Friday, August 6, 2010
Session 7: DIY University
DIY stands for Do-It-Yourself. In Session 3, we read about Distance Learning and you expressed your opinions. Now, we'll read a couple articles about how you too can go to Princeton... or MIT. Too expensive, you ask? Well, can you afford Free? This is often refered to as a "Do-it-yourself education". First read the following article entitled "Online Lectures Making Learning Free and Fun". Also read the article about how this has impacted the international community, "Free Online Lectures from Top Colleges and Universities". Comment on both articles... mention the value that this might have to you personally and to you as an educator.
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6 comments:
As I read the first article, I was skeptical that students who listen to these lectures get no credit. And as they are personally gratifying, it is hard to tell a future employer that you actually are educated, but have no degree. I think the second article addressed this concern with a very strong argument as to the time and place for this type of learning. I like that the second article gave specific examples of students that can gain knowledge in a subject area, prepare for U.S. learning and standards, practice English language learning, or even brush up for the SAT. What I noticed about the list of universities that offer this service is that they are all Ivy League schools. I wonder if this trend will trickle down to other colleges and universities, or if the interest is really just seeing the professors at universities that are considered the top in their field. I think the arguments for helping English language learners and familiarizing potential immigrants with the American system would suggest that this would be helpful at any college. However, getting to listen in on the lectures at the Ivy League schools is kind of neat. It takes away some of the mystique and wonder at why they are the top of their field.
For me personally, this would allow me to learn about areas I have never considered and don’t have the money to pay for at the moment (it has the same kind of effect that the TED talks have, which I thoroughly enjoy). As an educator, it would be so amazing to be able to share some of the most interesting professors and their ideas with my class? It would be almost as good as a guest speaker, but it’s FREE!
HOW COOL! Doctor "T" you are right. I have always wanted to say, "Harvard or "Yale." Now I can. I know that I recieved a wonderful education at Freed-Hardeman University, but a lot of people have never heard of it. Some people in Tennessee have never heard of it and it's in Tennessee. Hardly anyone has ever heard of it out side our state. Everyone has heard of Harvard! People from all over the World have heard of it. It's famous. When people hear of Harvard they immediatley think "smart" or "wow." I would think saying that I am taking a course at "Yale" would make me feel pretty good about myself. I would tell everyone about my class at Yale University. I wouldn't have to tell them it is free and I am not getting a college degree. Simply learning something new would be enough for me. Why not learn something new from some of the best places on Earth. It is facinating to me how far technology has come. The article states as right now it's free and you don't recieve college credit for the lesson. However, I think in years to come this will be how the bulk of learning will be done throught our World. How wonderful is this idea for high school students who are looking for colleges. Maybe a student is trying to decide between Yale and Vanderbilt. The student can login to class online and see which class style they like better. What about a student who really dowsn't know what college classes will be like when they finally get to go. All they have to do is log on and join in the "fun." While the student is learning what a college course is like they are learning at the same time. If the student really pays attention they could learn something! If I was a high school student or a student from another country I would log on to a class that maybe I feel I would struggle with when I got to class and took it "for real." I would learn as much as I could from the online class. Then once I got to the University my freshman year I would take the exact same course, only I would be in the class. Think of how much ahead of the game you would be, HAVING HEARD IT ALREADY ONECE BEFORE! I think this is a great idea. It is like knowing the material before you are taught the material. Very Exciting and I am going to try it out :)
It surprises me that these Ivy League schools are so willing to make their lectures so readily available. I think offering these classes online is a really good idea. I feel that it would frustrate me to take these classes and not receive credit. I believe that you would have to be a highly motivated learner for the classes to be effective. Personally I feel that it would be frustrating not to be able to ask questions and interact. It seems that these online lectures would work best for auditory learners. I am very interested in looking at some of the websites to see the lectures that are offered. I think that is a great idea that these online lectures are available to people across the world. It is a great way to expand your knowledge and a great way to brush up on a topic you might be interested in. I think these online lectures can be a great way to provide professional development. Watching these videos would be a great way for teachers to expand their knowledge on certain subjects. I am not entirely sure that these lectures would be beneficial for students who were not motivated to learn. I think that these lectures could be incorporated into classrooms if the lectures were applicable. It would be beneficial for teachers to participate in these online lectures and not have to miss class to attend professional development. I believe these online lectures are a great idea but I also believe there are times when it also necessary to be interactive to learn.
