FutureLearn

World War 1: Trauma, Memory, Controversy (FutureLearn)

Offered by The Open University,

Explore the traumatic effects of WW1 on soldiers and civilians. Discover how we remember and debate the history of this war. In this free online course, you will study the social, cultural, medical and diplomatic history of the First World War. Topics range from physical and mental trauma suffered by combatants to the traumatic experiences of civilians in wartime.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

More than a hundred years after it ended, the First World War has lost none of its fascination. It was a war of unprecedented scale and brutality, with countless casualties. It also left a poisonous legacy for the twentieth century and beyond. Many of the issues that were left unresolved in 1918 would lead to another world war in 1939.

We will investigate the difficulties historians face in establishing accurate figures for war losses. We will explore expressions of grief and trauma through art and literature. We will ask why some nations remember the dead with poppies and why there are certain sites of remembrance that we still turn to today. And we will explore the contested origins of the First World War.
While studying this course, you will learn to conduct your own research into First World War casualty statistics and explore different sources to help you evaluate their usefulness and accuracy. And you will be able to discuss your thoughts with other learners on an online platform (if you choose to do so).

What topics will you cover?
• The effects of the war on combatants and civilians
• New types of injuries and how victims and medical professionals dealt with them
• Casualty figures and how to interrogate them
• Artistic responses to the trauma of war
• How the war has been commemorated
• The debate among historians about the origins of WW1

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Investigate casualty statistics and conduct your own research into war losses
Evaluate visual and poetic historical sources to understand how the First World War affected art and culture
Discuss your thoughts with other learners on our online platform
Explore various types of physical and mental trauma suffered by those who experienced the war
Assess the difficulties historians face in establishing accurate figures about war losses
Interpret historical propaganda and eyewitness accounts to understand the civilian experience of war
Reflect on the causes of the First World War

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

FutureLearn

Monash University

World War 1: A History in 100 Stories (FutureLearn)

Humanities

Change the way you see World War 1 as you explore stories of hope, suffering and loss from newly released historical archives.

No session available

5-12 Weeks

History War First World War

FutureLearn

University of Birmingham

World War 1: Aviation Comes of Age (FutureLearn)

Humanities

Investigate how the white heat of innovation in World War 1 shaped the history of human flight. Investigate how the early days of aviation gripped the imagination of the general public, galvanised industry and excited far-sighted members of the military, with this free online course from the University of Birmingham’s Centre for War Studies.

No sessions available

3 Weeks

History War First World War

FutureLearn

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective (FutureLearn)

History

Discover the social history of Aotearoa New Zealand, learning how the country’s bicultural national consciousness was formed. Identify the factors that have contributed to New Zealand’s cultural identity. New Zealand’s social history is built on a foundation of exploration and colonial conflict. On this three-week course, you’ll access artefacts, treasures, and exhibitions within Te Papa Tongarewa’s collections to discover how New Zealand culture has evolved over time, identifying key historical moments that have impacted the formation of a national identity.

Self Paced

3 Weeks

History Culture Conflict

FutureLearn

University College London,Yad Vashem

Teaching the Holocaust: Innovative Approaches to the Challenges We Face (FutureLearn)

Education Humanities

Explore history, delve into pedagogical challenges revealed by research, and find practical solutions for teaching the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the murder of approximately 6 million Jews perpetrated by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. That this atrocity proved possible raises many complex questions which remain relevant for young people today.

Self Paced

3 Weeks

History Education Teaching

FutureLearn

British Council

Migrants and Refugees in Education: A toolkit for teachers (FutureLearn)

Education Teacher Professional Development

Learn how to teach and support young people across the globe affected by violence, conflict or displacement. Find out how to help students dealing with trauma. You’ll hear from experienced teachers talking about the challenges, what they learnt, and strategies they have used when teaching migrant and refugee learners both in countries affected by conflict and in host countries.

