Massive Open Online Course: A Guide for Beginners

Massive Open Online
Course
(MOOC)
A guide for
BEGINNERS

Massive Open Online Course
(MOOC)
Johan Eddy Luaran
i-Learn Center
Universiti Teknologi MARA
2013

All right reserved. No part of this publication may reproduced or transmitted
in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying,
recorded or by any storage information or retrival system, without the prior
written permission from the author.

Preface
assive Open Online Course (MOOC) has spurred a discussion in the higher
education community as to whether it can reform the teaching and learning in
the aforementioned setting. MOOC, a term used to describe course offered
M
fully online where user can obtain graduation certificate upon user’s completion of
that particular course, offers an edge of education that has never been thought
possible decades ago.
For educators, the current constellation of change pressures and emerging trends
represent an exciting opportunity. This exciting opportunity revolves around setting a
framework of learner-driven pedagogy, extending knowledge to and from global
classrooms and increasing access to learning. While there are unsettled views about
what MOOC can do, the need for educators to embrace active experimentation about
teaching and learning cannot be understated.
This book is written with such intention, for educators who want to leverage on the
open online courses to better themselves. This book serves as a guide for beginners
who wish to explore the various platforms of MOOCs, namely Coursera, iversity, edX,
ALISON, Canvas Network, Open Learning, Academic Earth, Future Learn, Peer to Peer
University, Saylor.Org, and Udemy. There are two chapters that first introduce to the
readers what MOOC is and how MOOC can serve as a medium of learning. Each
chapter then starts by simply introducing the name of the MOOC platforms that
follows with descriptions of the respective MOOC platforms. Readers will appreciate
the inclusion of screenshots to ease their navigation in making the most out of the
online resources. It is hoped that this book will provide a resource to advocate for the
best possible ways to learn from the open world.
Johan @ Eddy Luaran

Contents
CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS MOOCs?............................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2 MOOCs AS A MEDIUM OF LEARNING ............................................. 3
CHAPTER 3 COURSERA ........................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 4 IVERSITY ........................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 5 edX ..................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 6 ALISON ............................................................................................... 41
CHAPTER 7 CANVAS NETWORK .......................................................................... 57
CHAPTER 8 OPENLEARNING ............................................................................... 72
CHAPTER 9 ACADEMIC EARTH ........................................................................... 85
CHAPTER 10 FUTURE LEARN ............................................................................. 102
CHAPTER 11 PEER TO PEER UNIVERSITY (P2PU) ........................................... 116
CHAPTER 12 SAYLOR ......................................................................................... 136
CHAPTER 13 UDEMY .......................................................................................... 148

A massive open online course or more commonly known as MOOC is an online
course that is accessible via the web and offers unlimited participation.
According to Educause (2014), a massive open online course (MOOC) is a
model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a
course, with no limit on attendance. MOOC incorporates both the traditional
and modern course materials for learning such as videos, readings, projects,
assignments and many more.
Other than that, learners can also participate in interactive user forums that
are normally provided by MOOCs and these interactive forums help build a
community for students, lecturers, professors, teachers and all of the users.
MOOCs are a very new development that began to develop in 2012. Some of the
early MOOCs emphasized open features and open licensing of content,
structure and learning goals. Those features are to promote the reuse and
remixing of resources. Despite that, some newer MOOCs use closed license for
their course materials but still maintain free access for users from all over the
globe.
Other than that, what is best about these MOOCs is that they do not always
lead to formal qualifications and there are no entry requirements. Despite that,
the courses offered are recognized internationally as most of these courses are
offered by renowned universities and institutions from all over the globe such
as Harvard, Yale and Stanford and other leading universities in the US, the UK,
Europe and Asia. All of these renowned universities and institutions provide
the best materials for learners to work with and the best courses that they can
learn from.
MOOCs offer university-level courses without the need to complete and entire
programme of studies as they do it in the formal setting in the tertiary
education. Learners of MOOCs are mostly independent learners and they are
capable of studying independently and select courses from any institutions
that are available online. Moreover, MOOCs are mostly video-based and
interactions are mostly done through peer review and group discussion or
group collaboration which will stimulate automated feedback through online
assessments, quizzes and exams. This is very suitable especially for those who
need to juggle their time between work and studies as MOOCs provide them to
learn at their own paces unlike studying in the normal tertiary education
institutions.
1
CHAPTER
1 WHAT IS MOOCs?

