HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER
Title: Free Online University Courses 2.0
Competency: self-development
Who benefits: anyone with a thirst for knowledge
Consultant Usage: consultants who work with individuals will want this site for references
What’s it about? Online education has reached a new level. I shall call it Online Learning 2.0. In my mind, this next level is absolutely amazing. I am excited. I am jazzed. And soon I will be learning again!
I am writing about Coursera. It is a website that has enlisted a number of top professors from 19 major universities worldwide and invited them to present some of their favorite courses. As of this writing there are 121 courses now being offered on a wide range of subjects.
There are two questions you will want to know up-front. First, there is no cost. Courses are FREE. Second, there is no official credit for taking these courses. Some offer a certificate if you complete the requirements. Many do not.
As far as I can tell there is only one reason to take a course: You want to be educated in the subject matter. Now that is an innovative concept.
These courses are offered worldwide. I like that because I am currently geographically impaired.
It is likely you will have 10,000 or more classmates. That means you don’t have to raise your hand and are unlikely to be called on. There is, however, a system in place where classmates can interact if they so choose.
There are optional assignments and tests … well not optional if a certificate is offered and you want it.
To really learn what Coursera is all about and what drives it you need to go to a TedTalk video and listen to the founder. Even if you don’t have an interest in taking a course, the video is an eye-opener. It was watching the video where I got the aforementioned “excited†and “jazzedâ€.
If you like what you see and hear, go to the Coursera Website and check out the 121 plus courses currently available. The website is in a very simple format. Everything is readily available. Sign-ups are incredibly simple. They save the hard stuff for the courses … as it should be!!!
I like the concept and offerings enough to put my foot where my mouth is … or something like that. I have signed up for a course to have the full experience. I will be giving a firsthand report on my Friday TGIF posts. Stay tuned!
Catch you later.
Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.
Sounds extremely ambitious and interesting. Tell me what to look for in the Ted Talk and I’ll start there. Looking forward to your report back on Friday. Thanks.