Friday, March 20, 2020

Top 5 Resources For Free Online Learning

Top 5 Resources For Free Online Learning Want to study but short of cash? Here are five of the best online education service providers to check out! If you’re feeling the itch to learn something new, but your financial affairs are encouraging you to calm the hell down, there is some good news coming your way – you can study for free online with many different providers. Great news! To make things easier for you, we’ve collected the top course providers in one place, all of which are affordable. You can track your progress, choose your own schedule, work to your own pace, and basically, enjoy a user-friendly experience which allows you to learn without heavy price tags. So here are our highlights: Coursera Service This particular website is great from the start because it is easy to use. Almost all the courses displayed on the website offer free access, and prices are related to graded work, of which there is financial aid available. The site is aimed towards learners who want to earn a grade but can’t afford to pay the sometimes high fees related to colleges. Advantages Basically, it’s the large number of courses on offer, with over 1200 displayed. There is also the option to head further into your subject if you choose, with the funding option for many people, What subjects are on offer? It’s impossible to list them all, but you can learn about power electronics, genetics and society, as just two examples. If you fancy earning your stripes in data science, you’re catered for, as well as many options for creative writing courses. Website: coursera.org EDX Service The website gets you excited because it highlights the advantages and fun of learning on its front page. The fact that many partners are also on board, such as the University of California, and Harvard University to name just two, is a real confidence booster. There are countless courses to choose from, and you can look at courses which are starting soon, ones currently underway, as well as the ones which are self-paced, e.g. you do it all at your own speed. Advantages We’ve outlined many already, but the big name is probably what sells it. There is also a large range of education levels on offer, including high school and XSeries, which means nobody misses out. This is a very accessible site for all. What subjects are on offer? Again, there are far too many to list, but subjects span across business and management, communication, economics and finance, architecture, arts and culture, to name just a few. English grammar and essay writing is a popular one. Website: edx.org Open University Service Everyone has heard of the Open University, and the big name gives you major confidence boosting, as well as the high level of customer service. Many employers see Open University courses as being as good as, if not better, than college courses, and there are also paid courses on offer, with financial aid options clearly displayed. The free courses are plentiful, with over 800 different subjects. Advantages The big name is probably the best advantage we can give, but the customer service on offer is another one – basically you are never on your own, even though you are studying on a distance basis. What subjects are on offer? Far too many to list yet again. Some of the most popular currently are essay and report writing skills, introduction to cyber security, and introduction to book-keeping and accounting. Website: open.edu Academic Earth Service This company believes that everyone deserves the chance to study and be educated, and was started up in 2009. Many of the world’s top colleges are featured, which again gives you confidence, and there are many courses to suit every possible interest, across many different levels. Advantages There is a large catalogue of providing colleges listed, so you know that what you’re studying has major clout. On top of this, the list of subjects is seemingly endless. What subjects are on offer? Subjects span many different topic areas, including accounting, management, business marketing, education, and psychology. Website: academicearth.org Open Education Database Service Our final choice gives away its service in the title – it is a database, and a great site to head for everything in one place, without having to trawl the internet for other providers. There are over 10,000 free online courses displayed across many large colleges and universities. Advantages Basically the ease of use, because everything is there for you. On top of this, you have confidence in knowing that accreditation is by large scale organisations. What subjects are on offer? As there are 10,000 shown, you will certainly find what you’re looking for. A few to suggest are Advanced Biology, and Advanced Chemistry, to name just two out of countless more in the same niche. Website: oedb.org

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Common Seal - Phoca vitulina - The Animal Encyclopedia

Common Seal - Phoca vitulina - The Animal Encyclopedia The common seal (Phoca vitulina), also known as the harbor seal, is an agile carnivore with a streamlined body and flipper-like limbs that enable them to swim with great skill. Common seals have a thick coat of short hair. Their fur color varies from off white, to gray, to tan or brown. Common seals have a unique pattern of spots across their body and in some individuals this pattern is more distinct than in others. Their nostrils are V-shaped and can be closed tightly to prevent water from entering their nose when they swim. Common seals do not have an outer ear structure, which helps with streamlining in the water. Common seals occupy the widest range of all the seal species. They inhabit the coastal areas of the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean. They can be found throughout the arctic, subarctic, and temperate regions. Their habitat preference includes coastal islands, beaches, and sand bars. There are between 300,000 and 500,000 common seals living in the wild. Seal hunting once threatened the species but is now illegal in most countries. Some populations of common seals are threatened, even though the species as a whole is not. For example, populations that are declining include those of Greenland, the Baltic Sea, and Japan. Killing by humans still poses a threat in these areas, as does disease. Some common seals are killed intentionally to protect fish stocks or by commercial hunters. Other common seals are killed as bycatch by fishing activities. Common seals are protected by various countries by legislation such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (in the United States) and the Conservation of Seals Act of 1970 (in the United Kingdom). Common seals feed on a variety of fish as prey including cod, whitefish, anchoview, and sea bass. They also sometimes eat crustaceans (shrimps, crab) and mollusks. They feed while at sea and sometimes forage long distances or dive to considerable depths to find food. After foraging, they return to resting sites on the coast or on islands where they rest and recover. There are about 25,000 Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richarii) that live along the California coast. Members of this population remain close to shore where they feed in the intertidal zone. On the east coast, Western Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) are present on the coast and islands of New England. They spend the winter further north along the coast of Canada and migrate south to the New England area to breed. Breeding occurs in May through June. Size and Weight About 6.5 feet long and up to 370 pounds. Males are generally larger than females. Classification Common seals are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Mammals Pinnipeds Phocidae Phoca Phoca vitulina Common seals are divided into the following subspecies: Eastern Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina vitulina) - Eastern Atlantic harbor seals are found along the coastlines of Europe.Insular seal (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) - Insular seals are found in eastern Asia.Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richarii) - Pacific harbor seals are found along the coastlines of western North America.Ungava seal (Phoca vitulina mellonae) - Ungava seals are freshwater seals that inhabit eastern Canada.Western Atlantic harbor seal (Phoca vitulina concolor) - Western Atlantic harbor seals are found along the east coast of North America.