There are many reasons as to why one should consider being part of MOOC.
One of the reasons would be that most of the courses are free. Other than that,
the lecture videos are also mostly very short that gets straight to the point and
learners have the power to pause, play, rewind in case if they miss out any
valuable information which they cannot do in normal lectures. In fact, the
learning process can also be combined with one’s studies or jobs because
learning via MOOC is very easy as the user is the one who controls the pace of
his or her learning. Learning with MOOC saves time and definitely saves
money.
Last but not least, the courses offered by MOOCs are mostly accessible via
gadgets such as computers, mobile phones, tabs and others and this makes
the learning experience much more fun as learners can learn anytime and
anywhere as it does not require them to be at a specific place to learn.
Therefore, all that needs to be done now is to sign up with any MOOCs and
never stop learning!
2
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/moocs-
(massive-open-online-courses)/
http://www.educause.edu/library/massive-open-online-course-mooc

As MOOCs have proven to be very useful to all learners out there, it is good if
MOOCs can be implemented in today’s learning sessions be it at schools, or
institutions. With the implementation of MOOCs in real-life learning, it will
promote the usage of technology and also create independent learners along
the way. There are many ways to implement MOOCs in the current learning
process.
The first method that MOOCs can be used in learning is that teachers can
conduct online classes via MOOCs. All students can take up the same courses
at home, do the same assignments and sit for the same online final exams.
Teachers at school can use this as a side-learning whereby it is done at home
but is discussed in class. Students learn on their own through the online
courses and they can bring up their issues during class at school. This will not
only be interesting but it will be fun for the students as many resources and
methods are involved in the learning process.
Other than that, teachers can also assign students to different online courses
and that they are to complete those courses together in a specific amount of
time. The objective of this is to later on share their different knowledge with
each other and gain from each other. They can also share their final projects
with one another and create a discussion out of the activity. This will not only
create independent learners, but it will also create students with high creative
and critical thinking skills.
Technology has definitely changed the lives of many especially these days.
Therefore, why not incorporate it into learning and make learning a much more
fun and memorable experience for both students and teachers!
3
CHAPTER
2
MOOC AS A
MEDIUM OF LEARNING

4
Below are some of the websites that offer MOOCs:
MOOCs Provider Website
Coursera https://www.coursera.org/
iversity https://iversity.org/
edX https://www.edx.org/
ALISON http://alison.com/
Canvas Network http://www.instructure.com/
Open Learning https://www.openlearning.com/
Academic Earth http://academicearth.org/
Future Learn https://www.futurelearn.com/
Peer to Peer University https://p2pu.org/en/
Saylor. Org http://www.saylor.org/
Udemy https://www.udemy.com/

5
CHAPTER
3 COURSERA
WHAT IS COURSERA?
Coursera is an educational platform that provides free course online and it is
available for everyone from all around the world. This educational platform
collaborates with top universities worldwide to offer the best possible courses
to the users. There are many courses provided by the websites including
Biology, Humanities, Social Sciences and many more.
These courses take about six to ten weeks long with the aid of video lectures
every week. Coursera provides quizzes, weekly exercises and many more to
assess the students’ performances. With the use of Coursera, students will be
able to learn at their own pace and still receive a higher education!
FEATURES OF COURSERA
 Users get to learn for free.
 There is large variety of courses offered by Coursera
 The assessments at the end of the course enable users to keep track of
their progress.

There are many courses that you can choose from, for example, Child Nutrition
and Cooking 2.0 by Stanford University as shown in the image below.
You can also save time by straight away looking up for the course or university
you intend to learn from as provided in the website. Refer to the image below.
7

Other than searching for your desired courses manually, you can also sort out
the findings according to the different categories below to make your search
easier!
8

Once you’ve picked up a particular course, you can have an overview of the
course as to what you will be learning, what are the learning methods involved
and the assessments that need to be done. Other than that, you can also know
your instructor and what qualifications he or she has.
Once you’re sure of the course, you can start learning straight away! For
example, as shown in the image below, the course that has been chosen is
Child Nutrition and Cooking 2.0 by Stanford University.
9

Once you have clicked the ‘Start Learning’ button, you will be directed to a
page showing your course outline for the whole course in the next few weeks to
come. This course heavily revolves on the use of short video clips to help you to
understand easier!
10

For deeper understanding, let’s take a closer look on the first part of the course
that is ‘Why Home Cooking Matters’ and the details of it.
11

Once you have watched the videos, you must take a mini test or quiz to check
your understanding level of the topic before moving on as the topics will get
harder. Once you’ve mastered the basics of the course, you can proceed to the
next item on the course outline.
12

Below is a sample of the quiz. The quiz may contain a certain number of
questions and can be asked in the form of ‘True or False’ question, multiple
choice questions and many more. Submit your answer once you’re done and
proceed to the next big item on the course outline!
13

Once you have completed all the items listed on the course outline and the
quizzes, you are officially done with the course! If the course provides you with
a completion certificate, do keep it with you for future use. Coursera is very
convenient for users as it encourages users to learn in the easiest and best way
possible from the comfort of their own homes. Explore the other courses
provided by Coursera and start learning more!
14
Reference
https://www.coursera.org/

