Coursera,
an organization that provides a platform for free college and university courses
online, created a stir when, seemingly in one fell swoop, it added a dozen more
schools to its roster.
Signing
on to offer selected topics through the platform were Georgia Tech, Duke
University, University of Washington, Caltech, Rice University, University of
Edinburgh, University of Toronto, École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, Johns
Hopkins University (School of Public Health), University of California San
Francisco, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University of
Virginia. Already on board are University of Pennsylvania, Princeton
University, University of Michigan, Stanford University, and an institution in
France.
Some
in academia, including this commentary in Inside
Higher Education, viewed the announcement as validation that MOOCs (massive
open online courses) are no longer a novelty but a genuine game-changer for
postsecondary institutions. But it’s not clear exactly how they will change the
educational playbook.
The Atlantic provided an inside peek at how an instructor approaches a MOOC, noting that many of those who take
the courses already hold degrees, maybe even advanced degrees. These students aren’t
necessarily seeking another diploma, though possibly they do want some sort of
formal acknowledgment they successfully completed the course, which is
something Coursera can provide. A certificate would come in handy for resumes
or performance reviews.
Some
course-takers are instructors themselves, maybe checking out the “competition”
or looking to crib a few ideas for their own classes. Coursera’s course list,
at least for now, is heavy on science-related disciplines. No doubt that’s
where the demand is.
