The last of this year’s UW-Madison Massive Open Online Courses will explore how climate change can affect public health and the policy that comes with it, according to a Tuesday university press release.
MOOCs, which are offered online to an unlimited number of people from anywhere in the world, are free, non-credit courses that allow participants to watch educational videos, participate in discussions, read articles, take quizzes and complete educational activities.
Launching Nov. 9, the last MOOC is expected to explore policies that address climate change and offer health and social benefits. Policy topics could include renewable energy, sustainable food systems and urban transportation design.
The course will also help participants develop skills to communicate the scientific and policy connections between climate change and public health.
Jonathan Patz, a professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, will teach the course along with several guest experts and scholars.
Patz has published more than 90 papers and three books concerning climate change and public health, and has served in several organizations dedicated to researching climate change.
The course will officially end Dec. 7, but will remain open and unmoderated until the end of the year to serve as a free educational resource.
