Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges Open Course Library
This collection features OER Courses from the Open Washington Open Education Resources Network. Learn more about Open Washington on our website http://www.openwa.org/
This course covers American Government: the Constitution, the branches of government (Presidency, ...
This course covers American Government: the Constitution, the branches of government (Presidency, Congress, Judiciary) and how politics works: elections, voting, parties, campaigning, policy making. In addition weęll look at how the media, interest groups, public opinion polls and political self-identification (are you liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican or something else?) impact politics and political choices. Weęll also cover the basics in economic, social and foreign policy and bring in current issues and show how they illustrate the process.
In this class we will practice skills in reading, analyzing, and writing ...
In this class we will practice skills in reading, analyzing, and writing about fiction, poetry and drama from a select sampling of 20th Century American Literature. Through class discussion, close reading, and extensive writing practice, this course seeks to develop critical and analytical skills, preparing students for more advanced academic work.
ASL I is an introduction to the naturally existing language widely used ...
ASL I is an introduction to the naturally existing language widely used by Deaf people in North America. Since ASL is a visual-gestural language, students will need to develop unique communication skills. These consist of using the hands, body, face, eyes and space. In order to achieve progress in this class, it is important to become comfortable communicating with your whole body and listening with your eyes.
ASL II is a sequential course following ASL I, which continues to ...
ASL II is a sequential course following ASL I, which continues to build knowledge of the naturally existing language widely used by Deaf people in North America. Since ASL is a visual-gestural language, students will need to continue to develop unique communication skills. These consist of using the hands, body, face, eyes and space. In order to achieve progress in this class, it is important to become comfortable communicating with your whole body and listening with your eyes.
ASL III is the third quarter of the first year study of ...
ASL III is the third quarter of the first year study of American Sign Language (ASL) and the people who use it. ASL III will enhance the use of ASL grammar and consist of concentrated efforts to develop the studentęs expressive and receptive skills. The course will continue to provide insights into Deaf Cultural values, attitudes and the Deaf community. Now learning more abstract concepts of the language, ASL III students will be able to: narrate events that occurred in the past, ask for solutions to everyday problems, tell about life events, and describe objects. Students will also be able to: demonstrate intermediate finger spelling competency, generate complex ASL structures with intermediate vocabulary knowledge, execute a wide variety of grammatical principles, including classifiers and inflections, adapt to different sign language registers, dialects and accents, and create opportunities to interact with members of the Deaf community.
MATH&148 is a calculus course for business students. It is designed for ...
MATH&148 is a calculus course for business students. It is designed for students who want a brief course in calculus. Topics include differential and integral calculus of elementary functions. Problems emphasize business and social science applications. Translating words into mathematics and solving word problems are emphasized over algebra. Applications are mainly business oriented (e.g. cost, revenue, and profit). Mathematical theory and complex algebraic manipulations are not mainstays of this course, which is designed to be less rigorous than the calculus sequence for scientists and engineers. Topics are presented according to the rule of four: geometrically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. That is, symbolic manipulation must be balanced with graphical interpretation, numerical examples, and writing. Trigonometry is not part of the course.
In this course students will learn how to: Demonstrate an understanding of ...
In this course students will learn how to: Demonstrate an understanding of law, its historical development, judicial process, and the role of law in a complex social system, with emphasis on the American legal system and its institutions; Demonstrate the ability to analyze fact patterns in accordance with the legal professional case analysis method; to apply appropriate vocabulary and substantive legal principles; and then to analyze, compare, and evaluate the logic, reasoning, and arguments of other students, in accordance with established legal principles; Demonstrate the ability to complete a group project with other students, by identifying the applicable legal issues in a case or proposed statute, debating those issues, and producing a live course presentation; Identify and describe the basic principles of major business law subjects, such as constitutional authority to regulate business; common law contracts; the Uniform Commercial Code; agency; business associations; real and personal property and business-related torts; And identify and describe approaches to business ethics, social responsibility, and justice, and, demonstrate the ability, when confronted with an ethical dilemma, to weigh the arguments for alternative courses of action, and logically and persuasively argue for a particular course of conduct.
