Online and Remote Learning

This is the third step in the Certificate in Creative Writing poetry stream. Weekly workshops and a focus on craft, technique, and poetic forms will be explored. Grow your portfolio of polished work and gain a deeper understanding of poetic process as you develop and strengthen your writing practice. Further develop your poetic voice and style. Express and demonstrate your artistic interests as you expand your poetry repertoire. Get constructive instructor and peer feedback on your work. Expand and strengthen your portfolio of poems.

Extend your knowledge and understanding of Machine Learning to Deep Neural Networks. In this course we will cover the theory and practice of modern neural nets through a series of exercises and examples in different domains. You will build your own algorithms to classify images, perform rudimentary language translation and generate synthetic images or music. Know the theory and practice of modern neural networks. Use Tensorflow2 to create and train deep neural networks Tuning deep neural networks for different tasks  Understand the difference between various network architectures like CNN, RNN, transformer and generative algorithms Apply deep-learning network architectures to solve a range of problems- e.g.  classify images, predict trends and generate artworks    

Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems often combine techniques from many sub-disciplines: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Planning, Intelligent Agents, etc. In this course, you’ll build your knowledge of techniques that can be built into AI’s that allow them to reason about their current situation and plan their next move. You’ll build AIs that can learn to play games and need to trade off exploiting strategies they already know are useful vs. exploring new strategies that may be even better. You’ll be ready to apply these techniques to solve real world problems such as finding adaptive strategies for dealing with difficult customers or optimizing use of parking spaces. By the end of this course, learners will be able to: Create your own system of intelligent software agents Use constraint solvers to find solutions to difficult problems Use increasingly rich forms of logical inference to enable the agents to make decisions that will help them achieve the goals you’ve set out for them Use probabilistic reasoning to allow them to make decisions with incomplete information Use Reinforcement Learning to enable the agents to learn winning strategies for themselves while exploring the environment they find themselves in Combine these techniques and apply them to industrial, scientific or business challenges

This course teaches you the design, application and maintenance of flat roofing systems. You will learn why some roofs fail, define the necessary scope of repairs and predict the probable performance and service life of the roofing system. Topics include alternative roofing systems (including green roofs), material selection, design and application considerations, historical perspectives, drainage and penetrations.   The course material covers part of the Examination Learning Objectives of the Building Envelope Systems Exam conducted by Building Science Specialist Board of Canada (BSSB) for the Building Science Specialist (BSS®) designation. Understand and describe the historical evolution of roofing systems. Design, apply and maintain appropriate flat roofing systems. Select roofing systems and materials based on every relevant aspect of building design. Choose the right drainage system. Prepare to write the Building Envelope Systems Exam- Roofing portion- for BSS®

Walls and windows function together as part of a building envelope. This course will teach you industry best practices on how it's done. You'll learn how different assemblies work, including solid masonry walls, cavity walls, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), wood and precast concrete walls and curtain wall systems. Case studies will illustrate issues such as thermal and moisture performance, air leakage resistance, durability, maintenance, life-cycle cost, fire safety, environmental impacts and low-energy building design using passive solar strategies.   The course material covers part of the Examination Learning Objectives of the Building Envelope Systems Exam conducted by Building Science Specialist Board of Canada (BSSB) for the Building Science Specialist (BSS®) designation. Understand key performance, maintenance and life-cycle cost indicators and how they're applied to building construction cladding. Choose the right wall and window systems for contemporary buildings. Understand how and why different structural elements are used in masonry buildings. Understand environmental requirements and their impact on costs. Use your knowledge of durable wall design and construction to design wall and window systems. Prepare to write the Building Envelope Systems Exam -Wall & Windows- for BSS® 

This course deals with the interrelationship of building envelopes and environmental control with an emphasis on sustainable building practices. The course will examine thermal comfort and indoor air quality, heating, cooling and moisture regulation, air distribution and pressure regimes, energy usage, solar and internal gains, natural and hybrid ventilation, and heating and cooling loads. More responsible building practices are identified and illustrated throughout.   The course material covers the Examination Learning Objectives of the Mechanical Systems Exam conducted by Building Science Specialist Board of Canada (BSSB) for Building Science Specialist (BSS®) designation. •    Understand the basic layouts and pros and cons of common HVAC systems. •    Calculate energy requirements by applying psychrometric theory to basic air conditioning processes. Psychrometric charts will be used to assist students with visualizing the processes. •    Understand the energy-saving benefits of enthalpy wheels. •    Understand the comfort implications of indoor air quality, the common contaminants that affect IAQ and how they are controlled. •    Calculate air infiltration/exfiltration due to wind and the stack effect with the crack method as applied to walls, windows and doors. •    Understand several solar energy concepts and the direct and diffuse solar heat gain coefficients, and the effect of solar gain on the building cooling load. •    Calculate the heating load for a building based on conduction and air exchange through the building envelope. •    Understand the cooling load and qualitatively comprehend what contributes to this load – including several time-dependent heat transfers. •    Prepare to write the Mechanical Systems Exam for BSS® 

