General Education Electives

Conspiracy theories have exploded in popularity in recent years as the world we live in becomes more strange and alarming. Are UFO's real? Are drug companies withholding vital cancer treatments? Can you really trust the government? Is your phone spying on you? This blended course will consider a wide variety of conspiracy theories from critical, psychological, political, and historical perspectives (or will it?).

This blended course explores the history, symbolism, politics and future of what we eat and drink. The familiar comforts of the kitchen are examined to personalize and reveal our complex connection to (and impact upon) global culture.

This course explores the world of literature for children from infancy to adolescence. You'll read and talk about past and present classics in children's literature, some of which may be your own favourites. Through reading, discover what makes good literature and what makes it controversial. Look at authors, illustrations, and children's literature on the web and in other media. This course meets the General Education requirements in arts and language, cultural understanding, and personal and social development.

This course introduces students to Indigenous ways of knowing through engagement with Indigenous philosophies and worldviews as well as Indigenous intellectual and cultural traditions. Multidisciplinary in nature, the structure of Indigenous Knowledges provides a context for students to identify with and gain respect for their practical and sustainable applications.

This course is an introduction to the study of Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) peoples in Canada. Students will explore the complex historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The course will also guide students to begin to understand the diversity and depth of Indigenous societies, worldviews, and knowledge through a multi-disciplinary lens.

This course offers a systematic approach to exploring human behaviour. The concepts and empirical findings are examined using a variety of theoretical approaches. Major topics include perception, motivation, learning, memory, intelligence, and personality.

This online course explores the experience of nature from the perspectives of film, art, music, popular culture, literature, and personal experience. We will explore our responses to nature as landscape, park, garden, and wilderness, as well as our relationships with animals both domestic and wild.

Democracy requires a population to think clearly and vote responsibly. Examining how social media's influence on individuals can affect bigger public issues (good or bad), will be a part of the course. A course about social media will explore the virtual character of social interactions and how these virtual connections may contribute to culture or inhibit it. One's own social media use and the impact it has (psychological, social, etc.) will be a part of the course. An understanding of the technology that connects us with social media will be a smaller part of the course. The social sciences (psychology and sociology) will play a bigger part.

This course introduces students within the Practical Nursing and Social Service Worker programs, to the complex historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and the various colonial systems that have impacted their well-being. This course will explore Indigenous Social Determinants of Health to foster a better understanding of current trends in diverse Indigenous populations. This course also strengthens the student's ability to apply the knowledge from their field to address systemic barriers, and disparities in services. The course will work to foster an understanding of Indigenous traditions and philosophies in respect to health and well-being.

There is no denying the profound impact of sports on the lives of millions of people around the world. Sport helps form our national and personal identity, and as nations, participants, coaches, parents, fans, and critics, we invest considerable time, energy, and money on sports. Some people cheat to win, but is winning everything? Should everyone have the right to play? Should performance-enhancing drugs be permitted? Should women be permitted to play in male dominated sports (and men in women's sports)? Should so much money be spent on the Olympics and professional sports? The purpose of this online course is to challenge students to think critically about sports in contemporary society from a range of perspectives. With a focus on student-led assessment, learners will use sport as a lens through which to view society and they will have the opportunity to bring their own ideas and experiences to the course as they explore issues in sports such as gender, race, and social class, media, economics, ethics, and the significance of psychological factors on sports and performance.

This course is a General Education elective. It explores the concepts of sustainable development and sustainability and the social, economic and environmental forces that shape the destiny of our community and planet. The course explores the issue of population growth, consumption patterns, Climate Change, and their role in the degradation of the natural ecosystem and biodiversity. Social, environmental and Economic considerations are examined in the broader framework of sustainability and social justice and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. The course also examine and explore selected sustainability measurements currently in use. This is a fully 100% online course.

This online course allows students to explore how their exposure to artistic expressions, such as painting, poetry, stories, theatre and music, has influenced their personal identity. Through the study of the arts, students will reflect on where they fit into the broader cultural, social and Indigenous contexts and develop an understanding of how their identities are impacted by various artists, writers, poets and musicians. Students are naturally curious to discover who they are as individuals and how their perception has changed from childhood to adulthood. Studying various art forms on their journey of self-exploration allows them to think about their lives, their identities, their destinies, and where they fit in.