Samhain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Winter Moon<\/p>\n
“…the Penn survey found that in the United States and developing countries alike, most Coursera students were well educated, employed, young and male.” \u00a0NYT<\/a><\/p>\n (Whitman. \u00a0My new beard model.)<\/p>\n I have it half right. \u00a0If you’re retired, a self-guided learner and expect challenge and high quality, then MOOC’s are perfect. \u00a0In addition the cost is favorable. \u00a0They’re free and can be taken with no driving on your own schedule. \u00a0Yes, there may be some expense for books, but if you’re a self-guided learner already, what’s another book or two or three?<\/p>\n As the quote above shows, the learning communities, usually in the tens of thousands have a predominantly young makeup. \u00a0This is invigorating to me. \u00a0Let’s me see what the next generation’s up to. \u00a0O.K. \u00a0Maybe it’s the generation after the next generation.<\/p>\n Of course, you have to enjoy structured education. \u00a0I don’t always, but when I’m taking only courses that address my interests, as opposed to those of a curricula, I find the upside of considered readings and condensed material in lectures suits me.<\/p>\n If my dream were to manifest in this realm, there would be enough variety of courses to allow a college major’s depth and breadth in a particular discipline. \u00a0Right now they’re very hit and miss. \u00a0Greek Mythology, ModPo, Modern-Post Modern and History for a New China, the MOOC’s I’ve taken, are humanities courses, but there is no way to follow any of them with narrowers courses, say in Homeric Epic, or Whitman, or the Industrial Revolution or Early Dynasties of China. \u00a0In this sense the MOOC experience is less than satisfying.<\/p>\n That only amounts, however, to wishing that a very good thing was better rather than a true critique. \u00a0Keep’em coming, Coursera and EdX. \u00a0My computer’s on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Samhain \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Winter Moon “…the Penn survey found that in the United States and developing countries alike, most Coursera students were well educated, employed, young and male.” … Continue reading A New Beard Model (I caught Darwin.)<\/span>