What’s new on Coursera for Business – April 2019
White Paper: Why Study ISO 45001 H&S Management
May 3, 2019
By S. M. Waqas Imam – ISO 45001 is an internationally agreed standard for occupational health and safety management systems published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in March 2018. Alison now features which will teach you everything you need to know about this essential international standard in a clear and simple manner. But why take this course? What is so essential about this standard?
What is ISO 45001?
Before we discuss why you should take the ISO 45001 course, let’s understand the background of the ISO 45001:2018 standard itself. While announcing the publication of this standard, ISO quoted some important statistics from International Labor Organization regarding workplace health and safety. These numbers reflect poor conditions of workplace health and safety worldwide. ILO estimated workplace damages in 2017 as including:
- 2.78 million fatal accidents occur at work
- Nearly 7700 persons dying every day because of diseases or injuries at the workplace
- 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses occurring every year
What needs to be done?
Alleviating these problems is the core objective of the ISO 45001, and by taking , you can play your part in ensuring workplace health and safety in three core areas:
Morally, when an employee comes to work in a company or any industry with good health, then it’s the employee’s right to go home in the same state of health. It is a moral obligation of the company to ensure the safety and health of its workers.
Legally, a worker has the right to pursue a lawsuit against an employer who they think is responsible for damaging their health or for causing a disability. Similarly, friends and relatives of that worker can file a lawsuit in the case of a death resulting from a workplace accident. Organizations then have to face legal issues that can bring huge damage to a company’s reputation.
Financially, employers must compensate employees for any health and safety damages. Moreover, insurance premiums also increase in the case of frequent accidents. Therefore, financially, organizations must take health and safety very seriously.
The Importance of the ISO 45001 standard and Trained Professionals
In light of all of these concerns, most organizations now require people who are well trained in health and safety management at workplace. The latest ISO 45001:2018 standard for the management of health and safety is now seen as necessary by several organizations’ top management. Companies now need both implementers of ISO 45001, as well as internal auditors and people in supporting roles for the implementation of ISO 45001.
By taking the ISO 45001 course, you can gain this training, ensure that your organization prevents these problems from arising, and provide for the health and safety of all its employees along the way. Therefore professionals often receive training on ISO 45001:2018 from a variety of courses, including:
- ISO 45001:2018 – Lead Auditor Course
- ISO 45001:2018 – Internal Auditor Course
- ISO 45001:2018 – Implementer Course
- ISO 45001:2018 – Awareness Course
The great news is: you can learn everything you need to know, for free and in one place, in the comprehensive at Alison. This course covers and teaches all the clauses of the standard, and contains several activities, quizzes, and an MCQ-based exam. By the end of the course, you will have gained a strong understanding of the vital ISO 45001:2018 standard, and will have given your professional development a solid boost. So why wait? Check out your next course, and learn something really useful, today.
Word + Quiz: busk
busk ˈbəsk verb
: play music in a public place and solicit money for it
_________
The word busk has appeared in 17 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 16 in “Paris’s Cathedral of Imagination and Memory.” In an essay called “A busker’s ode to Notre-Dame,” David McAninch writes:
I’m embarrassed by the thought of it now, nearly 30 years later: me busking in the shadow of Notre-Dame, guitar case open for donations as I belted out Bob Dylan and Neil Young songs. I was awful, yet another contributor to a particular strain of noise pollution that has degraded the quality of life in European city centers at least since Bob Marley’s “Exodus” came out. But back then you could make a lot of money in Paris if you sang with a bona fide American accent. So, that’s what I did night after night, planting myself at the edge of the cathedral’s tourist-choked parvis and parlaying an eight-song repertoire from the Liberal Arts College Songbook into a not-insignificant revenue stream.
_________
Met Gala
The annual Met Gala is always about excess, extravagance and eyeballs, The Times writes.
What are your favorite looks in this slide show? Why?
The theme this year was “camp” — but in this case the word doesn’t mean the place kids go in summer, but, instead, refers to “a style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture.” If you were invited, what might you have worn that fits that definition?
Tell us in the comments, then read a related article about this year’s party.
Find many more ways to use our Picture Prompt feature in this lesson plan.
Weekly News Quiz for Students: Barr Hearing, Climate Report, Kentucky Derby
Above is an image related to one of the news stories we followed this past week. Do you know what it shows? At the bottom of this quiz, you’ll find the answer.
Have you been paying attention to the news recently? See how many of these 10 questions you can get right.