English 101 focuses on the analysis of basic human issues as presented ...
English 101 focuses on the analysis of basic human issues as presented in literature with an emphasis on analytic reading, writing and discussion, and on development of argumentative essays based on textual analysis, with attention to style, audience and documentation. By writing several analytical, thesis-driven essays which show engagement with and understanding of a variety of texts, students will practice the critical thinking, reading and writing skills which comprise an important component of college and university studies as well as clear, audience-appropriate communications in other professional settings.This class is comprised of a series of three units, each of which is centered around an essay assignment. For each unit, in addition to the essay itself, youŰŞll be asked to respond to reading assignments and to complete exploratory writing assignments. YouŰŞll do a lot of reading and writing, and your instructor will ask you to respond to ideas from our texts, from specific assignments, and from each other. Login: guest_oclPassword: ocl
In this course, you will learn the basics of French, including reading, ...
In this course, you will learn the basics of French, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. At the end of the quarter you will know how to introduce yourself and volunteer basic information, and how to ask questions of others. You will also have some knowledge of French and Francophone cultures and protocols. This class is divided into four modules, which follow the chapters in the textbook. In each module you will be asked to read, write, speak, and listen in French. The class also includes a quarter-long cultural immersion project, in which you will be asked to conduct research on specific aspects of a non-European Francophone country and report your findings to the rest of the class.
As in French I, in this course, you will learn the basics ...
As in French I, in this course, you will learn the basics of French, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. At the end of the quarter you will know how to introduce yourself and volunteer basic information, and how to ask questions of others. You will also have some knowledge of French and Francophone cultures and protocols. This class is divided into four modules, which follow the chapters in the textbook. In each module you will be asked to read, write, speak, and listen in French. You will have daily homework assignments to complete. The class also includes a quarter-long cultural immersion project, in which you will be asked to conduct research on specific aspects of a non-European Francophone country and report your findings to the rest of the class.
As in French I and II, in this course, you will learn ...
As in French I and II, in this course, you will learn the basics of French, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. At the end of the quarter you will know how to introduce yourself and volunteer basic information, and how to ask questions of others. You will also have some knowledge of French and Francophone cultures and protocols. This class is divided into four modules, which follow the chapters in the textbook. In each module you will be asked to read, write, speak, and listen in French. You will have daily homework assignments to complete. The class also includes a quarter-long cultural immersion project, in which you will be asked to conduct research on specific aspects of a non-European Francophone country and report your findings to the rest of the class.
Exploration of the connection between personal choices and health across multiple dimensions ...
Exploration of the connection between personal choices and health across multiple dimensions of wellness. Focus on personalized behavior change strategies to advance health. The purpose of this course is for adults to advance their personal health. People generally have a good sense about what to do to be healthy, but actually doing it consistently is another matter. Because of this challenge, behavior change theory is applied throughout this course to engage students and evoke health-related change. By the end of it, we want students to be healthier than they were at the start and we want them to have an understanding of how to continue advancing their health throughout their lives.
This course introduces you to the conceptual issues and practical implications of ...
This course introduces you to the conceptual issues and practical implications of interpersonal communication. The course is designed to provide a holistic and self-contained, although not comprehensive, introduction to the study and practice of communication within interpersonal encounters. In addition, this course focuses specifically on understanding and improving how we communicate in personal relationships including familial, friendship, work and romantic contexts. The guiding instructional philosophy of the course is that learning entails active engagement with and feedback about the targeted skill.
This course provides an introduction to the universe beyond the Earth. We ...
This course provides an introduction to the universe beyond the Earth. We begin with a study of the night sky and the history of the science of astronomy. We then explore the various objects seen in the cosmos including the solar system, stars, galaxies, and the evolution of the universe itself. As an online course, it is equivalent to 6 lecture hours, and satisfies science requirements for the AA and AS degree. It is designed to be thorough enough to prepare you for more advanced work, while presenting the concepts to non-majors in a way that is meaningful and not overwhelming. We will consider the course a success if you have learned how to think about the universe critically in an organized, logical way, and to have enhanced your appreciation of the sky around us.
