Charles C. Jones Seminar

This week: To MOOC or not to MOOC? With Thayer School Professor Vicki May. Please see the full description for abstract and bio of speaker.

October 31, 2014
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Location
Spanos Auditorium, Cummings Hall
Sponsored by
Thayer School of Engineering
Audience
Public
More information
Haley Tucker

Abstract: Dartmouth recently decided to enter the world of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). The first DartmouthX course, ‘Introduction to Environmental Studies,’ taught by Professor Andrew Friedland will launch in February of 2015, followed by ‘The Engineering of Structures Around Us’ taught by Professor Vicki May, which will launch in May of 2015. Two additional DartmouthX courses focused on Opera and Renaissance Literature are expected to be ready in late 2015 or early 2016. Media coverage of MOOCs has been both favorable and less than favorable; here are some of the recent headlines: “MOOCs are Everywhere” and “MOOCS - Where’s the Real Learning?” and “MOOCs will Revolutionize Higher Education.” What is all the hype about? What are MOOCs? What are the challenges and rewards? Why did Dartmouth and Dartmouth faculty decide to offer a MOOC? What are the expected benefits to Dartmouth, and its faculty, staff, and students? Join faculty and staff to discuss the pros and cons of MOOCs and their potential impact on how we teach and learn.

Bio: Vicki began her academic career in the Department of Architectural Engineering at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, where she was awarded tenure in 2003. Upon relocating to the east coast, Vicki served as an Associate Director for Science, Math, and Engineering with the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning. In this role, she worked with faculty and graduate students across campus to improve and assess their teaching. While she enjoyed this role, a passion for teaching drew her back to the classroom. She became an Instructional Associate Professor and began teaching full-time at Thayer in 2010. She is a co-PI on a NSF GK-12 grant to help graduate students gain teaching experience, while providing role models for middle school students. Additional outreach efforts include the development of an engineering summer program for high school students entitled Design it! Build it! Vicki has won several teaching awards over the years including Professor of the Year for Cal Poly, Dartmouth and New Hampshire.

Location
Spanos Auditorium, Cummings Hall
Sponsored by
Thayer School of Engineering
Audience
Public
More information
Haley Tucker