IBL News

Category: Platforms

  • Wesleyan University Launches Two Courses Focused on Taking Action for Social Change

    Wesleyan University Launches Two Courses Focused on Taking Action for Social Change

    IBL News | New York 

    Universities and colleges in the U.S. have their view on how to make an impact and achieve social change.

    This month, Wesleyan University announced two MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) focused on making social change. The Black Lives Matter movement of last summer inspired instructors to create these two courses.

    These online courses come on Coursera.org and enrollment is free of charge.

    • Take Action: Turning Protest to Policy. Taught by Professor of Government Mary Alice Haddad and Attorney and Associate Professor Sarah Ryan, the course focuses on strategies for action, such as using the courts, communicating across platforms, connecting with power, and making change locally.

    The course takes about 34 hours to complete. Each of the four modules contains two videos (one by Haddad or Ryan, and one by another speaker—often a TED talk), one academic reading, one general reading, and one assignment or a short quiz.  There is a final assignment about creating an original policy action plan for a specific cause.

    The assignments range from a short quiz on reading the Clean Air Act to developing a stakeholder map for an issue in your community. The final assignment involves creating an original policy action plan for a cause that you care about.


    • Designing and Building Institutional Anti-Racist Spaces (D-BIAS)     is a 23 hours course whose “mission is to teach and apply tenets of equity, anti-racism, and cultural justice to students from institutions to achieve social change.”

    This class—taught by Jonathan Perez, Visiting Lecturer in Liberal Studies—is aimed at educators and administrators, lawyers, and civil rights advocates.

    Wesleyan faculty and scholars are currently teaching 16 courses and specializations on Coursera.

  • The Top 40 Most Popular Courses at the Beginning of 2021 According to Class Central

    The Top 40 Most Popular Courses at the Beginning of 2021 According to Class Central

    IBL News | New York

    Forty courses released by Coursera, edX, Future, and Swayam registered the highest rating among ClassCentral.com’s users.

    The course directory webpage listed the following courses:

    On Coursera

     

    On edX

     

    On FutureLearn

     

    On Swayam

     

  • Bitcoin SV Academy: A New Online Learning Platform, with a First Free Course Open to Enrollment

    Bitcoin SV Academy: A New Online Learning Platform, with a First Free Course Open to Enrollment

    IBL News | New York

    Switzerland-based Bitcoin Association launched last week an educational online platform about this currency, Bitcoin SV Academy.

    “It offers academia-quality, university-style courses, and learning materials to make learning about Bitcoin—the way creator Satoshi Nakamoto designed it, accessible, accurate, and understandable,” explained Bitcoin Association.

    Courses are divided into three chapters: Theory, Development, and Infrastructure:

    For now, the platform offers one course open to enrollment: Introduction to Bitcoin Theory. It has been designed for beginners, and it includes 13 lessons, requiring about nine hours of study. Its access is free.

    “Introductory level courses will be offered free of charge for the foreseeable future, part of Bitcoin Association’s commitment to making Bitcoin education available to as wide of an audience as possible,” stated the organization.

    Two more courses are scheduled for Spring 2021.

    “Bitcoin SV Academy will provide a platform to deliver a robust curriculum tailored to all levels of ability and knowledge, as we educate the world about just what’s possible with the power of the original Bitcoin protocol,” announced Jimmy Nguyen, Founding President at Bitcoin Association.

  • WordPress.com Issues Two Subscription-Based Courses on Blogging and Podcasting

    WordPress.com Issues Two Subscription-Based Courses on Blogging and Podcasting

    IBL News | New York

    WordPress.com has started this month a customer education initiative with two subscription-based courses: Blogging for Beginners and Podcasting for Beginners.

    Automattic—the company behind WordPress—plans to launch additional courses in 2021.

    Its learning offering revolves around the topic of how to grow a web presence by strategically using tools–its tools–for building a brand, blog, or community online.

    This past Spring, WordPress.com released free daily and in-depth topical webinars. Months later, taking into account customer feedback, Automattic created WPCourses.com (or WordPress Courses).

    These classes include weekly office hours with experts, a certificate of completion, access to a private community online, and virtual meetups scheduled quarterly.

