Learning opportunity: Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by cogdogblog

Professor Curt Bonk will be teaching a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in May to online instructors around the world. Here's the blurb:

Motivating students and creating community within blended and online learning environments is crucial to academic achievement and success. This open course will provide both theoretical concepts and practical tools for instructors to improve motivation, retention, and engagement within blended and online courses.

The course begins on April 30 and goes for 5 weeks, finishing on June 4. There are sessions on Wednesdays 4pm EST, which converts to 7am in NSW - good timing for those who get up early and want to slot in some free (to those who have web access) PD before the day begins in earnest. And those who attend will get badges of completion.

You can find more in his blog. Here's an outline of the first three key sessions:

1. Motivation and retention online (TEC-VARIETY model)
2. Addressing diversity and learning styles (R2D2 model)
3. 50 hyper-engaging ideas: Critical, creative, cooperative

He seems to have kept the last two for more open sessions - the first a general Q&A, the second a more commercial 'Blackboard/CourseSites' overview. A shameless plug? Obviously, but perhaps worth a listen given the new developments in CourseSites which now allow facilitators to open their courses to the general public (this is the first open course they are offering). 

And if you're totally anti-Blackboard, don't let that put you off - they have picked a great the facilitator in Curtis Bonk who has a lot of credibility in the field (e.g. coauthoring The World is Open, Empowering Online Learning and The Handbook of Blended Learning).

I'll be there...will you join me? Open Enrollment begins Monday April 23, 2012. You can fill out the interest form to learn more.