Mindshift is designed to help boost your career and life in today’s fast-paced learning environment. Whatever your age or stage, Mindshift teaches you essentials such as how to get the most out of online learning and MOOCs, how to seek out and work with mentors, the secrets to avoiding career ruts (and catastrophes) and general ruts in life, and insights such as the value of selective ignorance over general competence. We’ll provide practical insights from science about how to learn and change effectively even in maturity, and we’ll build on what you already know to take your life’s learning in fantastic new directions. This course is designed to show you how to look at what you’re learning, and your place in what’s unfolding in the society around you, so you can be what you want to be, given the real world constraints that life puts on us all. You’ll see that by using certain mental tools and insights, you can learn and do more—far more—than you might have ever dreamed!
This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or subsequent to, its companion course, Learning How to Learn. (Mindshift is more career focused, and Learning How to Learn is more learning focused.)
In today's world, change is the only constant. This means that whatever stage you are in life, you need to keep yourself open and able to change. How can you do this? In three ways: Learn more about your hidden capabilities and assets. Learn more about learning effectively. Learn about matching your assets with the opportunities that face you. In this week, we'll dive into these three important areas!
1-6 Focused Versus Diffuse – Furthering Your Understanding•6 minutes
1-7 Should You Listen to Music When You're Studying?•1 minute
1-8 Learning Something Hard? The Coffee Shop Trick•6 minutes
1-9 Your environment affects who you are•6 minutes
1-10 The Changing World – Matching Aspirations with Opportunity•6 minutes
1-11 Natural Passions, Career Choice, and Gender•4 minutes
1-12 How to Remember More: AI-Powered Flashcards with Spaced Repetition•7 minutes
1-13 Week 1 Wrap Up•3 minutes
Optional Bonus Video: Nelson Dellis Memory Tips #1•6 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Guidance in Applying for Continuing Education or Professional Development Credit•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Week 1•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
A first look in the mirror•60 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
The unexpected assets from your past--and breaking through initial feelings of incompetence•10 minutes
Favorite places to study, and helpful study apps•10 minutes
Your challenge•10 minutes
Getting Deeper into Happy Learning
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
Key to your ability to mindshift is being able to learn effectively. This week, we’ll dive deeper into this vital area. Getting yourself motivated to tackle procrastination can sometimes be a challenge in learning, so we’ll give you some important tips here. But we’ll also give insights into mental tricks to help you focus, relax, and reframe if stress intrudes. We’ll also show you how to avoid common learning pitfalls. Welcome and enjoy!
What's included
14 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
14 videos•Total 86 minutes
2-1 Week 2 Introduction•1 minute
2-2 The Value of a Poor Memory•6 minutes
2-3 Meditation and Mindfulness – What to Look for•4 minutes
2-4 The Pomodoro Technique as Working Meditation•7 minutes
2-5 Getting Past Procrastination•8 minutes
2-6 The Value of Procedural Fluency and Deliberate Practice•7 minutes
2-7 Bad Grades and Barb's Hands – The Value of Mental Tricks•4 minutes
2-8 Learning to Reframe – Put a Label on It!•9 minutes
2-9 Integrate All Your Senses Into Learning – The Pitfalls of "Learning Styles"•4 minutes
2-10 Can You Try to Learn Too Much?•3 minutes
2-11 Your Social Brain•5 minutes
2-12 Week 2 Wrap Up•4 minutes
Optional Bonus Video: Interview with Singapore Entrepreneur Adam Khoo•21 minutes
Optional Bonus Video: Nelson Dellis Memory Tips #2•4 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
Week 2•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Overcoming cognitive distortions•10 minutes
Learning and Careers
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
This week, we’ll be talking about how your own career can develop and change through your life. Your own internal feelings about what you want to do can play a critical role in your long-term happiness. But society and culture can also have a dramatic effect on your career choices and decisions—as can your parents, family, and friends. We’ll talk about second-skilling yourself, and developing a talent stack of average talents that can combine into a formidable asset. We’ll also talk about various tactics and techniques to help you survive career changes and upheavals. Welcome and enjoy!
In this final week of the course, we'll be exploring how and why to keep yourself in "mindshift" mode. We'll give you all sorts of insider tips on how to pick out the best online learning with materials that are right for you. And we'll also talk about other ways of learning—ways that can make you "the smartest person in the room." Disruption lies ahead in the world—this week, we'll help you seize the advantage. Off we go for our final week of Mindshift!
Founded in 1887, McMaster University is committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for learning. Ranked amongst the Top 100 universities in the world, McMaster pioneered a learner-centred, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that is now known worldwide as the “McMaster Model”.
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Learner reviews
4.8
13,210 reviews
5 stars
84.12%
4 stars
13.29%
3 stars
1.80%
2 stars
0.31%
1 star
0.45%
Showing 3 of 13210
S
SN
5·
Reviewed on Jan 17, 2018
Thank you Barbara. It was really enjoyable trip with you in this course. I have found many new learning techniques. Your positive behavior was very encouraging for me to begin a new list of my life!
S
SG
5·
Reviewed on Apr 23, 2020
This has totally changed my thinking and approach on certain areas in my lifeThis is a high recommendation to anyone facing uncertainities in their journeyThanks to everyone involved in this MOCC.
M
MP
5·
Reviewed on Aug 26, 2020
Excellent MOOC. Has some very useful tips and also breaks the myth that one cant study after a particular age.In fact, after doing this, I feel learning is a life long process and the sky is the limit
If you would like to take it up to the next level, you can receive an Honors Certificate upon successful course completion. Simply complete the two extra Honors assignments that you will find in Week 1 and Week 3. You can complete these extra assignments at any time, even if you have already received a regular certificate. If you have any questions, please post them in the General Discussion forum.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.