    “Our vision is to create a supportive community where you can meet new people, share ideas, and grow together,” said Monica Ohara, Chief Marketing Officer at WordPress.com.To create those courses, Automattic has used a combination of its own tools, such as WooCommerce, Jetpack, Sensei LMS, P2, Tumblr, and WordPress VIP

    • Podcasting for Beginners — “Video-driven course with over six hours of original video content. Lessons include finding a niche, choosing a podcast format, recording and editing interviews, submitting to podcast directories, growing an audience, and making revenue from a podcast. An annual subscription for access to the Podcasting for Beginners course and community is $99.”
    • Blogging for Beginners, — “Soft-launched in October, it provides on-demand, text-based foundational lessons to establish a successful blog. Lessons include building a blog, understanding audiences, design, writing for the internet, branding, and how to grow and make revenue from a blog. An annual subscription for access to the Blogging for Beginners course and community is $49.”
  • Coursera Curates a Collection of Courses Inspired on Disney’s and Pixar’s Soul Movie

    Coursera Curates a Collection of Courses Inspired on Disney’s and Pixar’s Soul Movie

    IBL News | New York

    Coursera has curated a themed collection of courses that focuses on learners’ artistic and creative interests, in a promotional celebration of Disney & Pixar’s Soul streaming on Disney+ on December 25.

    This collection includes courses and specializations such as The Science of Well-Being from Yale University, The DIY Musician from Berklee College of Music, Achieving Personal and Professional Success from the University of Pennsylvania, and Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life: Living for What Matters Most from the University of Michigan.

    The course Brilliant, Passionate You includes stories from students, doctors, teachers, and professional athletes, along with imagery from Soul.

    “Finding purpose and passion is fundamental to both learning and living. Soul’s characters and themes capture so much of what this new course is about,” said James DeVaney, Associate Vice Provost and the founding director of U-M’s Center for Academic Innovation, which developed the course.

    “We’re honored to collaborate with Disney and Pixar and we’re excited for learners inspired by Soul and our courses to discover more ways to live a life of passion and purpose,” wrote in a blog-post Stephanie Hale, Director of Brand at Coursera.

     

  • Cuomo Hires Coursera.org to Provide Unemployed New Yorkers with Access to Training Programs

    Cuomo Hires Coursera.org to Provide Unemployed New Yorkers with Access to Training Programs

    IBL News | New York

    Coursera.org signed up this month a partnership with The New York State Department of Labor in order to provide unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers with free access to 4,000 courses, programs, and professional certificates in business and technology.

    The announcement–made by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on November 17th—focuses on training on high-growth and in-demand sectors like advanced manufacturing, technology, and health care, among others.

    “The war against COVID-19 is one taking place on multiple fronts, and while we are doing everything we can to protect the health of New Yorkers, we must also take the steps necessary for building back a strong economy,” Governor Cuomo said. “Whether it’s taking a refresher course or learning a new skill, I encourage all New Yorkers in need to consider taking advantage of this free program.”  

    This is a range of classes offered on Coursera:

    • How to Manage a Remote Team
    • Business Writing
    • Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design and ManufacturingMachine Learning
    • Motors and Motor Control Circuits
    • Generative Design for Additive Manufacturing
    • Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects
    • Marketing in a Digital World
    • Supply Chain Operations
    • Influencing People
    • The Science of Well-Being
    • Data Science Specialization
    • Project Management
    • Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
    • Python for Everybody
    • Cybersecurity
    • Google IT Support Professional Certificate
    • The Business of Health Care Specialization
    • Epidemiology for Public Health Specialization
    • Medical Neuroscience
    • Financial Markets
    • Facebook Social Media Marketing
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Introduction to Game Development
    • The Art of Negotiation
    • AI for Everyone
    • Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS
    • Introduction to HTML5
    • Understanding User Needs
    • Use Mailchimp to Build an E-mail Marketing Campaign
    • Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset: First Step Towards Success
    • Introduction to iOS App Development
    • Principles of Game Design


    During the pandemic, Coursera has reached agreements with 330 government agencies across 70 countries and 30 US states and cities to provide training to impacted workers. Coursera says that since it launched its Workforce Recovery Initiative, more than 1 million workers have enrolled in over 7 million courses to gain critical skills.

