, what, when, where, why, and how of stealing art.  We'll discuss the motives behind heists and the people who profit.  We'll learn how most art galleries and dealers work to ensure that stolen goods don't re-enter the art market, though a few collude with the thieves.  We'll also trace the complex and poignant history of the restitution of art looted in wartime.   Get the latest news about some of the most daring and mysterious art heists in recent times. Understand how and why criminals use art as a commodity. Appreciate the range of organizations that work for the restitution of stolen art. Find out how art buyers can avoid becoming part of the cycle of stolen goods. Learn more about the art work that's targeted.   

Water is one of our most precious resources and managing it in a changing world requires new approaches. In this course, you’ll explore connections between water and broader economic and social issues, including food production, energy, transboundary conflict and health. You’ll examine the impacts of climate change and human demand in developed and developing countries. You’ll emerge with a greater appreciation of the benefits and limitations of current practices, and the challenges facing planners, managers, policy-makers, advocates and sustainability professionals. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Identify and explain current critical issues related to water resources management, Assess future evolving challenges to water resources, both due to human demands and environmental change, Analyze the similarities and differences between developed and developing countries,  Evaluate a variety of approaches which are used in managing water resources, including the benefits and limitations involved, and Assess the need for new approaches to water resources management in a changing world.

If your organization needs to boost productivity and improve service quality, it must build its service design capabilities. In this course, you’ll study the history and key principles of service design. You’ll learn to build long-term value by better understanding your customers’ needs. You’ll create customer journeys that unfold over time, identifying key opportunities for meaningful interaction through multiple channels. You’ll emerge better equipped to analyze your organization’s existing services and apply service design principles to help it remain competitive. 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: Describe what Service Design is and how it differs from User Experience (UX) Design and Customer Experience (CX) Design Identify and explain the principles of Service Design and compare with Design Thinking Recognize service as a customer journey and distinguish the key moments in that journey Analyze an existing service in order to judge its efficacy and value Plan to start practicing Service Design Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Client Focus Design Thinking Strategic Thinking Leading Change

If you’ve completed the Introduction to Service Design I – Principles and Concepts, you’re ready to delve further into a discipline that can dramatically improve productivity and quality and help your organization remain competitive. In this course, you’ll adopt a more systematic and creative approach to enhance your strategic design capabilities. You’ll use proven brainstorming techniques to generate rapid, meaningful prototypes of experiences you can evaluate. You’ll learn how to avoid common mistakes and create meaningful journey maps that allow stakeholders to share your vision. 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: Understand what tools and methods are commonly used by Service Design, and how they align to principles of the practice Create meaningful Journey Maps to visualize how a person interacts with touchpoints in order to achieve a goal Construct an artifact to organize the components of a service into a blueprint Create new ideas by using effective brainstorming techniques Develop rapid, low fidelity prototypes of experiences to evaluate ideas and present them to stakeholders Competencies/skills developed in this micro course include: Journey Mapping Service Blueprinting Ideation Facilitation Prototyping