15
CHAPTER
4 IVERSITY
WHAT IS IVERSITY?
Iversity is a platform for Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and offer
opportunities to all users including students, professors, lecturers and many
more to learn or even use this website as a platform to conduct online courses.
Other than that, with this website, professors are also able to extend their
hand to thousands of students from all over the world. There are many
different courses provided by Iversity such as medicine, biology, physics, law
and many more. With Iversity, anyone from all over the globe is able to access
education online for free.
FEATURES OF IVERSITY
 Users get to learn online anywhere and anytime.
 Money could be saved from paying for university enrollment.
 Professors could conduct online classes which are much easier to handle
and monitor.
 Thousands of students can be reached by the professors just through
Iversity.
 Users can also get completion certificates as a proof of their enrollment.

16
GET STARTED
Signing up or logging in is made easier as Iversity allows their users to sign up
via Facebook, Google account or even email. With that, there will be no extra
hassle of coming up with new usernames and passwords.

Iversity provides many courses for the users and users can find for their
respective desired courses as shown below. They can even filter the results
according to the languages or search for the course manually in the ‘Search’
box provided as seen below.
17

For example, if you decide to take up on an upcoming course as shown below,
you have to keep yourself updated on the starting date of the course and what
the course is all about.
18

However, while waiting for the upcoming courses to start, you can still pursue
the current courses that are provided to keep your time filled! Refer to the
images below on the steps to enroll yourselves into the current courses and
start learning straight away!
In order to get the general idea of the whole course, do read the details
provided on the page.
19

Once you have enrolled yourself into the course, you will be directed to a page
where you will see what you will be learning. This page is more or less like your
course outlines. For a clearer understanding, refer to the image below which
shows the first 4 chapters of the course.
20

Firstly, let’s check out the first unit in the first chapter of ‘The DO School Start-
Up Lab’ course provided by Iversity which is ‘How to MOCC’ with the DO
School Start-Up Lab.
21

Below are some images showing the materials provided for the first unit of the
first chapter. The content of the first unit is a video and some other additional
materials for further understanding. Make sure you get your basics right before
moving on further into the chapters.
22

Apart from keeping up with the chapters, you will also need to keep up with
the announcements as shown below. You can update yourself with the latest
worksheets which you can purchase at the website.
23

24
Below are examples of worksheets that can be purchased from Iversity.

A discussion tab is also provided for users to discuss any problems or issues
they face.
25

You can constantly view your dashboard to keep up with the courses you plan
to take up or currently doing. You can even take up a few courses at one go.
Have fun learning!
26
Reference
https://iversity.org/

27
CHAPTER
5 edX
WHAT IS edX?
edX is a platform that provides users from all over the globe an opportunity to
transform themselves by education through cutting-edge technologies , creative
and innovative pedagogies and intensive courses. edX gathers hands with other
institutional partners and carry out researches to further enhance their
understanding on the students’ best way of learning and incorporate that into
their courses. edX offers free courses for users to take up and learn online.
This method of learning brings the learning experience to a whole new level and
opens an even wider perspective towards learning. As it is online and free,
anyone from all around the world can join and learn together with the others.
FEATURES OF edX
 Students get to learn online for free.
 All users; students and professors, get to gather on one similar platform
to carry out teaching and learning processes.
 Learning with edX saves time as it can be done online.

29
Refer to the examples shown below to sign up as member.
Once you have successfully registered as a user, you will be directed to a new
page as seen below. Do activate your account via the link sent to your email
address to make full use of your account.

30
To make your search easier, you are able to filter your results as seen below.
As an example, let’s explore one of the current courses that is offered by edX as
shown below which is ‘Introduction to Linux’. For deeper understanding, refer
to the examples below.

Once you have successfully registered for the course, you will be directed to a
new page as seen below. For the purpose of this, we would go for the ‘Audit’
track.
32

After you have selected the type of track as shown in the previous images, you
will be directed to new page as seen below and you’re good to go!
33

In order to start your course, click the ‘courseware’ tab as shown below. You
will first be directed to the introduction. Under the ‘introduction’ tab, you will
be briefed on many things such as the basics of the course, marking scheme
and many more.
34

Once you’re done reading he contents of the introduction, you can move on to
the first chapter of the course and complete all of the units in order to move on
to the next chapter.
Move on to the next chapters till you reach the last chapter before sitting for
the final exam.
35

Once you have clicked the button as shown in the previous examples, you will
be directed to a new page as shown below to start taking your final exam. Here
is an example of the exam question. You will have two chances of getting your
answers right. If you do not know the answer, you can skip to the next
question and return to it later.
37

When you have clicked the ‘grade my exam’ button, you will be directed to a
new page under the ‘progress’ tab to view your grades as shown in the example
below.
38

