MOOCs are a great way to share high-level learning and supplement traditional classrooms. In this TED conference, head of edX Anant Agarwal shares his vision on blended learning, where teachers create the ideal learning experience for 21st century student.
http://youtu.be/XhyeYI6MVtU This is what happens when MOOCs, marketing and mass media collide: The channel has partnered with the University of California, Irvine (IC Irvine), and four Ph.Ds to teach the course titled “Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead.” According the official registration page, the course explores the spread of disease, social structures, and the role of the government in public health, among other themes. Just take a look at the courseware to see that is not a crazy, stupid course: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—is survival just about being alive? Social order and structures—from the farm and the prison to Woodbury Social identity, roles, and stereotyping—as shown through leaders like Rick and the Governor The role of public health in society—from the CDC to local community organizations The spread of infectious disease and population modeling—swarm! The role of energy and momentum in damage control—how can you best protect yourself? Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world—are squirrels really good for you? Managing stress in disaster situations—what’s the long-term effect of always sleeping with one eye open? The course has engaging lectures, interviews, articles and academic resources. It uses key scenes from the show to illustrate aspects of learning. Students are able to participate in large and small group discussions and test their learning with quizzes. Instructors use video lectures, discussion forums and social media to provide learning materials throughout the eight-week course. The platform used for this MOOC is the Canvas LMS. Experts agree that this partnership between higher education and Hollywood is groundbreaking and provides an interesting insight into the future of marketing, education and educational content.
It is obvious that digital resources are a huge improvement. Many teachers are already using digital resources in their classes, especially images and videos. This infographic shows the benefits. See more graphics at elearninginfographics.com.
It is no longer enough to train your employees to do their jobs more effectively. A successful learning and development program should encourage the growth of the organization while establishing a culture of continuous learning. The $60 billion corporate learning industry is technologically outdated. This year we will see how some leading organizations start to implement new, advanced technologies and platforms such as Open EdX and Canvas. Learning in the workplace is going to change dramatically.
The one guaranteed constant in education technology is change, and that change is definitely accelerating. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) into classroom programs. Tablets are less expensive devices and are seen as a better option than traditional laptops. Learning is increasingly becoming mobile and sites are implementing responsive designs to accommodate all forms of technology. Social media as a teaching and learning tool. When combined with meaningful engagement, social media technology can be a powerful tool to reinforce learning and establish effective communication skills. Digital Badges. They serve to validate the importance of after-school programs and other informal learning opportunities. Open Educational Resources (OER). They will soon be widely used in K-12. iPads' growth. Learning has become increasingly interactive and can happen anytime, anywhere. Learning analytics. They can help instructors identify struggling students; they can boost course and college completion. Learning Management Systems (LMS) for blended and online learning continue to gain a stronghold, mainly when it is about creating flipped classrooms. It results in improved student performance. Gamification of education. Effectively designed games can stimulate large gains in productivity and creativity among learners, because they impact positively on problem solving skills, motivation and engagement.
