May 4, 2009

Those who constantly strive to learn more from the world around them, who can't pass up an opportunity to pour over a book or dictionary, or who take classes just to learn a bit more are a special breed. For those with an iPhone, the chances for learning just got a lot greater. No matter if you love literature, science, nature, arts, foreign languages and travel, medicine, or Christian studies, there are apps that will enhance your ability to expand your knowledge base.

Literature

While the number of books and study guides available for your iPhone are just too numerous to list, the following apps offer fun and educational opportunities for those who love literature and want to learn more.

1. Daily Haiku. Explore traditional Japanese haiku with a new one delivered every day to your iPhone.
2. Stanza. This e-reader allows you to download free or paid books from a variety of places and has plenty of options such as varying fonts, sizes, bookmark, definitions, screen brightness, and more.
3. Narrator. If you like hearing books while reading along or if you have children who enjoy looking at picture books, then this multimedia storytelling app will be a great addition to your library.
4. Aristotle's complete works (with search). Study the teachings of one of the most respected thinkers of all times with this app that allows for searching within the texts.
5. Margins (book notes). If you like to take notes in the margins of your books, then try this app that keeps all your margin notes together on your iPhone.
6. Book Quiz. Get quizzes with ten multiple-choice questions to test your knowledge of literature.
7. The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms. Avid readers and literature students will benefit from this comprehensive text that provides insight to almost 1,200 troublesome literary terms.
8. Zen Proverbs. Shake or tap your iPhone to get a new Zen proverb upon which to meditate each time.
9. World Proverbs. Get almost 4000 proverbs from cultures around the globe that you can search, shake to find a random proverb, or swipe to go to the next one.
10. Confucius. Find inspiration in this collection of meaningful sayings from Confucius.

Arts

The following apps range from learning about famous paintings by the masters to creating art through a variety of media.

11. Art. Learn all about great artists and their works with this factbook app that also lets you quiz yourself to see how much you are learning.
12. Art Gallery Premium. With over 7,500 works of art in their database, you can bring up your favorite famous work of art on your iPhone or browse to learn about artists you might not know.
13. Art Envi Deluxe. Like having a giant museum in your phone, this app contains works by famous artists as well as specialized categories such as Japanese art.
14. Kaleido. While not high on boosting knowledge, any art lover will appreciate taking photos and creating kaleidoscope effects with them.
15. Photo Lab Daily. This free version allow you to take a photo with your iPhone and once a day you can use the Photo Lab tools to enhance your photos. There is a version available for a fee if you want to do more than one a day.
16. MyPaint Free. Finger paint on a blank canvas or use one of your photos from your photo roll to find your artistic talent with this app.
17. Pencil Pusher. This app allows you to draw as if with a pencil. Write, erase, choose from a variety of backgrounds, choose colors, and more.
18. Bonsai. Learn the traditional art of bonsai care with this app that provides you the opportunity to adjust water, trim the tree, and monitor its overall health.

Foreign Languages

Whether you are planning to travel or just love learning languages, these apps will help you learn to speak whatever language your heart desires.

19. Jourist Visual PhraseBook English. Use this visual aid with 20 different languages to help you show the person what you mean. It also include the written phrase in both English and your target language.
20. iTranslate Ultimate. Translate words between English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian, then have the words repeated back to you in the target language with this app.
21. Translator with Voice. Get translations in 34 different languages with voice support on most of them.
22. DragonDian. Use this dictionary to draw Chinese characters to quickly and easily find an English translation.
23. WordPower Lite – Italian. This free app gives you one Italian word a day to practice and master by listening to audio, recording and playing back your own voice, and using flashcards.
24. iSpeak Spanish. Translate between Spanish and English with this app that also allows you to hear words spoken in high quality English and Spanish voices.
25. Gengo Flashcards – French. This app uses visual cues and the voices of native French speakers with flashcards to help you learn French. Take a picture of any object, then add the French and English words to it, and you have created your own flashcard to add to the stack.
26. Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook. Whether traveling or learning Japanese, use this app to get over 600 written and spoken Japanese phrases.
27. Byki German. Learn German in no time with this app that includes native speakers, quizzes, and a phrasebook.
28. WordPower – Thai. Listen to 2000 Thai words for proper pronunciation and see the words and phrases in three versions–original Thai, Romanized, and English.

Travel

Some say the best way to learn about the world around you is through travel. If you abide by this philosophy, then check out these apps.

29. The World Factbook. Learn all you want to know about over 250 countries and territories around the world with this app.
30. USA Factbook and Quiz. Not only can you learn plenty of facts about the US, you can also get information by state, maps (highway and topographical), flags, major cities, and more.
31. Wine Enthusiast Guide. No matter where you are in the world, learn about wine, get expert reviews, and much more with this app that adds almost 1,000 new reviews each month and will help you sip just the right wine during your travels.
32. Pack & Go. Whether you are planning a business trip or a weekend vacation, this app will help you plan, organize, and pack so that you don't forget to take care of anything–including bringing gifts, unplugging appliances, and more.
33. Where To? – GPS points of interest. Use this app in conjunction with your current location ability in the iPhone to find restaurants, shopping, entertainment, transportation, and more.
34. Travelocity TravelTools. Get flight information, hotel locators (with reviews and photos), and personalized itinerary information with this free app.
35. Frommer's Travel Tools. Never carry a bulky travel guide again.
36. Urbanspoon. If you are unsure about where to go or just can't decide, use this app to narrow your restaurant choices based on criteria such as price or type of food, shake your phone, and get recommendations based on your location in North America, London, Sydney, and Melbourne.
37. Tipulator – The Fun Tip Calculator. Enter the total of your bill and the percentage you wish to tip easily find out how much tip to leave. Have a whole group? It will also break down the total due depending on how many people you indicate are in your party.
38. Travel Help!. Use this app to get emergency numbers (like 911 in the US), contact information for your home embassy, plus any other custom information you wish to add for over 260 countries.

Science

Chemistry, biology, and physics are represented in the apps below as well as quizzes and science facts of the day.

39. iAmino. Easily learn about the 21 proteinogenic amino acids with this program that promises a fun method of learning.
40. AA+ Chemistry Study Cards (Exambusters). Get an entire chemistry course with this one app that can help prepare you for an exam or work as a supplement to a course you are already taking.
41. Chemistry Formulas. This app provides an instant library of formulae that also allows you to add your own descriptions on the entries.
42. Solutions. Calculate volume, weight, and molarity of chemical solutions as well as have access to two databases of Molecular Weight.
43. EleMints. Try out this interactive periodic table that allows you to easily learn about all the elements.
44. Biology Exambusters. Just like the chemistry version, this app brings you over 450 questions to help build your biology knowledge.
45. AA+ Physics Study Cards (Exambusters). Here's the physics version of the app too. This one provides over 600 questions that cover several topics in the field of physics.
46. Science Fact of the Day. Get a fun science fact each day with this app that offers a great way to easily expand your knowledge of science.
47. A+ Science Facts. This app provides facts from biology, chemistry, and physics to help boost your science knowledge.
48. A+ Science Quiz. Each of these quizzes provides ten multiple-choice questions on topics including biology, zoology, astronomy, technology, anatomy, and chemistry.

Medicine

Whether you are a medical professional or just want to expand your personal knowledge, these apps are sure to provide plenty of knowledge.

49. Taber's Medical Dictionary. Touting 30% more medical terms than other medical dictionaries, this one offers definitions, photos, Patient Care Statements, and more.
50. Saunders Q & A Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination. Any nurse studying for the NCLEX exam will love this app that provides a practice exam that test you in over 20 different subjects.
51. Normal Lab Values. Medical professionals or anyone interested in learning more about laboratory results will appreciate having normal values readily available.
52. Medical Drugs. This app provides detailed information on hundreds of pharmaceutical medications.
53. Diagnosaurus DDx. With over 1,000 diagnoses, anyone can perform differential diagnosis quickly and easily with this app.
54. MedCards. This app replaces the laminated cards physicians carry around and also allows anyone interested in learning to have instant reference to such things as EKG values, Mental Status Exam guide, Snellen chart, and more.
55. MedAbbreviations. Get over 13,000 medical abbreviations with definitions, explanations, a search feature, and more.
56. Skyscape Medical Resources. Find all kinds of medical information such as drug information, evidence-based clinical information, medical calculator, and a med-alert based on a specialty of your choosing.
57. Human Atlas. Geared for medical professionals, patients, and consumers, get a 3D explanation along with over 150 common medical treatments and conditions.
58. Physical Exam. Whether you are studying for your medical exam or just want to have a profound knowledge of medicine, this app helps you learn from many different categories.

Math

From calculators to math quizzes to flashcards, these math apps will have you learning more than you knew.

59. MathU RPN Calc. Get this calculator developed by a PhD student at MIT and based on Reverse Polish Notation with over 80 functions available.
60. Slide Rule. Check out this fun app that simulates a slide rule.
61. Protractor. Have a protractor with you always in the palm of your hand that can measure anything and works with the camera in your iPhone.
62. Abacus. This abacus is customizable and allows you to change the number of rows, beads, and more to have a working abacus anywhere you go.
63. Math Quizzes for All Ages. Recommended from Kindergartners to senior citizens, this app will have you practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, squares, and square roots.
64. Formul8 – Formulas for Math, Science, & Chemistry. Get the most popular formulae for algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and more.
65. Mathomatic. More than just a calculator, this math tool will help you solve algebraic equations and even shows the steps to get to the solution.
66. Algebra Helper 1. With a focus on linear algebra, this tool will help you solve algebraic equations and show you how to do so step-by-step.
67. AA+ Algebra 2/Trigonometry Study Cards (Exambusters). Get over 500 questions and answers written by teachers and college professors to help test you on your knowledge of advanced algebra and trigonometry.
68. Geometry Facts Flash Cards. Learn shapes and the formulae commonly used with each using the flashcard interface of this app.

Nature

Nature lovers can learn more about stars, birds, wild animals, herbs, or find campgrounds and use water maps and tide graphs to explore for themselves.

69. Star Walk – IYA2009 OFFICIAL PRODUCT. Take this app with you for a romantic stargazing or a walk with the family to understand what you see in the sky above you.
70. Peterson Field Guide to Backyard Birds. Based on the first two digits of your zip code, learn all about the birds in your region, including images, range maps, descriptions, recorded bird songs, and a personal checklist to track your sightings.
71. iLove Nature. Photographs and sounds recorded outside Taipei, Taiwan make up this app that includes animal identification and wiki links.
72. Exposure Calc. Nature photographers can take advantage of this app that helps determine the proper exposure settings for any given scene.
73. Wild Animal Wild Tones. Get 12 professional photographs that are accompanied by high quality sound recordings and information to learn about each of the animals.
74. Natural Herbal Cures and Remedies. Learn all about herbs and how you can incorporate them into your life as a supplement to natural healing.
75. iAroma. This app will help you learn all about the healing and restorative properties of aromatherapy with information on 95 essential oils.
76. Find Campgrounds. Use this app to find campgrounds located near you within a 100 mile radius.
77. US Rivers – Water Map Navigator. If you boat on any major rivers in the US, then this navigation map app is a great find for you. You can also geotag your photos into the maps.
78. Tide Graph. Coastal dwellers or campers can get tidal information, moon phases, and sunrise and sunset times.

Christian Studies

Immerse yourself in the study of Christianity with these apps that range from full Bibles to Bible verses and quotes to prayers and texts.

79. Touch Bible LE. Read both King James Version and New English Translation of the Bible with this app that also provides a place to keep notes and functions such as search, bookmark, and the ability to change font sizes.
80. BibleXpress. Select from ASV, ESV, KJV, LBLA, NASB, NRSV, and TM versions of the Bible with this app.
81. God's Word. Manage daily devotionals and read, perform full text search, and bookmark the American Standard Version of the Bible.
82. The Bible. Get customizable features with this King James Version of the Bible such as the ability to change fonts and colors, easy searching, auto scrolling, highlighting, and more.
83. KJV Bible Audiobook. Listen to the King James Version of the Bible and choose to read along or read only as well.
84. Top 100 Bible Verses. Find well-known Bible verses among others less common with this app.
85. Bible Wisdom. Get quotes from Jesus and Old Testament prophets straight from the Bible.
86. A collection of Holy Prayers. This app provides several popular and moving Christian prayers.
87. The Way of the Cross Prayer. Use these prayers and meditations to walk along with Christ during His journey through His sufferings and death.
88. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. Get this classic Christian allegory here complete with a scroll feature to make reading easier.