Last but not least, view the ‘discussion’ tab to keep yourself updated with the
latest discussions online on new problems or issues. You may also put forward
any issues you would like to discuss on this page as seen below. When you’re
done, just sign out or continue to a different course!
39

40
Reference
https://www.edx.org/

41
CHAPTER
6 ALISON
WHAT IS ALISON?
Alison is one of the many online platforms that provide courses absolutely for
free. Users are able to be certified at their own pace using Alison’s free,
interactive multimedia. Alison basically provides approximately 600 courses for
users to choose from such as Financial & Economic Literacy, Digital Literacy &
IT Skills, Diploma courses and many more. Every course that is provided by
Alison is standards-based and certified. With Alison, all you need to do is to
decide what you want to study, select a course, get enrolled, study, take the
assessments and lastly, get your cert and do it at your own pace!
FEATURES OF ALISON
 Users get to learn at their own pace.
 A completion certificate will be given upon completion of the course.
 Alison offers a huge range of courses for users to choose from.
 It is possible to conduct online classes with Alison.
 The courses are free and save a lot of time and money.

42
GET STARTED
Log on to http://alison.com/
In order to get started, you must first be an official member of Alison. If you are
already an official member, do log in. If you’re not, you may sign up before
getting started.

In order to make the log in process much easier, you can log in via your email,
Facebook account, Yahoo and others. However, you can also opt for the
traditional way of signing up as shown below.
43

Once you have successfully signed up or logged in into your account, you must
first verify your account via the link sent to your email address. After verifying
your account, you are good to go! Search for the desired courses and start
learning!
44
Below are some of the online courses offered by Alison.

If you click on the ‘Course’ tab at the top of the page, you could pick the way to
sort out the results of your findings as to whether you only want diploma
courses, or by different categories or even by subjects. In this case, the course
will be chosen via subjects and the course chosen is English. Refer to the
example below for some of the subjects offered.
The chosen course for this example is ‘English Vocabulary and Pronunciation’.
45

Once you have clicked on the ‘Start Course’ button as shown in the previous
example, you will be directed to a new page as seen below.
Read the short description of the course that you are about to take to get a
clearer picture of what the course is all about. Click the ‘Start Now’ button
when you are ready to learn!
46

When you have already clicked the ‘Start Now’ button, you will be directed to a
new page showing your course outline; the modules and assessment(s). Refer
to the example below.
47

When you click onto ‘Module 1’ as shown in the previous example, you will be
directed to another page as shown below. All of the contents in this module
must be completed before moving on to the next module to ensure a
continuous learning experience. Hence, you need to start with the first content
of Module 1.
48

Watch a video on the first topic in Module 1 which is ‘Shopping vocabulary’.
When you have finished watching the first video, you can move on to the next
videos and complete Module 1.
49
You can also click on the ‘Modules’, ‘Text’ and ‘Notes’ tab to aid your learning
process as seen below.

When you have completed all of the modules, you will need to complete the
assessment to check your understanding of the modules and to also earn
yourself a certificate of completion.
51

Below is an example of the assessment that you would have to take. Click the
‘Next’ button to start answering the questions.
52

Answer all of the questions till you reach the last question as shown below. If
you score more than 80%, then congratulations! If not, do not be discouraged
and try again to earn that certificate of completion at the very end. Make sure
you do not stop at one course but continue on to many more as Alison has
much more to offer. Good luck!
53

Other than pursuing the courses as individuals, you can also conduct classes
through Alison as shown in the example below.
54

In order to continue, you must first choose a subscription plan. Once you have
chosen one, you’re good to go!
55

56
Reference
http://alison.com/

57
CHAPTER
7 CANVAS NETWORK
WHAT IS CANVAS NETWORK?
Canvas Network is a platform whereby teachers, learners and institutions
define the world of open online learning. Canvas Network is very user friendly
and is not complicated at all. It will make perfect sense to all of its users
despite the fact that it is fully online. Other than that, Canvas Network is also a
place when open online courses, communities, learners, teachers, professors
and others gather to learn together and meet their goals.
Canvas Network connects millions of learners online and therefore opens the
doors to discussions and also to the sharing of knowledge among users. The
best part of Canvas Network is that it is completely free of charge. It is also a
very comprehensive online platform as it provides the users with such cohesive
syllabuses, assignments, quizzes and study plans. It creates a very conducive
learning environment for all of its users.
FEATURES OF CANVAS NETWORK
 The users will be provided with study plans, study calendars, syllabus
and many more to promote maximum learning experience.
 The instructors can be reached all the time as they are actively involved
in the process.
 There are discussion forums that users can participate in.
 It is free and users need not to fork out any money to learn.
 Users can learn according to their own pace, needs and interests.

