Course Catalog

Introduction to Philosophy - - - - - (A211_1)
-8 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit gives you an idea of what it is like to study philosophy, introducing you to the teaching methods employed by the Independence Institute in teaching philosophy. If you are considering studying philosophy, try taking this course.


Start Writing Fiction - - - - -(A174_1)
-12 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit looks at how characters might be drawn and how setting is established. It works on the different levels of characterisation, from flat to round, and how character and place interact. It also works on the effect of genre and how genre can be used.


Studying The Arts and Humanities - - - - -(A103_1)
-4 hours
-Introductory Level (Taster Material)
-This unit is an introduction to studying the arts and humanities. It takes you through a series of exercises designed to develop your approach to study and learning at a distance and improve your confidence as an independent learner.


What is Poetry? - - - - -(A175_1)
-12 hours
-Introductory Level
-Have you always wanted to try to write poetry but never quite managed to start? This unit is designed to illustrate the techniques behind both the traditional forms of poetry and free verse.


Babylonian Mathematics - - - - -(MA290_2)
-8 hours
-Intermediate Level
-This unit looks at Babylonian mathematics. You will learn how a series of discoveries have enabled historians to decipher stone tablets and study the various techniques the Babylonians used for problem-solving and teaching.


Emotions: An Introductory Picture - - - - -(AA308_2)
-20 hours
-Advanced Level
-What is emotion? This unit takes a philosophical approach to this question in an attempt to understand why people respond to events in a certain way. Is there a difference between an emotion and a bodily feeling or is one a consequence of the other?

Introducing Conscience - - - - -(AA308_5)
-20 hours
-Advanced Level
-What is consciousness? How does the brain generate consciousness and how can a science of the mind describe and explain it adequately?

Working Life And Learning - - - - -(BU130_1)
-25 hours
-Intermediate Level
-In writing this unit we have assumed that you have some experience of work, irrespective of whether you have a paid job or not and whether you work within an organisation or not. At times we will ask you to draw on that experience to undertake some learning activities aimed at comparing some of the ideas you’ll be reading about to your own experience of working life.

Knowledge in Applied Life - - - - -(E230_1)
-12 hours
-Introductory Level
-The unit focuses on the knowledge, learning and thinking of children aged between 3 and 8 years old. It has been written for an audience of practitioners working in the full range of early years care and education settings: you may be a teaching assistant in an early years class, a nursery nurse, a playgroup worker or leader, or a childminder; you may work voluntarily in an early years setting.


Alcohol and Human Health - - - - -(SDK125_2)
-6 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit describes some of the effects of drinking alcohol. It looks at alcohol's journey through the body and its effect on the liver. It also discusses some possible beneficial effects. This is an important health issue and should be of wide interest.

The Meaning of Home - - - - -()
-4 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit looks at the way people identify and become attached to places, buildings and objects. It also analyses how this attachment can impact on personal well-being. Understanding this is important in assessing the care people of all ages need and how this care should be delivered.

Geometry - - - - - (MU120_4M7)
-5 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit looks at various aspects of shape and space. It uses a lot of mathematical vocabulary, so you should make sure that you are clear about the precise meaning of words such as circumference, parallel, similar and cross-section.


Attention - - - - - (DD303_1)
-10 hours
-Advanced Level
-What does ‘attention’ mean to you? This unit will help you to examine how we ‘pay attention’. How do we manage to single out sounds and images that require attention and how easy is it to distract someone and why?


Comparing Stars - - - - - (S282_1)
-16 hours
-Intermediate Level
-We can study the individual properties of individual stars, such as photospheric temperature, luminosity, radius, composition and mass. If we wish to understand more about stars and obtain some insight into their evolution, we need to look at the overall distribution of stellar properties.


Psychology in the 21st Century - - - - - (DSE212_3)
-12 hours
-Intermediate Level
-The key message of this unit is that different psychologists focus on different aspects of human behaviour in different ways.


Reading and Note-Taking: Preparation for Study - - - - - (DD100121_1)
-12 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit is about the very basic study skills of reading and taking notes. You will be asked to think about how you currently read and then be introduced to a some techniques that may help you to alter the way you read according to the material you are studying. In the second section you will be asked to look at some useful techniques for note taking and how you may apply them to the notes you make.

Reading - - - - - (GSG_3)
-8 hours
-Introductory Level
-It's easy isn't it? This is a light course about styles of reading, the experience, purpose and reading critically. This will improve your reading experience very quickly in a relatively easy class.


Writing What You Know - - - - - (A215_1)
-8 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit includes reading and writing activities that are geared to developing the use of memory, observation and the senses. The aim is to develop your perceptual abilities, honing your capacity to see detail in the world.


Writing Poetry as Therapy - - - - - (SU174_13)
-4 hours
-Introductory Level
-You may have always thought you couldn't write a poem if your life depended on it. It turns out you can and you'll find out how. It may also turn out that it will improve your health. It's certainly more fun than visiting doctors.


Introduction to Journalism - - - - - (FE10_21)
-12 hours
-Introductory Level
-This short course presents the meaning of news and the basic elements which create news. You will learn about the required elements of news stories; the role of journalism; the skills, techniques and attitudes which make good journalists. You will also find tips on methods of gathering news and interviewing techniques.


Children's Rights - - - - -(D218_5)
-1 hour
-Intermediate Level
-This unit will help you understand the general issues of children's rights as well as exploring childhood and children's needs. It is also possible to link these ideas to the wider issue of the social construction of difference and power. Note: A significant part of this course is an audio file from Open University, in a free courseware program.


Understanding Dyslexia - - - - -(DSE212_1)
-20 hours
-Intermediate Level
-Dyslexia is a condition affecting literacy skills. This unit analyses how our image of normality affects the way we as a society define such conditions. You will learn how important it is to integrate the different psychological accounts of dyslexia in order to provide a full explanation of potential causes and strategies for remediation.


Nutrition: Proteins - - - - -(SK183_1)
-8 hours
-Introductory Level
-This unit studies 'proteins'. Starting with a simple analysis of their molecular make up, the unit moves on to look at the importance of proteins and how they are digested and absorbed.


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More classes coming soon!

Note: We do use taster material from Open University, and open courseware programs, but most material is developed by the Institute.