Learn about Ebola, its symptoms, where it came from and what the current outbreak has taught us, with this free online course.
This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.
In December 2013, the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that the world has ever seen, began in West Africa - a region of the continent that has historically been free of it.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated this situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and the outbreak has been covered extensively in the global media.
In this free online course, we’ll learn more about the virus that causes Ebola and the symptoms of the disease. We’ll also be tracing the current outbreak from its early cases to the most recent infections.
Over two weeks, we’ll consider what can be done to stop the spread of the virus and how we can treat those infected, in terms of general care, drugs and vaccines.
We’ll also learn about the genetic structure of the virus, looking at some of its proteins; where it came from and where it may reside between outbreaks; and its evolutionary history.
There will be practical sessions, using free software to do your own analysis on the virus, as well as discussions with guest academics: Thomas Keegan of Lancaster Medical School on aspects of epidemiology; and James Fraser of Lancaster Environment Centre on anthropology relevant to the outbreak.
You’ll have the opportunity to test the knowledge you acquire about Ebola with quizzes at the end of each week.
Dr Derek Gatherer has written about 2014’s Ebola outbreak on the FutureLearn blog, explaining where it came from and what it’s taught us.
Photo by ©EC/ECHO.
This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn.
Please note that, should you choose to purchase a Certificate of Achievement or a Statement of Participation, you will be re-directed to the FutureLearn for processing.
The following information is from the Future Learn website:
A Certificate of Achievement is a valuable certificate to prove what you’ve learned on your course.
Your Certificate will include your name; an outline of what you’ve learned and how long it took; the logos of the university and other organisations associated with your course. Your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.
In addition to the digital and printed certificate, you will receive a detailed transcript of what you’ve learned, how long it took and your average test score (if your course contained tests).
You can view our page about Certificates of Achievement to see what they look like.
To be eligible to buy a Certificate of Achievement, you must:
If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Certificate of Achievement, once you’re eligible for one.
The cost of the Certificate of Achievement varies depending on the course. They normally cost from £39.00 (GBP) to £59.00 (GBP) + shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed certificate and transcript, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.
If you don’t qualify to buy a Certificate of Achievement because your test score does not meet the 70% pass threshold, you have a couple of options. You will still be able to purchase a Statement of Participation for the course, or you could join a later run of the course. Unfortunately it is not possible to retake tests in FutureLearn courses.
A Statement of Participation is a collectable printed and digital record that you can buy, to show that you’ve taken part in a FutureLearn course. Statements are available for the vast majority of FutureLearn courses in both digital and printed formats. You can view our page about Statements of Participation to see what they look like.
Your Statement will include your name; a short summary of the course and how long it took; the logo of the university and other organisations associated with your course. In addition, your printed certificate will also include the lead educator’s signature.
Your Statement will confirm that you’ve completed the majority of steps in a course and attempted all test questions, but it will not show your individual level of completion or your test scores.
To be eligible to buy a Statement of Participation, you must complete over half of the steps in a course (by using the “Mark as complete” button on each step) and attempt all test questions.
If you’re taking a course, we’ll email you details of how to buy a Statement of Participation, once you’re eligible for one.
To be eligible, you must complete the majority of steps in the course and attempt all test questions. You can check how close you are to being eligible on your course progress page.
The cost of a Statement of Participation varies depending on the course. They cost from at £19.00 (GBP) to £34.00 (GBP) plus shipping. The price shown includes a digital and printed version, and VAT or local sales tax. The exact price for your course will be shown within the course itself.
For more information on Fees and Eligibility, please feel free to consult the Frequently Asked Questions:
If you do not find an answer to your question, you can also contact FutureLearn directly via email, at: feedback@futurelearn.com
The information provided was current as of 22 September 2016. Please visit Certificates and Statements to check for changes.
Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.
This course is provided through eLearnAfrica’s partnership with FutureLearn. To go directly to a specific Category of Frequently Asked Questions, please feel free to click on any of the links below (you will be redirected to the FutureLearn website):
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If you do not find an answer to your question, you can also contact FutureLearn directly via email, at: feedback@futurelearn.com
Ranked in the global top 1%, Lancaster is a collegiate university with a world-class reputation for research and teaching excellence.
Lancaster pioneers globally significant research and uses its expertise to shape policy and encourage debate. Located on a beautiful campus in the North West of England and one of a handful of collegiate universities, Lancaster places great emphasis on a strong student experience and research-led teaching delivered by academics who are experts in their field. Ranked 9th in the THE’s global ‘100 under 50’ university league table, the University has established a global reputation as a centre for research, scholarship and teaching with an emphasis on employability.
Following the latest research assessment exercise over 90% of the research at Lancaster was found to be world leading or internationally significant with some key areas of research ranked top in the UK.
This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with FutureLearn.
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Effective Date: September 22, 2016