March 2 – April 26
This Massive Open Online Course for Educators (MOOC-Ed) is designed for school and district leaders, and any others involved in planning and implementing K-12 digital learning initiatives. Everyone involved in digital learning (also known as blended learning, e-learning and instructional technology) in a K-12 school or district is welcome to join the course.
This course will help you:
- Understand the potential of digital learning in K-12 schools
- Assess progress and set future goals for your school or district
- Begin to develop a plan to achieve your digital learning goals
The DLT MOOC-Ed is organized around the Future Ready Schools Digital Learning Framework. This framework shows the Digital Learning Transition Vision-Plan-Implement-Assess cycle around the seven DLT planning elements, which are all centered on improving student learning. It also shows, in the outer circle, that leadership is critical throughout the transition process.
The DLT MOOC-Ed consists of five units scheduled over eight weeks. Participants are invited to work in all the units or to select those that are most relevant to their personal learning goals. A certificate of completion to obtain CEUs is available for those who complete certain requirements. There is no cost for participating in the DLT MOOC-Ed.
Dr. Glenn Kleiman and Dr. Mary Ann Wolf are the program directors, with many others from school districts and other orgnizations throughout the country contributing to planning and facilitating the course.
Other MOOC-Ed courses currently open for registration include Learning Differences, Disciplinary Literacy for Deeper Learning, Coaching Digital Learning
, and Teaching Statistics through Data Investigations
. More information about these courses can be found at mooc-ed.org
MOOC-Ed.org is a project of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at the NC State College of Education. Built on research-based models of effective professional development, professional learning communities, and online communities of practice, MOOC-Ed courses focus on authentic, project-based learning, collaboration, and peer-supported learning, rather than tests and grades that are needed in other types of MOOCs.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported an article titled, “San Jose State Suspends Collaboration with Online Provider,” which details the recent suspension between San Jose State University and the online higher education partner, Udacity.
The relationship has been severed due mainly to the fact that over 50% of the students enrolled in the online Udacity courses failed to pass. The final percentage grades of the those who failed online mathematics classes ranged anywhere from 20% to 44%.
Why did so many of these students fail? Does the nature of an online platform doom these students to below average performances?
The answer is more complex than one may think, but the facts seem to indicate that the online platform was not the issue, but rather the students enrolled were not properly prepared & equipped with the materials needed to succeed in an online environment.
According to the article, a number of the students were high school students who were ill-prepared for college coursework. Many of the students who came from low-income communities did not have access to a personal computer, making it difficult for them to complete assignments on or before the class deadlines. Moreover, lack of orientation hours prior to the course start dates may have played a role in the dilemma as well.
To find out more about this issue, feel free to read the original article on the LA Times website here: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0719-san-jose-online-20130719,0,4160941.story
What are your thoughts on this suspension? Have you ever taken an online course? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
– The Project Tomorrow Team