58
GETTING STARTED
Log on to https://www.canvas.net/
Canvas Network does not accept sign ups anymore at the moment. However,
you can still learn their courses for free and sign up through those courses or
sign up as a teacher if you wish to conduct a class on Canvas Network and
they will contact you personally after that regarding your class.

For now, more attention will be given to ways to pursue or take up a course of
your liking on Canvas network. In the picture shown below, a course entitled
‘Project Management for Business Professionals’ will be used as an example.
When you have clicked the button as shown in the previous example, you will
be directed to another page pertaining the details of the course such as the
course description, objectives, the instructor(s) and many more. Read through
those details to ensure that you are interested in the course before taking it.
59

Once you are sure that you are interested in the course and that you would
want to enroll for it, simply follow the example below.
When you’ve clicked the ‘Enroll’ button, you will need to enter some details as
seen below.
61

When you’ve clicked the link as shown in the previous example, you will
directed to a new website that requires you to fill in some details before
registering for good. Refer to the example below for a clearer picture.
62

If you wish to start your course right away, you will be directed to the
homepage of your course as shown below.
63

We shall first take a look at the modules and what will you be learning for the
entire course.
65
As an example, we shall take a look at Topic 1.2 in Module 1 for a clearer
understanding.

Once you have finished reading Topic 1.2 and fully understand it, you must
then take part in the discussion forum as shown in the module.
66

As a student, it is important for you to constantly keep track of your syllabus
so that you will not miss out anything. Canvas Network will help you with that!
Just view your course syllabus constantly and make sure that you are updated
with any datelines or new modules to learn.
67

You will also be having assignments to be completed before the datelines given.
Click on the ‘assignments’ tab as shown below to keep track of your
assignments.
68

69
You can also keep track of your grades as shown in the example below.
Other than that, Canvas Network also provides you with a calendar to help you
organize your study plan so that you won’t forget anything and have everything
in order.

As you can see in the example below, Canvas Network is able to automatically
save the important dates on your calendar. You can also add your own
important event to your calendar simply by clicking on the date!
70
Reference
https://www.canvas.net/

71
CHAPTER
8 OPEN LEARNING
WHAT IS OPEN LEARNING?
Open Learning is basically a free online platform that provides courses for
users to take up. This website was designed by Adam Brimo, Richard Buckland
and David Collien who are professionals in designing courses which means the
users are placed under professional care.
Open Learning also promotes learning for the sake of learning as there are no
assessments nor certificates upon the completion of the course as users would
be learning for the knowledge and not certificates and grades. This will give the
learners the freedom to study at their own pace and understand the course
thoroughly.
FEATURES OF OPEN LEARNING
 The courses offered are free and the courses are highly sought after.
 Users get to learn for free.
 No grades or assessments given.
 It is very user friendly and is easy for users to follow.
 It gets users from all over the world to get in touch in a very cohesive and
comprehensive manner to its news feed.

72
GET STARTED
Log on to https://www.openlearning.com/

Once you have signed up and become a registered member of Openlearnng,
you could start searching for a course that you would like to pursue. All you
need to do is to click on the ‘Find A Course’ button as shown in the example
below.
73

Once you have clicked on the ‘Find a Course’ button as shown in the previous
example, you will be directed to a new page showing all of the courses that
Openlearning has got to offer to you. In the example, we will select a course
entitled ‘Free Photoshop & Training Tutorials’ as shown below.
74

When you have officially joined the course, you will be directed to your
homepage as shown in the example below. The homepage is basically where
you could update yourself with the latest updates and announcements from
Openlearning regarding the course.
75
Click on the attachments to help you understand your course more!

On the left side of your page, click on the ‘Course Videos’ button to watch some
videos on the course.
There will be many course videos for you to watch. Make your way from the
very basics of the course till the advanced. Understand each video for you to
ace the course and get the most out of it!
76

77
Let’s watch the first video of the course!

The next important part of this course would be the ‘News Feed’. The ‘News
Feed’ is where other users from all over the globe share resources, materials,
opinions, issues and many more with each other. It is very similar to
Facebook’s news feed where you get to see what other people are posting about
and you can actually comment on their postings. Other than that, you can
even post and share resources with others!
78

Besides the news feed, you can also join existing groups or create your own
groups and get other users to join in. Refer to the examples below for a clearer
picture.
79

Last but not least, do not keep the fun of learning all to yourself. Share around
with your friends and get them to learn together with you! Refer to the example
below on exactly how to do so.
You can invite your friends via Facebook, Email or through Open Learning,
that is if they already have an account. If not, get them to have one and you
can learn together!
80

81
You can even create your own course and get other users to learn from you!

Before you can start designing your own course, you will need to watch a
tutorial video that is provided by OpenLearning as seen below. Although you
could skip the video, it is recommended that you watch it just to give you a
general idea on how to go about creating a course.
82

