Free online courses are now available on the www.semestreaperto-medodovet.it platform to help students prepare for the open semester classes required for admission to degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, and Veterinary Medicine.

The MOOCs, developed by CISIA and promoted by CRUI in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of University and Research, include video lectures, self-study materials and exercises in Biology, Chemistry and Physics prepared by university lecturers.

The platform also offers self-assessment tools and, once classes begin, will provide exercises based on the modules included in the syllabuses, as well as mock final examinations structured according to the same format and timing as the actual exams.

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Description of the MOOCs

PHYSICS: UNDERSTANDING THE LAWS THAT EXPLAIN THE WORLD

The foundations of every field of science and technology are built on the laws of physics, principles that describe phenomena ranging from the subatomic world to the immense scale of the cosmos.

The Physics course was developed with the contribution of university lecturers and researchers who, through an accessible and engaging approach, guide students through the fundamental concepts of the subject. The lessons introduce the key terminology of physics while also familiarising students with the scientific reasoning that characterises the discipline.

Topics covered include:

Physical quantities, measurement and interdisciplinary concepts; Kinematics; Basic and advanced dynamics; Hydrostatics; Thermodynamics; Electricity and magnetism; Optics; Modern physics: atomic structure and decay, wave-particle duality.

BIOLOGY: DISCOVERING THE COMPLEXITY OF LIFE

Why is it important to understand how living organisms function? What do a jellyfish and a whale have in common? The Basic Biology course addresses these questions through nine lessons developed by a group of university lecturers from different institutions and their junior collaborators.

The course introduces students to the science of living organisms and biological phenomena, providing fundamental knowledge to help them choose a university programme and engage with some of the major scientific issues of our time, with particular attention to challenges affecting human health and the balance of ecosystems.

Topics covered include:

Proteins; Cellular osmosis; Fundamentals of genetics: inheritance of monogenic traits; Eukaryotic cell division; The human nervous system; Elements of plant biology; Elements of bioenergetics; Energy and matter in ecosystems; Applications of knowledge in the life sciences.

CHEMISTRY: THE PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING MATTER AND ITS TRANSFORMATIONS

Chemistry is the science that studies the composition, properties and transformations of matter through experiments, theories and models that identify atoms as its fundamental building blocks.

The course, developed with the contribution of university lecturers, guides students through the fundamental concepts of chemistry and the scientific reasoning specific to the discipline.

It provides the essential foundations for future studies in science and technology, offering an initial preparation that is useful for understanding chemical phenomena, processes and applications in everyday life and research.

The main topics covered in the lessons and related exercises include:

The macroscopic properties of matter and the particle model; The microscopic properties of matter and the composition of substances; Chemical reactions, compounds, their properties and nomenclature; Solutions, acids, bases and their reactions; Oxidation and reduction reactions; Introduction to organic chemistry.