Reference Materials

The following reference material will appeal to anyone interested in gaining more knowledge. Ranging from dictionaries and thesauri to phrasebooks to quote books to handy facts, the following apps provide a plethora of information.

89. WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus. Get definitions, history of words, pronunciation help, words of the day, crossword solvers, and more with this amazing dictionary app that is fast and easy to use.
90. Dictionary.com – Dictionary & Thesaurus. Try this free dictionary for help with definitions, synonyms, word of the day, and more.
91. Roget's II – New Thesaurus. This app provides the full text in an interactive platform for a complete thesaurus experience that also works along with the American Heritage Dictionary.
92. Spell Check. Type in a word to see if you spelled it correctly and get suggestions for correct spellings. This app also doubles as a dictionary.
93. Conversation English. If you are learning English as a second language, try out this app that will help develop listening and speaking skills as well as teach about common idioms and more.
94. wurdle. Play this word game to pass some extra time and help expand your word knowledge.
95. Wiki Mobile. Easily access and browse Wikipedia with this app.
96. iVocabulary. Boost your vocabulary in English, French, Spanish, Italian, or German with this app that even records your history to show how much you are improving.
97. English Idioms – Oxford Dictionary. No matter if you are learning English or are a native speaker who just loves idioms, this app provides a complete definition as well as quizzes.
98. 15,000 Useful Phrases. Writers, public speakers, and wordsmiths of any kind will love having access to this app that will help you select the perfect phrase for any occasion.
99. Quote Book. With over 3,000 quotes, you can search and browse to find exactly the quote you want from over 400 different authors.
100. Facts Daily. This amazing app includes reference material for everything from slang terms to time zones to cocktail recipes to ingredient substitutions to a basic first aid sheet and much more.

February 18, 2009

Personal development can affect all aspects of your life, from controlling your negative thoughts to gaining the self-confidence to excel at work. If you’re in need of some inspiration to get you on the right road to improving yourself, the Internet is full of blogs that can offer guidance, advice and support to aid you in your journey. We’ve brought together 100 here, in no particular order, to help you get started.

Must Read

These are some of the most popular personal development blogs out there, so make sure to add them to your bookmarks.

1. Lifehack.org: Check out this site to find tips, how-to’s and insightful articles to help you develop your inner strength, perform better at work, boost your productivity and much more.
2. Zen Habits: Blogger Leo offers his insights into how to live more simply and purposefully in this blog.
3. David Seah: This designer and author blogs about productivity and empowering yourself.
4. Dumb Little Man: Don’t be fooled by the name of this blog, the posts in it are hardly dumb. You’ll find advice on saving money, being productive and finding a happier you.
5. 43 Folders: Productivity expert Merlin Mann gives advice on this blog on all kinds of things tat can help you get more done, from fighting procrastination to changing the way you use technology.
6. Steve Pavlina.com: This well-known blogger has a site full of great articles to help you in your personal development. From making goals to helping yourself to achieve them, you’ll find advice and support every step of the way.
7. LifeHacker: Want to streamline your life? This site provides tips on using technology to save you time as well as some great general ideas for boosting productivity and living healthier.
8. Cultivate Greatness: Follow the tips and advice in this blog to find more satisfaction and success in your life.
9. Personal Development Blog: Gleb Reys chronicles his own personal development in this blog as well as providing tips to others who want to improve themselves.
10. The Positivity Blog: Learn to look on the bright side with this blog. You’ll also learn to improve your communication skills, fight procrastination, and more.
11. Web Worker Daily: Whether you work on the Web for your job or just want to learn how to use it more productively, this site is a great repository of articles.
12. The Lazy Way to Success: Why do more when you can do less? This blog explains how to get more done in less time and leave yourself with time to do the things you really love.

Work Development

Learn to take control of your career and get things on the right track with a little help from these work-related sites.

13. Slacker Manager: This blog is all about helping you figure out ways to be more productive when you are working so you have more time for all the other important things in your life.
14. Instigator Blog: Blogger Benjamin Yoskovitz provides readers with tips and advice on being more successful in work and making more money on this blog.
15. Ian’s Messy Desk: Here you’ll find some assistance in getting your work life organized, being productive and meeting your personal goals.
16. Escape from Cubicle Nation: If you’re dreaming of a job that doesn’t involve spending 40 hours a week in a tiny cubicle, check out this blog. You’ll find helpful advice on getting motivated and getting that dream job (or at least one that doesn’t involve a cubicle.)
17. Business Hackers: Check out this site to find small tips on saving money at work, getting more done and being more successful.
18. Open Loops: Even if you have a fully booked schedule, this blog will help you find ways to squeeze in time for yourself with productivity and time management advice.
19. Trizoko: Whether you’re looking to build up your confidence as the owner of a start-up or just stop procrastinating on that big project you’ll find helpful advice here.
20. Manager Tools: With tips on using technology, overcoming obstacles at work and boosting management skills, this blog is an essential read for managers looking to get ahead.
21. All Things Workplace: Blogger Steve Roesler uses this blog as a platform for "teaching smart people practical ways to become extraordinary."
22. Managing with Aloha: If you love the Hawaiian way of life and think it has something to offer your workplace environment, check out this blog.
23. Slow Leadership: This blog understands that big chances don’t come overnight. Posts focus on the slow and steady path to a better you at work.
24. Dave Cheong: If you’re in a need of some small tips to improve your work performance, check out this blog. You’ll learn how to stop procrastinating and get more done.
25. The Cranking Widgets Blog: Here you’ll find tips and tools for becoming a more productive person at work, but the advice is good for any situation where you need to get things accomplished.
26. Sparkplug CEO: Don’t just be a CEO, be extraordinary at it with a little help from this blog.
27. Pimp Your Work: This blog is all about improving your work day efficiency and finding a good work-life balance.

Get Organized

It’s hard to get much accomplished when you’re living in clutter. These blogs are dedicated to helping you get organized.

28. Organize IT: From organizing your closet to living a simpler life, this blog can be a big help in getting your life more organized and under control.
29. My Simpler Life: Get some tips on creating a "saner, simpler life" from this site, with tools like a clutter calendar and simplicity tips.
30. Neat and Simple Living Blog: Here you’ll find support on letting go of the clutter, organizing your home and getting more done.
31. Unclutterer: From sorting out emails to create organized storage closets, this blog is full of tips and ideas to quit the clutter.
32. Organised Life: When you’re organized, you’ll get more done as blogger David MacKay explains on this site.
33. Orderly Manor: Even if your home doesn’t fall under manor status you can still get some valuable organization tips from blogger Patty McPherson here.
34. Organized Home: Find tips on cleaning decluttering and organizing your home on this blog.
35. Get Organized!: This blog is home to tons of motivational and instructional posts to help you get on the track to total organization.
36. The Clutter Diet Blog: Professional organizer Lorie Morrero provides tips, advice and loads of helpful articles on this organization blog.
37. Organized With Style: Being organized doesn’t have to be boring. Learn how to do it with a style of your own with this site.
38. Make Use Of: Organization isn’t just about your home. This site can provide lots of software and online tools to get your digital life tidy as well.
39. Your Life. Organized: Organizing expert Monica Ricci provides helpful advice on organizing your home, office and more on her blog.

Financial Development

These blogs will help you get your finances in order and put your mind at ease.

40. I Will Teach You to Be Rich:
41. Wise Bread: This blog will help you learn to live within your means and save where it matters most.
42. The Simple Dollar: Here you’ll find tips and tools to help you bring your financial life under control.
43. Get Rich Slowly: From financial hacks to tools to help you calculate your finances, this site is a great place to find advice on building a solid personal finance plan.
44. Frugal for Life: If saving money is your goal, this site is full of tips and ideas on living simply and spending less.
45. My Money Blog: This blogger shares their net worth, investment advice and tips on when to save and when to spend.
46. Bargaineering: If you want to "engineer a richer life" check out this money-focused blog.
47. PFBlog: Check out this network of personal finance blogs to get tons of ideas, advice and information on money management.
48. Free Money Finance: Get tips on growing your net worth and managing your finances from this blog.
49. The Frugal Duchess: This blogger is all about sharing her tips for saving you money on just about everything.
50. A Penny Saved: Take your personal wealth building penny by penny with this blog.
51. Consumerism Commentary: If you’ve fallen into the trap over being too much of a consumer and not enough of a saver, check out this blog for advice on taxes, saving and budgeting.

Coaches and Consultants

Get some advice from these professionals in personal development.

52. Matt’s Idea Blog: Matthew Cornell, productivity consultant, writes in his blog about ways readers can get more work done, find time for personal interests and much more.
53. Life Coaches Blog: Written by a group of life coaches, this blog is a great place to find ideas on better time management, getting more done and finding happiness.
54. Your Life- Inspired: Life coach Shannon Wilkinson offers her advice and support on building a happier, healthier life on this blog.
55. Achieve IT!: Brad Isaac aims to help readers set and meet their goals, with helpful posts on everything from being happy at work to creative productivity.
56. Passion Meets Purpose: This blogger and life coach provides tips and tools to help you learn to manage time, get more done and make the most of your work.
57. Craig Harper: Craig Harper is a motivational speaker and life coach, and he shares the same messages from his speeches in his blog to help you reach personal fulfillment.
58. Make It Great!: Phil Gerbyshak is an author in both the online and printed spheres and offers his two cents on making life fun anywhere.
59. Laura Stack: Laura Stack has dedicated her life to helping others be as productive as possible and you can benefit from her advice on her blog.
60. The Daily Saint: Blogger and productivity guru Mike St. Pierre offers some great tips on this blog to help readers reach the ideal balance of work and personal time.
61. Thinking Faster: Author Jeffery Phillips writes this blog dedicated to "ideas, tools and processes to improve personal, workgroup and enterprise productivity and innovation."
62. Empowerment 4 Life: Here you’ll find some great motivational posts to encourage you to live a better, happier life.

Self-Improvement

These blogs are all about helping you be happier and more satisfied with your life.

63. Ririan Project: This site is chock-full of easy-to-read and fun articles all about productivity, health and living a better life.
64. Pick the Brain: With posts on motivation and self-improvement, this blog can help you learn to do things like take criticism, manage your money and much more.
65. Brian Kim: This blogger believes success begins with yourself and offers tips on building up yourself to help you follow your dreams.
66. Aim for Awesome! Here you’ll get back to the basics of personal development with a philosophy that focuses on smiles, smarts and success.
67. Illuminated Mind: Billed as the "less boring side of personal development", this blog is all about helping readers get happy and stay that way.
68. Alex Shalman: Blogger Alex offers practical advice for readers to make real changes in their lives and start towards positive personal development.
69. The Happiness Project: Looking for some ideas on how to be happier? This blog is all about, sharing thoughts on what works and what doesn’t.
70. LifeDev: Learn how to take care of yourself, your job, your relationships and your life with advice from this personal development blog.
71. Life Optimizer: With posts that focus on increasing personal effectiveness, following your dreams and finding success, this blog is great source of inspiration and guidance.
72. Change Your Thoughts: Blogger Steven Aitchison shares his thoughts on what it takes to find a fulfilling life through the posts on this blog.
73. Life Reboot: Whether you want to change something little in your life or make a total overhaul, this blog offers loads of little tips to make the transition easier.
74. Life 2.0: Here you’ll find numerous inspirational posts that can help you on your path to self-realization.
75. My Empty Bucket: This blog wants readers to feel more fulfilled, happier and successful and offers a variety of tips and advice.
76. Success Begins Today: While many of the tips on this blog focus on productivity, readers will find other posts that are all about finding happiness, overcoming problems and meeting goals.

