Application:
Blog—The Impact of Open Source
The Harvard
Open Course is an open site that offers free videos that have been made
available by the Harvard Extension Schools Open Learning Initiative. The
courses are all noncredit and feature Harvard Faculty. All of the courses are
open to the public and you do not have to register to view the lectured videos.
After viewing the design of the site it has not been set up as a distance
learning environment. The design of the site is more for adults who may
be interested in the attending Harvard University. So it gives someone insight
into what type of courses that are offered at Harvard, it allows someone to
become familiar with the university professors, the lectured videos also gives
someone an idea of how the classes would be ran, and for each class there is a
list of lectured videos from the semester. There are four strategies for
organizing instruction linear-programmed instruction, branched-programmed
instruction, hyper-programmed and student-programmed instruction (Simonson, Smaldino,
Albright, Zvacek, 2013) .This site allows in individual to learn about a
particular subject for free but still gain the knowledge from the instructor.
Even though the site is not designed for an online course you are able to still have the distance learner experience.
In any
distance learning environment, the technology becomes the element of most
concern. The instructor must become familiar with the hardware so the
technology can be used effectively. In a distance learning environment resources
are available to students are very important (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright,
Zvacek, 2013). In the Harvard Open Course site the learning environment is an
open site where the learner is independent and is in control of what lectured
videos he or she would like to participate in. Just as stated by Charles
Wedemeyer the essence of distance education was the independence of the student
(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2013). Wedemeyer also stated that offer
students and adult’s wider choices in courses, formats, and methodologies (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2013). In the learning environment the participants
have to be familiar with the technology tools in order to fully participate on
the course the site.
The course
designer did not implement any assignments, test, quizzes, and discussion
questions. The learner is able to go through each lectured video and flow along
with instructor as if they were classroom. The instructor provides the learner
with step by step instructions on how to solve problems. For example The
Harvard Open Course offers Algebra and each instructor builds on the previous
lesson so the learner is able to have a positive learning experience. Knowing how
convenient it is for students to access the resources or to rearrange their own
personal and work schedules is important when planning instructions (Simonson,
Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2013). Even though this site is not built as a fully
online course it still offers the learner the convenience of going on the site
when there schedule allows them to.
Overall The
Harvard Open Courses is open to the public for those learners who are
interested in attending Harvard University or becoming a distance learner. It
also applies to learners who are interested in learning a new subject or
looking for new ways to learn. This open course offers many opportunity without
begin a part of an online course. It gives the learner many options to
different courses and receives knowledge from the top Harvard professors.
Reference
Harvard Open Courses: Open Learning
Initiative
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright,
M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance:
Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
