MOOCs: new offerings

1. project-based courses on Coursera

1.1. presentation on Prezi

1.2. pricing: varies according to course (e.g. 43€, 79€)

1.3. topics from persuasive writing to computer construction. The aim is to master content efficiently by applying new concepts to a real-world project while learning. Guidance and suggestions from instructor and a community of learners with similar goals

1.4. tuition fees: economic incentives if completing by deadline

1.5. NovoEd MOOC platform: interface aimed at facilitating project-based, collaborative courses

2. sequences of MOOCs: examples

2.1. Xseries programs (edX)

2.1.1. series of 3–10 courses that add up to a rich understanding of an area of study. Once you pass the entire series, receive a personalized XSeries Certificate (prices vary)

2.1.1.1. variety of subjects (but many focused on ICT, management and technical topics)

2.1.2. started in 2013; partner institutions form all over the world (e.g. MIT; Delft University of Technology, IITBombay)

2.1.3. to enroll: enroll in the individual courses that are part of the XSeries and select the Verified Certificate option. When you successfully complete all courses of the XSeries you will receive your certificate

2.1.3.1. XSeries certificate shows that a learner has earned a passing grade in all of the courses that make up an XSeries

2.1.3.1.1. example: MITx offers an aerodynamics XSeries certificate. To earn this certificate, you must earn a passing grade in two courses: 16.101x Introduction to Aerodynamics and 16.110x Flight Vehicle Aerodynamics

2.1.3.2. to receive an XSeries Certificate you need to enroll in the Verified Certificate track in each of the courses in the series. The prices can vary across courses and specific XSeries. You can upgrade after you've enrolled in the course, but the option to upgrade expires within the first few weeks for most courses

2.2. Nanodegree (Udacity)

2.2.1. compact online curriculum designed to get the skills that employers believe are key to get a job in technology. Focuses on learning by doing and typically comprised of 5 to 8 projects with relevant courses to support the skills needed to complete those projects. Cohort of students who start the Nanodegree program at the same time and work through the program at about the same pace

2.2.1.1. one-on-one coaching and facilitated peer interaction

2.2.1.2. empowering and informative career support

2.2.2. built with input from leading industry employers (e.g. Google and other Silicon Valley companies) who know what technical skills they are looking for in potential employees

2.2.2.1. prerequisites differ by program, but some minimum requirements include: e.g. communicating proficiently and professionally in written and spoken English

2.2.2.2. no quizes; content-project deeply interrelated (generally, 1 project has to be developed each month); mentor

2.2.3. materials for individual courses and the associated projects are accessible for free, but to earn a Nanodegree credential it is necessary to be enrolled in the paid program

2.2.4. cost: $200/month. Most programs are expected to take between 6-12 months to complete. The program is self-paced

2.2.4.1. Udacity pays half tuition fees in case of completion of Nanodegree program in twelve months or less

2.2.4.2. some organizations award scholarships

2.2.5. Nanodgree Lite costs $79/month, but it does not include 1:1 support or the 50% money back guarantee

2.3. Career programme (Iversity)

2.3.1. besides the Career programme, iVersity offers also

2.3.1.1. MOOCs

2.3.1.1.1. options: Free audit track, certificate, ECTS track

2.3.1.2. PRO courses

2.3.1.2.1. for-pay professional development courses; pricing plans for individuals and for organizations

2.3.2. Business Communication Programme

2.3.2.1. made of 3 PRO courses + 1 final project

2.3.2.1.1. 1st module: 2 PRO courses

2.3.2.1.2. 2nd module: 1 PRO course (choice between 2 course options)

2.3.3. courses are offered by senior educators from a mix of academia and industry

2.3.4. access to a community of employees from European companies

2.3.5. pricing: basic programme (€1399) complete programme (€1599) extended programme (€2399); business plans for companies

2.3.6. presentation (in Italian)

2.4. Specializations (Coursera)

2.4.1. series of 3-10 related courses designed to lead to mastery of a specific topic

2.4.1.1. all Specializations conclude with a hands-on Capstone Project (tol apply what you’ve learned to a practical question or problem related to the Specialization topic). Examples of Capstone Projects: analyzing a business case study and making strategy recommendations, writing an in-depth research paper, ...

2.4.1.2. some are offered by universities (e.g. university of Pennsylvania, Duke university); some other Specializations are offered in collaboration with Coursera’s Global Skills Initiative industry partners (e.g. Microsoft, CISCO)

2.4.1.3. variety of subjects (but many focused on ICT, management and technical topics)

2.4.2. examples

2.4.2.1. Data Science

2.4.2.1.1. Created by Johns Hopkins university with Industry Partners

2.4.2.1.2. 9 Courses - total price to enroll: 370 € (9 MOOCs + Capstone project)

2.4.2.1.3. no prior experience required

2.4.2.2. Agile Development Specialization

2.4.2.2.1. created by University of Virginia

2.4.2.2.2. no prior experience required

2.4.2.2.3. 4 courses - total price to enroll 598 € (4 MOOCs + Capstone project)

2.5. another approach: online course collections (FutureLearn)

3. framing the issue

3.1. new offerings

3.1.1. sequences of MOOCs

3.1.1.1. materials for individual courses are generally accessible for free, but to earn a credential / certificate it is necessary to be enrolled in the paid program

3.1.2. project-based MOOCs

3.2. a recent trend: self-paced courses

3.2.1. ClassCentral - MOOC Trends in 2015: Rise of Self Paced Courses

3.2.2. presentation (partly in Italian)

3.2.3. self-paced MOOCs started on Udacity; generally no collaborative learning; interaction on course forum; sometimes participants can join a group on Facebook

3.2.4. between self-paced and session-based: soft deadlines (31 courses on Coursera)

3.3. edX guidelines

3.3.1. Third Party Content Guide

3.3.1.1. no legal advice for clearance. Recommended practice when looking for materials to present in a course

3.3.1.2. recommended options: Public Domain and CC-licensed material

3.3.1.3. Archives of Public Domain / Creative Commons resources (e.g. Creative Commons Search for images, OpenStax College for textbooks, YouTube videos with Creative Commons Licenses for videos)

3.3.1.4. Third Party Clearance - points of emphasis when talking to publishers about clearing content for a MOOC on edX Citating sources: examples from edX MOOCs

3.3.1.5. presentation (pdf)

3.3.2. MOOC development checklist

3.3.2.1. for MOOC developers during production process; once filled in, it has to be delivered to edX (compulsory to have the MOOC published on edX)

3.3.2.2. presentation on Prezi (in Italian)

3.3.2.3. interesting: All content is freely available to leaners (e.g. open source, in the public domain, or cleared or paid for by your organization); accessibility issues

3.3.2.4. available in downloadable xls format various sections with specific requirements

3.3.3. discussion forum moderation and best practices

3.3.3.1. food for thought, but not everything is automatically applicable to any context

3.3.3.2. interesting: stellar students can become forum moderators

3.3.3.3. presentation (in Italian)

4. MOOC: Blended Learning with edX

4.1. self-paced

4.2. time commitment: 3-4 hours

4.3. "Bookmarks" feature integrated in the platform to save and retrieve interesting content

4.4. presentation (in Italian)