This course assists students in developing real world oral communication skills. Capture ...
This course assists students in developing real world oral communication skills. Capture the dynamics of todayęs business realities and see the benefits of effective communication. Selection of topics, library research, analysis, oral style, use of visual aids, and preparation and delivery of various types of speeches and oral presentations are included. The Internet, e-mail, community interaction, and other practical tools support student learning and increase public speaking skills. Emphasis is placed on principles of cultural diversity. Prerequisite: College-level reading and writing skills.
The purpose of this course is to explore the foundations of the ...
The purpose of this course is to explore the foundations of the Humanities and to increase our understanding of the relationship between history and philosophy and how these relate to the issues concerning the human condition. During this course we will learn about some of the many traditions in the humanities, including the foundations of artistic expression. One of my main goals for this course is to demonstrate that every aspect of the humanities (art, history, philosophy, science, etc.) are all inherently related, and that we cannot accurately study one component of society or humanity without having a working understanding of the related components.
This class is a survey of the mass media, including newspapers, magazines, ...
This class is a survey of the mass media, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, book publishing, music publishing, motion pictures and advertising and how all of those have been affected by the development of the Internet. This course emphasizes the history and structural biases of the mass media, and encourages students to critically analyze the role of media in society, and to become media literate.
Sociology is the study of social groups, structures, processes, institutions, and events. ...
Sociology is the study of social groups, structures, processes, institutions, and events. This course will focus on understanding and applying the sociological perspective, which stresses the importance of the impact of social forces external to the individual in shaping peopleęs lives and experiences. This idea that we are all profoundly affected by the society in which we live is the guiding light of sociology. Sociologists also study the ways in which people, as they interact, shape their social systems. Topics studied will include socialization, social interaction, culture, groups, social structure, deviance, social inequality, social class, race, gender, institutions (political, economic, educational, family, and religious), collective behavior and social change. Students will be asked to learn the basic concepts, theories, and perspectives of sociology, to see how these operate in terms of social processes, structures, and events, and to apply this knowledge to better understand the social world.
This is the second in a series of majoręs biology classes covering ...
This is the second in a series of majoręs biology classes covering the principles of biology. The course is an integrated study of basic concepts concerning animal biology emphasizing animal evolution, diversity, phylogeny and a comparative look at general principles of animal form and function. This course is a lab science class and students will be required to participate in weekly lab activities and document their lab work for successful course completion.
Biol & 213 is the third course of a year-long series of ...
Biol & 213 is the third course of a year-long series of biology courses for Biology majors. The first third of the course surveys prokaryotes, protists, fungi, and plants, focusing on diversity, evolution, and life cycles from an evolutionary perspective. We will then describe plant anatomy, physiology, growth, responses to the environment, and reproduction, emphasizing flowering plants. We will finish with ecology, focusing on population, and community ecology and expanding outward to ecosystems and the introduction of biodiversity and conservation.
This course is the first in a three-course sequence that introduces biology ...
This course is the first in a three-course sequence that introduces biology in preparation for advanced study in areas of biological science such as medicine, dentistry, cell biology, microbiology, or veterinary medicine. Biol& 211 introduces students to cellular structure and function. Major topics studied include: energy capture and utilization, cellular reproduction, inheritance, genetic mutation, protein synthesis, gene expression, and biotechnology.
The purpose of this course is to expose you to the wider ...
The purpose of this course is to expose you to the wider world of mathematical thinking. There are two reasons for this. First, for you to understand the power of quantitative thinking and the power of numbers in solving and dealing with real world scenarios. Secondly, for you to understand that there is more to mathematics then expressions and equations. The core course is a complete, ready to run, fully online course, featuring 9 topics: Problem solving, voting theory, graph theory, growth models, consumer finance, collecting data, describing data, probability, and historical counting. Additional optional topics are provided. The course materials can easily be used with a face-to-face course.
This on-line open source BIOL& 260 (Microbiology) is a health sciences oriented ...