What Legends and Myths Do You Believe In?
Have you ever seen or heard of Bigfoot? An apelike creature about 6 feet 9 inches, covered in black, dark brown or dark reddish hair, who enjoys roaming remote parts of North America? Or so it is said.
How about the chupacabra in Latin America? Or the Loch Ness monster in Scotland?
Late last month, mountaineers from the Indian Army in Nepal found mysterious large footprints in the snow that they identified as belonging to Bigfoot’s Himalayan cousin, a yeti. You can watch this short video.
What do you think: Are the footprints real? Or are they the stuff of legends and hoaxes?
In “Yeti Footprints Found in Nepal Are Maybe (Definitely) From a Bear,” Sandra E. Garcia writes:
Someone found the footprints of a yeti, yet again.
Mountaineers from the Indian Army spotted the 32-inch footprints near the Makalu Base Camp in Nepal, the army said Monday on Twitter. It is unclear if the expedition team was serious about its findings or conducting a trolling experiment on its followers.
Photos the team posted show several long prints in the snow, one directly in front of the other.
Twitter users immediately responded to the tweet, calling the footprints a “yeti catwalk” or saying that the yeti was “hopping” because the footprints were in a line instead of side by side. Others tweeted that it was a “mythological one-legged creature.” One asked the army to please “delete this tweet to avoid international embarrassment of India.”
But what is a yeti? Could these footprints have been from one? And if yetis are real, how could they have existed for so long without posting a single selfie?
The yeti is the mysterious cousin of Bigfoot, both part of the same extremely elusive family. They are part human and part creature — the best of both worlds, if you will. Legends of hairy, oversize hominids lurking at the outer reaches of civilization have been around for centuries and are part of the folklore of several cultures.
The extraordinary thing about the footprints is that they are 32 inches long, Daniel C. Taylor, author of “Yeti: The Ecology of a Mystery,” said. “The only animal that has made a footprint that long is a dinosaur.”
Because a single, lonely animal cannot survive on its own, according to Mr. Taylor, there are two possibilities.
Either there is a population of dinosaur-size creatures roaming the mountains of Nepal, or — and this idea is supported by basic logic — the footprints were created by a bear and its cub.
The article continues:
In his research, Mr. Taylor discovered what he considers the three types of yetis.
The first yeti Mr. Taylor identified is the legend. “That yeti is very much like Santa Claus,” he said.
The second yeti “is the yeti that lives inside of people,” Mr. Taylor said. That yeti is fueled by humans’ need to be closer to nature.
As humans increasingly live in cities, and as climate change begins to endanger Earth’s least populated, most remote natural places, humans indulge their inner yeti to be closer to nature, according to Mr. Taylor.
“We are seeing more yeti sightings now — or footprints now — than we did 20 years ago,” he said.
“The third and final yeti is the one that actually made the footprints,” Mr. Taylor said: the mama bear and her cub.
“I would love for the yeti to exist, but I have never found any yeti evidence that I can’t explain,” he added. “Nothing would make me happier than to find a yeti.”
Perhaps the most likely possibility? That the footprints lead to the yeti inside of everyone.
Students, read the entire article, then tell us:
— What legends and myths do you believe in? If none, why not?
— What do you think about the Indian Army’s discovery of 32-inch footprints? Do you think they might be real? Which explanation explored in the article do you think is most likely?
— Have you or anyone you know ever seen a strange or mysterious creature, object or phenomena? How would you explain what happened? What (or who) do you think might be responsible for the strange occurrence?
— Why do some myths and legends persist despite the lack of conclusive evidence or proof? What does the author mean by her statement that the footprints likely “lead to the yeti inside of everyone”? Do you agree?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
This election, know what to believe
‘Fake News’ has been pronounced, tweeted and debated non-stop since Trump proclaimed it from the top of his twitter feed in 2017. With the 2019 Australian Federal Election looming, the issue of ‘election disinformation’ is on everyone’s minds.
Voters are confused, overloaded in
fact, as more and more sources of information bombard them with ‘news’ and
political landscapes continue to change. Parties are ramping up their media
campaigns, and foreign powers are trying to buy a seat at the table.
Voters are relying on reputable and
trustworthy information sources to provide them with the insight and knowledge
they need when considering who to vote for to govern them.
But what is electoral disinformation
exactly?
What is it?
Electoral disinformation is deceptive or fake information regarding an election that’s
disseminated among voters via media.