Productivity

Learn to get more done with your time from these blogs.

77. Productivity 501: Here Mark Shead offers some simple tips that can help you improve your productivity.
78. The Four Hour Work Week Blog: While not everyone can pare down their work week to just four hours, this blog is still a valuable read for anyone who wants to spend less time working and more time enjoying life.
79. GTD Wannabe: This blog is home to tons of tips and hacks designed to help you make easy work out of your daily work or household chores.
80. To-Done: From tips on sleeping better to ideas on getting more done in a day, this blog is full of a variety of productivity tips.
81. ProductivityGoal: Learn how to manage time better, get organized and ultimately accomplish more in a day with this blog.
82. LifeClever: Here you’ll find all kinds of productivity tips that can ensure that you save time doing everything from buying gas to looking for a paperclip on your desk.
83. Productivity Cafe: Get some advice from productivity consultant Susan Sabo on this blog to help you be more productive on the job.
84. Black Belt Productivity: This blog is home to a variety of tips on better time management as well as posts that offer suggestions for tools that can help make this easier to do.
85. Simple Productivity Blog: Pare down your day to the bare essentials and get more done with this time-management and organization focused blog.
86. What’s the Next Action: Here you’ll find advice on following the GTD (Getting Things Done) method laid out by productivity guru David Allen.
87. Steve Olson: With posts on personal development as well as productivity, this blog is a great one-stop shop for all things life improvement.
88. Effective Time Management: Being good at managing your time can make or break your productivity goals. Get some advice on making the most of every minute from this blog.

Miscellaneous

These blogs address a wide range of issues from improving at school to getting healthier.

89. Academic Productivity: Those working in academic fields can benefit from these tips, geared especially towards the intellectual lifestyle.
90. Parent Hacks: Who doesn’t want to be a better parent? This blog is full of valuable tips on dealing with a range of parenting issues.
91. Success from the Nest: This blogger balances work, family and everything else and shares tips on productivity and more here.
92. One Big Health Nut: Get some insights on improving your health and feeling better physically and mentally from this blog.
93. Scott H. Young: Check out this blog to get insights into productivity, communication and studying from a college student.
94. Goals Success: If you’re struggling to learn how to set meaningful goals for yourself then check out this blog, full of ideas.
95. Patrick Rhone: From organization to productivity, you’ll find advice on it all here.
96. Eric Mack On-Line: Get some insight from the tech side of things on this blog written by Eric Mack.
97. Marc and Angel Hack Life: This blogging couple shares their insight into happiness, life and love on their blog.
98. GearFire: Give this blog a try if you’re looking for some ideas on how to improve your academic success.
99. Doug Belshaw: With posts on education, productivity and technology you’ll find loads of great advice here.
100. Doc Ott’s Life Hack Blog: Here you’ll find simple tips and ideas that can help you be more productive throughout your day.

February 17, 2009

Today’s web workers need to have a well-rounded set of skills and knowledge to succeed. Expected to know their way around a computer, understand the invisible nature of Internet audiences, have the skill to communicate with words and graphic images, and be able to maintain their own business, its understandable that web workers may be seeking ways to continually improve their knowledge base. These free open courseware classes can help any web worker get a step up on the task with courses including web design skills, media arts, photography and video, writing and communication, technology, and even classes to help freelancers get ahead with marketing and entrepreneurial topics.

Web Design

Whether you are learning the basics, need a refresher course, or would like to learn a bit extra, these classes offer skills necessary to become a great web designer.

1. Weekly Web Design Class. Learn what truly makes a website outstanding in this class that takes you beyond simply learning HTML to learn web design. [About.com]
2. Flash. Create a Flash project for your portfolio while learning to use Flash 8. [Utah State University]
3. Interactive Multimedia Production. If you want to get the basics of Flash 9, complete a project in this class. [Utah State University]
4. Learn and Apply HTML. If you need to learn more about HTML, take this class to build a solid foundation. [Utah State University]
5. Blender 3D Design. Explore modeling and animation while creating 3D designs by using Blender software in this class. [Tufts University]
6. Designing the user interface: text, colour, images, moving images and sound. Discover the best way to incorporate text, color, images, and sound so that users can interact effectively with websites and software. [The Open University]
7. Blogs, Wikis, New Media for Learning. Find out how to use popular Web 2.0 tools and applications in this class. [Utah State University]
8. Adobe Photoshop Basics. If Photoshop has you baffled, subscribe to 8 weekly lessons here to learn the basics. [About.com]
9. Adobe Sample Courses. Get free courses in Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat from Adobe with 7 days of free online training. [Adobe Online Training]
10. QuarkEd Training Files. Whether you are just learning Quark or are an old pro, these free files will have something for you to learn. [Quark]
11. DHTML Animation. Using HTML, CSS, and Javascript, learn the how to animate web pages. [About.com]
12. Graphic Design Basics. These free classes will teach you the basics of graphic design. [About.com]
13. Beginning Web Design Course. Whether you are new to web design or would like a fresh approach, take this course to learn the basics for designing eye-catching websites. [About.com]

Comparative Media and Media Arts

Understanding culture, art, and the technology of new media is at the heart of these comparative media and media art classes.

14. Media Art I. Students will learn sound, installation and video art in this introductory class. [Capilano University]
15. Media Art II. Part two of this series offers a study of visual arts with lessons in black and white chemical photography and digital imaging. [Capilano University]
16. Media Art III. The third class examines digital sound, digital video art, and performance art as it pertains to the visual arts. [Capilano University]
17. Media Art IV. Complete this four-part series with an independent project that allow students to examine both technical and conceptual aspects of media art. [Capilano University]
18. Special Topics in Multimedia Production: Experiences in Interactive Art. Students will make their own interactive art project after hearing visiting artists’ lectures and participating in discussion on the history of interactive art. [MIT]
19. Ambient Intelligence. Create your own project after learning about Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in this course. [MIT]
20. Fundamentals of Computational Media Design. Get the basics of media design while taking advantage of hands-on design opportunities here. [MIT]
21. Introduction to Media Studies. Cover topics including blogging, intellectual property, and game modification in this class which teaches the basics about new media. [MIT]
22. New Media Literacies. Explore online social networking, video gaming, collective intelligence, and other related subjects of media literacy. [MIT]
23. Workshop I. Get a hands-on opportunity to learn technical skills in this graduate-level media studies class. [MIT]
24. American Soap Operas. Examine the transformation of American soap operas and take a look at popular shows such as 24 and Friday Night Lights and explore their roots in daytime soap operas. [MIT]
25. Videogame Theory and Analysis. Learn about the impact of videogames on culture, society and education in this class. [MIT]
26. Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling. Whether you are a wrestling fan or not, this class offers an interesting and entertaining look at how new technologies and changes in television helped pro wrestling evolve in America . [MIT]
27. The Anthropology of Sound. Learn about the relationship between culture, technology, and people and the human experience of sound while studying topics as sound art, music, and environmental recordings. [MIT]
28. Popular Narrative: Masterminds. Students will study popular literary masterminds and create a class "cyberconversation" of their findings. [MIT]
29. History of Media and Technology: Sound, the Minority Report — Radical Music of the Past 100 Years. Explore the history of avant-garde and electronic music from the early 20th century to present day in this course. [MIT]

Photography and Video

Learn the basics of photography and video or step up to more complex skills with these classes.

30. Introduction to Photography. This class covers camera basics, black and white techniques, digital photography, developing, printing, and more for students who are just learning about photography. [MIT]
31. Photography and Truth. Examine how photography facilitates communication and documentation as an art form and as a research tool. [MIT]
32. Language of the Image. Learn how to communicate with a photographic image in this class. [News University]
33. Picturing the family. Old family photos are rich in technical details and culture that may not be apparent upon first glance. Learn the details of what these photos say in this class. [The Open University]
34. Photography and Related Media. Beginners as well as advanced photographers can learn technical and cultural photography lessons in this class. [MIT]
35. Reading visual images. Explore history and social science through photographic images in this course. [The Open University]
36. Introduction to Video. Students complete projects to develop skills as a videographer and video editor, including a final assignment of personal storytelling. [MIT]
37. Advanced Projects in the Visual Arts: Personal Narrative. The second part of Introduction to Video, this class teaches students about creating a movie and exploring narrative in cinema through student projects. [MIT]
38. Five Steps to Multimedia Storytelling. Learn about recording, taping, and editing for Internet content with a focus on audio, video, and graphics in this class. [News University]

Technology

Learn about technology strategies, search engines, art and technology, and more in these classes that are rooted in technology.

39. Technology Strategy. This course covers investment planning and behavior of competition, suppliers, and customers for those who will invest in or run a business where technology plays a major role. [MIT]
40. Internet Technology in Local and Global Communities. Examine programming, Internet technology, open source programs, and entrepreneurship in this class that is part of the MIT-African Internet Technology Initiative. [MIT]
41. Search Engines: Technology, Society and Business. Learn about Internet searches and how they relate to business from a distinguished group of lecturers in this course. [UC Berkeley]
42. Feeling and Imagination in Art, Science, and Technology. Study philosophy, psychology, and literature to learn about the ways emotion and imagination play into the creative process. [MIT]
43. Art and Technology. Learn about the relationship between art and technology from its historical roots to current day. [Capilano University]
44. Technologies for Creative Learning. Examine ways new technologies can help stimulate learning and creativity in this hands-on course that uses the Lego Programmable Brick and Computer Clubhouse to facilitate learning. [MIT]
45. Media Industries and Systems. Learn how trends, audience, and the creative process are important forces shaping content in media industries and systems. [MIT]
46. Technology for Professional Writers. This course teaches important technology skills for writers who may need an extra boost in tech savvy. [Utah State University]
47. Common Sense Reasoning for Interactive Applications. Study the relationship between humans and computers while learning to increase communication in this class. [MIT]
48. Affective Computing. Learn how emotions are elicited via the computer and the relationship between computing and emotion. [MIT]
49. Signals, Systems, and Information for Media Technology. This graduate-level class explores audio/visual signals and how they are received by humans. [MIT]

Writing

Practice and improve your writing skills with these classes that also offer a glimpse into important topics such as social and ethical issues, consumer culture, creativity, and media.

50. Expository Writing: Social and Ethical Issues in Print, Photography and Film. This course teaches students to expand their writing skills to create well-reasoned arguments and a polished product through the study of film and literature,. [MIT]
51. Expository Writing: Analyzing Mass Media. Take a look at the impact mass media has had on American culture while learning to write a strong, persuasive essay. [MIT]
52. Expository Writing – Food for Thought: Writing and Reading about Food and Culture. Strengthen writing skills while studying about culture through food in this class that will have your mouth watering. [MIT]
53. The Creative Spark. Learn what is creativity, how it’s valued, and how it grows through journal writings and studying artists of various media. [MIT]
54. Consumer Culture. Practice writing while also taking a look into the culture of American consumerism in this class. [MIT]
55. Writing and Experience: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace. Through an exploration of American pop culture, this class helps practice and improve writing for an online audience. [MIT]
56. Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change. With the shift to digital media, business, communication, and entertainment have changed significantly. This class explores that shift while strengthening writing skills. [MIT]
57. Digital Poetry. Students explore digital poetry in various forms including soundscapes, hypertext poetry, animation, code poems, and interactive games. [MIT]
58. Argumentation and Communication. This writing class teaches to present and persuade the written word effectively. [MIT]

Communication

Being an effective communicator is a vital part of being a successful web worker. No matter if you’re using the written word or images, these classes will help you learn ways to improve your communication with any type of audience.