This on-line open source BIOL& 260 (Microbiology) is a health sciences oriented course in microbiology. It has a laboratory component and the labs are intended to be integrated throughout the course. BIOL& 260 is intended primarily for students going in to health-related professions and will emphasize the human disease and health related areas of microbiology. Areas of microbiology such as environmental, agricultural, taxonomy or astrobiology may be mentioned but not emphasized.
NUTR& 101 is a nutrition course designed for science majors. It emphasizes ...
NUTR& 101 is a nutrition course designed for science majors. It emphasizes the key nutritional concepts that students going into health care need to learn. It addresses the biochemical underlying causes of heart disease, stroke and diabetes due to lack of appropriate nutrition and exercise. It also details the digestive process, the digestion and absorption of macro and micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The course also examines the role of cultural factors, biochemical signals and psychological factors such as stress in eating habits. Various diets and overall metabolism are covered in relation to their effect on health. Nutrition for special populations is also discussed.
This course teaches critical learning abilities that are skills and attitudes to ...
This course teaches critical learning abilities that are skills and attitudes to be taught across the curriculum: communication, problem solving or critical thinking, responsibility, and global awareness or diversity/appreciation. To these, we add information/technology literacy, and lifelong learning. By the end of the course students will be able to: Identify the major political, economic, and social developments in Pacific Northwest history and especially in the state of Washington; Integrate the perspectives of different peoples to interpret Pacific Northwest history; Describe the Pacific Northwestęs role in the context of American and world history; Apply your knowledge of Pacific Northwest history to your life by conducting an oral history and by researching and writing about issues in the region today; and Define current environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest and analyze their historical context.
This is a course for non-science majors that is a survey of ...
This is a course for non-science majors that is a survey of the central concepts in physics relating everyday experiences with the principles and laws in physics on a conceptual level. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe basic principles of motion and state the law of inertia; Predict the motion of an object by applying Newtonęs laws when given the mass, a force, the characteristics of motion and a duration of time; Summarize the law of conservation of energy and explain its importance as the fundamental principle of energy as a law of nature; Explain the use of the principle of Energy conservation when applied to simple energy transformation systems; Define the Conservation of Energy Law as the 1st Law of Thermodynamics and State 2nd Law of Thermodynamics in 3 ways; Outline the limitations and risks associated with current societal energy practices,and explore options for changes in energy policy for the next century and beyond; Describe physical aspects of waves and wave motion; and explain the production of electromagnetic waves, and distinguish between the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
This course is designed to familiarize you with the major theory and ...
This course is designed to familiarize you with the major theory and research surrounding the study of small group communication and provide an opportunity to analyze and develop solutions to a community problem while working in a small group.
Every society faces problems that are more than just individual troubles. In ...
Every society faces problems that are more than just individual troubles. In this course we will use a sociological perspective to critically examine the bases of social inequality and the resultant problems in society. We will explore concerns related to families, education, the workplace, the media, poverty, crime, drug abuse, health issues, war and terrorism, the environment and global concerns. We will also look at social action and possible solutions to these problems through both individual and community efforts.
Students will learn vocabulary related to celebrations and the stages of life, ...
Students will learn vocabulary related to celebrations and the stages of life, personal relationships, health and medical conditions and parts of the body, the car and its accessories, computers and electronic products, the parts of the house and household chores and table settings. Students will learn grammatical structures that support sentence formation such as irregular preterits, verbs that change meaning in the preterit, relative pronouns, čqu_? and čcul?, the imperfect tense, constructions with se, adverbs, distinguishing between the preterit and the imperfect tenses, por and para, stressed possessive adjectives and pronouns, formal commands, the present subjunctive tense and the subjunctive with verbs of will and influence.Creative Commons License
Students will learn vocabulary related to transportation and lodging, days of the ...
Students will learn vocabulary related to transportation and lodging, days of the week, months, seasons, weather expressions, clothing, colors, daily routine, personal hygiene, sequencing expressions, foods, meals and adjectives that describe food. Students will learn grammatical structures that support sentence formation such as estar with conditions and emotions, the present progressive tense, the uses of ser and estar, direct object nouns and pronouns, numbers 101 and higher, the preterit tense of regular verbs, stem changing verbs and ser and ir, indirect object pronouns, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, reflexive verbs, indefinite and negative words, the preterit of ser and ir, gustar and verbs like gustar, double object pronouns, saber and conocer, and comparisons and superlatives.
