Les infos clés
En résumé
No region on Earth is immune from natural disasters. As we gain scientific understanding into the causes and nature of such phenomena, we become better able to mitigate the effects of disasters. Yet as the world's population continues to grow, an increasingly large number of people are at risk.
This science course examines different types of natural disasters and our ability, or inability, to control and predict such events. You will gain an appreciation of natural disasters beyond the newspaper headlines, and will better understand how the effects of disasters can be reduced.
There is an urgent need for people from all walks of life to better understand the scientific principles behind the occurrence of natural disasters:
- City planners need to know where, and where not, to site buildings.
- Politicians need to make scientifically informed decisions.
- Emergency management officials need to understand the nature of a potential disaster and ways to mitigate such an event.
- Journalists need to report scientifically accurate information.
Learner Testimonial:
“Professors Stix and Gyakum have created and presented an engaging course, and have helped in my quest for a better understanding of the world around me.” – Previous Student
Le programme
- Explore the ongoing conflict between humans and nature
- Discuss the global impact of natural disasters and how they are linked
- Explore the scientific principles behind the occurrence of natural disasters
Les intervenants
John Gyakum
John Stix
Le concepteur
La plateforme
EdX est une plateforme d'apprentissage en ligne (dite FLOT ou MOOC). Elle héberge et met gratuitement à disposition des cours en ligne de niveau universitaire à travers le monde entier. Elle mène également des recherches sur l'apprentissage en ligne et la façon dont les utilisateurs utilisent celle-ci. Elle est à but non lucratif et la plateforme utilise un logiciel open source.
EdX a été fondée par le Massachusetts Institute of Technology et par l'université Harvard en mai 2012. En 2014, environ 50 écoles, associations et organisations internationales offrent ou projettent d'offrir des cours sur EdX. En juillet 2014, elle avait plus de 2,5 millions d'utilisateurs suivant plus de 200 cours en ligne.
Les deux universités américaines qui financent la plateforme ont investi 60 millions USD dans son développement. La plateforme France Université Numérique utilise la technologie openedX, supportée par Google.