Our latest MOOC is a chance for U of T alumni to come together to discuss an anxiety many of us can't shake. Join us online as Professor Steve Joordens explains the emotional reactions to COVID-19, from media addictions to stressing about what to say to our kids. You’ll gain a better understanding of how your brain reacts to crises, along with practical tools for managing your anxiety response and even turning it off—at least for short periods. 

This MOOC includes:

• Four hour-long modules screened over four weeks or at your convenience. Each module consists of three or four videos and features lectures by Professor Steve Joordens, Department of Psychology, U of T Scarborough.
• Virtual access to a teaching assistant and customized videos to open and close the course—just for U of T alumni.

Registration

MANAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19 CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

MODULE 1 – Introduction and Overview
•    Understanding the anxiety response
•    The necessity of strategies to manage anxiety
•    Achieving relaxation: a skill we all need to learn now
 
MODULE 2 – Why Watching the News is Addicting and how to Manage Your Consumption
•    The critical art of mental distraction to crowd out stressors
•    How we think about physical distancing and explaining it to our children
 
MODULE 3 – The Effects of Isolation
•    Some strategies to make isolation more tolerable
•    The importance of social connection in a physical distancing world
 
MODULE 4 – The Need to Guard Against Depression: The Importance of Control
•    Bring it together: practice makes proficient
•    A call-out for suggestions about additional videos

Delivered online by Coursera, this MOOC is one of the many ways U of T keeps you informed, inspired and in touch with alumni all over the world. Stay connected to your U of T community and never stop learning.

About Professor Steve Joordens, Department of Psychology, U of T Scarborough

Professor Joordens was trained as a cognitive psychologist with expertise in consciousness and human memory. He has taught Introduction to Psychology for over two decades, both at the University of Toronto and online. He has received a number of teaching awards and was named the 3M National Teaching Fellow in 2015. Prof. Joordens is often called upon by news outlets to provide a psychological perspective on current issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registration

Once you have registered for this MOOC, you will receive an email from Coursera with a link to access the course within two business days. If you do not receive an email from Coursera two business days after registration, please email regional.programs@alumni.utoronto.ca.

To get started and access the course, you will need to create an account on the Coursera website:

• Follow the link in the email you receive from Coursera
• At the top of the page, click “Sign up”
• Choose whether you want to provide a name, email, and password or link your Coursera account to your Facebook profile.

Computer Literacy
You will need to have knowledge of the following skills to participate in this MOOC:

• Understanding of basic computer hardware and software; ability to perform computer operations, such as:
  • Managing files and folders: save, name, copy, move, backup, rename, delete
• Using software applications, such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, email clients
• Knowledge of copying and pasting, spell-checking, saving files in different formats
• Sending and downloading attachments
• Internet skills (connecting, accessing, using browsers) and ability to perform online research using search engines 
• Ability to use online communication tools, such as email (create, send, receive, reply, print, send/receive attachments), discussion boards (read, search, post, reply, follow threads), chats, and messengers.

Recommended browsers and devices
You can use Coursera on a computer and mobile devices, like tablets and smartphones.

If you're having problems with Coursera, you might be able to solve them by making sure you're using a supported browser or device, and making sure it's updated.

Supported browsers (Coursera supports the most recent versions of the following browsers on computers:

• Google Chrome (recommended)
• Firefox
• Safari
• Internet Explorer 11
• Microsoft Edge

Note: If you're using an older browser, updating your browser can help solve problems.

You can't use the Coursera website on these browsers from a mobile device. To use Coursera on a mobile device, you will need to download the Coursera mobile app.

Office Hours
If you’re having any issues accessing the course, or questions about the course itself, please email regional.programs@alumni.utoronto.ca and you will receive a response within one business day.