83
Reference
https://www.openlearning.com/

84
CHAPTER
9 ACADEMIC EARTH
WHAT IS ACADEMICEARTH?
Academic Earth is an online platform to conduct online courses for users from
all over the world. Unlike other online educational websites, Academic Earth
does not require any sign ups. Users only need to view the course and carry
out all of the assignments and projects as listed out in the website. It is more of
a self-learning experience and students will be independent in their learning
process.
Other than that, unlike any other online websites, Academic Earth also
features an ongoing series of original videos. These videos are put on the
website to tap the curiosity of the users and also to use it as a medium to
launch meaningful discussions. Academic Earth believes that curiosity is a
catalyst to make our world a better place with better learners!
FEATURES OF ACADEMIC EARTH
 Users get the opportunity to monitor their own learning process.
 A large variety of courses are offered.
 Courses offered are free and online.
 The original videos provided will definitely help learning be more fun.
 Academic Earth provides useful information on scholarships, internships
and many more that would help the users later in the future.

85
GET STARETD
Log on to http://academicearth.org/

Once you have watched the introductory video as shown in the previous
example and you understand what Academic Earth is all about, you can move
on to the next step that is choosing the course that you would like to pursue.
Refer to the example below.
For this example, let’s try out Education courses! All you have to do is click on
the ‘Courses’ button as shown in the example above and choose a course but
in this case, it will be education courses. When you have selected ‘Education’,
you will be directed to a new page.
86

When you’ve clicked on the ‘Open Courses’ tab as shown above, you will be directed to
a section on that very same page where they showcase all of the education courses
that are offered.
87

You will be directed to a page as seen below. Let’s take a look at the syllabus of
the course! The course basically informs you on how will the course be carried
out, assessments or assignments and the weightage that they carry in the
course and many more. Refer to the example below.
88

Other than that, you can also view some of the reading materials that have
been recommended for users to understand the course more. The reading
materials must either be bought, downloaded or others. The reading materials
are organized according to weekly basis.
89

This course also has assignments that need to be completed at the end of the
course. In order to view the list of assignments that need to be done, just click
on the ‘Assignments’ tab as shown in the example below. Similar to the reading
materials, the assignments are also assigned on weekly basis.
90

The courses also have projects that should be completed before the course can
be completed. Take a look on the example below for a clearer picture.
91

Apart from the courses, you can also view journals or magazines at the
homepage.
94

95
You can also view the grants and scholarships offered on the website.

The Internship column is really good for uses that are looking for places to do
internships as this column informs them of the place and the datelines of the
internships.
96

On the top of your page, there will be a column as shown below. Click on
‘Playlists’ to view some of the playlist available on the website. There are a few
lecture videos available under the playlist.
98

99
Apart from playlists, there are also video electives for you to choose from.

100
Reference
http://academicearth.org/

101
CHAPTER
10 FUTURE LEARN
WHAT IS FUTURE LEARN?
Future Learn is an online platform that connects learners from all over the
world with high quality educators, high quality courses and also with each
other. Future Learn offers a wide selection of free high quality online courses
that is from some of the world’s top universities and other leading institutions.
Other than that, these online courses are accessible via mobiles, tablets and
desktops.
Future learn is a private company owned by The Open University and has
gathered hand in hand with over 20 of the best UK and international
universities, British library and British Museum to put forward the best online
courses for learners from all over the globe.
FEATURES OF FUTURE LEARN
 Learners from all over the world get to unite on one uniform platform to
learn
 The courses are accessible via tablets and mobiles which makes it easier.
 The website is very user friendly and uncomplicated.
 The learning process is based on a weekly basis and this ensures a
smooth learning experience.

102
GET STARTED
Log on to https://www.futurelearn.com/
Sign in or register first before you can start learning.

If you have clicked ‘Register’ as shown in the previous example, you will be
directed to a page as shown below. Fill in all of the necessary details and click
‘Register’ to complete and finalize your registration.
103

When you have successfully registered as a member of Future Learn, you will
be directed to the ‘Courses’ page immediately as shown in the example below.
You can view the courses or filter them according to three categories which are
‘New & Upcoming’ to view courses that are new and have not yet started, ‘In
progress’ to view courses that are currently taking place or ‘Past’ to view
courses that had already taken place and had ended.
104

For this example, let’s view the courses that are currently taking place or in
progress. Therefore, click on the ‘In progress’ tab as shown in the previous
example to view those courses. We would take the first course shown on the
page which is ‘Basic Science: Understanding Numbers’ as an example. Refer to
the example below.
105

Once you have watched the trailer of the course, it would be much clearer to
you as to whether you have interests in the course in order to go through with
it. However, just to get rid of any doubt you might have, you can read the
course description, requirements and many more on the very same page to give
you an even clearer picture of the course.
106

