eLearnAfrica
Understanding Human Behaviour: Introduction to Game Theory and Shared Resources
University of Groningen
  • Start Date: 24 Jan, 2022
  • 4 weeks
  • Study Content: Videos


Explore the issues humans face when sharing and cooperating, and use game theory, models, and simulations to identify solutions.

Course Fee: Free
Certificate Cost: See Fees and Eligibility
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Course Description

This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and FutureLearn partnership.

​​Expand your understanding of social sciences


This four-week course will help you explore why sharing goods or tasks is difficult. You’ll enrich your understanding of the problems people have when they share and cooperate, and examine essential models that can support you in your future career in social sciences and beyond.


Discover social solutions to help tackle different problems


You’ll have a close-up look at situations when actions (that are rational from an individual point of view) lead to non-optimal social outcomes.


Investigating the mechanisms that underlie the common action and public goods problems, you’ll gain an insight into the behavioural dynamics affecting the ecological crisis we currently face.


You’ll also explore some social solutions to tackle such problems and reflect on the importance of strengthening social ties, norms, social control, sanctions, and institutions.


Understand how to use computational modelling to face challenges


You’ll explore social computation and computational modelling as a useful methodology. With this knowledge, you’ll systematically study the interactions between individual behaviour, group behaviour, and public goods.


Apply game theory and agent-based modelling (ABM) - without prior mathematical or programming skills


You’ll apply the basic concepts from game theory to explain some of the mechanisms behind the overuse of natural resources. This will then help you explore some potential solutions going forward.


Throughout the course, you will use examples, animations, and game-like tools, designed by the experts from University of Warsaw and University of Groningen – no mathematical and programming skills are required!


This course is designed for anyone interested in understanding human behaviour, especially when sharing and cooperation are involved.


It will be particularly useful for professionals dealing with challenges related to public goods, common resources, and cooperation.


If you are studying social sciences and are curious how a computational approach works, this course will be particularly helpful. 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 to take the course, and 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.

You may be able to download course materials after enrolling in this course. If not, all of the necessary course materials provided by the course instructor will be available on the provider's course page.
COLLABORATION POLICY

By enrolling in a course on or through eLearnAfrica, you are joining a special worldwide community of learners. The aspiration of eLearnAfrica is to provide anyone with an internet connection access to courses from the best universities and institutions in the world and to provide our learners the best educational experience internet technology enables. You are a part of the community that will help eLearnAfrica achieve this goal. eLearnAfrica depends upon your motivation to learn the material and to do so with honesty and academic integrity. In order to participate in eLearnAfrica, you must agree to the Honor Code below and any additional terms specific to a class.

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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