  • Coursera Offers Government Agencies Fighting Unemployment Free Access to Its 3,800 Courses

    Coursera Offers Government Agencies Fighting Unemployment Free Access to Its 3,800 Courses

    IBL News | New York

    Coursera announced yesterday its Workforce Recovery Initiative will provide governments free access to 3,800 online courses and 400 Specializations until the end of the year.

    This promotional offer is part of the Coursera for Government effort, launched in 2017.

    The U.S. states of Illinois, Arizona, and Oklahoma, as well as the governments of Colombia, Costa Rica, Greece, Malaysia, Panama, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, are the first to make the initiative available to their unemployed workers, according to Coursera.

    The U.S. states and countries around the world can sign up until September 30, 2020, and those enrolled by then can learn until the end of the year.

    The Workforce Recovery Initiative covers critical business, technology, and data science skills taught by leading universities, along with Professional Certificates from industry educators like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

  • A Practical Course from MIT on edX Teaches How to Shape Your Future in the Age of AI

    A Practical Course from MIT on edX Teaches How to Shape Your Future in the Age of AI

    IBL News | New York

    MIT released a free, practical, eight-week-long course that provides resources and tools to plan a career path in the age of increasing dominance of artificial intelligence.

    The course, Shaping Work of the Future, is available through MITx on edX and may be accessed at any time of the year. So far, over 17,000 learners have enrolled in the class.

    Participants are eligible to sign up and receive an MITx Certificate upon completion.

    Now in its sixth year, Shaping Work of the Future, has added new content, such as case studies and lectures from MIT’s leading technology and workplace academics. This year’s partnerships include, among others, the World Economic Forum and the International Labor Organization.

    “The course goes beyond the headlines and focuses instead on what steps we can actually take to impact the future of work along with future-proofing our own skillset,” said the authors.

    The key to this year’s new content are findings from the initial report by the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future with a focus on how to improve the quality of jobs, reduce income inequality and provide opportunities for long-term career success for everyone in the labor force. Additionally, featuring a case study on Optimax Systems, Inc.’s innovative management philosophy built on three key pillars, along with a a discussion on the ways participants can bring their ideas to fruition around the creation of a new social contract.

    Co-designers of the course includes Thomas Kochan, George Maverick Bunker, the Professor of Management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and the co-director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research, and Elisabeth Reynolds, executive director of the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future and the MIT Industrial Performance Center.

    Kochan has contributed two new lectures on “High Road Business Practices” and “The Role of Government” to the curriculum. Meanwhile, Dr. Reynolds’s contributed lectures on “Geography of Work” and “Policy Recommendations from the Task Force.”

    David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics at MIT, added a new lecture on “Work of the Past: Work of the Future”.

    “If we take the right actions, we can empower workers to build rewarding careers and shape the future of work in ways that meet the needs of individuals, families, economies, and societies,” said Prof. Kochan. “To do so, we first need to understand how work is changing, how firms can compete and prosper while still supporting good jobs, how to update the policies, institutions, and practices governing the world of work, and then outline a path for everyone to help build a new social contract. That’s what this course is all about!”

    Session topics are:

    Class 1: Challenges & Opportunities for Work: Today and Tomorrow

    Class 2: The Past Century of Work

    Class 3: How Emerging Technologies are Changing Work

    Class 4: Rethinking Skills and Education

    Class 5: The Role of Business in Shaping Work

    Class 6: The Role of Labor in Shaping Work

    Class 7: The Role of Civic Institutions and Government in Shaping Work

    Class 8: Putting it all Together: Social Contract Phase 2 and Developing a Personal Impact Plan

     

     

     

  • LabXchange.org Provides an Overview of the Features of Its Open edX-Based Science Platform

    LabXchange.org Provides an Overview of the Features of Its Open edX-Based Science Platform

    IBL News | New York

    edX provided this month with an overview of some of the technical features of LabXchange.org—Harvard University’s and Amgen Foundation’s recently launched new science education platform. These include a tool called Blockstore, Content Libraries version 2, a new XBlock Runtime, anonymous access, and a new visual assessment editor.