When you are sure of the course, all you need to do is join the course. Click on
the ‘Join this free course’ button at the bottom of the page to enroll!
You will be directed to another page as shown below once your enrollment is
successful.
107

Before you can start the course, why not share the information with your
friends and get them to join in as well? Learning is always fun when you have
company along with you! When you have already shared the information, just
click ‘Next’ in order to move on to the next page.
108

Once you have clicked on ‘Go to Course’ button as shown above, you will be
directed to a new page showing the course with weekly progress. Take a look at
the example below.
109

Below the video, there will be a guide prepared for you. Refer to the example
below for a clearer understanding.
111

Once you have finished watching all of the videos and have read all of the
articles, you’re ready to sit for the quiz for the week! However, keep in mind
that the quiz does not grade you but only as a catalyst for you to learn more
and better.
112

Below is an example of Question 1 of the quiz. Answer all questions correctly
until you reach the end. Once you finish everything for the week, continue
doing it for the rest of the weeks until you complete the course and receive your
certificate.
113

114
Reference
https://www.futurelearn.com/

CHAPTER
11 PEER TO PEER UNIVERSITY (P2PU)
115
WHAT IS PEER TO PEER UNIVERSITY?
Peer 2 Peer University or also commonly known as P2PU is the basis for an
open education projects that organizes learning outside of classrooms or in
other words, online learning. Learners are also given recognition for their
achievements. P2PU creates a model for lifelong learning alongside traditional
formal higher education. Using the Internet as the main source to share and
distribute materials online, P2PU open the doors to learners from all over the
world to learn online and therefore providing low-cost education opportunities.
P2PU exercises the concept of openness whereby it enables more people to
participate in the learning processes actively. The model and technology that
P2PU uses are open to enable others to experiment with it so that they will
remain accountable to their purpose and community. P2PU is peer learning
and learning by peers for peers.
FEATURES OF PEER TO PEER UNIVERSITY
 Learners can connect as a community to create and participate in the
best online courses.
 Learners can be creative and contribute to the community by creating
projects and receive badges
 Learners can learn courses together with their friends by inviting them to
join along.

116
GET STARTED
Log on to https://p2pu.org/en/
Click on the ‘Login’ button at the top right corner of the page to log in into your
account or to sign up for a new account.

Once you have successfully signed in or created a new account, you will be
redirected to the homepage as shown below. Let’s take a look at the blog first!
The blogs are used to deliver news and updates from P2PU.
118

Click on one of the blogs to take a look at the latest news and updates. As an
example, let’s take a look at the first link listed on the blog section of P2PU
entitled ‘Retention-Why MOOC provides can’t have it both ways’. Refer to the
example below.
119

MOOCs are basically platforms where all online courses gather. P2PU has its
own MOOCs whereby if you be a part of it, you will be constantly updated on
the course of your choice.
122

The lab reports are to reflect on the educational experiments done and ways to
improve their ways of presenting the reports to the world.
123

P2PU encourages learners to participate actively in the learning process and
also the improvement of the courses. One example would be the ‘badge system’
as seen below whereby learners need to submit a project to receive a badge
which they can be very proud of!
125

Below is an example of a project that needs to be completed by learners in
order to receive a badge from P2PU.
Other than that, you can also view some of the schools that are involved with
P2PU. It brings the modern twists to community based peer learning
experience for K-12 teachers and the students.
126

Last but not least, P2PU also offers courses. You can click on ‘Find a Course’
as shown below to look for a specific course. However, for this example, we
would click on ‘Find a course’ and look at what P2PU has got to offer to all
learners out there!
128

For this example, we shall take the first course listed on the community picks
list as seen below which is ‘Crowdsourced Art: A participatory Exercise in
Collaboration and Collective Creativity’.
129

Once you’re directed to a new page, do read the ‘Course Overview’ and others
before moving on to make sure that you still have your interests in the course.
130

When you have successfully enrolled for the course, you will be directed to
another page as seen in this example below. Click on the ‘content’ button to
start learning. View the contents of each week to fully understand the course.
131

Other than that, P2PU also has a ‘Discussion’ tab at the top of the page as
shown in the example below. Just click on it and post any problems, issues or
opinions that you might want to share with the other learners from all over the
globe. Learning is much more fun when you have others to share your opinions
with!
You can also view who are your course mates and the organizers by clicking on
the ‘People’ tab.
132

Other than taking up courses, you can also design your own courses for other
people to sign up for! All you need to do is simply by clicking ‘Create a Course’
button at the top of the page and fill in all the necessary details. Get all the
materials ready and you’re good to go. Good luck!
133

