Discussion Coursera, edX, Udacity...the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

[Carolyn]

Online learning made social
Smoocer is the app that improves your MOOC experience by connecting you to a study group.

Smoocer allows you to socialize by connecting you to the other students taking your MOOC. Now you have real conversations with your peers. Join the learning community that adds a human experience to your learning.

Visit Smoocer.com

 

[Carolyn]

EMMA is a 30 month pilot action supported by the European Union. EMMA showcases excellence in innovative teaching methodologies and learning approaches and offers free, open, online courses in multiple languages from different European universities to help preserve Europe’s rich cultural, educational and linguistic heritage and to promote crosscultural and multi-lingual learning.

Following the successful launch of the EMMA platform in autumn 2014, the EMMA team are delighted to announce a new progamme of free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which you can sign up to from today. These MOOCs are open to learners all over the world and include a variety of different topics each lasting between 6 and 8 weeks. They are all offered by the new European Multiple MOOC Aggregator, called EMMA for short, which brings together leading university partners providing online, easy-to-access learning opportunities that are open to all learners. Each of these MOOCs are offered in different European languages (Estonian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese) with translations and transcriptions in English.

Learners are welcome to test out the learning platform in different languages to find the MOOC that best meets their needs and interests. Teachers and learning providers are also invited to consider adding elements of EMMA MOOCs to their own existing courses to add new perspectives and innovative learning opportunities.

If you are interested in having your own MOOC on the EMMA platform check out the criteria & conditions here. You are also invited to take part in the EMMA Summer School on designing MOOCs which will take place on the beautiful Italian island of Ischia in July 2015. This Summerschool is organised in collaboration with Federica Weblearning platform and The European Association for Technology Enhanced Learning. You will find more information about this event here.

EMMA is experimental in nature and uses an integrated advanced automatic translation service. Feedback from the wider educational community is always welcome to help us to improve the platform. For more information about individual MOOCs and to register for a MOOC, visit the EMMA website at www.europeanmoocs.eu.For more information about EMMA, contact the EMMA Press office at info@europeanmoocs.eu. EMMA is a 30 month pilot action supported by the European Union.

Source: EMMA Press release 25/02/15 - See attachment

 

[Carolyn]

MOOCs University App is a Proximity-based Social and Educational Network App helping people interested in or already taking MOOCs to connect, help and learn from each other.
Anyone Anywhere Interested in MOOCs from Any Platform or MOOC Provider can use App to connect with others interested in MOOCs in their neighborhood, school, city, state, region, country, or countries of interest.

App Features include,

- MOOCers Near: Proximity-based feature to see & reach out to other MOOCers near you or around the world

- MOOCers Chat: Live Chat feature enables you to talk live with other MOOCers around the world about MOOCs 24/7.

- MOOCers Wall: MOOCers can post announcements to this wall seeking other MOOCers interested in same MOOC subject area;specific MOOC or just about anything related to MOOCs.

- MOOC Meetups provides users with a list and map of MOOC Meetup groups worldwide.

- Most up to date Directories of Higher Ed, K-12, and Other MOOC Providers

- MOOC Credentials feature provides users with information on and links to MOOC Verified Certificates and Series by the leading MOOC platforms.

- Listing of leading MOOC Resources available to help you search for and evaluate potential MOOCs you may want to take. From listings of the top MOOC search engines, MOOC review sites, MOOC tutorings sites to Online Book sites and others.

- MOOC Sounds: In an effort to help some of you who may find themselves in loud, non-private shared computer labs/hubs/trains/buses or coffee shop environments to focus on your MOOC work, a selection of soothing instrumental background music is shared here.

- MOOC Blogs, including shared student success MOOC stories, from the some of the world's leading MOOC providers and their MOOCers are provided here.

- Latest Twitter MOOCsNews & information are provided to help you stay abreast of the latest developments in MOOCs worldwide.

Available for iOS or Android

Our hope is that this free app can be of some help in whatever MOOC journey you embark on.

