The University of Liverpool, in partnership with the Physiological Society, have designed a free online course: ‘Physiology: the Science of Life’ to explore the amazing biological systems that keep us alive. The course is now open for enrolment.
The course is designed for anyone who wants to gain an insight into how our bodies work. It will be of particular relevance to 16-19 year olds studying biology, and considering a subsequent undergraduate degree such as medicine, dentistry or the life sciences. Students will boost their understanding in key areas including cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems and explore career opportunities. It’s also ideal for anyone looking to refresh their knowledge of how the body works and learn about cutting-edge science.
Learners will have the opportunity to discuss the material with fellow participants, giving everyone the chance to become part of a community of thousands and interact with other learners from across the globe.
The course is hosted by online learning platform FutureLearn. It lasts three weeks and material each week takes around four hours to complete, which learners can complete at their own convenience in bite-sized chunks.
Physiologist Dr Terry Gleave, programme director for Human Physiology in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool and lead educator of the course, said:
“I love physiology as it is all about investigating how things in nature work. If we are to design effective new treatments, then we must first understand the detailed workings of the human body all the way down to the cellular and molecular processes. This innovative programme has been built in-house by our Centre for Educational Development and Support Team. We have used state of the art technology to create a fun and engaging programme packed with videos, quizzes and resources including timelines of the histories of each of the systems covered. “
The Physiological Society’s Dr Sarah Hall said:
“This exciting course will enable learners to explore the fascinating physiological systems that keep us alive. It is ideal for young people considering studying physiology, as a resource for teachers, or for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of how the body works.”
As with all FutureLearn courses, learners can study the course for free, or there is the option to upgrade for a fee to get extra benefits including a Certificate of Achievement when you complete the course.
The University’s Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) team who support learning and teaching and research activities across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences were instrumental in developing the programme. You can find out more about TEL support team at: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/education-directorate/ceds/tel/support-team/
To access the online course please visit the FutureLearn website.