You might know it as ‘fake news’, the term thrown around regarding
fabricated news stories related to President Trump, Hilary Clinton, and Russia.
Sources will masquerade a story through
cunning headlines or sly web page design and deliberately mislead audiences by
pretending to be a legitimate source or even a meme page.
Disinformation can be orchestrated by
sophisticated cyberattacks, malicious security breaches, and slow-burning
campaigns where stories spring from sites like Reddit and 4Chan.
The Australian federal election is less
than a month away, so here’s what you need to look out for and why it matters
so much.
What to look out for
The Australian Election Commission
(AEC) is helping voters recognise the telltale signs of dodgy sources with their Stop and Consider campaign. It outlines three points for voters
to consider in the run-up to May 18:
Reliable: Is the source familiar to you, or do you know it’s an established publisher or media company?
Current: Although you might only just be seeing the story right now, when was it actually created?
Safe: Does this look like a scam or a dodgy source? How safe do you think your information will be if you hand it over to this source? If you don’t trust it with your information, then why should you trust its information?
Under AEC rules, electoral
communications aimed at voters with the purpose of influencing their vote must
state who authorised them. If you see a political message from a political
party, member, or source, be sure to look for the authorisation.
Unfortunately in this free-market landscape, the onus is on the voters to verify the source of information. But there are some safe bets to avoid being duped.
Unless it’s a ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’
piece from a source you’re familiar with, chances are if you haven’t seen or
heard of the news somewhere else then it’s likely fake. Remind yourself of the old adage that
if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Its influence
Because of the ability for news stories
to sway voters’ opinions, disinformation can have a huge impact on elections at
all levels of government.
Powerful and wealthy sources can, in
theory, sway the results of an election to better suit their own interests.
Foreign powers can interfere too, which is why the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme has been developed. The scheme aims to
provide reliable information to the public on foreign influences in Australian
government and political process, making the chain of command transparent.
News can spread so quickly through
social media now that stories often run-away before they can be fact-checked.
The 2016 Australian Election was dubbed the ‘Facebook Election’ when Facebook accounts blasted voters with a steady stream of memes and political parties adopted the method to target the young. Parties created their own meme accounts and produced a slew of images in the lead up to the election. To help curb disinformation and foreign influence in this year’s election, Facebook has banned foreign political ads in the lead up to voting day.
It can be hard to know exactly what’s fact or fiction online sometimes. The best policy is protection, so look out this May for dubious headlines, dodgy sources, and bizarre stories. Source all the information you need to decide on May 18 from reputable news sources and official candidate resources.
Health student, shutting down industry malpractice
After gaining an impressive three degrees at a young age, Faye became a lawyer – a career that she’d always hoped for.
“I always liked understanding systems and rules and processes” she recalls. “My goal was to translate that into a job that helped others gain access to justice”. As her career progressed, Faye became fascinated with the health industry, and how policy and regulation can have such a profound impact on patients and their families. Now she’s back studying again – taking on degree number four.
Working as a heath industry investigator
As Faye’s focus shifted from law to health, she was able to sidestep into a role in health investigation that aligned with her law expertise. She began work with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, responsible for ensuring that health practitioners are practicing safely, competently and ethically. If there’s any wrong-doing that threatens the safety of patients, Faye is on the case. “The content of every file is different, and I’m grateful for the way this job keeps me on my toes. I find all of it fascinating” she says.
Deciding to return to study
While Faye’s day-to-day work narrows in on specific cases, she felt the need to understand the health industry in a far broader sense, through further study. “I think [study] will help me to contextualise some of the big issues facing health care in Australia” says Faye.
Despite having three degrees to her name already, Faye still questioned her ability to keep up at a postgraduate level. “I wondered how long it would take to get back up to speed with how to properly reference, and how far behind on lectures I’d end up”. It was also the online environment that Faye feared she wouldn’t adapt to – but she felt the importance of continuing full-time work, so flexibility was essential. It’s now 6 months since Faye began, and it’s safe to say she feels right at home.
The Master of Health Industry Management
In 2018, Faye enrolled in Curtin University’s Master of Health Industry Management. “I feel like I made a more deliberate and conscious choice to pursue this degree to increase my knowledge and awareness of issues in health” says Faye, whereas her first two degrees, she admits she rushed into.
So far, Faye has found the subject ‘Safety and Quality in Health Care‘ to be particularly useful in her career – helping her to understand the strategies to ensure patient safety, and under what circumstances they can go wrong. She’s also enjoyed learning about the industry in depth, including managing competing demands from stakeholders, and advances in technology.
