Delivery Format

This course is designed to be a fully online MOOC-type course with an option to earn certificate. Course content such as the fundamental concepts will be offered as open educational resources for the Asia-Pacific region. It will follow a format similar to mainstream MOOCs on EdX or Coursera, which typically include presentations, mini-videos, self tests, moderated discussions, and graded assignments on a weekly basis while the course is running.

Certificate-learning students will learn through scheduled instructor-facilitated discussions and will actively engage with instructors, teaching assistants and their peers to complete all graded assignments to earn the certificate. Your critical thinking skills will be enhanced through the peer assessment of the six sentence argument exercises, when you will be required to grade the work of other students taking the course. Course completion certificates will be issued after students successfully pass the course. Students can access all course materials (except the textbook and readings), presentations, videos, assignments, and tutorials online through the UBC Canvas system.

This course is delivered as a series of modules. Each module follows the same rough format, with an introduction, a number of topics and then a conclusion. Within each topic, there are a number of items, including some reading materials and some short lectures which we would like you to watch and study.