MOOCs: a new dimension to Sixth Form study
St Benedict’s Sixth Form students are now taking Massive Open Online Courses alongside their A levels, in the latest initiative to extend knowledge and add a new dimension to their learning.
MOOCs are offered by universities from all around the world. There are thousands of courses on offer, covering a vast range of subjects.
MOOCs are readily accessible and enable many people to develop their education, knowledge and skills. The extra dimension they add to Sixth Form education is particularly beneficial; courses can enhance and extend A level study, or allow students to do something new, such as learning a language.
MOOCs can also help students to achieve a specific goal: future medics might choose to explore Medical Ethics, for example.
Courses normally last around 4 weeks, and require about 2-3 hours of work per week. The aim is that, by the end of the year, students will have completed at least one MOOC.
What are the advantages of doing a MOOC?
MOOCs can…
- offer courses which complement A level subjects, deepening knowledge and insight
- offer courses which relate to subjects they wish to study at university (such as Law)
- enhance UCAS statements
How will MOOC study time be allocated?
Sixth Form students will…
- put aside 3 study periods per week to complete a chosen MOOC course
- complete any additional study time at home
- liaise with form tutors to update on progress regularly – at least once each half term
- give a 5 minute presentation on their MOOC in the Summer Term
Here are some of the courses our students have chosen this term:
Animal Behaviour and Welfare (The University of Edinburgh)
Buddhism and Modern Psychology (Princeton University)
Understanding ADHD (Kings College, London)
Dangerous Questions: Why Academic Freedom Matters (University of Oslo)
High Conflict in Law: Personality Disorders and Disputes (University of Newcastle, Australia) Astrophysics: The Violent Universe (Australian National University)
Introduction to Neuroeconomics: How the brain makes decisions (National Research University of Economics)
Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects (McMaster University, Canada)
Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economics (Harvard University)
Maths for Humans: Inverse Relations and Power Laws (University of Sydney)
Fashion as Design (MoMA, New York)
Social Media: How Media got Social (Curtin University, Australia)
Contract War (Harvard University)
Viruses and how to beat them: Cells, Immunity, Vaccines (Tel Aviv University)
The Opioid Crisis in America (Harvard University)
Nutrition and Cancer (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)
Basic Chinese (Arizona State University)
Malaria: Defeating Malaria from Genes to the Globe (Harvard University)