59. Management Communications for Undergraduates. Focus on writing, speaking, team work, and interpersonal relationship skills in this communications class. [MIT]
60. Understanding Online Interaction. This course examines the psychology of communication on the Internet and includes student participation in several types of interactive media. [Utah State University]
61. Communicating in Cyberspace. Examine the ways information is communicated on the Internet and learn how to effectively communicate in cyberspace. [MIT]
62. Intro to Tech Communication. If you come from a technical background rather than a literary one, this course offers the basics in writing for an information-based audience. [MIT]
63. Introduction to Technical Communication: Ethics in Science and Technology. Take a look at how ethical dilemmas are approached and dealt with when they arise in technology-based situations in this class. [MIT]
64. Introduction to Technical Communication: Explorations in Scientific and Technical Writing. This course provides the basics in technical writing with subjects ranging from graphics, web page writing and design, and email. [MIT]
65. Communicating Across Cultures. Learn how to improve intercultural communication and interactions in this class. [MIT]
66. Key skill assessment: communication. Designed to improve speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, this class offers an opportunity to practice communication skills. [The Open University]
67. Social Visualization. Learn how to visualize the invisible crowd of Internet users, their activities, and interactions so better connect with them. [MIT]
68. Using Internet Communications. Study theories of communication as they relate to the Internet in this class. [UMass Boston]
69. Foundations of Language and Communications. Reading, writing, and presentation skills are emphasized in this communications course. [Western Governors University]

Copyright, Law, and Ethics

It’s a foolish web worker who doesn’t know a few things about copyright, ethics, and legal issues surrounding the Internet. Protect yourself by taking these classes and becoming an expert in this area.

70. Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier. Discusses several timely topics and policies concerning the Internet and law in this course. [MIT]
71. Information Law and Policy. Find out about copyright law, protecting databases, licensing of information, privacy and much more in this course. [UC Berkeley]
72. Introduction to Copyright Law. Learn the basics of copyright law with an emphasis on Internet-related topics. [MIT]
73. Patents, Copyrights, and the Law of Intellectual Property. Learn US laws as they pertain to patents, copyrights and intellectual property in this seminar-style class. [MIT]
74. Innovative Businesses and Breakthrough Technologies–the Legal Issues. This introduction to business law covers several areas of legal concerns ranging from the legal framework of R&D to intellectual property protections. [MIT]
75. Literature, Ethics, and Authority. Study ethics through an examination of literature and films in this class from the Sloan School of Management. [MIT]
76. International Law. Learn the basics of International Law in this course that covers topics like dispute settlements, state responsibility, and international resource management. [Professional Educational Organization International]
77. Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation. With a focus on business management, this class looks at the ethics and social responsibility of businesses. [MIT]
78. Ethics Part 1 and Ethics Part 2. Study the early history of ethics and make your way to modern ethical theories in this two-part class. [Western Governors University]

Marketing

Whether you are marketing yourself or a client, learn the basics as well as more complex marketing theories with these classes.

79. Introduction to Marketing. An excellent start for those just beginning to study marketing, this course from the Sloan School of Management covers all the basics. [MIT]
80. Marketing Management. This introductory course offers a basic overview of the concepts of marketing and is another place to start before moving to more advanced marketing courses. [MIT]
81. Special Seminar in Marketing: Marketing Management. Take this seminar to get the basics of marketing ideas and phenomena as well as learning market analysis and planning. [MIT]
82. Marketing communications as a strategic function. This class goes over the basic arguments for marketing communications as an important strategy, the changing role of communications, and customer preferences. [The Open University]
83. Marketing Strategy. Examine marketing in conjunction with company strategy in this course specifically recommended for entrepreneurs, consultants, and project managers. [MIT]
84. Entrepreneurial Marketing. Focus on general concepts of marketing problems in order to learn about basic marketing and new venture issues. [MIT]
85. Strategic Marketing Management. Learn to understand the market in this course, which will teach the skills necessary to complete a marketing research survey. [MIT]
86. Listening to the Customer. This course, the companion course to Strategic Marketing Management, approaches marketing from the needs of the customers rather than the market. [MIT]
87. Pricing. Learn important pricing strategies and tactics in this class. [MIT]
88. Innovative Product Development. Explore new product development in the context of technology, the innovation process, and more in this course. [MIT]
89. Too unimportant to fail? Innovations and competitive selection in markets. Learn about innovation and creativity in economies, the changing role of research and development, and much more in this class. [Gresham College]

Entrepreneurship

Many web workers are freelancers, but even if you aren’t, you may need to understand the unique perspective of an entrepreneur in dealing with clients. Take these classes to find out everything from raising capital to behavior of an entrepreneur to successful women entrepreneurs.

90. Developmental Entrepreneurship. Through examination of real-life examples of both failed and successful businesses in developing countries, this class explores developmental opportunities and business models. [MIT]
91. Entrepreneurial Finance. Entrepreneurs will enjoy the lessons in this course that examines raising money for technology-based companies and the early stages of development. [MIT]
92. Early Stage Capital. This course offers lessons on start-ups and early stage capital generation with a focus on building relationships with investors and advisors. [MIT]
93. Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning. Learn the basics of getting personal finances in order and planning for the future to positively impact your business as an entrepreneur. [UC Irvine]
94. Investment Risk. Entrepreneurs are smart to learn about risk. This course focuses on risk aversion, qualifying risk, risk factors, and discounted cash flow and the net present value rule. [The Open University]
95. Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager. This class strives to educate entrepreneurs in the basics of the legal issues that affect a business from start-up to going public. [MIT]
96. Special Seminar in Management The Nuts and Bolts of Business Plans. Specifically designed for entrepreneurs, this seminar looks at the basics of creating a business plan. [MIT]
97. Entrepreneurial behavior. Explore the definitions, qualities, function, and work styles of entrepreneurs in this class. [The Open University]
98. Managerial Economics. Learn the basics of microeconomics as it pertains to management decisions in this class that is important for any entrepreneur. [Utah State University]
99. How to Develop "Breakthrough" Products and Services. This course teaches how to create breakthrough products and services through concrete, systematic concepts. [MIT]
100. Entrepreneurship in Contemporary America. Learn what several successful American business women have faced in a field that has typically been viewed as a man’s world. [Harvard University]

February 10, 2009

Whether you plan to shoot for a place on city council or the Peace Corps, learning about urban planning and design is easy and completely free with these open courseware classes. The classes here range from introductory planning and design classes to those with a more specific focus such as transportation, politics, urban ecology, architecture, the environment, social relationships, and technology.

Planning and Design

There are plenty of classes to teach the basics about planning and design, including looks at specific cities, seminars, looks at cities in the past, and classes thinking about the future.

1. Urban Studies 200: Cities. Take a look at the best and worst of cities, how they evolve, and current questions for urban scholars in this class. [The University of British Columbia]
2. Urban Studies 400: Seminar in Urban Studies. This course will examine recent efforts made in urban growth, old and new ways of looking at tourism and entertainment as a draw to the city, and specific frameworks of analyzing urban tourism and entertainment, using Vancouver and it’s attempt at being host of the 2010 Olympics as an example. [The University of British Columbia]
3. Urban Design Skills: Observing, Interpreting, and Representing the City. This class serves as an introduction to methods of "analyzing, evaluating, and recording the urban environment" and as a preparation for Urban Design Studio. [MIT]
4. Urban Design Studio: Providence. Learn the details of urban design in this hands-on course that will use Providence, Rhode Island as its case study. [MIT]
5. Springfield Studio. Another opportunity for students to focus on one particular city project, this design studio looks at Springfield, Massachusetts. [MIT]
6. Introduction to Urban Design and Development. Get the basics about designing for structure and potential changes within urban areas. [MIT]
7. CityScope: New Orleans. Learn to assess and design strategies to help solve urban planning problems by looking specifically at the city of New Orleans as a case study. [MIT]
8. Advanced Seminar: Urban Nature and City Design. Student projects are the culmination of this class that looks at the blending of the urban environment and nature. [MIT]
9. Urban Design Seminar. Physical and social concerns are at the heart of this seminar which has students designing their own cities. [MIT]
10. Gateway: Planning Action. Examine real-life case studies to explore themes and challenges facing urban planners in this course. [MIT]
11. Special Studies in Urban Studies and Planning – The Cardiner River Corridor Workshop. Learn about preserving and enhancing existing landscapes during this workshop focusing on the Cardiner River Corridor in Catalunya, Spain. [MIT]
12. Managing coastal environments. Learn about estuaries by specifically studying the Blackwater estuary and learn how best to manage sustainable development in this type of environment. [The Open University]
13. Environmental Management Practicum: Brownfield Redevelopment. Participate in an urban renewal project on a former inner-city industrial site being transformed for optimum community usage by considering several aspects including what the residents want. [MIT]
14. Urban Housing: Paris, London, New York. Look at housing, how it has evolved, and urban implications in these three cities from the 17th century to present day. [MIT]
15. Site and Urban Systems Planning. Learn how to plan for development and their infrastructures including spatial organization, design of roadways, traffic, and landscaping. [MIT]
16. The Growth and Spatial Structures of Cities. Examine several dynamics of urban growth and decline in this class. [MIT]
17. The Once and Future City. Take a look at 20th century American cities and explore how they evolve and where they may be heading. [MIT]
18. City Visions: Past and Future. This class examines the impact of social science and urban design on the development of the city and exploring ways that cities may continue to grow and their relations to other territories (regional, national, global). [MIT]
19. Community Growth and Land Use Planning. Learn strategies for land use management and urban growth planning, specifically at the city level. [MIT]

Transportation

From designing roads to thinking about traffic flow to working with sustainability in mind, these classes will instruct you about transportation and urban planning.

20. Urban Transportation Planning. Students get an introduction to planning and designing transportation systems in metropolitan areas using Boston as a case study. [MIT]
21. The end of the road?. Study road deterioration and ways to combat this problem by examining road materials, structures, and sustainability in this course. [The University of Nottingham]
22. Urban Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment. Three in depth studies of cities in South and Central America allow students to explore transportation and environmental issues of urban planning. [MIT]
23. Comparative Land Use and Transportation Planning. Learn about patterns of growth and how to plan for transportation systems in metropolitan settings in this class. [MIT]
24. Public Transportation Services and Operations Planning. Looking specifically at buses and rail transportation, this class explores the evolution and role of transportation modes and systems. [MIT]
25. Introduction to Transportation Systems. Learn the fundamental principles of transportation systems in this multidisciplinary class. [MIT]
26. Logistical and Transportation Planning Methods. Students will examine spatial and logical implications for planning transportation systems with consideration of both ecological and urban emergency service planning. [MIT]

Urban Politics, Government, Economics and History

These classes offer topics such as science and policy, history of cities, microeconomics city planners, and dispute resolution.

27. Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy. Study the role of science in environmental policymaking in the US and compare to other political systems’ processes in this class. [MIT]
28. Urban Design Politics. Political power, resources, and urban design come together in this course to investigate the ways that politics and planning affect each other. [MIT]
29. American Urban History I. Examine American institutions and institutional change from 1850 to the present in this first of two classes on American urban history. [MIT]
30. American Urban History II. Learn how the physical environment has developed throughout American history in this course. [MIT]
31. The Ancient City. Learn about ancient Greek and Roman cities by examining the structures, government, and society. [MIT]
32. Frameworks of Urban Governance. Look at legal, political, social and economic governance issues that guide urban development. [MIT]
33. Revitalizing Urban Main Streets. Learn about both the physical and economic aspects of urban renewal in this class. [MIT]
34. Special Studies in Urban Studies and Planning: Economic Development and Planning Skills. Take a look at economic development issues in consideration of economic development planning by examining a case in Hartford, Vermont. [MIT]
35. Microeconomics for Planners. Learn microeconomic concepts that are important to consider when participating in urban planning. [MIT]
36. Planning in Transition Economies for Growth and Equity. The transition to market-oriented economies in some developing countries has brought mixed results. Examine this shift and consider options to encourage positive economic growth. [MIT]
37. Fundamentals of Public Policy. This introductory class looks at policy-making in terms of both a political and problem-solving process. [MIT]
38. Law, Social Movements, and Public Policy: Comparative and International Experience. Look at the relationship between courts and grassroots activism as it pertains to trade, environmentalism, and human rights. [MIT]
39. Workshop on Deliberative Democracy and Dispute Resolution. This workshop features dispute resolution professionals and political theorists in a two-day conference sponsored by Harvard Law School and the Flora and William Hewlett Foundation. [MIT]

Building and Architecture

Learn how to design and build with the needs of an urban environment in mind with these classes that offer looks at specific projects, sustainability, and more.

