FutureLearn launches
If you have ever wanted to study a module of a university course without attending the actual university or indeed paying for the course it is it is possible to do so using any internet connected device. In the US courses have been available for a while from organisations such as eDX (MIT, Harvard and others) and Coursera via something called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) . Don't worry, it's just another acronym. MOOCs use technologies that anyone familiar with using the internet will be comfortable with so there is nothing new to learn in order to access and learn from the courses.
The UK's biggest online university project is now up and running with more than 20 universities offering free courses. FutureLearn is a largely UK MOOC but also involves Trinity College Dublin and Monash University of Australia. It is owned by the Open University. It is offering about eight courses at the moment with the expectation that twenty will be available by the end of the year.
There are, however, a number of concerns relating to MOOCs. Students may want to get a certificate to say that they have actaully completed the course. Curently, it would seem that to do this you will have to pay FutureLearn and herein lies the dilemna. MOOCs want to make money but will students pay? How can universities be sure that the person whio has registered for the course has actually taken the course and hasn't got someone else to help them? This will all be resolved in time no doubt. For the moment enjoy the opportunity to learn for free!
Joining a MOOC course is a great way for advanced learners to further develop their English language skills whilst learning another subject. Students who are thinking of coming to study in the UK can take a FutureLearn course to get a sense of how academia works in the UK.
The courses on offer grow every month.
A good place to start is the Study Skills for International Students MOOC. It provides a taste of what MOOCs can do and is related to language learning. I am also responsible for the course so I have an obvious interest in promoting it!
The course can be found at;
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/preparing-for-uni2
FutureLearn and all its courses can be accessed from:
https://www.futurelearn.com/
If you want to try much bigger MOOCs try:
eDX - https://www.edx.org/
Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/
If you have ever wanted to study a module of a university course without attending the actual university or indeed paying for the course it is it is possible to do so using any internet connected device. In the US courses have been available for a while from organisations such as eDX (MIT, Harvard and others) and Coursera via something called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) . Don't worry, it's just another acronym. MOOCs use technologies that anyone familiar with using the internet will be comfortable with so there is nothing new to learn in order to access and learn from the courses.
The UK's biggest online university project is now up and running with more than 20 universities offering free courses. FutureLearn is a largely UK MOOC but also involves Trinity College Dublin and Monash University of Australia. It is owned by the Open University. It is offering about eight courses at the moment with the expectation that twenty will be available by the end of the year.
There are, however, a number of concerns relating to MOOCs. Students may want to get a certificate to say that they have actaully completed the course. Curently, it would seem that to do this you will have to pay FutureLearn and herein lies the dilemna. MOOCs want to make money but will students pay? How can universities be sure that the person whio has registered for the course has actually taken the course and hasn't got someone else to help them? This will all be resolved in time no doubt. For the moment enjoy the opportunity to learn for free!
Joining a MOOC course is a great way for advanced learners to further develop their English language skills whilst learning another subject. Students who are thinking of coming to study in the UK can take a FutureLearn course to get a sense of how academia works in the UK.
The courses on offer grow every month.
A good place to start is the Study Skills for International Students MOOC. It provides a taste of what MOOCs can do and is related to language learning. I am also responsible for the course so I have an obvious interest in promoting it!
The course can be found at;
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/preparing-for-uni2
FutureLearn and all its courses can be accessed from:
https://www.futurelearn.com/
If you want to try much bigger MOOCs try:
eDX - https://www.edx.org/
Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/
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