WW1 Heroism: Through Art and Film (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Leeds,
WW1 Heroism: Through Art and Film (FutureLearn)

Discover just some of the ways that heroism and the First World War is portrayed through art and film. The centenary of the First World War is a time for reflection and exploration. In this short course you will discover just some of the ways that heroism is portrayed through art and film.

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

You will explore recruitment posters and the messages they portrayed for both those going to war and those staying at home, as well as researching WW1 art and curating your own online exhibition of paintings. You will then move on to explore contemporary German film consolidating your learning by reviewing a recent book, film, or TV programme about the First World War.

What topics will you cover?

  • Analysis of recruitment posters and the messages they portrayed for both those going to war and those staying at home
  • Researching posters: use of words and images to invoke emotions about heroism
  • World War 1: how ideas about heroism changed from 1914 onwards
  • Heroism and film: exploring the differences between current images of World War 1 heroes in Germany, France, and Britain
  • Film reviews: contrasting ways in which the meaning of World War 1 is constructed and debated in Germany today

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

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

  • Reflect on how the First World War affected the heroic ideals of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
  • Assess WW1 posters and interpret the message that each poster would have given to those signing up during the war years.
  • Explore art from WW1 and discuss thoughts with other students.
  • Curate an exhibition of paintings of WW1 heroes and heroines to help reflect on the way ideas about heroism has changed from 1914 onward.
  • Explore how heroism is represented in post-WW2 German culture.
  • Discuss how WW1 and heroism are represented in films produced or co-produced in Germany in the last few years.
  • Evaluate a film, book or TV programme which focuses on the men and women who lived through WW1 and consider how they are portrayed in contemporary culture.
  • Research and discuss thoughts with fellow learners.

Who is the course for?
This course is part of the Going to University collection which has been specifically designed for students at schools and colleges. They provide a taster of undergraduate study at the University of Leeds and help students to decide which subject to study at university.
Completion of the courses will also enhance students’ university applications.
The courses can also be used as a teachers’ classroom enrichment resource.
Courses in this collection are also great for people that want an introduction in the specific subjects discussed in each course.

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

Related Courses

New Zealand History, Culture and Conflict: A Museum Perspective (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

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

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
Dead Interesting: Uncovering Roman Britain in Old Museum Collections (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Reading,Colchester Musuems

Dead Interesting: Uncovering Roman Britain in Old Museum Collections (FutureLearn)

Explore the archaeology of early Roman Britain an d learn techniques to build a profile of an individual from the first century AD. Uncover the history of early Roman Britain. What did a Roman funeral look, sound, and smell like? And how can you tell just from a person’s remains? Join a research team uncovering exciting new information about cremation burials excavated over 100 years ago in Colchester, the site of Camulodunum, one of Britain’s oldest towns and its first Roman capital city.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Dementia and the Arts: Sharing Practice, Developing Understanding and Enhancing Lives (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London,Created Out of Mind

Dementia and the Arts: Sharing Practice, Developing Understanding and Enhancing Lives (FutureLearn)

Explore, challenge and shape your perceptions of dementia through science and the creative arts. Creating a society that supports and includes those of us who are living with a dementia is a major challenge - and opportunity. In this course you will discover how the arts can create a common ground between people, and in doing so, learn what we can all do to improve the quality of life and care for people living with different dementias.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
An Introduction to Screenwriting (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of East Anglia

An Introduction to Screenwriting (FutureLearn)

Discover the key principles of screenwriting and improve your creative writing skills in this course for aspiring screenwriters. Learn how to be a successful screenwriter. Can you see yourself writing an award-winning screenplay in the future? If so, you’ve come to the perfect place. This 2-week screenwriting course will introduce you to the basic elements and key concepts behind a professional screenplay.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Effective Fundraising and Leadership in Arts and Culture (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Effective Fundraising and Leadership in Arts and Culture (FutureLearn)

Improve your chances of raising funds for arts and culture by developing your leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Learn how to help arts and cultural organisations thrive. As the global funding landscape is changing rapidly, arts and cultural organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about what actions to take. On this course you will learn about the importance of developing organisational resilience through effective leadership and management, and how to diversify income streams by becoming more entrepreneurial.

Jan 3rd 2022
2 Weeks
Mindfulness Through Film (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
INTO FILM

Mindfulness Through Film (FutureLearn)

Explore how film watching and filmmaking can be used in secondary teaching to introduce mindfulness principles and exercises.  Support students' mental health through the power of film. Created in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation, this course includes a variety of film-based strategies to enable you and your learners to confidently engage with mindfulness. Discover how film can help you tap into the mental health benefits of mindfulness, such as enhancing focus, promoting self-regulation, increasing resilience, and improving interpersonal skills. 

Self Paced
2 Weeks
From Waterloo to the Rhine: The British Army 1815-1945 (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Kent,National Army Museum

From Waterloo to the Rhine: The British Army 1815-1945 (FutureLearn)

Examine one of the UK’s most storied institutions, and how 130 years of social, cultural and military change have shaped it. Explore the British Army’s part in the making of the modern world. With a legacy stretching back centuries, the British Army is proud of its hard-won reputation as one of the most formidable fighting forces in the world.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Film Distribution: Connecting Films with Audiences (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Film Distributors' Association

Film Distribution: Connecting Films with Audiences (FutureLearn)

Discover how your favourite films make it to your local cinema or television screen, through the film distribution process. Get an introduction to how the UK film business works. With over 800 films a year being released, the choice for cinema goers is massive and ever changing. How do we, as members of the film audience, find out about films? What methods are available to film distributors to attract our attention to specific films in the digital age? In such a crowded marketplace, how do films find their audiences?

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Christian-Muslim Relations (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Edinburgh

Christian-Muslim Relations (FutureLearn)

Uncover important themes in the history of Christian-Muslim relations and understand the politics that continue to shape it. Gain an insight into the academic study of Christian-Muslim Relations. On this innovative four-week course, you’ll be introduced to the academic study of Christian-Muslim Relations with the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh.

Oct 3rd 2022
4 Weeks
Medicine and the Arts: Humanising Healthcare (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Cape Town

Medicine and the Arts: Humanising Healthcare (FutureLearn)

Explore the field of medical humanities - the intersection of the arts, humanities and healthcare - with this free online course. This free online course will explore the intersection of medicine, medical anthropology and the creative arts. Through each of its six weeks, we’ll visit a new aspect of human life and consider it from the perspectives of people working in health sciences, social sciences and the arts.

Jul 25th 2022
5-12 Weeks
From World War to White Heat: the RAF in the Cold War (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Royal Holloway, University of London

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

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
Discover the Hidden History of York (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of York

Discover the Hidden History of York (FutureLearn)

Investigate York’s cultural and social history and the pivotal events and people that helped define a nation. Uncover fascinating facts about the city of York, from medieval times to today. York is a city bursting with engaging and unusual episodes from its rich and diverse history. On this three-week course, you’ll delve into the city’s past and learn about some of the most interesting events and people to have contributed to York’s story.

Self Paced
3 Weeks