Learn to think like a lawyer in this bedrock introduction to the Canadian legal system. Whether you’re applying to or about to enter law school, seeking Canadian legal accreditation or interested in the Canadian legal system for other reasons, you’ll take bold first steps into the world of legal thinking and analysis. You’ll read and analyze four influential cases, discuss why certain decisions were reached, prepare case briefs and complete quizzes to test your comprehension of the material. You’ll see how cases fit together, including how past decisions influence future cases, and will emerge better prepared to sit law school exams (LSAT) with confidence. This course is presented in partnership with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and features materials prepared by leading academics within the Faculty. This is an online, self-directed course, and you can work through the modules at your own pace. You can expect to complete the course in a month, but have up to three months to complete it. WATCH VIDEO Read, analyze, and effectively brief legal cases. Understand the foundations of the Canadian legal system. Explain the concept of legal precedent and its application by the courts in practice. Prepare for and write law school exams.

Explore basic science, key approaches and common challenges in the field of environmental management. In this interdisciplinary course, you’ll learn what’s being done in Canada and around the world to mitigate climate change, and manage oceans and fisheries, freshwater resources, forests, endangered species, agriculture, urban environments, mining and energy. Through course readings, online discussions and written assignments, you’ll explore a wide range of environmental issues and emerge better equipped to engage in environmental management at scales from local to global. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Know the history of environmental management and how it has shaped current perspectives. Explore a variety of case studies that reveal the strategies behind environmental management initiatives, outcomes achieved, and challenges faced. Identify the roles of key organizations and bodies in environmental management, planning and regulation as well as the relevant stakeholders. Understand how decision-making should be informed by science, ethics and values. Manage environmental challenges, such as sustainable development and resilience, based on contemporary approaches and best practices.

All human activities have an impact on our environment. In this course, you’ll learn how environmental impact is assessed and defined, and how it’s best managed and mitigated. You’ll look at the roles played by different stakeholders in dealing with environmental concerns, trade-offs that must sometimes be made, and ways to resolve conflicts that inevitably arise. You’ll consider a range of management strategies and discover how all levels of government in Canada have a shared, although complex, responsibility for environmental management and sustainable use of natural resources. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Know how environmental impacts are assessed and defined. Explore what all levels of government can do to mitigate human impact on the environment. Consider different management strategies and the roles played by various stakeholders. Examine dispute-resolution techniques to ease conflicts that arise over environmental concerns. Survey a range of approaches to environmental management, drawing on examples from Canada and other parts of the world.  

Risk assessment is a critical element of environmental management. However, the term “risk” does not have a single, unambiguous definition. In this course we begin by examining the definition of risk in the context of environmental management, and factors that can alter a person’s perception of risk. We discuss ways in which risk is measured and evaluated, including introducing concepts such as exposure and consequence assessment, analysis models, risk regulation, management, and communication. One module examines the challenges of ecological risk assessment. Building on this background, we spend four modules exploring specific environmental risks: those related to food, climate change, human health, and energy production. Finally, the course will end with suggestions on how we can manage environmental risks as they become increasingly complex, thereby promoting sustainability.  Risk assessment is a very broad and deep subject; each topic covered in this course could easily be the subject of a full course on its own. As such, this should be considered a survey course, which introduces students to the major elements of risk assessment. Students with professional experience in this area are encouraged to share their experience with the class when it is relevant to the topics being covered. After completing this course you’ll be able to: Define and critique the concept of risk from an expert’s perspective. Identify critical factors that influence how laypeople define or perceive risk. Describe different decision-making options within the field of environmental risk assessment, including ecological risk assessment. Evaluate the importance of risk communication. Apply key concepts to real world risk questions in peer-to-peer discussions and through independent research.