    Powered by Open edX open-source software and integrated with edX.org, the LabXchange platform uniquely allows users to freely combine assets together to create and share their own “learning pathways”, which contain videos, text, graphics, assessments, lab simulations, and other instructional assets. Much of the content focuses on the biological sciences.

    “You can actually pick the ones you want, sequence them into a learning pathway, and create a much shorter experience that’s really tailored to exactly what you need to learn,” explained Professor Robert Lue, Harvard’s faculty director of LabXchange. “We aim to address some of the gaps with current virtual learning, such as the lack of flexibility in the course structure.”

    The development of the platform and the program took two years. As a founding sponsor, the Amgen Foundation provided $11.5 million in grants. edX and European provider OpenCraft developed the code –partially available on GitHub.

    According to the Open edX website, these are the six most prominent features:

    • Single Sign On. Users can use a single account to learn on both LabXchange.org and edX.org, as the same LMS technology powers both sites.
      This was implemented using the auth-backends plugin, which allows any Django-based application to share user accounts with an Open edX instance.
    • XBlocks. Each piece of content on the LabXchange site, such as a video or interactive simulation, is an XBlock, just like each component of an edX or Open edX course. Most of the XBlocks used for LabXchange are identical to the versions used to build courses on edX.org, although many have a stylesheet applied to match the visual style of the LabXchange site. A few unique XBlocks are used for new content types unique to LabXchange, such as case studies or interactive simulations.
    • Blockstore. Blockstore is the next-generation content storage system for the Open edX platform, designed to replace the previous “modulestore” and “contentstore” systems that store data in MongoDB. Blockstore is versioned, scalable, format-agnostic, and file-based. That means that it provides a consistent foundation layer that can store video assets, XBlock definitions (OLX), metadata/tags, courses, and other things we haven’t yet thought of. Blockstore is designed to be able to hold terabytes of such data without losing performance. It’s also deliberately simple, creating a platform that developers can use to build experimental Open edX features and plugins much more easily than ever before.
    • Content Libraries v2, built using a new XBlock Runtime v2. This XBlock introduces the concept of “Learning Context” to the Open edX platform, where a learning context can be a course, a content library, a LabXchange pathway, a blog post, an admissions test, or any other virtual place where learning can happen. Using the LabXchange site, educators can search these content libraries to find content and assemble learning assets (XBlocks) into new learning pathways.
    • Anonymous Access – Users can use many features of LabXchange without needing to register an account, including viewing and interacting with learning assets (XBlocks).
    • Visual Assessment Editor. LabXchange uses a new visual UI and style editor for problems designed to simplify both learning and authoring. It will be available to all in a future version of Open edX Studio. (See the graphic below).

     

    • IBL News, January 24: Harvard and Amgen Announce LabXchange.org, an Open Platform with Scientific Content

  • Imperial College Launches a Free Course Explaining the Science Behind the Response to the Coronavirus

    Imperial College Launches a Free Course Explaining the Science Behind the Response to the Coronavirus

    IBL News | New York

    As the coronavirus (COVID19) spread goes on, with 2,460 deaths and 78,630 infected so far, online learning resources multiply.

    This month, Imperial College London launched on Coursera a free online course about the science behind the response to the virus outbreak.

    “Science Matters: Let’s talk about COVID19” features on video experts from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics who have been working on modeling the epidemic, estimating the epidemic size, transmissibility, and severity since the first confirmed cases.

    The course provides with updates on the state of the epidemic and deals with topics including:

    • Basic Reproduction Number (R0) of an infection
    • Case Fatality Rate: Why it varies and why that matters
    • Community participation and the role of social media
    • Economics of an outbreak
    • Developments of a vaccine in real-time epidemics
    • Clinical presentations of COVID19

    Imperial College’s School of Public Health has launched a number of open specializations including “Epidemiology for Public Health”, “Foundations of Public Health Practice” and “Statistical Analysis for Public Health”. These specializations are part of Imperial’s first fully online degree, the Global Master of Public Health, also available via Coursera.