 

[brewbooks]

I am currently trying two of these on demand classes from Coursera: calculus One form Ohio State and Human Physiology from Duke University. I have to report that I am tending to procrastinate on these classes more than my other Coursera classes.

 

[Carolyn]

Thanks for sharing @brewbooks . Maybe you could tell us why you think you are procrastinating more on these courses...

 

[Nedzad]

Will try it, and will make a review
Thnx of posting, Carolyn.

 

[Carolyn]

Will try it, and will make a review

That's great - I look forward to reading your feedback.

 

[Carolyn]

Udemy for Business Announces New Customers and Platform Growth
MARCH 3, 2015 BY EMILY
Udemy for Business, Udemy’s corporate learning platform, announced some major momentum, including signing on new customers Esri, Lyft andMixpanel. Our Udemy for Business customer count has quadrupled in the past year, and has grown an average of 172 percent quarter-over-quarter since inception.

But that’s not all! To date, the Udemy for Business subscription has tripled its course library to 1,000 total courses. We’ve added a significant bundle of new courses necessary for sales, technology and management skills development. Additionally, the team launched the HR Innovators event series, which has brought together more than 600 HR leaders around the Bay Area.

We’re excited to see this momentum continue as more companies realize the critical need to provide their employees with access to skills training to stay up-to-speed and competitive!

You can read the full news release here. Please email business@udemy.com for more information on the Udemy for Business offering or HR Innovators events.

Source: https://blog.udemy.com/udemy-for-business-announces-new-customers-and-platform-growth/

 

[Carolyn]

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School is offering a series of Business Foundations specialization courses through Coursera, starting April 6th 2015.
Top-rated capstone projects will be reviewed by Wharton-trained staff and industry partners. All students who register for the entire specialization, and/or complete the capstone will receive a Wharton Digital Press book bundle. The top 50 students in the specialization (determined by quiz scores, peer review and Wharton-trained staff) will have application fees to Wharton waived upon submission of a complete application.
Wharton will also offer up to five $20,000 scholarships to students admitted to its MBA program who have excelled in completion of the Specialization in the previous twelve months.

To sign up: https://www.coursera.org/specialization/whartonfoundations/38?utm_medium=listingPage

 

[brewbooks]

Thanks for sharing @brewbooks . Maybe you could tell us why you think you are procrastinating more on these courses...

I have a list of tasks I work on daily. These on-demand courses just never make it to the top of the stack. I guess deadlines help me prioritize my time. (BTW - these are both excellent classes.)

 

[Carolyn]

Yes, self-paced courses offer great flexibility for busy work schedules, but the big drawback is the lack of deadlines making it harder to stick to a schedule.

 

[Carolyn]

For mobile & browsers

Plexi NLP TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read) app & Plugin provide a condensed summary of the main ideas of online articles enabling users to get the essential information from long-form content.
Watch this video to see how it works:

For more information, go to: http://www.stremor.com/plexi_tldr.html

 

[Nina]

Just discovered a free language learning app called Mondly Languages.
Looks like fun. Follow the link to check it out http://mondlylanguages.com/

 

[Carolyn]

Accredible, a provider of online credentials as a service, has partnered with Udacity to provide digital certificates for Udacity's Nanodegree programs. The online certificates showcase a summary of the student's learning trajectory.

Whenever you start a new Nanodegree, a new evidence portfolio within your Udacity profile is automatically created. The portfolio automatically populates with evidence of your learning as you work through your projects and submit your work, leaving you free to focus on learning. Students can also upload their own pieces to supplement the certificate.
https://accredible.com/news/introdu...sional%20profiles%20powered%20by%20accredible

This enables employers to get a clearer idea of what the graduate is capable of in real terms, and lends hope to the value and recognition of MOOC and low cost online course accreditation.

 

[Carolyn]

Iversity have some new features to help you get more out of your MOOC!

