I found myself in a rare situation this April. Had things stuck to their
schedule, I would have completed my graduation curriculum and would have been
ticking off any college goer's dream check-list, which did include a few travel
and adventure. But, the situation as of 2020 has a different story to tell.
With no end to this quarantine insight, the check-list became an
impossibility. So I took the Coursera COVID offer for colleges and
started my odyssey to various areas of studies, my mechanical engineering
syllabi had prevented me from. So without much ado, here are the
"Gems" on the courses platform, each one must give a shot at.
- Model Thinking
This course gives an unusual approach to what we have accepted as complex socio-political phenomena. With simple logical and mathematical principle, Prof. Scott E. Page recreates results which have puzzled global leaders. He argues that this approach to reality is a must for all in this 21st century, and I could not agree more. From racial segregation to anti-terrorism tactics, in terms of applicability and usefulness, I would rate this one a 10/10. Although the length of the course is a bit taxing, it is in itself a masterpiece that can't be tweaked further.
- Critical Perspectives on
Management
I understand management is not of much likeliness to many, but this the course is far away from management principles or even leadership preparation. Almost trough out the course, Prof. Rolf Strom-Olsen looks at certain principles that have become a golden standard for modern-day firms and argue about the philosophy behind them. His tone in the whole course, as you would have guessed it, is most critical of the present-day practices. this makes the course a must since it gives a view rarely portrayed in the world. Another powerful aspect of the course is its quizzes, which are tougher and challenging than most of the MOOC.
- Learning how to Learn
This is perhaps late for Coursera's Queen of all courses to be
introduced in a list. but, the course does stand out to the hype around
it. Dr. Barbara Oakley, in this course, brings the greatest tools assembled to
save you from wasting your preparation hours. She tackles memory enhancement
tools, procrastination and sleep, the essentials of any college-goer.
A very strong point of this course id the scientific backing, that tangibly convinces the improvement likely to happen, once you learn how to learn.
- Social Psychology
As Dr Phillip Zimbardo (Stanford prison experiment fame) points out at one point during the MOOC, if anyone could make social psychology into an interesting online learning, it was Scott Plous. Social psychology in itself does present a humongous task before any professor, there is too much of literature and a lot of blurriness in these explanations. this course makes up for those uninteresting part with a lot of videos and contents to give a first-hand experience to a new learner.
- Globalisation, Economic
growth and stability.
This specialisation, because macroeconomy is too large for a course, is a fundamental step towards understanding how economics plays out on a global
scale. What’s interesting is that prof. Gayle Allard maintains a very small
toolkit, like a thermometer and the conclusions she draws out of them, are
astounding. from why Brexit could happen to how the US manages to raise such amount
of debt, this course is a stepping stone to the global economics.
The courses that follow would demand a prior inclination to the topics, for some people who are willing to get their hands dirty, the next section brings into courses which would simulate those grey cells.
- Successful Negotiation.
The strategies of negotiation made their way into a lot of our daily lives. Because it stands on the doorstep of both economics and law, it a world that aspires for efficiency yet structure, know how to negotiate is a must. Prof. George Siedel brings into this course, his experience with law and management. This course is the basic framework of negotiation I believe is as important as model thinking.
- Financial Markets
When the Nobel prize-winning Robert Schiller steps up to take a MOOC sparks are bound to fly. this course delves deep into financial markets, looking at instruments of debt, insurance and banking. from Capital assets pricing to behavioural economics, the course contains all flavours of the finance world. The shop talk, where Prof Schiller address questions put forth by his students gives a practical answer to many questions that would have plagued you some time or other.
- Moral Foundations of
Politics
Prof. Ian Shapiro does hold on to the promise, he makes early in his lecture series. the lucid and simpler presentation of political philosophy sans its cumbersome jargon. but this does not deter him from delving into the intricacies of the arguments, and to realise the importance of this enlightenment and post-enlightenment discourses in the polity. a course work that brings to light arguments of the social contract, utilitarianism, Marxism and democracy among many others.
- From Big Bang to Dark Matter
This course was a personal longing since years, the mirth of the grand cosmos and the true design behind. In this coursework, Prof Hitoshi Murayama, looks at the common astronomical observations, moving further ahead to the origin of the elements that make up this world, pacing further into the origin of particles and laws of physics. In the end, he brings us back to the grand universe at play and looks into the mysteries that we might unveil in the future. As a personal recommendation, do try the honours assignment, it brings out maths and statistics behind this awesome science.
- Lean Manufacturing
Salvatore Cali from the Boston Consulting Group brings in the
fundamentals of the most promising techniques in manufacturing. he discusses
how to arrive at the lean mind-set, which is beyond the toolkit or the management
tactics.
A massive plus for the course is the interviews with industry experts
who have been leading the lean revolution in their corporations. The
perspective shift from educators to consultants gives the MOOC is a distinct
taste.
Thanks a lot, Coursera and IIT Kharagpur, for giving me an opportunity to grow.
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