Category: Online education

  • Self-regulated Learning and Age in a Hybrid Course

    Earlier this spring, I worked with a wonderful faculty member to conduct research into a new hybrid version of an introductory Spanish course at our university.  He changed some sections of a 4-credit course that typically meets four days each week to so that they only met two days each week with a substantial increase…

  • Are High Impact Practices Available Online?

    I am still wrestling with my unease with MOOCs and I think I’ve finally figured out why: High impact educational practices, as we understand them today, are unlikely at best and impossible at worst in MOOCs and other similar online environments. First, it’s helpful to understand that “high impact practice” (HIP) is a term of…

  • Data Analysis MOOC Week 3: I’m a Dropout

    Despite my best intentions, I have become another MOOC dropout.  Why am I not continuing to participate in this free course? The format isn’t compelling.  The course is primarily built around four components: video lectures and notes, weekly quizzes, a discussion board, and two peer-graded assignments. The lectures are alright and although there are many…

  • Data Analysis MOOC Week 2: Muddling Through Frustration

    I have watched the online videos and successfully completed the quiz for week 2 of the data analysis MOOC in which I am enrolled. I struggled quite a bit with some of the R syntax and that made the quiz a very frustrating experience. I have two observations to share about what I learned this…

  • Data Analysis MOOC Week 1: I’m Going to Hate This

    This semester, I have signed up for a data analysis class being taught in Coursera. This is a massively open online course (MOOC).  I’m tech savvy and well educated but it seems like the most responsible way for me to really learn about MOOCs is to gain some firsthand experience.  I also hope to learn…