40. Urban Design Studio: Providence. Students learn to identify the areas that need change within a city, design, and plan the changes through a class project. [MIT]
41. Case Studies in City Form. Look at mid 19th and mid 20th century period of expansion in cities and the physical, historical, and social aspects of them. [MIT]
42. Architectural Design, Level I: Perceptions and Process. Students will learn the basics of getting ideas drawn with this architecture class. [MIT]
43. Architectural Design, Level II: The Glass House. A follow-up class to Level I, this class focuses on implementing ideas to get designs built. [MIT]
44. Architectural Design, Level III: A Student Center for MIT. This class offers students an opportunity to conceptualize and design a student center while taking into consideration the human aspect of the needs of the design process. [MIT]
45. Architecture Studio: Building in Landscapes A. Through drawings and models, learn to build within an existing landscape. [MIT]
46. Architecture Studio: Building in Landscapes B. This class was offered at the same time as part A and has some overlap, but the projects are different and it is recommended that students study both classes together. [MIT]
47. Ecuador Workshop. Design, draw, model, and participate in the completion of a children’s community center in Guayaquil, Ecuador. [MIT]
48. Nature and the Built Environment. Study the history of humanity’s creations, then contemplate the future of design and building. [Notre Dame]
49. Sustainable Design and Technology Workshop. Design your own solution to creating a sustainable environment in this class. [MIT]
50. Architectural Design Workshops: Computational Design for Housing. This intensive 9-day project working with students in Japan utilize student-created software to design a small housing project. [MIT]
51. Building Technology Laboratory. This hands-on lab allows students to work through both models and full-scale projects focusing on various aspects of building design. [MIT]
52. Digital Mock-up Workshop. Using digital modeling, learn to build large-scale prototypes and digital mock-ups with the assistance of outside designers. [MIT]
53. Fundamentals of Energy in Buildings. Learn about energy consumption in buildings and learn about designing with an eye on innovation and sustainable building. [MIT]
54. Introduction to Integrated Design. Students will find out the basics of architecture as it relates to disciplines including history and sustainability. [MIT]
55. Ecologies of Construction. Examine the resource requirements for current building projects in order to determine the materials and energy involved in new construction. [MIT]
56. Emergent Materials II. This course focuses on sustainable design by examining responsible building materials in both current and future usage. [MIT]
57. Contemporary Architecture and Current Debate. Students will learn about architecture after WWII and assess current issues against that period. [MIT]
58. Sustainable Design and Technology Research Workshop. Explore the issues of sustainability as they relate to architecture in this class where students will propose their own solutions. [MIT]

Urban Ecology and the Environment

While cities aren’t typically thought of as a part of nature, they certainly are and require an approach that takes the natural environment into account. These classes help teach planners how to do just that.

59. Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning. Environmental planning techniques and strategies are the focus of this class that sets the foundation for further investigation into environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
60. Environmental Justice. Explore the issues surrounding environmental justice and the affects of these issues on environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
61. Foshan China Workshop. This course examines the issues of creating a sustainable environment along the downtown riverfront area of Foshan in order to improve the quality of life there. [MIT]
62. Gaoming Studio – China. Students will plan and design options for this waterfront district with an eye to watershed and ecosystem protection as well as other urban considerations. [MIT]
63. Sustainable Economic Development. Study environmental and economic development planning, policy, and management for urban communities in this class. [MIT]
64. Planning for Sustainable Development. Looking at the US and Europe for examples, this class examines ways to incorporate sustainable development in urban planning. [MIT]
65. Environment and Sustainable Development. Examine the ways that policies have impacted economic development in this class. [United Nations University]
66. Regional Energy – Environmental Economic Modeling. Students will look at "regional energy-environmental modeling" within context of such topics as supply and demand, energy forecasts, and environmental implications. [MIT]
67. Reforming Natural Resources Governance: Failings of Scientific Rationalism and Alternatives for Building Common Ground. Examine the results of scientific management in recent natural resource cases and explore alternative methods for decision-making processes. [MIT]

Urban Environmental Health

Public health in an urban environment is the focus on these classes that include topics such as water and sanitation, air pollution, and environmental toxicology.

68. Social and Behavioral Foundations of Primary Health Care. Learn basic primary health care premises and understand their role in developing countries as well as discover ways to plan and implement this care within an ecological model of health behavior. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
69. Health and environment. Learn about the impacts of changes in the environment on health by studying the environmental legacy, pollution, population growth, and ecology. [The Open University]
70. Environmental Health. Students will examine health issues, causes, and potential approaches to manage environmental health issues in both developing and industrialized areas. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
71. Water and Sanitation Needs in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies. Learn about the history of water and sanitation on public health and explore ways to assess and quantify water and sanitation needs during extreme emergencies. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
72. Food Production, Public Health, and the Environment. Take a look at case studies in order to learn about public health and food production as it pertains to issues such as economics, population, and equity. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
73. Public Health Toxicology. Learn the basic concepts of environmental toxicology as well as methods of preventing public health issues. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
74. How Risky is Breathing? Statistical Methods in Air Pollution Risk Estimation. Students examine the health effects of air pollution through the statistical analysis of national-level research done by the instructor of this course. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
75. BSE and vCJD: their biology and management. This course examines mad cow disease, the link between similar diseases that affects humans, and the management of these diseases. [The Open University]

Urban Social Relations

From the consumer culture to race and gender issues to human rights, these courses take a look at the ways society and urban living impact each other.

76. Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice. This graduate class takes a fundamental look at several aspects of urban sociology. [MIT]
77. The Social Construction of Technology in Development. Take a look at the possibility that technology develops as a response to social factors and examines issues surrounding this development in this course. [United Nations University]
78. Consumer Culture. Examine what it means to be a part of a consumer culture and explore the ramifications of such a lifestyle in this class. [MIT]
79. Environment and Society. Students will take a look at the environmental and social impacts of industry, examine personal responsibilities and roles in these problems, and explore solutions. [MIT]
80. Writing on Contemporary Issues: Imagining the Future. Explore your vision of the future through studying the literature of others who have imagined and warned about the future as well as personal writings. [MIT]
81. Civil Society and the Environment. This class takes a close look at NGOs and their relationships to environmental policy and planning. [MIT]
82. Citizen Participation, Community Development, and Urban Governance in the Developing World. Students will examine the types of citizen participation impacting urban development and how to best embrace this participation for optimal results. [MIT]
83. Downtown Management Organizations. Learn about how DMOs originated, their purpose, and implications for cities. [MIT]
84. Race, Immigration, and Planning. Examine the unique needs of immigration communities as well as commonalities and how planning communities should take these issues into account. [MIT]
85. Research Design for Policy Analysis and Planning. Explore various methods of gathering information to help analyze and plan urban development. [MIT]
86. Resolving Public Disputes. By looking at case studies, students will examine public disputes and discuss how and if they were resolved in topics such as smoking, hazardous waste, abortion, and gun control. [MIT]
87. Poverty, Public Policy and Controversy. Examine poverty, programs that work to eliminate it, and the various forces that work to reinforce poverty. [MIT]
88. Gender and Race, Work, and Public Policy. Examine the roles of gender, race, and class in the work environment and think about policies that can effectively address needs in these areas. [MIT]
89. Human Rights in Theory and Practice. Students learn the "foundation, structure and operation of the international human rights movement" in this course that touches on such topics as religion and state, national security, and terrorism. [MIT]
90. Law and Society. This class looks at law as a social institution and a feature of popular culture in this class. [MIT]

Urban Planning and Technology

Technology is an integral part of urban planning, and these classes will help teach you how to use GIS software, learn to use a variety of digital media, think about technology in developing countries, and more.

91. Media Technology and City Design and Development. Explore ways to use digital tools for urban design by focusing on one particular neighborhood. This session looks at Camfield Estates in Lower Roxbury, MA. [MIT]
92. New Century Cities: Real Estate, Digital Technology, and Design. Learn about innovative approaches to real estate development, urban design, and digital technology in this class. [MIT]
93. Planning, Communications, and Digital Media. Students will not only examine planning and cultural considerations, but will also become familiar with a wide variety of digital media that are instrumental in urban planning. [MIT]
94. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Urban and Environmental Analysis. Students will learn how to complete a mapping/analysis project using GIS skills. [Tufts University]
95. A Workshop on Geographic Information Systems. Expand your skills learned in the introductory class from Tufts using GIS software in this course. [MIT]
96. Spatial Database Management and Advanced Geographic Information Systems. Learn to use spatial database management techniques in practical applications in this intensive class. [MIT]
97. Introduction to Computers in Public Management II. Looking specifically at computer use for planning and public management, this course examines "spatial analysis using geographic information systems and database query tools." [MIT]
98. A Workshop on Geographic Information Systems. Acquire technical skills in using GIS software, learn methods of data gathering, analyzing information, and presenting results in this class. [MIT]
99. Economic Development & Technical Capabilities. By examining two different categories of developing countries, students will look at the technical capabilities that must be learned to assist in economic development. [MIT]
100. Information Technology and the Labor Market. Learn how information technology is shaping the labor market in this class that explores topics such as labor productivity and distribution and wages. [MIT]

February 3, 2009

In today’s economy, the smart financial planner is the one looking after his or her own money. Spend some time becoming acquainted with the various aspects of the financial world with these classes that cover everything from the basics of accounting and investing to learning about markets and understanding the impact of a global economy on finances. By the time you finish with this free education, you will know exactly what to do with all that money you saved on classes.

Financial Basics

From the fundamentals of finance to getting out of debt to learning how to face a decrease in income, these classes will help you get a firm grip on your finances.

1. Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning. Learn the basics of getting personal finances in order and planning for the future with this class. [UC Irvine]
2. Finance Theory II. Gain the necessary tools to make sound financial decisions with the information learned in this course. [MIT]
3. Family Finance. Identify, establish, and implement personal financial goals in this class that also provides tools and services for use. [Utah State University]
4. Money 101. Learn from such helpful topics as budgeting, getting insurance, investing for retirement and college, and taxes. [CNN Money]
5. Managing Your Money. Work your way through these four lessons to learn what not to do and how to get yourself on the path to good finances. [Suite101.com]
6. Understanding and Controlling Your Finances. Study such topics as gaining control, 401(k) plans, investment options, buying a home, and more. [BGY Publishing]
7. Where Does My Money Go?. Find out how to create a "priority spending" plan to help you save your precious earnings. [CredAbility U]
8. When Income Decreases but the Bills Don’t. Whether you’ve been laid off or are facing a reduction in income, take this webinar to learn what measures you can take. [Money Management International]
9. Let’s Talk-Couples and Money. Fighting about money is one of the biggest stresses in a marriage. Learn how to communicate with your partner or spouse about money. [Money Management International]
10. Credit Management Coach. This short tutorial offers a short quiz and solutions to your credit difficulties. [Bethpage Federal Credit Union]

Debt and Credit

It’s no big surprise to learn that after years of living on credit, many Americans now find themselves in debt. If you need to learn how to get a handle on debt and live with credit wisely, then check out these classes.

11. Personal finance: Debt and borrowing in its wider context. Explore debt, the cost of debt, household debt, and the borrowing process in this class. [The Open University]
12. How to Manage Personal Debt. Take this course to get your debt under control. The course is free, but if you want to take the exam, it will cost $24.95. [Distance Learning Center]
13. How Do I Get Out Of Debt?. Learn how to pay off debt and live within a workable budget. [CredAbility U]
14. Put you Debt on a Diet. Follow this plan to get yourself out of debt faster. [Money Management International]
15. Your Credit Report and Credit Score. Take the mystery out of the sometimes elusive credit score and learn why it is important to your financial health. [Money Management International]

Accounting

Take these classes to become an expert in accounting so you have a better understanding of your finances.

