Technology advancements have allowed for information to be spread almost anywhere. In an effort to incorporate modern communication tools, educators around the world are experimenting with online courses in order to accommodate even the busiest of students.
Expanding their online presence, Temple University is now offer its first massive open online course (MOOC). The Quantitative Methods for Business course is open for anyone to join – free of charge, and presents material from the Fox School of Business‘ Online MBA program.
Dr. Darin Kapanjie, managing director of Fox Online and Digital Learning, will be the course’s main instructor.
“I think Temple’s MOOC program is one of the best because we’re delivering a real course,” said Kapanjie. “We’re grading at a traditional level, providing students the means to collaborate with one another and utilizing some online services that no else are using.”
Since the courses are free, many universities that are employing the MOOC system have noticed that completion rates are considerably low. However, Temple’s course is currently looking at around a 20 percent completion rate, which is significantly higher than most programs.
Kapanjie believes the higher rate is correlated to the course’s emphasis on student engagement.
Students enrolled in the course learn from a variety of video lectures and readings and then come together once a week through an online session to work as a group and solve specific problems.
Although many believe traditional education will remain the most demanded type of learning, Kapanjie thinks online courses, such as MOOCs, will certainly play a factor in the future.
“Online education is in its infancy,” Kapanjie said. “We still have a lot of growing to do but I think the accessible structure these courses offer works and I think it’s here to stay.”
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