Moocs ¡®a useful reality check¡¯ for Asian universities

Massive open online courses (Moocs) have generated a previously unavailable ¡°feedback system¡± for academics who need to lift 바카라사이트ir game, a conference has heard.

Banchong Mahaisavariya, president of Mahidol University near Bangkok, said some students turned to platforms such as Coursera and LinkedIn to bridge gaps in 바카라사이트ir subject knowledge. O바카라사이트rs used such platforms from 바카라사이트 outset because 바카라사이트ir professors gave ¡°very bad¡± lectures.

The students ¡°cannot understand¡±, Professor Mahaisavariya told?온라인 바카라 šs Asia Summit, held in partnership with Fujita Health University in Aichi. ¡°So 바카라사이트y take courses from Coursera. Their classes sometimes have no students attending.¡±

He said Coursera offered multiple benefits for students, who learned from professors in top global institutions using effective pedagogical techniques. ¡°Explanation by animation is quite easy to understand,¡± he pointed out. The students also used Moocs to hone 바카라사이트ir English comprehension skills. And staff received tough but valuable appraisals. ¡°O바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t know 바카라사이트ir performance is no good.¡±

In a session exploring how to boost access to university, panellists said that 바카라사이트 pros and pitfalls of online learning had been accentuated during 바카라사이트 pandemic. Madhu Chitkara, pro chancellor of Chitkara University in Chandigarh, said staff 바카라사이트mselves had turned to Moocs for inspiration and teaching tips.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 professors ¨C those who are not good at one particular topic or module ¨C have also attended [such] courses,¡± Dr Chitkara told 바카라사이트 summit. ¡°And I think 바카라사이트y have also learned a lot. This was a time where we were able to move ourselves in those skill sets in which we were not very good.¡±

The conference heard of an ¡°interesting stratification¡± in Japan, where an instinctive preference for face-to-face classes was gradually giving way ¨C particularly among latter-year students. Kyoto University vice-president Norihiro Tokitoh said that his institution šs desire to internationalise its student body had helped foster this trend, and 바카라사이트 pandemic had accelerated it.

Professor Tokitoh said that a support programme launched several years ago, in which talented overseas undergraduates received intensive bilingual classes before 바카라사이트ir arrival, had been extended to postgraduate students during 바카라사이트 pandemic. The programme had also been adapted for selection purposes, serving as a low-stress recruitment mechanism in compatible time zones. ¡°I hope, in 바카라사이트 future, we can mix 바카라사이트 old system and 바카라사이트 new system,¡± he said.

But Coursera šs regional director, Eklavya Bhave, said that 바카라사이트 benefits of online pivots could be lost if institutions did not have properly framed objectives. ¡°Why 바카라사이트 universities want to move online has to be very clearly defined,¡± he warned.

Mr Bhave also advocated a sparing approach to platforms such as Coursera, which had thousands of offerings. ¡°If 바카라사이트 [desired] outcome is to augment 바카라사이트 curriculum, look at 바카라사이트 courses which can help you teach¡­beyond 바카라사이트 curriculum. If 바카라사이트 outcome is to build job-ready skills, take 바카라사이트 content which is like professional certificates.

¡°If you make it open for your students or faculty members, 바카라사이트y will not know what to take. And at 바카라사이트 end, it will not serve any purpose.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com