16. Introduction to the context of accounting. Learn all the basics of accounting in this course. [The Open University]
17. Accounting Basics. Study balance sheets, cash flows, and more in this class that covers the fundamentals. [AccountingCoach.com]
18. Financial Accounting. This class teaches students to understand financial, managerial, and tax reports with an emphasis on the relationship between accounting and economic events. [MIT]
19. Financial Accounting. Learn basic accounting principles in order to prepare, understand, and use financial statements. [College of Eastern Utah]
20. Financial and Managerial Accounting. Investors and managers will benefit from this intensive class that looks at the preparation and interpretation of financial information. [MIT]
21. The Art of Counting. Practice learning about and using numbers in this math class that offers a unique approach to numbers. [MIT]
22. Analyzing and Accounting for Regional Economic Change. Students will "examine and critique accounting frameworks" across a variety of applications in both US and foreign environments. [MIT]
23. Accounting Concepts Tutorial. Learn about accounting concepts, debits and credits, and more in this simple tutorial complete with worksheets. [FSO-Financial Management]
24. Accounting. Get the basics in this class that covers such topics as accounting for accruals and deferrals, double-entry accounting, and more. [Simple Studies]
25. So, you want to learn Bookkeeping!. This 7-lesson class includes quizzes, games, and tests and will teach you the basics of bookkeeping. [Bean Counter]

Taxes

Demystify the world of taxes with these classes and presentations.

26. Taxes and Business Strategy. Students will learn to implement tax strategies while also recognizing tax planning opportunities. [MIT]
27. Online Income Tax Course. Take this free course to learn all about filing personal income tax forms. [The Tax College]
28. Tax Class. This site offers a plethora of tax information and articles about a variety of subjects. Take the time to read through this to become knowledgeable about several tax topics. [The Tax Prophet]
29. Small Business Video and Audio Presentations. Learn all about taxes from the IRS in these helpful presentations. [Internal Revenue Service]
30. Tax Information for Individuals. Get information on tax changes, tax incentives, taxpayer rights, and much more from the IRS. [Internal Revenue Service]
31. GAO: understanding the tax reform debate. Download this paper to get the history and learn about the future of federal tax policies. [The Free Library]
32. Become a Tax Expert. This short, informal course will help you understand tax policies. [The Banneker Center]

Insurance

Considered an investment and an important part of your financial portfolio, learn about insurance and how it affects finances with these classes.

33. Managed Care and Health Insurance. Learn about the major issues involved in health insurance and managed health care. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health]
34. Public Economics II. Study aspects of the economy that affect the public in this class that touches on social insurance programs and health care policy. [MIT]
35. Fully Covered. Get the lowdown on the basic types of insurance and discover why you need insurance to protect yourself and your family. [CredAbility U]
36. Understanding Insurance. Find out the basics about life insurance, investment products, and more in this tutorial. [RBS Wealth Management]

Economics

Learn about economics from these courses so you can understand how finances work within a world full of many influences that can affect markets, economy, saving, and spending.

37. Introduction to Economics. Cover the basics in economics with topics such as the history and principals of economics and public vs. private sectors of the U.S. economy. [Utah State University]
38. Economics. Use online workbooks and experiments to learn the basics about macroeconomics in this class. [Carnegie Mellon]
39. Economics Basics. Learn about supply and demand, elasticity, monopolies, and much more as you get the fundamentals for what makes up the study of economics. [Investopedia University]
40. Principles of Microeconomics. This introductory course is great to get a foundation for the concept of microeconomics. [MIT]
41. Principles of Macroeconomics. Get the basics in macroeconomics, focusing on macroeconomics in the U.S. as well as other economies. [MIT]
42. Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics. If you plan to know much about economics, you must have a solid foundation in statistics in order to make sense of the data you will be analyzing. This class provides the tools you need. [MIT]
43. Economic Analysis for Business Decisions. This course examines the topic of microeconomics and teaches basic analytic tools to help the student make smart economic decisions. [MIT]
44. Behavioral Economics and Finance. Understand why people react the way they do with this course that examines a wide variety of topics that incorporate psychology into economics. [MIT]
45. Applied Economics for Managers. Exploring the results of scarcity on the market, this course teaches ways economists study consumer reactions as well as the markets’ response to these reactions. [MIT]
46. Special Topics in Economics: The Challenge of World Poverty. Thinking about the various potential agents of change for world poverty and who ultimately is responsible, this course offers a thought-provoking opportunity to examine the possibility of impact on poverty through economics. [MIT]
47. Economics Research and Communication. This course will teach students how to do original research on economic questions with a hands-on approach. [MIT]
48. Applied Macro- and International Economics. Using case studies, this course takes a look at the macroeconomics of businesses. [MIT]
49. Economic Applications of Game Theory. Take a look at Multiperson Decision Theory as it applies to economics. [MIT]
50. Public Economics. This course examines the reasons for government involvement in the economy, the extent of that involvement, and reactions by private agencies to that involvement. [MIT]

Investing

Investing is the way to get ahead financially. Whether you just want an overview of investments or are interested in specific types of investments, these classes will help you learn what you want to know.

51. Investments. With an analytical approach, this course teaches how to make sound financial investment decisions based on financial theory and empirical evidence. [MIT]
52. Investment Risk. This course focuses on risk aversion, qualifying risk, risk factors, and discounted cash flow and the net present value rule. [The Open University]
53. Investing 101. This class from Forbes will offer the basics on investing as well as ways to tailor your investments to your needs. [Investopedia University]
54. Investing for Your Future. Take this 11-unit course to learn the investing basics including fixed-income investing, mutual funds, and investing small dollar amounts. [Rutgers Cooperative Extension]
55. Equity Finance. Learn all about equity in both the public and private sector in this course with a decidedly international flair. [The Open University]
56. Real Estate Finance and Investment. Covering the basics of real estate investing and financial decisions, this course will examine individual properties and deals. [MIT]
57. Advanced Topics in Real Estate Finance. Learn about trends and developments in the real estate industry with this advanced class. [MIT]
58. Exploring Real Estate Investments. Study types and characteristics of real estate, the advantages and disadvantages of real estate investing, and more in this class. [Investopedia University]
59. Financing Economic Development. This class explores tools and program models for financing economic development with a close look on New Orleans after Katrina. [MIT]
60. The Law of Mergers and Acquisitions. Understand legal implications and complications of both friendly and unfriendly M&A in this class. [MIT]
61. Bond Basics. Get all the basic information about bonds, understanding them, and purchasing them in this class. [Investopedia University]
62. Mutual Funds. Learn about the different types of mutual funds, the costs associated with them, how to read a mutual fund table, and more. [Investopedia University]
63. Risk and Diversification. This class teaches students how to diversify their portfolio and how to analyze investment risk. [Investopedia University]
64. Buy the House that I Love or Love the House that I Can Afford. Take this webinar to learn about price ranges available to you, additional costs involved in the home-buying process, and determining a budget to afford what you want. [CredAbility U]

Understanding Markets

Understanding markets will help you not only become a better predictor of how to invest your money, but will also help you feel more confident in the investments you make.

65. The financial markets context. This course examines financial markets as well as the Efficient Markets Hypothesis. [The Open University]
66. Financial Management. Take a look at corporate finance and capital markets in this course, which relies heavily on using empirical research in managerial decisions. [MIT]
67. The Law of Corporate Finance and Financial Markets. Focusing on mergers and acquisitions, the course also looks at financial services and financial markets in this introductory business law course. [MIT]
68. Innovation, markets and industrial change. With a heavy emphasis on technology’s impact on innovation and industrial change, this course examines the relationship between innovation, technology, and market changes. [The Open University]
69. Advanced Stochastic Processes. Important for anyone wanting to follow the stock market or exchange rates, this class helps students understand the processes that drive these types of less-predictable environments. [MIT]
70. Real Estate Capital Markets. Learn about the capital market sources for real estate financial capital and how the markets value these investments. [MIT]
71. Japanese Financial Markets and Institutions. Find out about Japanese financial markets with this class. Some of the information is in Japanese, but the videos are in English. [Keio University]
72. Economy and Business in Modern China and India. This course explores the markets in these two countries, which are quickly becoming major players in the global economy. [MIT]
73. Influences on accounting regulation. Study historical and present-day influences on financial rules and regulations in markets around the world. [The Open University]
74. Investing for Beginners. With a strong emphasis on learning about and understanding the stock market, these lessons and accompanying quizzes will help you grasp the basics. [About.com]
75. Stock Basics. Get the basics about stock markets here and you’ll be on your way to becoming a wise investor. [Investopedia University]
76. Stock-Picking Strategies. Learn several different strategies for selecting stocks and decide which work best for you. [Investopedia University]
77. Forex Tutorial. Long been an investment of corporations or the wealthy elite, currency trading is now available for everyone. Take this class to learn what you need to know about foreign exchange trading. [Investopedia University]
78. Analyzing Chart Patterns. Learn what security charts can tell you about investing and understanding the markets in this class. [Investopedia University]

For the Entrepreneur

Whether you are just starting out or have been running your business for a while, it’s never too late to learn how to protect and help your financials grow.

79. Early Stage Capital. This course offers lessons on start-ups and early stage capital generation with a focus on building relationships with investors and advisors. [MIT]
80. Entrepreneurial Finance. Entrepreneurs will benefit from this course that looks at raising money for technology-based companies and the early stages of company development. [MIT]
81. Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager. This law class educates the student in the basics of the legal issues that affect a business from start-up to going public. [MIT]
82. Business Analysis Using Financial Statements. The purpose of this course is to prepare the student to successfully use financial statements as a tool to understand and place a value on businesses. [MIT]
83. Managerial Economics. This course covers the basics of microeconomics as it pertains to management decisions and is a must for any entrepreneur. [Utah State University]
84. Payroll 101. This tutorial explains the basics of payroll for small business owners. Be advised the tutorial is sponsored by a payroll management service. [Intuit]
85. Financing and Accounting. The series of 30-minute courses here help with assessing financial needs, offer a financial primer, an introduction to accounting, and information about applying for a loan for your small business. [US Small Business Association]
86. Understanding Financial Statements: What do they say about your business?. This tutorial gives you the basics for learning about the importance of financial statements. [University of Arkansas of Little Rock]

International Finance

With the rapid globalization of financial markets, anyone interested in watching the financial world or becoming a wise investor should understand and keep abreast of international finances. These classes will help you learn what it’s all about.

87. The Politics of Global Finance Relations. This course examines the impact of globalization of finance on American politics and policy as well as international relations. [MIT]
88. Capital Markets. This course focuses on global capital markets and teaches a working knowledge of investor relations. [UC Irvine]
89. International Trade. Look at international trade and finance as well as current topics such as globalization, free trade, and more. [MIT]
90. International Relations: New Approaches in a Complex World. Learn about global economy, the World Trade Organization, Latin America, and more in this class that examines the changes that have taken place in the global business world. [Harvard]
91. Managing local practices in global contexts. This course covers a lot of ground as it examines several aspects of business in the globalized environment. [The Open University]
92. Economic Development, Policy Analysis, and Industrialization. Examine how government plays a role in developing countries that affects global business. [MIT]
93. Working in a Global Economy. Study global economy and the practice and policy changes that have occurred since the development of the current "new" economy. [MIT]
94. Globalization, Migration, and International Relations. Learn about globalization and its impact on businesses and people around the world. [MIT]
95. Marketing, Microchips and McDonalds: Debating Globalization. Discussing what globalization means and the impacts it has on the global community, this course provides a firm foundation in understanding globalization’s impact economically, socially, and culturally. [MIT]
96. Global Markets, National Policies, and the Competitive Advantages of Firms. This course looks at the fast-changing world of global markets and examines how national policies are no longer adequate for today’s global economy. [MIT]
97. Media in Cultural Context. Learn about how culture defines itself through TV programs and how international markets are impacted by these identities. [MIT]
98. International Economics. This course offers an introductory look at international trade theory, policy, and international finance. [Utah State University]
99. International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies. This advanced course examines international trade, international monetary and financial relations, and security. [MIT]
100. Urban Public Finance in Developing Countries. Examine economic concerns, especially as they pertain to government and culture, in developing countries. [MIT]

February 2, 2009

Whether you work in game development or design, or you just aspire to, there are a number of resources available online that can help you get the education you need. Through the use of Open Courseware and related resources, you can learn about game theory, practical applications, and technical instructions for design and development of games, without paying a hefty tuition. Check out this list to find courses that can teach you all of these things and more.

