University of Groningen
- Start Date: 29 Nov, 2021
- 3 weeks
- Study Content: Videos
Learn why social processes seem so unpredictable and understand better the basics of social dynamics.
Course Fee: Free
Certificate Cost: See Fees and Eligibility
Course Description
This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.
Explore a new way of approaching questions about social behaviour
This three-week course will help you understand why social processes seem so unpredictable and understand better the basics of social dynamics. It’s designed to show you a new interesting way of approaching questions about social behaviour. Throughout, you’ll focus on social mechanisms and will explore how models and simulations can help to understand those mechanisms.
Understand how micro behaviours can lead to unexpected results for a group or society
You’ll gain an understanding of how the behaviour of individuals can lead to unexpected results on a group or societal level. You’ll also explore a new way of looking at social phenomena by focussing on underlying mechanisms, and will investigate how models can help decipher social processes.
Explore how similar social processes occur across different contexts
You’ll also explore how similar social processes occur across different contexts, and will experiment with a simple pen-and-paper model and a computer simulation of a social mechanism. Finally, you’ll identify the opportunities that computational social sciences (CSS), especially modelling and simulations, offer for understanding social processes.
Experiment with models and simulations - without any prior mathematical or programming skills
Throughout the course you will be investigating some simple social processes with the help of models that illustrate how humans behave and how they influence each other. For that we will use examples, animations and game-like tools - no mathematical and programming skills are required!
This course is designed for anyone who is interested in understanding human behaviour, especially in how different social processes work.
It will be particularly useful for professionals dealing with situations where social change takes place (or is desirable) and where social influences play a role, such as in the context of public policy, business, marketing, and healthcare.
If you are studying social sciences and are curious how computational approach works, this course will be particularly helpful. And if you are an academic teacher with no prior experience with this approach yet and you’re considering enriching your own courses, we encourage you both to take the course, and to use the materials for your students.
For the models used in the course we highly recommend that these are done on a large screen, either a PC, laptop or a tablet at least, as the models will not be easy to operate on a phone.
Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.
Quality has had top priority for 400 years, and with success the University is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.
In addition, the university collaborates with a number of renowned foreign universities, including Uppsala, Göttingen and Ghent. The University of Groningen is very popular with its 27,000 students and 5500 staff members from home and abroad.
Talent is nurtured, enabling the University to bridge the gap between science and society.We are committed to actively collaborating with our social partners, with a special focus on the research themes Healthy Ageing, Energy and Sustainable Society.
This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with FutureLearn.
COLLABORATION POLICY
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Complete all tests and assignments on my own, unless collaboration on an assignment is explicitly permitted.
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Not engage in any activity that would dishonestly improve my results, or improve or hurt the results of others.
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Receiving a zero or no credit for an assignment;
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Having any certificate earned in the course withheld or revoked;
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Being unenrolled from a course, learning program or degree program; or
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Termination of your use of the App and/or Site.
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CHANGING THE HONOR CODE
Please note that we review and may make changes to this Honor Code from time to time. Any changes to this Honor Code will be effective immediately upon posting on this page, with an updated effective date. By accessing the App and/or Site after any changes have been made, you signify your agreement on a prospective basis to the modified Honor Code and any changes contained therein. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of this Honor Code.
Effective Date: September 22, 2016