In his video Open Education for an Open world, Charles Vest says that the role of universities is to create opportunities. Our world is globalizing at a speed that is almost breathtaking when you step back to see it all in motion. A single corporation can have a bad day and it can impact the markets of the world. Opportunities, of any kind, can now come from nearby or around the world. Education is supposed to create opportunities that make the student ready for a global market where working in an office is becoming as common as working from a mobile location. Education itself has become mobile in the guise of online education now that schools of all kind and level are beginning to offer. Knowledge has become fluid and uses the Internet to travel around the world. There are many open education resources and outlets from schools that offer free courses, some even have certificate options like those found at edX, to vast repositories of materials that anyone can access like MIT Video. I would use and include materials from either of these resources as were applicable in my classes.
edX is best described using their own words from their site, “Open edX is the open-source platform that powers edX courses and is freely available. With Open edX, educators and technologists can build learning tools and contribute new features to the platform, creating innovative solutions to benefit students everywhere.” This section found in the ‘About’ section of their site includes every key to open education: open-source, freely available, benefits students everywhere. Open education has no walls or barriers outside of internet access in some form. edX is a site where higher education institutes all come together in one virtual location to offer courses for free to those interested. One aspect I really like of edX is that most of the courses offered have an option where you can get a certificate of completion if you wish for your credential, for a small fees. While I was on a break from my education here for half a semester I ended up signing up for a course from HarvardX through edX called Super-Earths and Life (below).
Super-Earths and Life
MIT OpenCourseWare offers thousands of videos, lectures, textbooks, and courses for free to anyone interested. These materials can be used by others much as the video they offer called Open Education for an Open World was free for us to view at Walden University. We were able to see a presentation by a well-respected and experienced man who is no longer with us because of this advancement in open education.
One Step Closer to Fusion Power
I think my favorite thing about this site is it has a sense of humor also. Alongside videos about the latest discoveries in fusion technology (above) it also has videos about Why We Fart (below), as education truly has no bounds and learning should be open minded. Any education that equates this bodily function to a brewery cannot be bad! Enjoy!
Why We Fart (Science Out Loud S2 Ep3)
If you watched that I have to ask, aren’t you glad for open educational resources now?!
References
MIT TeenTV (Producer). (2010). Open education for an open world [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://video.mit.edu/watch/open-education-for-an-open-world-5788/.
To answer your question - YES, I'm glad for open educational resources. That was a fun and educational video.
ReplyDeleteI had not come across Edx in my investigations; thank you for the link and information. I agree with you that it is a clean, well organized site. The first few classes I looked at were costly; however I did find some free ones as well. I am bookmarking all these resources for my reference as a future educator and life-long learner. Thank you!
I came cross edX when I searched for open education sites too. I really like the way edX organizes their site and I think it is a very good open education site. Unlike other open education sites, edX allows the learners to have a choice in terms of self–paced, scheduled class, or taking a course from an instructor.
DeleteMIT open education pioneered open education and it is definitely one of the best sites on the internet. Learning becomes an enjoyable experience when the knowledge is combined with the humorous elements.
Thanks for sharing!
Hello Heather,
DeleteYour post is very interesting, and informative. I have not tried edx, but since the three of you did, I will also do. I like the word "civilized" that you used to describe someone talking to a friend and "don't be a jerk". Definitely on the net this word is unacceptable. Many teenagers use this language with each other that it became a norm. You reminded me of a physics teacher in high school who would always say "be civilized please" when questions were asked randomly or a student wants to ask before another.
Heba
Heba
OER and MIT are great resources to incorporate into distant learning. I also appreciate the humor that these site provide. Learners always engage a bit more when learning is fun.
ReplyDeleteJen