Some of the observations I’ve made over the last few weeks with regard to many free classes I’ve been taking being easier to complete than equivalent classes I remember from college needs to be tempered by a couple of critical points. First, not all open classes are equivalent in terms of their mission or required […]
Archive | Class Components RSS feed for this section
Doin’ MOOC Time – Assignments
In addition to the time needed to attend class, college also consists of the wide variety of assignments (including reading, homework and assessments) that are implemented in different ways within a MOOC environment. One of the ways I find online learning to be superior to traditional brick-and-mortar is that there is less of a tendency […]
Doin’ MOOC Time – Close Listening
A couple of observations which, while not scientific, are informed by enough of the experiences I’ve been having as part of this Degree of Freedom Project to serve as the starting point for conversation about “class time” required to successfully complete a MOOC (or comparable free learning course): So far, the hours of lecture associated […]
MOOC Components – Assessment
Assessment is such an important topic with regard to MOOCs and other new learning models that I plan to devote a week to the subject in April. But for now, I’d like to provide an argument why testing is both the greatest vulnerability for moving MOOCs forward, as well as the ripest area for innovation […]
MOOC Components – Discussion
One of the biggest criticisms leveled against not just MOOCs, but online learning in general is the lack of human connection in courses where students and teachers are primarily interacting with one another via technology. Lecture videos can be stunningly produced, can edit out a professor’s burps and brainfarts, and even integrate footage highlighting examples […]
MOOC Components – Reading
On average, the reading requirements for my course-load are significantly less than what I remember from my original college experience. But, on average, the statistician sitting on a block of ice and lighting hair on fire will be at just the right temperature. This observation may be behind the mixed feelings I’ve developed with regard […]
MOOC Components – Homework
Homework is one aspect of free learning programs that will need to get more attention if MOOCs and similar resources are ever to provide an adequate supplement or alternatives to traditional classroom experiences with regard to ensuring the successful achieving of learning outcomes. Having worked in educational publishing for several years, I’ve seen how automated […]
MOOC Components – The Lecture
This week, I’ll be taking a look at how different free-learning alternatives deal with the five most crucial components of a formal educational experience, including: Lectures Homework Reading Discussion Assessment While this discussion will include general observations about each of these elements, I will also use some of the classes I’m enrolled in to illustrate […]