Game Development

In these courses, you’ll learn the ins and outs of game development.

1. OcwArts: OcwArts will teach you how to create various gaming programs from this course. [OcwArts]
2. Creating a Science of Games: Learn how games can be developed and improved for wider applications than entertainment. [Rice University]

Arts & Media Studies

Learn about the art and media behind developing games from these courses.

3. Media Industries and Systems: Check out this course to learn how art, science, and commerce shape contemporary media, including games. [MIT]
4. Digital Animation: Follow this course to learn the basics of digital animation. [Technology License]
5. Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change: See how technology has changed the way we discuss gaming and media through this course. [MIT]
6. Multimedia Arts: Learn all about the arts in gaming and beyond through this course. [Technology License]
7. Using Video and Audio to Establish Tone: Use this course to find out how to use video and audio to set tone. [Connexions]
8. Feeling and Imagination in Art, Science, and Technology: Learn about creativity in art and beyond from this course. [MIT]
9. Introduction to Media Studies: This course is designed for students who want to become literate as critical consumers and producers of media. [MIT]

Theory & Thinking

Get an education in game theory and the thoughts that go into playing and creating games from these courses.

10. Economic Applications of Game Theory: Learn more about game theory and its applications through this course. [MIT]
11. Game Theory for Managers: Use game theory in interactive games you’ll play in this course.[MIT]
12. Non-Cooperative Game Theory: Learn about strategic and informational games through this course. [Technion-Israel Institute of Technology]
13. Decisions, Games, and Rational Choice: Get the foundations and philosophical applications of decision theory through this course. [MIT]
14. Thinking Strategically: This course will teach you how to think more strategically, so that you can apply that thinking to gaming. [Rasmussen]
15. Game Theory and Mechanism Design: Get foundations of game theroy, modeling, mathematical tools, and more from this course. [MIT]
16. Game Theory and Political Theory: Explore the way political scientists use game theory to strategize in this course. [MIT]
17. Topics on the border of CS, Game theory, and Economics: Follow this seminar to learn more about game theory and more. [Hebrew University]
18. Living on the Grid-Playing and Deconstructing Logic Games: This lesson will help students create strategies for logic games. [OER Commons]
19. Thinking Strategically: Follow this course to learn about strategic decision making, bargaining, auctions, and more. [Australian Graduate School of Management]
20. First-Order Logic: Get some guidance on the use of logic with this resource. [Connexions]

Analysis

Check out these courses that will enable you to conduct analysis on developing games.

21. Analyzing a Game of Chance: This activity will ask you to develop a strategy for playing a specific game. [Connexions]
22. Videogame Theory and Analysis: This course offers an introduction to the theory of video games. [MIT]

Storytelling

Use these courses to develop your storytelling voice for game design.

23. Interactive and Non-Linear Narrative: Consider computer based narratives and games with the help of this course. [MIT]
24. Theory and Practice of Non-linear and Interactive Narrative: This course will help you examine the potential for dynamic narrative. [MIT]

Interaction & Decision Making

Learn how people interact with, and make decisions in games with the help of these courses.

25. International Politics in the New Century-via Simulation, Interactive Gaming, and ‘Edutainment’: This workshop will introduce you to interactive political gaming and more. [MIT]
26. Seminar in Choice Theory: This seminar will help you learn the foundations and applications of the theory of rational choice. [UC San Diego]
27. Decision Making in Large Scale Systems: This course examines games in areas including dynamic resource allocation, finance, and queueing networks. [MIT]
28. Casual Reasoning: Learn about the way casual claims influence thought through this course. [Carnegie Mellon University]
29. Games and Information: Get a look into games of strategy and beyond through this course. [UC San Diego]
30. Games and Strategic Behavior: Learn how decision making behavior affects game play through this webcast. [UC Berkeley]
31. Man + Machine: Understanding the Development of Real-Time Interactive Computing: Understand the history and development of interactive computing with the help of this course. [Connexions]
32. Principles of Autonomy and Decision Making: Check out this course to get methodologies for creating highly autonomous systems and decision support aids. [MIT]
33. The Lottery and Insurance-Why Play?: Follow this resource to learn the role of expected value. [Connexions]

Probability

Learn all about probability and its applications in games from these courses.

34. Pictures of Probability: Through this resource, students will develop tools for analyzing probabilistic situations. [Connexions]
35. What Are the Chances?: Students will think numerically about probability through the teachings in this course. [Connexions]
36. Basic Concepts of Probability: In this course, you’ll find a review of the basic concepts of probability. [Connexions]

Design

These courses will give you an online education in game design and beyond.

37. Game Design: This game design course offered by Technology License will teach you the basics of designing games. [Technology License]
38. State Design Pattern: See how design can help the changing state of systems with the help of this resource. [Connexions]
39. Game Theory and Mechanism Design: Learn how game theory can be applied to mechanism design through this course. [MIT]
40. 2D Motion: Learn about creating 2D motion with the help of this course. [University of Colorado]
41. Introduction to Design Inquiry: This course will help you consider the way computation is used in design. [MIT]
42. Game Design Project: Follow this project to learn how to design games. [Utah State University]
43. Introduction to Design Inquiry: This class offers an exploration into design and design intelligence. [MIT]
44. Interrogative Design Workshop: From this workshop, you’ll learn how to create interrogative design. [MIT]
45. Digital Learners: How Are They Expanding the Horizon of Learning?: Find out how to design games for today’s users through the help of this resource. [Connexions]
46. Web Design School: You will get a background on game design, and learn important aspects of gaming. [Universiteit Utrecht]
47. Advanced Topics in Learning Object Design and Reuse: Through this course, you’ll learn advanced topics in the design, creation, and reuse of learning objects, including games. [Utah State University]
48. Computational Mechanism Design: This class offers mechanism design, game theory, and more. [Harvard]
49. Build a Video Game: Find out how you can build an educational video game using the instructions in this video. [TeacherTube]

Programming & Tools

These courses will give you a technical education in game development.

50. Object-Oriented Programming in C++: Learn how to program objects in C++ from this University of Southern Queensland course. [University of Southern Queensland]
51. Free Software for Busy People: Make use of the software highlighted in this resource to get free tools. [Open of Course]
52. Game Programming: Learn how to program for games in this project oriented course. [Eastern Michigan University]
53. How to Be a Programmer: This resource from Robert L. Read will help you learn how to be a programmer. [Open of Course]
54. Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL: Here you’ll find tutorials that will teach you how to program 3D interactive graphics in OpenGL and C/C++. [Connexions]
55. Introductory Digital Systems Laboratory: Here you’ll learn a variety of points about digital systems, including games. [MIT]
56. Game Trees: Here you’ll learn about dynamic data structures for games and more. [UC Berkeley]
57. Welcome to Java: Welcome to Java will give you an introduction into developing in the Java language. [Open of Course]
58. Algorythms, Games, and the WEB: This course will discuss some of the themes at the intersection of algorithmics and game theory. [University of Chicago]
59. Autonomous Multiagent Systems: This course will show you real life examples of programming, including games. [University of Texas]

Practical Skills

In these courses, you’ll learn practical skills that you can apply to game design and beyond.

60. Asking for Help: Learn how important it is to use teachers and mentors with the help of this course. [Connexions]
61. Pathway to Dreams: Follow this self paced, question oriented path to determine your goals, direction, and voice as an artist. [Connexions]
62. What Are You Looking For?: With the help of this resource, you can work to define your goals as an artist. [Connexions]
63. Ethics of Team Work: Understand the value, virtues, and issues of working in a team or group. [Connexions]

Game Genres & Uses

Find out how games can be applied beyond entertainment through these courses.

64. Instructional Games: Explore the field of instructional gaming through this course. [Utah State University]
65. Mathematics Games as a Research Tool: Here you’ll find out how games can be used in mathematics education. [Connexions]
66. Memory Game Demonstrations: This module will demonstrate the use of memory games as an educational tool. [OER Commons]
67. Computer Games and Simulations for Investigation and Education: Check out this course that explores educational games and simulations. [MIT]
68. Game-Based Learning: Consider how games can be used in learning through this module. [OER Commons]
69. Immersive Education: This course will show you how simulation games and other immersive technology can benefit education. [The Open University]
70. Report on the Educational Use of Games: Check out this report to learn about the educational benefits of games in education. [OER Commons]

Issues

These courses will help you better understand some of the controversial issues in game design today.

71. You Decide: Do Violent Games Cause Real Violence in Children?: This guide takes a look at video games as a potential cause of violence in children. [OER Commons]
72. Values at Play: This project considers how videogamers may embed social values into video games. [Hunter College]
73. Rules and Reasons: This lesson teaches the need for rules, and can help you determine rules for your game design. [Learn NC]

January 29, 2009

By Alisa Miller

The continent of Africa is the second-most populated in the world and has 53 countries within its bounds. With so many people and nationalities, it should be no surprise that the diversity found there is enormous. While poverty and war are a part of Africa, so is technology, bustling cities, and unique culture found nowhere else on Earth. These blogs bring together the richness and diversity that is Africa with voices covering specific countries, experiences across the borders, news, technology, art, and culture.

All About Africa

These blogs provide a glimpse into politics, human rights, technology, cool gadgets made specifically for Africa and more as the bloggers span across the continent.

1. Africa Now!. This weekly radio show from Washington DC posts topics from the show on their blog that cover issues affecting the entire continent.
2. African Politics Portal. This student studying in the US and traveling in Africa posts news stories and more about the political climate in Africa.
3. Africa Works. Written by G. Pascal Zachary, this blog covers a wide range of issues about Africa including politics, international relations, technology, culture, and more.
4. George Ngwane. This political activist and writer blogs about politics, art, and culture as they pertain to the freedom and evolution of the African people.
5. Travelling Pundit. While this African blogger travels frequently around the world and does infuse his blog with those experiences, he also offers an insight to the African people and culture that is well worth reading.
6. AfriGadget. This blog features ways in which everyday problems in Africa are solved with ingenious solutions.
7. Africa Can…End Poverty. Finance, hunger, government, and the people are all focuses of this blog about ending poverty in Africa.
8. My heart’s in Accra. Human rights, technology, politics, poverty, and more feature in this blog written by Ethan Zuckerman.
9. Black Looks. This blog examines several aspects of life in Africa, but especially focuses on women and human rights.
10. under the baobab tree. With posts on such topics as a donkey mobile library in Ethiopia, a documentary about the fishing fleets in Senegal, and Gnawa home songs, readers are sure to feel they have been given a lovely glimpse of African life and culture.

Zimbabwe

The current government and a currency shortage has turned Zimbabwe upside down. These bloggers lend their voices to effect change for the country they love.

11. The Bearded Man. This blogger focuses on politics in Zimbabwe with a special emphasis on the current dictatorship and its impact on the people.
12. Kubatana. This collaborative blog is written by a group of activists all speaking out about Zimbabwe. The voices here are frequently lyrical, subtle, and always moving.
13. Harare diary. "Esther" writes anonymously on this BBC diary about the conditions in the capital city of Zimbabwe.
14. Denford Magora’s Zimbabwe Blog. The thought-provoking posts at this blog touch on politics, economy, and the people of Zimbabwe in an effort to give hope and a voice to the people.
15. Living Zimbabwe. From hunger to corrupt leadership to the Red Cross in Zimbabwe, the posts here aim to bring recognition to all that is occurring in the country.
16. New Zimbabwe Blogs. This collaborative blog features well-written posts by a number of writers focusing on many aspects of the political climate in Zimbabwe.
17. Mandebvhu Talks Zimbabwe. From hunger strikes to collapsed negotiations, this blog focuses on the politics of the region.
18. Zimbabwe Absurdity. As this blogger anticipates the loss of his business in Zimbabwe, he writes about the dollarization, a nation of traders trying to survive, and shares insight on the culture and past glory of the nation.
19. Zimbabwe’s Heroes and Villains. This blog profiles the people behind (and in front of) the scenes in Zimbabwe’s political culture.
20. Zimbabwe Republic Police. Written by a member of the police force, this blogger provides insight, and hope for the future, into how the once-reputable police force has become horribly corrupt.