1. LinkedIn Integration

Now you can post your accomplishments directly to your LinkedIn account. Simply go to the Certificates page of a course and you will find an “Add to Profile” button below where you can download your certificate. This is a great way to show current and future employers the results of your hard work.

2. Quizzes

When taking a quiz, you will now be able to see more information, such as what type of question you are answering (whether single or multiple choice) as well as how many times you have attempted to answer the question.

Take a look at the step by step guide on how to submit answers and navigate between questions.

1. Submitting an Answer
To submit an answer to a question, simply select your answer(s) and click the circular blue button in the bottom right hand corner of the quiz. If you answer correctly, you will automatically move to the next question or unit. If you answer incorrectly, you will have the opportunity to try again.

2. Moving to the Next Question
If you are stuck on a question, you can manually move to the next question by clicking “try later”.

3. Moving between Questions
You can also move freely between questions using the tabs at the top of the screen. A green tab indicates that you have answered that question correctly.

3. Sections and Milestones

Courses can now have multiple tracks with different degrees of difficulty. Advanced tracks will cover the same topics as less advanced ones but in greater detail. You’ll be able to pick a track depending on how challenging you find the material. Enrol in Molecular Basis of Nutrition-Related Diseases to see this new feature in action.

Some courses now have milestones after certain chapters. When you reach a new milestone, your Statement of Participation will automatically update to show how much you have progressed. Enrol in Disasters and Ecosystems: Resilience in a Changing Climate to see this feature in action.
4. Proctored Exam Guidelines

You can now see even more clearly what you can and cannot do before participating in an online proctored exam.


2015 iversity
Images: iversity

 

[Nedzad]

I need to check this platfrom :d

 

[Susan]

Didn't know about this site. Thanks for sharing

 

[Carolyn]

Below are 4 exciting new EdTech developments for students and educators showcased at the SXSWedu conference and featured on the educationdrive.com site.


Zaption – Zaption transforms video-based learning with interactive content and tools that engage learners, deepen understanding, and track progress. Teachers, trainers and instructional designers use Zaption to quickly add images, text, and questions to existing online videos. With Zaption's Analytics, instructors get immediate feedback on how viewers interact with content and understand key concepts.

GlassLab – GlassLab helps students learn via videogames by working in partnership with successful gaming software companies and building on existing successful videogames in order to add an educational element.

Ideaphora – Ideaphora has created a browser-based knowledge mapping tool that integrates with online material, presented all-in-one screen. The Ideaphora technology supports educators in broadening the educational applications of knowledge mapping for instruction and assessment. As students interact with online content, Ideaphora empowers them to identify, connect, organize and analyze concepts. Students learn to discover ideas, evaluate their thinking, and apply their knowledge in a digital environment. Ideaphora easily and intuitively works with the growing array of digital learning resources through partnerships with other companies and as a stand-alone tool for teachers and students.

Brainly – Brainly is a social learning network for students to help each other with their homework.

 

[Carolyn]

Busuu iOS App, a free language learning app, has been selected as 1 of the "Best New Apps" and “Best Education Apps” in the App Store.

For more information about the Busuu app, go to https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/learn-french-spanish-german/id379968583?mt=8

 

[Carolyn]

With a Nanodegree you can advance your career, learn to code, build a portfolio of projects, expand your professional network and ultimately change your life. But here's one more reason: register today and get half of your tuition back.

Get 50% of Your Tuition Back When You Graduate

Udacity will give you back 50% of your tuition when you graduate from a Nanodegree program. But hurry, you must enroll by May 12 to take advantage.*

6 Days To Enroll in a Nanodegree

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*This is a one-time only offer. To qualify, you need to have enrolled before May 12th 2015, remain enrolled, and be in compliance with Udacity’s Terms of Use until you graduate. You’ll need to complete the program within 12 months of your initial enrollment date. Students whose employers cover or reimburse tuition costs do not qualify. Programs completed before May 6, 2015 are not eligible for reimbursement either.