Completion of the study of the first year sequence of basic skills. ...
Completion of the study of the first year sequence of basic skills. This course was formerly known as Spanish 101. Prerequisite: none. Students will learn vocabulary related to greetings and farewells, courtesy expressions, college courses, professions, family relationships, pastimes, city places, numbers, days of the week, months and how to tell time. Students learn grammatical structures that support sentence formation, such as nouns and articles; descriptive and possessive adjectives; the present tense of ser, estar, tener, venir, ir, ver and oÍr; the present tense of regular _ar, _er and _ir verbs; stem changing verbs (e-ie, e-i and o-ue); verbs with irregular yo forms (hacer, poner, salir, suponer and traer); and question formation.
Anthropologists attempt to answer the question of what it means to be ...
Anthropologists attempt to answer the question of what it means to be human. In a sense, we all do anthropology because it is rooted in a universal human characteristic, curiosity. We are curious about ourselves and other people_ including the living and the dead. This course provides an introduction to the anthropological approach to the study of humans. It is a survey course that introduces anthropology as a four-field discipline, encompassing biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology. Aspiring to a holistic understanding of what it means to be human, anthropology is at the intersection of the humanities and the sciences, the most scientific of the humanities and the most humanistic of the sciences.The course begins with a basis in evolutionary theory and human variation. With this foundation, we will explore primate behavior and the fossil record to develop a better understanding of human evolution. We will discuss the archaeological record of early civilizations, the origins and use of language, and the concept of culture in the development of human societies, both extinct and extant. This class will also highlight the epistemological development of the field of anthropology and how religion, culture, and the scientific process pertains to the discipline of anthropology.
This course will introduce you to a general overview of the biological ...
This course will introduce you to a general overview of the biological world. Important concepts will be reinforced and expanded upon through completion of weekly laboratory activities and homework assignments. Upon successful conclusion of the course, students will be able to do the following: Describe the nature of science, including its methods and its limitations; Describe the basic methodology of doing science and the scientific method; Use the scientific method to study everyday situations as well as in laboratory/field investigations; Identify, describe, and explain at a rudimentary level and present examples of, the characteristics common to all living things; Explain that living organisms are composed of molecules which interact in a variety of different chemical reactions necessary to sustain life; Explain that living organisms are comprised of one or more cells and are classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic based on cellular characteristics; Describe the hereditary information possessed by living and explain how that information determines the cellular characteristics and functions (including basic Mendelian genetics); Explain and describe, with examples, the diversity of life, at different levels (basic molecular to ecological) and how it is hierarchically organized into systems; Explain how evolution by natural selection occurs, and describe the evidence that supports the theory of evolution; and more.
This is a survey course in which we will discuss the science ...
This is a survey course in which we will discuss the science behind historical and current environmental issues. We will discuss the major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem function. We will study how human activities have affected the limited resources of our planet. We will learn how air, water and soil degradation have affected human health. Lastly, we will explore the emerging field of sustainability, what it means, and how it is being applied in todayęs world.
History 116, the first part of the introductory surveys of Western Civilization. ...
History 116, the first part of the introductory surveys of Western Civilization. This course covers the period from early civilized man to the early Middle Ages of Europe, with emphasis on Greece, Rome, Egypt and other Mediterranean peoples.
The heritage of women represents one-half of the history of the United ...
The heritage of women represents one-half of the history of the United States; for that reason alone it is worthy of closer scrutiny than it has received in standard history courses. The movement of women for social, political, and economic equality represents the longest and most far-reaching civil rights movement in U.S. history, yet it is a movement that has received minimal space and attention in standard history courses. This class is an attempt to bring to the foreground a history that we all share but perhaps have until now lacked the opportunity or information to focus on. It is a history that I find both maddening and inspiring, and one whose study is challenging, difficult, and ultimately so rewarding that it is worth every bit of effort, and then some.
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