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A few issues ago, we did some extensive research and talked to various experts to bring you an article about e-learning and how online learning is becoming very popular among college students. We had especially delved into MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)) which offer online education to anyone around the world. Some of the popular MOOCs offered today have been started by the best universities in the world, offering courses from their institutes: platforms/initiatives such as Udacity and Coursera (Stanford University) and EdX (Harvard and MIT). These e-learning websites allow top universities and professors to share their knowledge with the world and give everyone the opportunity to study something they are passionate about or interested in. And the best of these courses? These are usually free, although there is sometimes a charge to obtain certifications.
The time required to complete a course depends on the subject and complexity, but generally lasts between four and 12 weeks. A course usually involves a professor and his team of teaching assistants (who are often students from the university itself). This team uploads around five instructional videos a week and registered students are required to complete a weekly assignment based on these videos. The course also incorporates a discussion forum in which all the students who have registered participate, which allows everyone to discuss the subject, their work and clarify their doubts. Generally, e-learning courses award students with a Certificate of Mastery upon successful completion of the course.
MOOCs are generally intended for university students so that they can supplement what they learn at university or take a course that they are not formally following at university. But we recommend that high school students also consider enrolling in some of these MOOCs, as they could offer a variety of benefits for the motivated student who wants to advance academics and learning.
And, coincidentally, EdX has just announced the launch of an initiative for high schools: a set of 27 new MOOCs on a wide variety of topics, specifically aimed at high school students around the world. EdX High School MOOCs are developed by many of the world’s top universities, including UC Berkeley, Rice, MIT, Georgetown, and Davidson, among others. The goal is to offer interactive, engaging, and high-quality courses to prepare high school students for post-secondary studies.
The 27 MOOCs cover subject areas ranging from math to science, English and history, and even college advising, and are intended to give students from all over the world the opportunity to pursue advanced and challenging courses. Students will be able to enroll in EdX’s 27 high school courses for free. EdX will also offer students a verified certificate option for a fee that will vary by course. Currently, 22 high school courses are open for enrollment and all 27 will launch within a few months. For more details you can visit https://www.edx.org/school/high-school-initiative
I would like to reiterate some of the benefits a student can expect from enrolling in a MOOC, be it one from EdX or any other:
You can supplement your high school knowledge by taking college-level courses in your chosen subjects.
Students have the option to select the courses that interest them and study them in depth, even if they are not studying these subjects in school. You may be studying science in high school, but you can always take an online English poetry course from Wordsworth to Eliot!
These courses allow a person to study something they are passionate about but may not pursue in the future, so you can ‘have your cake and eat it too’!
The discussion forum and group chats are beneficial: they lead to interactive learning and are also useful to learn more about a particular aspect.
There are a variety of activities and assignments to complete within the courses that can enhance learning, so it’s not just a textbook.
You can test your competence and interest in a certain area to see if you want to pursue it at university.
Most importantly, it prepares you for what college will be like in terms of rigor and structure.
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the MOOCs now and sign up for one now!