Free on-line course at SU Sports Management School...

[cto]

This sounds like a pretty good deal. A free, open, on-line course taught by a major player at the David Falk School of Sports Management.

https://syracuseu.coursesites.com/

 

[SteveC]

Sure, why the heck not? It's free, It's online, and it's about sports.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Back to School.

 

[llandz]

Cool. Just signed up. Now I just have to remember to go to class starting next week. Always did have a problem with that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Ah, 'Cuse in the MOOC game.

 

[CuseTroop]

Well, the wife has been trying to get me to take college classes again. This sounds like a winner.

 

[mountaincuse]

Does it say anywhere what time these are?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Does it say anywhere what time these are?

That's not how MOOCs work, really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course

 

[CuseTroop]

Meh, I can sign up from work because of the "prove you're not a robot" thing. It wont show up on my computer.

 

[mountaincuse]

That's not how MOOCs work, really. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course

So, no start time?

That wiki was a lot of reading and I didn't really get an answer...maybe I'm not cut out for more learning.

 

[CuseTroop]

scratch that, was able to prove that I was not a robot

 

[OttoinGrotto]

So, no start time?

That wiki was a lot of reading and I didn't really get an answer...maybe I'm not cut out for more learning.

Sorry, I was trying to shortcut an answer, but I have a second.

MOOCs are structurally different from a typical online course. A lot of them are loosely structured and are learn at your own pace. It looks like this particular one does have something of a standard time frame, beginning Oct. 14 and running for a month, with 6 sessions involved. My guess is the sessions may be some type of live lecture, but I'm not sure. I signed up for it really quickly and saw that it says 6 20 minute videos, so it may be live, or they may be recorded lectures you can participate in at your convenience.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Once a week they post a video online, and you watch at your leisure.

After watching, you're free to take part in their "online discussion board".

Somehow, I think their board is about to be flooded with "2-3 zone debates".

 

[mountaincuse]

Ok, I'm in.

 

[CuseTroop]

Ok, I'm in.

Can I cheat off of you?

 

[mountaincuse]

Can I cheat off of you?

As long as we don't get caught

 

[jekelish]

What exactly does this entail? I mean, I see the bullet points for what it covers. I'm just wondering if this would be something useful for me to participate in for my actual job since I work in college sports, or if this is a more general course about sports in general.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

What exactly does this entail? I mean, I see the bullet points for what it covers. I'm just wondering if this would be something useful for me to participate in for my actual job since I work in college sports, or if this is a more general course about sports in general.

You have nothing to lose by signing up, and only so, so much to gain.

 

[RollOrange]

Cheapskates. Can't even give a few credits out for participating?

 

[jekelish]

You have nothing to lose by signing up, and only so, so much to gain.

Oh I signed up. I also passed it along to our AD and our senior women's administrator in case they know of any of our student-athletes who may find it interesting.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Cheapskates. Can't even give a few credits out for participating?

That's one of the great debates in the MOOC world actually.

Disclosure - I totally am involved in this stuff professionally.

 

[jekelish]

That's one of the great debates in the MOOC world actually.

Disclosure - I totally am involved in this stuff professionally.

If you're involved in it, I am wondering what is gained other than some knowledge, at the end of the day. I mean, is this really something I'd be able to point to as having completed, or is this more like just going and finding a lecture and sitting in, and not really officially doing anything?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If you're involved in it, I am wondering what is gained other than some knowledge, at the end of the day. I mean, is this really something I'd be able to point to as having completed, or is this more like just going and finding a lecture and sitting in, and not really officially doing anything?

I don't know enough about this one in particular to really weigh in on that, or on Blackboard's coursesites endeavor to venture a guess as to what they see as the endgame. You've hit on one of the big discussions around this type of educational experience though - what does it really mean? Some of them provide a certificate, but so what?

There are a lot of well intentioned educators that feel like MOOCs are a way to democratize learning from elite institutions/educators, and it's learning for learning's sake. It's not totally clear what the market for that is, and if it's free, what exactly is the market?

 

[cto]

If you're involved in it, I am wondering what is gained other than some knowledge, at the end of the day.

Isn't gaining knowledge the purpose of an education?

At least it was back in the day when everyone majored in some Liberal Arts discipline -- and not in majors directed towards a specific career path. That's still pretty true at the Ivies where under-graduate majors are pretty much in the arts and sciences.

I am not suggesting there is anything wrong or inferior with majors outside the Liberal Arts. I would just hope the goal of those majors would also be to acquire knowledge.

 

[jekelish]

Isn't gaining knowledge the purpose of an education?

At least it was back in the day when everyone majored in some Liberal Arts discipline -- and not in majors directed towards a specific career path. That's still pretty true at the Ivies where under-graduate majors are pretty much in the arts and sciences.

I am not suggesting there is anything wrong or inferior with majors outside the Liberal Arts. I would just hope the goal of those majors would also be to acquire knowledge.

Well yes, I'm just thinking in terms of resumes, etc. I'm wondering if this would be a thing I can point to and say, "oh and I did this thing as well to bolster my knowledge" and so forth.