When I began this design experiment, I was intrigued because I was familiar with MITOCW, but had not been exposed to KA. I knew I could learn more and possibly even bulk up my math skills while I was learning about the system. An area I can definitely use some brushing up! :-)
In this blog, I will break down my observations into three pieces. The first will talk about the technology behind MITOCW and KA and then their affordances. Last, but not least, I will talk about what theoretical approaches and lessons I would use to implement a career development course using the resources in MITOCW and KA.
Technology behind MITOCWThe first thing I noticed about MITOCW was the extensive course listings. Courses range from high school leadership to graduate level computer science. The courses are easily searchable, both by category or collection. You can search through course subjects or collections. The collections were quite impressive because you can look for courses with online textbooks, video courses, etc. The website itself is very user friendly and has a very simple user interface. The second thing I noticed was how real it felt. I watched several videos and felt like I was really in an MIT classroom, which, to be honest, was pretty enlightening, but also a little overwhelming!
Some of the problems I ran into with this system were that while the course list is expansive, it didn't have the more entry-level type courses I am looking to implement for my classes. I also felt like the average student could immediately get intimidated by some of the more complex courses and feel defeated.
The first thing I took note of when reviewing KA was the user-friendly interface and the extensive course listings, with a particular emphasis on math and science. Courses range from SAT Prep to computer programming to early math. The system also provides an excellent checklist for educators to work through when developing and learning how to develop courses. You can even view it from the student's perspective, which is very helpful in course planning.
Another part I thought was so helpful was the option to take an already created course and modify it to fit your needs or start from scratch and build it yourself. It has lots of options that don't pigeon hole you into one way of teaching - which I believe would prove quite beneficial. Lastly, you can watch a plethora of videos of from other teachers and review the success statistics prior to deciding to implement this in your teaching. One thing I did find interesting is that the majority of their success stories were not from the US, mostly from Ireland. Not a problem - just interesting.
Affordances of MITOCWAnother part I thought was so helpful was the option to take an already created course and modify it to fit your needs or start from scratch and build it yourself. It has lots of options that don't pigeon hole you into one way of teaching - which I believe would prove quite beneficial. Lastly, you can watch a plethora of videos of from other teachers and review the success statistics prior to deciding to implement this in your teaching. One thing I did find interesting is that the majority of their success stories were not from the US, mostly from Ireland. Not a problem - just interesting.
The first affordance of MITOCW is that it exposes students to a level of coursework and prestigious professors who they may not be able to access otherwise. Second, MITOCW allows students to take the courses at their own pace, which teaches the student personal responsibility and time management. Lastly, just like many of the systems we have reviewed thus far, it teaches students accountability by giving assigned due dates for assignments, posts, and other work. These are all life skills that are imperative to being successful as they get older.
Affordances of KA
The first affordance of KA is that it provides students the opportunity to learn anywhere, anytime. Second, KA allows students to have access to systems that may not have previously had access to, such as SAT Prep or AP Exam review. I remember in high school my parents paid for me to go through SAT Prep courses and would have been thrilled to have this free online option. Lastly, in similar fashion to MITOCW, it teaches students accountability by giving assigned due dates for assignments, posts, and other work. These are marketable skills that are imperative to being successful in the future.
Implementing KA & MITOCW in the Classroom through the use of third-party applications
MITOCW lesson: Leadership - where do we go from here?
Technical Knowledge
This course is designed to rely heavily on student's personal experiences and contributions. This course requires that student's attend, participate, and help others have a meaningful first-year experience. While the course does contain pre-prepared lectures, this is only to provide the course with some structure. The course will include some classroom based sessions, a leadership retreat (we will do something different than the live portion of the original course - our retreat will take place on campus at the ropes course), Leadership Lunches (these will take place on campus as well with professors and important campus leaders of the student's choosing), and lastly, small group discussion sections. These discussions will take place online via Google Groups.
Pedagogical Approach
With the MITOCW lesson, I would apply the seminar style environment as the course suggests, to enhance the student's leadership abilities. The Leadership Course (Fall 2014) in MITOCW improves the leadership capabilities of first-year graduate students. The initial leadership retreat on-campus at the ropes course will build trust, encourage teamwork and enhance communications. Readings and assignments emphasize the characteristics of effective leadership. Important campus faculty and leaders will attend and participate in the "Leadership Lunch" story-telling series to share their experiences and to provide recommendations for students with reference to future leadership opportunities. Discussions help explore and further probe leadership development. The learning experience culminates in a personal leadership plan the student can implement in the future, either in their education or their professional life.
This course could be used in conjunction with the career course I would like to implement possibly. I thought it was amazing that they also had a similar course for high school students! That course wasn't exactly what I needed, but it would be great for high school educators.
Khan Academy: GMAT Preparation
Technical Knowledge
The creators of the GMAT have given Khan Academy exclusive access and advice to build a personalized FREE practice program for anyone, anywhere. These tools are available now for every student to take ownership of their learning and their future.
Pedagogical Approach
The approach I would take to implement GMAT preparation into a senior-level career course would be through learning and exploring. Students progress will be assessed through the completion of practice courses and followed up with discussion of types of questions in class.
While these are my opinions - Bill Gates has a few too on MITOCW!
Check out this video on Khan Academy too from CBS.You will notice that Bill Gates supports this one too! Is Khan Academy the future of education?
Overall, I think MIT OpenCourseware & Kahn Academy have some good qualities but is more focused in the math, science, and education. It has many entry-level, advanced, and senior level courses and is definitely something that would benefit distance and online educators and learners.
Now you can be the judge - which one do you choose? For me, it's Kahn Academy, but MIT OpenCourseware is a very, very close second.
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