Khan Academy and Coursera

Khan Academy - www.khanacademy.org

When I first visited the site, I did see this as something I would use myself. I think it is always better to see what other ways of learning/teaching is possible. I will also encourage my future students to use this website. I have even shown this website to my nephew already (he is a sixth grade student), and I think it will help him a lot with his math homework. Math is one of those subjects where there are so many different ways of doing a problem. I think this site would be helpful not only as possibly a different method to a math problem, but it would serve as a second tool to use to reinforce math skills learned. I do think that the videos are easy to follow on the site, and I believe that the step-by-step instruction is crucial. I think that Salman Khan takes his time in going through the steps of a problem and that is crucial for math. One little mistake can change everything! I do believe that Salman Khan is right when he states that we will rely more on "credentialing" through the use of online courses. I do think that this style of education makes learning way more accessible for more students. I am decent at math, but I don't know calculus. If my nephew (just one example) were to come home from high school one day with a question, I may not know the answer - and online learning is a great way to find out this information! Even if you're not sure about something - you can always find an answer online!


Coursera - www.coursera.org

When I explored the Coursera course offerings, I really found interest in finance and computer technology classes. Columbus State does not accept Coursera transfer credits. I think that Coursera courses would be as interesting as online courses at Columbus State. I really do like the set-up of modules that Koller talked about in her speech. (Where you can learn each topic in different steps instead of everything at once). I have taken a lot of online courses at Columbus State, and I believe my experience would be almost the same between the two. I do think that MOOCs (massive open online courses) are the wave of the future. I believe that being able to take online courses, at your own pace, and earning credentials for it (certificates, etc.) will really be a big part of our future. The available access to students, and free education will open many more opportunities for students to go to school and work full-time without suffering from money and time constraints. MOOCs are great opportunities for all students, and it will be a wave of the future.

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