Kenya

Arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world, Kenya is not without its problems. Conservation and politics feature highly in these blogs from Kenya.

21. Kenyan Analyst. With a strong Christian influence, the posts on this blog cover politics in Kenya, and frequently, how they relate to the world at large.
22. KenyaImagine. A community-based effort, this blog focuses analysis of current issues in Kenya.
23. Kenyan Pundit. Written by a lawyer and political activist in Kenya, this blog focuses mostly on Kenya, but sometimes includes other topics as well.
24. Rants, Raves & Reviews. Using news pieces as a springboard, this blogger writes about Kenyan politics.
25. Wandia Njoya’s blog. A part of The Zeleza Post, this blog features posts about academia, politics, and Kenya.
26. Green Dreams Organic Farming in East Africa. This blog features the successes of small, rural farmers in Kenya as well as some politics that can’t help but touch their lives.
27. Lion Guardians. This blog is written by Antony Kasanga, the assistant director for the Lion Guardians program. This program recruits Maasai warriors to help protect the lions they once speared, and Antony writes interesting posts not only about the program, but about life in Kenya as well.
28. David Ngala. The conservation officer at Friends of Arabuko Sokoke Forest, David Ngala tells about his work to protect from poachers and deforesters the "largest piece of indigenous coastal forest remaining in Kenya," which is the sole home to many animals and a stunning example of biodiversity with three forest types located in its bounds.
29. Camel Book Drive. Kenya’s mobile library project blog updates readers on progress as well as offering a glimpse into life in Africa.
30. Kenyan Ramblings. The luxurious writings in these posts not only open up the world of a woman in modern-day Kenya, but provide a decadent break from the day to revel in a bit of literature.

Nigeria

The rich history and current growth of Nigeria’s economy provides plenty for these bloggers to write about.

31. Akin. Touching on topics including women’s rights and using African people as guinea pigs in the research of anti-malarial medications, this blog covers African issues with a focus on Nigeria.
32. Omoluwabi Okebadan. Writing about politics around the world, this Nigerian blogger also brings a strong focus on how it relates to Nigerian politics as well as posting about specifically Nigerian issues.
33. Max Siollun’s Website. This blog provides in-depth coverage of Nigerian politics with recent stories including results of British colonialism, the anniversary of the first military coup, and a speech about the economic progress of Nigeria.
34. Mo Lo. Politics, economy, and Nigeria’s relationship in international issues feature highly in this blog.
35. StockMarketNigeria. For anyone interested in the financial aspect of Nigeria, this blog brings the latest news on markets, financials, and related information.
36. Grandiose Parlor. Focusing on "sociopolitical and economic issues" in Africa, but specifically Nigeria, the posts here cover a range of topics including American politics as they pertain to Africa and news posts from other sources.
37. I am thinking about Nigeria. The posts here offer a very real sense of what it’s like to live as a Nigerian with topics including politics, life, culture, and economy.
38. The Long Harmattan Season. Written by Uche Nworah, the author of the book that shares the same name as this blog, the posts here cover topics affecting Nigeria.
39. Nigerian Village Square. Smart editorials about Nigerian politics, economy, and more are on this blog.
40. Thy Glory O Nigeria…!. Taking a hard look at government, politics, and more, this blog covers Nigerian issues.
41. Nigerian Curiosity. Nigerian politics are the focus of this popular blog.

Ethiopia

Politics feature at the forefront of many of these blogs that describe the country’s connections to world powers and its struggle to find peace and unity.

42. ethiopundit. This blog discusses the politics in Ethiopia especially as they relate to other world powers–including the US and Great Britain.
43. Addis Voice. Mostly a news aggregators, this blog features everything Ethiopian in respect to politics and international connections. Be sure to read about the Obama cafe in Ethiopia, the first opened in the world.
44. Ewenet Means Truth in Ethiopia. Read about politics and culture in Ethiopia, especially as it relates to the Muslim community there.
45. The Other Side. Learn about Ethiopian political and social issues from a foreign resident’s perspective on this blog.
46. Friends of Ethiopia. This blog is a news aggregator with a particular focus on eco-friendly news stories that relate to Ethiopian politics and economy.
47. Kinijit. This group is dedicated to bringing peace, unity, and prosperity to the people of Ethiopia through a democratic process.
48. Ethio-Zagol Post: The State of Ethiopia. While not being updated so frequently right now, this blog provides plenty of insight into the reality of politics in Ethiopia.
49. Enset. With posts ranging from the arrest of the first woman leader in a major political party in Ethiopia to the election of Obama to the importance of the respect of elders in Ethiopia, the politics in this blog cover all the bases.
50. Addis Journal. Combining photographs with written blog posts, the articles here are infused with a distinct sense of humanism that makes the political atrocities that much more haunting.
51. Abesha Bunna Bet. This blogger takes a close look at the people behind the politics as he shares his views on his homeland.

Sudan

Dictatorship and the genocide in Darfur are such a large part of what defines Sudan today, and these blogs cover the news, politics, and human rights violations occurring.

52. Meskel Square. Named after a place in Ethiopia, this blog is actually about Sudanese politics and issues written by a journalist based in Khartoum.
53. Memoirs of a Sudanese Breath. Part political blog and part poetry blog, the esoteric nature of the posts here are sure to move you.
54. Black Kush. This blogger provides editorials on political issues and news stories occurring in Sudan.
55. JohnAkecSouthSudan. From South Sudan, but living in the UK, this blogger writes about the economic and political environment in Sudan.
56. Making Sense of Darfur. This blog covers politics and socioeconomic issues in an attempt to make sense of the upheaval, political unrest, and human rights violations occurring in Darfur.
57. Sudan: The Passion of the Present. This blog’s purpose is as a place for people to share ideas and inspiration on stopping the genocide in Darfur.
58. Sudan Watch. Get the latest news as it relates to the politics taking place in Sudan.

Perspectives from Many African Countries

These blogs offer a glimpse into life in various countries throughout Africa from Zambia to Ghana to Tanzania.

59. Zambian Economist. Learn about the economic state of Zambia minus the politics in this blog.
60. Palapye.com News Blog. With a focus on Botswana, this blog brings news of politics, business, culture, and more.
61. Under the Acacias. Written by a missionary, this blog shares life among the Fulani in Burkina Faso.
62. GhanaConscious blogs. These blogs are a part of the GhanaConscious community that gives voice to the people of Ghana.
63. The Trials & Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen…of Ghana. Despite the title, this blogger has been writing about his life in Accra for four years now and offers insight through the written word and photos.
64. Reluctant Memsahib. Written by a third-generation Celt in Tanzania, this woman’s lyrical posts share life in Africa, as a mother, and as a part of the universe.
65. Scarlett Lion: Liberia. With stunning photos and an outsider’s eye, this blogger shares her experiences in Liberia.
66. Koranteng’s Toli. With an intriguing blend of culture, politics, and editorial, this blog brings a unique vision of Ghana to readers.
67. louder than swahili. Written by a Danish woman living in Tanzania, this blog provides a glimpse into life there. She also includes some beautiful photographs of the people and the region.
68. Oluniyi David Ajao. Born in Nigeria and living in Ghana, this blogger shares his experiences and his voice to help others recognize Africa as the majestic continent it is.
69. Mama Junkyard’s. This woman’s posts cover being Kenyan, living in Nigeria, being a woman, travel, living abroad, and all the bits about life she has collected along the way.

News

Stay on top of the news coming out of Africa with these blogs that post on a variety of topics across many different countries.

70. Sociolingo’s Africa. Posting a collection of news, images, and various other details pertaining to Africa, this blog covers a wide range not contained to just one geographic region.
71. Africa News. This news aggregate reports from over 125 African news sources as well as many other sources to provide news events all across Africa.
72. AfricanLoft. With politics, culture, lifestyle, opinion, and more, this blog provides a purely African perspective to the news.
73. Jewels in the Jungle. Find news from around the world as it pertains to issues, culture, and more in Africa.
74. Africa Matters. From maps to economy to business, find plenty of news about Africa at this blog.
75. Addax. Get bilingual (English and French) news stories from all around Africa.
76. FaridNet. African news is mixed with other world news in this blog written by Farid Omar.
77. AllAfrica.com.: Blog. Get news updates that range from film reviews to the US presidential inauguration to media in Africa.

Technology and Entrepreneurship

Technology and business is growing quickly across Africa and these blogs document the trend with topics for those interested in technology, entrepreneurship, banking, sustainable development, and more.

78. Timbuktu Chronicles. Written by Emeka Okafor, an entrepreneur in New York and also the TED Africa Director, this blog covers technology, science, and entrepreneurship as it affects Africa.
79. Africa Unchained. Also written by Emeka Okafor, this blog focuses on issues raised by George Ayittey’s book Africa Unchained.
80. Apprica. Get your daily dose of African IT industry news and culture from this blog.
81. Startups Nigeria. Learn about technology and web startups with this blog.
82. Startup Africa. With a similar focus to Startups Nigeria, this blog focuses more on social media and seems to have a strong South African presence.
83. Nigerian Entrepreneur. Get a feel for what the entrepreneurs working in Nigeria experience with the important information and tips available in this blog.
84. Nubian Cheetah. Written by Nii Simmonds, this blog focuses on technology, entrepreneurship, sustainable development and more in Africa.
85. e-Luminations. A blog formed as a part of the Khanya project, which brought technology to teachers in South Africa, provides technology updates.
86. Afromusing. Technology, innovation, renewable energy, and other random topics that catch the attention of this blogger are the focus here.
87. Bankelele. Banking and business are at the forefront of this blog written by a Nairobi banker.
88. White African. This excellent blog features tech topics with an African viewpoint and covers topics such as coworking space, African technology used worldwide, and Google in Africa.

Art and Culture

The art and culture in Africa is stunning and unique and these blogs attempt to capture it for the reader who is not lucky enough to be there in person to experience it first-hand.

89. Africa is a Country. Written by a South African living in New York, this blog covers music, films, art, books, politics, and more as they pertain to Africa, but especially the country of South Africa.
90. SA Rocks. A response to the negative press about South Africa, this blog presents some of the positive aspects of the country and includes posts about music, travel, restaurants, and other cultural topics.
91. halftribe. With a heavy emphasis on the written word, this blog shares art, literature, and more that reflect the current African culture.
92. Kwani Trust. Promoting Kenyan culture, this blog features literature, photos, cultural events, and more from the country.
93. African Travel Guide. Whether you plan to travel around Africa or just enjoy doing so from your computer, this blog includes the latest news on African travel.
94. laspapi. This blog offers bits of arts and culture through photographs, posts from other sources, and more.
95. SAYMAMA. This Nigerian blogger includes cultural events, poetry, fashion, and even a bit of politics in her blog.
96. A Romanian in Africa. This student is traveling through Africa as a part of his education and posts about African culture and more. He also writes African Politics Portal about politics in Africa.
97. The Face of AfriKa. This blog focuses on the positive aspects of Africa not often shown in the world news and includes inspirational posts, information about events, fashion, and more.
98. BetumiBlog. Writing from the US, this blogger shares an amazing amount of information about African foods, their history, and more.
99. African Architecture and Design. With a focus on eco-building, sustainability, and local materials, this blog brings the finest examples of modern architecture and design.
100. Poefrika. The posts here are African-inspired writings, including poetry as well as prose and includes a quote and poem of the day.