Facilitator: Dr Michael Rowe, UWC
Date: 10th of April 2014, 14.00-16.00
Location: Science Seminar Room, Ground Floor, Old Sciences Building, Bellville campus
Description of seminar:
Where is the value in university courses? Is it in the content, the engagement with others, or the social spaces that are created? As new technologies find their way into university classrooms, the value of the traditional course is being challenged, especially when content is free and student engagement is moving towards online social spaces. Open online courses, including those with large numbers of participants (MOOCs), have the potential to increase access to higher education and support the development of new teaching practices.
While strong evidence for these claims is yet to emerge, online courses do introduce broader social connections, opportunities for enhanced collaboration, and exposure to many different perspectives, all of which change the educational space in ways that may improve student learning. Open online courses may offer innovative teaching and learning opportunities that can enhance the student learning experience. As social media and other online technologies become increasingly embedded in higher education, health care professionals will need to be familiar with the context of learning in open, online spaces.
This seminar will present the process of designing and implementing an open, online course that included participants from the UWC Department of Physiotherapy, as well as qualified physiotherapists from around the world. Results from the process will be presented, and recommendations made for those considering incorporating open courses in their curricula.
Seminar resources