Apr 18th 2022

4 Weeks

Education Teaching Migration

FutureLearn

University of Leeds

Environmental Challenges: Scarcity and Conflict in the Natural Environment (FutureLearn)

Sci: Environment

War and conflict can severely disrupt the governance of the environment. What is the impact on both people and the environment? This course explores three aspects of conflict and resource scarcity, and applies these to explore decision making and negotiation skills. Human conflict has both short and long term effects on the natural world.

Self Paced

2 Weeks

Environment Conflict War

FutureLearn

University of Glasgow

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Global Context (FutureLearn)

Health & Society

Learn how to identify, assess the risk for, prevent and treat PTSD in a range of contexts. Learn about PTSD - its symptoms, prevalence, causes and treatment. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the mental disorder most commonly associated with exposure to trauma. PTSD results from exposure to traumas which pose a threat of serious harm or death to an individual or people close to that individual. This includes conflict-related traumas, interpersonal traumas such as sexual assault, and exposure to serious accidents, such as a car accident or a house fire.

Self Paced

4 Weeks

Health Mental Health Trauma

FutureLearn

University of Glasgow

World War 1: Paris 1919 - A New World Order? (FutureLearn)

Humanities

This course reassesses the legacy of the Paris Peace Conference (1919) and how it sought to create a new world order. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 ended a Great War, but it also designed the post-war future. In 1919, world leaders assembled in Paris redrew the map of the world, partitioned and created countries, and ushered in a new era of international relations. The naivety of the peace-makers of 1919 has been justly criticised. However, in setting up a permanent ‘world organisation’, the League of Nations, they changed the management of world affairs forever…

No sessions available

3 Weeks

History War First World War

FutureLearn

Newcastle University

Hadrian's Wall: Life on the Roman Frontier (FutureLearn)

Humanities History

Explore the archaeology of the most heavily fortified frontier in the Roman Empire, its people and their lives. Hadrian’s Wall stretches over 73 miles (117 km), from coast to coast in what is now Northern England. The Wall, complemented by a sophisticated system of outposts and coastal watch stations, offers a remarkable glimpse of ancient society. In addition to housing one of the largest concentrations of Roman soldiers anywhere in the Empire’s provinces, Hadrian’s frontier system was home to an incredibly cosmopolitan array of civilians. This six week course offers a comprehensive introduction to Hadrian’s Wall and its people and raises fascinating issues concerning colonisation, cultural transformation, immigration, integration and imperialism.

Self Paced

5-12 Weeks

History Archaeology Roman Empire

FutureLearn

University of Western Australia

World War 1: Lessons and Legacy of the Great War (FutureLearn)

Humanities

Learn how the Allies defeat the Germans in World War 1, how the memory arose that the war was futile, and why this view is untrue. What is your understanding of World War I? Brave men led to their deaths by stupid officers? A war of trenches, mud and barbed wire in which there was no victor? In this short, free online course, we offer you the opportunity to uncover both the mechanics and the memory of the Great War.

No sessions available

5-12 Weeks

War First World War WW1

FutureLearn

University of Exeter

Empire: The Controversies of British Imperialism (FutureLearn)

Humanities History

The British Empire continues to cause enormous disagreement among historians. Find out why and join the debate. Explore the British Empire through six controversial themes. Over six weeks, we’ll explore the British Empire through six themes - money, violence, race, religion, gender and sex, and propaganda. You’ll get to hear the stories of the fascinating individuals who contributed to both its rise and fall.

Available Now

5-12 Weeks

History Empire British Empire

FutureLearn

Royal Holloway, University of London

From World War to White Heat: the RAF in the Cold War (FutureLearn)

Humanities History

Explore the role that the Royal Air Force played in the Cold War through the collections of the RAF Museums at Hendon and Cosford. This free online course is a collaboration between the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museums and the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London. It will introduce you to some of the major turning points in the history of Britain in the post-1945 era.

Self Paced

5-12 Weeks

History Aviation Cold War