Faye’s week involves 8-12 hours of study, to which she dedicates a weekday evening and weekend afternoons. “I usually have a rolling to do list of what I need to get done for assignments, or just my unit notes.” says Faye, who checks the discussion boards daily for any updates from peers or lecturers. Her favourite tactic to avoid procrastination is to switch between tasks often, or to listen to lectures whilst cooking or travelling.
Faye’s parting advice
To others looking to tackle a career change, Faye highly recommends starting with study. “Learning on the job is really valuable, but a university qualification is objective and comparable” she says. While it can be nerve-wracking to make the leap, it’s well worth it in the end because knowledge brings confidence, puts you ahead in the job hunt, and ultimately, sets you on the path you’ve been longing to travel.
Study online through OUA
To express your interest in Faye’s course, or any that we offer – fill out the form on this page, and we’ll put you in touch with a friendly student advisor. If you’re keen to explore on your own, simply head over to our website to browse the extensive catalogue of courses from universities across Australia.
Similar courses:
Bachelor of International Public Health – University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Community Health – University of South Australia
Master of Public Health – Griffith University
Master of Health Care Management – Murdoch University
Master of Advanced Health Services Management – Griffith University
8 Hobbies That Make You Smarter (According to Science)
May 8, 2019
For many years, people have believed that you are as smart as you are, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Wrong! Not only are you able to make yourself smarter, you can have fun doing it. Here are 8 hobbies that Science has proven to make you more intelligent.
1. Photography
In photography, you combine different elements like light, exposure, and effects to click a perfect picture, which requires a lot of focus and concentration. This boosts your brain activity and helps you solve puzzles easily.
2. Gardening
When gardening, you get in contact with a soil bacteria that triggers the release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a happy chemical that makes you feel cheerful and boosts your learning skills.
3. Learning Music
A 2007 study by Stanford University found that our brains naturally look for patterns to follow to overcome chaos, and music helps us do this. Listening to and playing music makes you smarter, happier, healthier and productive.
4. Reading Literature
We know reading books is good for the brain. But by “deep reading” (like reading novels, poems and other literature works), you take your brain activity to the next level by gaining intellectual and emotional stability.
5. Language Learning
Speaking multiple languages improves your leadership, planning and problem-solving skills. You analyse new grammar structures and learn new words which enhances your creativity and intelligence.
6. Exercising Regularly
Have you heard of the protein called BDNF? It helps with boosting memory, learning, concentration, and understanding. And when you exercise regularly, your cells are flooded with BDNF!
7. Quizzes
Quizzes don’t just improve your brain activity but also helps in getting to know yourself. From memory games, personality or language tests, to subject-focused quizzes like Math or Science, there are numerous online quizzes available, and something for everyone.
8. Meditation
In 1992, the neuroscientist Richard Davidson did a study on the Dalai Lama and other monks. He found that the brain waves of monks (who’d spent 34,000 hours meditating) were in a deeply compassionate state of mind and they could control their brain activity.
Study Smart And Save Time With These 6 Tips
May 5, 2019
Trying to balance life’s day-to-day commitments and studying can be quite overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are 6 tips to help you study smart and achieve your goals, so that you can save time for everything else that matters in your life.
1. Set the right goals
What do you want to achieve in 2019? Is it a new skill you want to gain? Or master a new language? Or boost your career skills to land your dream job? Setting the right goals gives you clarity on what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it.
2. Choose the right course for you
Spend some time exploring different categories to find your area of interest and narrow down your choices to a few courses. Read the course descriptions to understand what the courses are about and choose the courses that meet your learning goal.
3. Plan your time
Planning your time well makes everything so much easier. With good planning, you’ll never feel rushed or overwhelmed, and your studying will be much more productive. Optimise your 2019 study journey by learning to manage your time more effectively.
4. Have a stress management plan
Sometimes life is just a little too difficult. When work, friends, and family become a little too much to juggle, studying is often the first thing people drop. To make sure this doesn’t happen, and just to have a generally less stressful life, develop a stress management plan.
5. Keep track of your progress
Regularly checking your progress is a great way to stay productive and keep you motivated. Tools like your Dashboard and Monthly Learner Reports will help you stay on track to succeed in 2019!
6. Take at least one course just for fun
Learning shouldn’t be all serious, and there is so much out there that is just interesting and entertaining to learn. Experience music, capture amazing pictures, pratice Yoga – there’s something for everyone!
