As Thammasat University students grow accustomed to online learning and distance education, some may wish to explore overseas opportunities after they have done their required coursework. Taking an extra class may be informative and help complement main areas of study, giving students new ideas and perspectives and help them to practice their English language usage.
One opportunity to consider may be free massive open online courses (MOOCs) at Boston University, the United States of America.
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The TU Library owns a number of texts published by the Boston University Institute for Economic Development.
As its website explains,
The Institute for Economic Development (IED) is a research center which consists of faculty and graduate student within Boston University’s Department of Economics and focuses on the economic problems of developing countries. To this end, the institute provides facilities and a supportive intellectual environment for students, faculty, and visiting scholars pursuing research in the problems of economic development, and in related areas of economic growth, international economics, and financial institutions. It consolidates previous BU economic development research centers that focused on specific regions.
Active areas of research and discussion at the IED span a broad range of issues of relevance to economic development such as agriculture, conflict, contracts, corruption, culture, discrimination, finance, fiscal policy, governance, health, human capital, inequality, industrial organization, international economics, political economy and property rights. The research methodologies employed represent a combination of theoretical, empirical, historical, and policy analyses, that uniformly aim for high standards of rigor.
Among MOOCs being offered at BU, students may choose The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health:
Learn how to safely and effectively participate in global health rotations, projects, and volunteer work.
About this course
Whether you’re considering a global health learning experience such as a clinical rotation, a research project, or volunteer work, or are preparing to work abroad, this is the course for you!
This 3-part timeline-based course, designed by a team of global health experts, will help you prepare for successful global health learning experiences. The course provides guidance for undergraduate and graduate students, medical trainees, and volunteers. In each part, you will have the opportunity to learn through interactive scenarios and discussion forums.
In Part 1 (The Big Picture), you will learn how to determine whether a global health learning experience is right for you, and if so, what, where, when, and how?
In Part 2 (Preparation and on the Ground), you will learn how to prepare for your global health learning experience and gain vital information about being there on-the-ground. You’ll learn how to arrange logistics, improve your security and cultural awareness and obtain guidance to limit health hazards. You’ll have the opportunity to create an appropriately inclusive yet “light” packing list. You will learn how to identify and manage common situations you may encounter on the ground, including personal and property safety risks, professional, ethical, and cultural issues, and the appropriate use of various modes of communication, including social media.
In Part 3 (Reflection), you will learn about “reverse culture shock” upon returning from a global health experience. You will learn how to identify strategies for effectively “reintegrating” into your home and work life and how to effectively manage potential health issues upon return. In addition, you’ll learn how to effectively advocate for other individuals at your institution to identify clinical opportunities, educational opportunities and funding structures for future global health experiences.
In May 2017, The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health course was awarded the following: Global Emergency Medicine Education Award, Global Emergency Medicine Academy, Society of Academic
Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL. This award honors a team that has worked to create sustainable education solutions, develop robust educational curriculum or other projects that encourage the growth and development of emergency physicians internationally.
Please note: This course is offered free of charge. Upon successful completion of each part, you will have the option to obtain a Credly(R) badge.
What you’ll learn
- Identify and describe different types of global health rotations and projects and determine which ones provide the best fit for you.
- Identify and make plans to address logistical issues including personal, health, family, financial and security concerns.
- Learn practical strategies for an enriched educational experience to benefit you and your host community.
- Identify and navigate professional, ethical, and cultural issues, as well as medical or mental health issues you may encounter.
- Identify strategies for effectively “reintegrating” into your home and work life upon returning from a global health experience.
- Successfully advocate for other individuals at your institution to identify clinical opportunities, educational opportunities and funding structures for future global health experiences.
Among the class instructors will be Dr. Gabrielle A. Jacquet, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jacquet’s expertise is in the fields of global emergency medicine, medical education, and women in medicine.
She earned an MD degree at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and a master of public health degree at the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
Other instructors for the course will include Dr. Mark Hauswald, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Patient Safety (Emeritus) at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and Dr. Suzanne Sarfaty, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Director of Global Health Programs, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Associate Clerkship Director of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
Another MOOC opportunity for TU students at BU is Strategic Social Media Marketing:
Learn how to drive social media engagement by linking strategy and tactics and measuring results.
About this course
Social media technologies are continuously transforming the ways consumers interact with each other and firms. These changes constitute a fundamental shift in the marketplace–consumers have greater opportunities to voice their opinions and connect with their peers as well as increased influence over marketers and brands.
In this course, part of the Digital Product Management MicroMasters program, we examine how organizations capitalize on social media and consumer-to-consumer interactions to support their marketing efforts. We view these issues from a strategic and a practical perspective, rather than a technical or platform perspective. We will give you the knowledge you need to create engaging content for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat and how to identify influencers, deliver content to a targeted audience, and measure the success of your efforts.
Understanding social media is crucial for product managers who will be operating in a digital environment. Product managers will learn how to use social media conversations to inform their decision-making and how to leverage social media to promote their products, services and the brand. Additionally, learners will gain an understanding of how social media can be used to achieve specific organizational objectives and to measure the effectiveness of those efforts.
What you’ll learn
- How to develop a social media marketing strategy
- How to develop and deliver content that engages consumers and is strategically integrated across platforms
- How to measure the effectiveness of social efforts.
- How social media can be used to listen to consumers,monitor their behavior, and engage them in co-creation of products and services
- How to manage social media
The class will be taught by Dr. Barbara Bickart, Senior Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Marketing, Boston University.
Also available as a MOOC is Leading in the Digital Age:
Develop a new leadership mindset and the leadership skill sets required to lead digital transformation in your organization.
About this course
The Digital Age is here. It is enabling the most comprehensive transformation of our work and personal life in history. The Digital Age promises a more prosperous and fulfilling life for everyone globally. But that promise is only as good as the capability of leaders at all levels of the organization to lead their units to success in a challenging and uncertain future.
Leading in the Digital Age develops a new mindset and fiveSkill Sets needed for success in the Digital Age:
Leading Beyond the Edges of the leader’s unit, organization, geography, and formal authority, enabled by Digital Age tools, to provide innovative solutions to customers and other stakeholders.
Building Deep Trust Relationships: In the Digital Age, trust replaces formal authority as the basis for leadership.
Forming and Leading Virtual Teams: The Digital Age relentlessly shrinks time space. Properly formed and led, virtual teams turn this challenge into an advantage over traditional teams.
Collaborating and Co-Creating the Future with customers and other stakeholders. Multi-organizational value networks formed from a portfolio of relationships are replacing single-company-owned, linear value chains. Leading in this new business model requires a “co-creation skill set.”
Learning Dynamically: The only sustainable competitive advantage in the Digital Age is the capability to learn, adapt, implement, and learn as you go, faster and better than your competitors.
Leading in the Digital Age uses interactive tools to help you apply in real time what you learn from the content, other participants, and your own experience, to dynamically lead continuous innovation and change.
What you’ll learn
Learning to be an excellent digital age leader is a never-ending journey. Our goal is to help you immediately apply what you learn in this program regardless of where you are in your journey to the digital age or of your level or position in your organization. Using your current workplace challenges, self-assessments, video vignettes, and through discussions with fellow learners and your coach you will learn how to:
Shift to a Digital Age Mindset
- Work and lead across the edges of your organization
- Build and maintain deep trust relationships
- Form and leverage a co-creation network for rapid, responsive, and continuous innovation
- Form and lead virtual teams
- Lead transformation through experimentation and dynamic learning
- Develop a personal development plan
Course instructors will include Dr. Lloyd Baird, Professor Emeritus of Management & Organizations at Boston University.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)