tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332084296563057056.post2879125785088559650..comments2023-10-23T08:42:38.441-07:00Comments on MOOC Reviews: The Holocaust (UC Santa Cruz, Coursera) - great course but highlights some difficulties with moocsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332084296563057056.post-6458599511132545252015-08-13T15:50:39.677-07:002015-08-13T15:50:39.677-07:00It is almost impossible to find the readings here ...It is almost impossible to find the readings here in Brazil. I think this is the biggest problem of MOOC and for the Holocaust course itself. International students may not find all the readings available. Hildahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14024469482947249127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332084296563057056.post-77626896865389948072013-08-25T12:27:06.674-07:002013-08-25T12:27:06.674-07:00Why have you chosen to not attach yur name to this...Why have you chosen to not attach yur name to this blog?<br /><br />I think the blog has the potential to be valuable, but I just don't feel comfortable dropping my comments into an "anonymous" void.<br /><br />Jan CarrSTPdog (Saint Paul Dog Owners Group)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05124401431722100077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2332084296563057056.post-18675395557893013462013-08-25T08:49:57.859-07:002013-08-25T08:49:57.859-07:00I've been highly suspicious of the fate of the...I've been highly suspicious of the fate of the Humanities within a MOOC framework and this post really hits home. I mean, on the one hand, I'm pleased a lot of people have access to these materials. We certainly open more avenues for exploration than we actually "complete"--which is just to say we point people toward great spots for independent thought and study after the close of the MOOC. Yet, something like peer-reviews are, in my opinion, sort of ridiculous. They are great for the person who writes them i.e. it forces them to think through the materials (we learn best when we have to write, or explain our thoughts to others) BUT the act of "receiving a grade" or "receiving comments" simply falls flat. <br /><br />As you noticed, we hit some copyright snags and were unable to provide pdfs of some of the materials (noticeably Last of the Just). We also couldn't help stream the films. Is it our fault for not reconstructing the syllabus for a MOOC platform? Is it a MOOC fault to not have special copyright law go-arounds? Not sure. Our course was made from pre-existing material that has been available on vimeo for years. Peter and Murray were super excited to get their lectures to a wide audience knowing that we would face these problems along the way. In the end, was it worth it? I think so. And I think my list of "things to do differently next time" is also quite valuable. <br /><br />This is a great idea for a blog, and as you continue to explore the MOOC platform, I encourage you never to lose sight of the giant complex process that goes behind launching one. It's not usually the case that "one person" decides to do x,y,z...it's always a team and there are always reasons for things (even the bad things, even the good things). I've had a lot of things I could say "I told you so" about with regard to this course, and I have a lot of people who have been able (and willing!) to tell me "see, I told you so!" about other things. shawnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05495108453033052396noreply@blogger.com