A nice overview of what a motivated person got out of a Coursera offering on Greek & Roman mythology. Makes me want to do it and possibly see which of my friends would like to do it with me.

The role of the bricks and mortar university is going to change.  It is already changing. There is still an important role in bringing people physically together. There is still a role in certifying progress, in providing credentials.  However, the process of learning is not well served by 300 people in a lecture hall listening to an academic. Learning online, directly from the best, structured in an optimized digital format is the future of the knowledge and skill learning aspect of education.

via The Future of Education. Review: Coursera “Greek and Roman Mythology” « Moving People to Action.

Keith "Maggie" Brown Avatar

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3 responses to “Coursera & the Future of Yesterday”

  1. Conor Neill Avatar

    Glad you found the review of use. The course was excellent. My one area of improvement would be that the multiple-choice quiz was often a test of whether you watched the video, not whether you had understood at a deeper level… but good to give a sense of weekly progress.

    1. Keith Wayne Brown Avatar

      I have taught or co-taught a number of ancient philosophy and ancient literature classes over the years. Our quizzes were generally structured to make sure students were doing the reading so we could have really good class discussions or we would know a student is ready to write something that goes deeper. As an existential thinker, I found your own final work very intriguing.

      These kinds of courses are ideal for showing how humanities education can assist you in more than being able to quote Homer or Virgil. A good portion of the work I do now in mentoring business leaders is getting them to apply themselves to practices that go beyond what most would deem as being “practical.” I am recommendeding this particular course to someone who is completing his EMBA.

      1. Conor Neill Avatar

        Yep, I actually came round to the idea of setting simple quizes in my own classes to ensure that everyone comes with a basic level of preparation. Quiz = establish minimum level, class + essays = develop practical application and deeper understanding.

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