134
Reference
https://p2pu.org/en/

135
CHAPTER
12 SAYLOR
WHAT IS SAYLOR?
Saylor is an online website that offers tuition-free courses that were created by
professional and credentialed educators. Their partnerships with colleges,
universities and business make truly affordable credentials a reality.
Other than that, the students also share the opportunity of owning their
education and learn at their own pace. Saylor’s syllabus goes by units and this
gives the chance for students to master each and every single unit at their own
paces. There are also discussions and forums that learners can participate in
to put forward any opinions or issues they might have with their courses. Last
but not least, the final exam will grade the students according to the units and
show their overall achievement.
FEATURES OF SAYLOR
 Learners get to learn online and for free
 Learners can participate in discussions and forums to put forward any
opinions or issues.
 The website is very user friendly and is easy to use.
 Learners learn at their own paces.

136
GET STARTED
Log on to http://www.saylor.org/

Once you have successfully signed up for an account, you will be directed to
your portfolio page as shown below. Click the ‘Add a Course’ button to start
selecting courses for you!
137

When you’ve clicked the ‘Add a Course’ button, you will be directed to the
‘Course Catalog’ page. As seen in the picture below, we will take the first course
listed on the page as an example.
Let’s take a look at the course simply by clicking the ‘View the Course’ button.
138

You will then view a page that looks like what is shown in the example below.
Click every ‘show’ button to view all of the contents of the course.
139

These are some of the contents of the course that all learners should read
before moving on further.
140

141
Scroll down on the same page and you’ll see the units as shown below.

You can also participate in their forums and discussions by clicking on the
discussion tab at the left side of your portfolio page. Refer to the example below
for a clearer picture.
142

Read and master all of the units and you’ll be ready to sit for the final exam.
143

Answer all 50 questions and click the ‘Submit all and finish’ button at the
bottom of the page one you are done.
144

Once you submit, you will be directed to another page showing your score or
grades and the scores are shown according to units as shown below. Once
you’re done with this course, move on to another and never stop learning with
Saylor.
145

146
Reference
http://www.saylor.org/

147
CHAPTER
13 UDEMY
WHAT IS UDEMY?
Udemy is an online marketplace that has over 3 million students learning and
taking their courses. The courses offered are large in variety that covers from
photography, science, languages and many more. Each and every one of those
courses are taught by expert instructors and is available on-demand.
Udemy offers free courses and also courses that come with fees. Either way,
they are all very good courses and learners can definitely benefit from all of the
courses. Udemy is also accessible via tablets, phones and other gadgets which
mean that learning can take place anytime and anywhere. Students can learn
new skills and they can learn it at their own paces which will make their
learning experiences memorable.
BEENFITS OF USING UDEMY
 Students are trained by expert instructors.
 Students can engage with one another and help each other through the
learning process.
 Udemy is available via gadgets which make learning easily accessible for
students.
 Learners can also be instructors when they are already expert at their
courses or if they have new knowledge to share with other students.

148
GET STARTED
Log on to https://www.udemy.com/

Once you have successfully signed up, you will be directed to your homepage
as shown below.
150

In order to search or browse for courses of your choice, follow the example
below and start searching! For this example, we would take up the ‘language’
course and see how it is done. Once you’ve clicked the ‘language’ button, you
can choose any languages of your choice. However, in this case, English
language is chosen.
151

Below are some of the courses that are offered under the English language. We
would take the third course listed here as an example which Is ‘Master Polite
English’. However, do take note that not all courses are free. Refer to the
example below.
152

Once you click on the course as shown in the previous example, you will then
be directed to the homepage of the course itself as shown below. Before you
start enrolling, it would be useful for you to watch the introductory video that
is placed on the top left hand corner of the page and read the details about the
course. Refer to the examples.
153

154
Scroll down on the same page and get more information about the course to
help you decide as to whether you would be interested in the course or not.

Scroll down on the same page and take a look at the curriculum as that will be
the syllabus that you will be learning.
155

Once you have read all of the details on the course, you can start learning by
clicking the ‘Start Learning Now’ button as shown below.
156

When you have clicked the ‘Continue to Course’ button, you can start watching
the lecture videos and tart learning!
157

Towards the right hand side of the video, you will see a little column. Click on
each and every tabs in the column to see how you can participate more actively
in the lecture.
158

Watch all of the lecture videos and make sure that you understand all of them.
Other than that, you can also participate in active discussion at your course
homepage.
160

Other than that, you can also get to know other students that are currently
taking the same course as you are!
161

Besides being a student, you can also be an instructor and share your
knowledge with many other students!
162

Scroll down and read the ‘Course Roadmap’ to guide you to successfully create
a course.
164
Look up on how to submit your course for review and how to publish your
course once it is approved of. Good luck!

165
Reference
https://www.udemy.com/

Massive Open Online Course: A Guide for Beginners

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