The potential here is huge for self-motivated learners to gain knowledge of subjects they’ve always been interested in but haven’t had time or money to study in the college classroom. Teachers can search and use these courses for personalized continuing education, even if they do not receive credit toward an extra college degree. For history’s sake this is wonderful. Electronically saving lectures from great professors and teachers could help people around the world grow and learn about things they otherwise might not be able to access. Universities and colleges working together could offer courses and even majors that would be otherwise impossible. High schools can have professionals teaching higher-level math and science courses that sometimes are left out of the curriculum because no one qualified to teach them wants to work at that level of education.
Teachers can further their education with a personal touch. They can choose what courses they want to view and use the training to help better their classes. Learning from Ivy League university professors can have great benefits for classes all over the world. The article rightfully points out those international students who plan on possibly studying in the United States can learn a lot about American educational society from watching and listening to these podcasts and online videos. This can make coming into American colleges and universities easier for students who not only struggle with the language but also with the social norms and culture.
I wonder how these professors and teachers feel about their video or audio lectures being out for everyone to see and hear. I know it makes me nervous just to put my notes on my web site for students and parents to access at home. I feel like my classroom and teaching is very exposed, but it has helped some students do better in class so they’ll stay out there. I think these lectures may even bring students in by exposing ones who may be considering Ivy League to what they will experience if they choose to attend one of them. I can see this type of learning becoming more popular and a common way of life as more universities and colleges add to their online learning programs.
It is amazing that college is available online to students in the first place, let alone for free. The first article, “Online Lectures Make Learning Free and Fun” notes that Ivy-league schools like MIT and Harvard offer MP3s and video lectures through websites. Considering I spent all of my schooling prior to graduate classes in a classroom, this opportunity is quite novel. I wonder what it would have been like to attend college from home without tuition. Would I have had the opportunity to grow socially and emotionally through interactions with other students and professors? Would I have been as engaged mentally in the concepts and skills I was learning? I am doubtful. Additionally, do these online lectures really capture the essence of the caliber of a Princeton education? If lectures and videos are the sole “secret” to the professors at these universities, why are these lectures any different from others? However, the benefits of online education are numerous to be sure. Convenience, flexibility, and cost are a few. My parents certainly would have appreciated the break for the bank account.
Admittedly, as a full-time teacher, online classes are appealing. They give me a chance to support myself and further my education simultaneously. If I were strictly drawn to the prestige of the Ivy-league schools, not receiving an official degree would be upsetting. However, I would prefer to utilize these online lectures simply for self-education. I, like international students, according to “Free Online Lectures from Top Colleges and Universities,” have the chance to attain information in a particular content area. This benefit is extremely attractive. Already, I am working towards a graduate degree. However, I would love to read and listen to accredited professors discuss my subject of interest, art history. The more knowledge in this area, the better! I find fascinating reading and learning about this topic in any form. Thus, for the purposes of self-edification, free online courses from top universities are desirable.
These articles present really good resources for teachers or anyone wanting to gain knowledge in this large variety of subjects. Working at Vanderbilt gives me the opportunity to audit one class a semester and I've also had the chance to sit in on some of my boss's class lectures as well. This has been a great opportunity to experience the high level of instruction that is offered at an institution right down the road from Lipscomb.
I feel like the difference with these classes are some of the points my fellow classmates have brought up. It would be difficult to not have the opportunity to interact with the faculty members. If you had questions or needed clarification, that would not be available.
Also, it doesn't look like the entire class is offered on these websites. It's simply various lectures on specific topics. So it would be difficult to see a wide range of classes instead of specific lectures.
These websites are very interesting in that if I wanted to learn more about a topic, I could have the chance to hear from experts on these topics!
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