A Far Cry from School History
Massive Online Open Courses as a Generative Source for Historical Research By Dr Silvia Gallagher and Dr Ciaran Wallace from Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin One of the most interesting things we’ve learned from running MOOCs is not just how to teach in these huge online classrooms, but also, what we can learn…
What are the expectations of disabled learners when participating in a MOOC?
A short summary of the work in progress paper ‘What are the expectations of disabled learners when participating in a MOOC?’ which was presented at L@S: Fourth Annual ACM Conference on Learning at Scale By Francisco Iniesto, PhD research student, Open World Learning, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University MOOCs are making low cost learning opportunities…
Making great online courses: 10 insights
Top 10 insights about how to make great online courses – based on course evaluation. By Reka Budai, Strategy & Insights Analyst at FutureLearn At FutureLearn, we take great pride in having high quality courses from reputable institutions and educators. When asked recently in our Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, 91% of learners said that the…
Open, online CPD: supporting different modes of study
Matt Cornock, Online CPD Coordinator at the National STEM Learning Centre writes about supporting different modes of study and designing online courses with extended availability in mind. Online CPD courses from the National STEM Learning Centre encourage learners to actively participate, explore ideas together and take the time to reflect on their practice. An increasing number of…
Who are our learners: Part 2: The ‘Work and Study’ archetypes
A research-based insight into FutureLearners. Part 2: The ‘Work and Study’ archetypes. By Tracey Walker, User Experience Researcher at FutureLearn In part one, Tracey explained how, last year, the research and data teams set about some foundational research to understand who our learners really are. We wanted to understand their motivations, their personalities and characteristics,…
Understanding Inaccuracy in LLMs: Latest Studies and Job Displacement Insights
I love AI and where it can go. However, let’s not forget it is at the infant stage. Thus, relying on it as the savior for all your tasks to be handled formally by your employees could be opening up the flood gates due to the current flaws in every LLM. The latest information, research,…
Lesson of the Day: ‘Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging’
7. Which research was most fascinating, memorable, provocative or surprising to you and why? Does it confirm or revise your perspective on how dogs age? What questions about how aging in dogs, animals in general or humans do you still have?Going FurtherOption 1: Tell Us About a Meaningful Relationship You Have Had With a Dog…
Who are our Learners? Part 1: What we did and why
A research-based insight into FutureLearners. Part 1: What we did and why. By Tracey Walker, User Experience Researcher at FutureLearn After 4 years, thousands of courses, and millions of learners, it seemed a good time to investigate who our learners really are and get to know them better. At the beginning, we assumed that…
Understanding Inaccuracy in LLMs: Latest Studies on AI
I love AI and where it can go. However, let’s not forget it is at the infant stage. Thus, relying on it as the savior for all your tasks to be handled formally by your employees could open the floodgates due to the current flaws in every LLM. The latest information, research, and benchmarks continue…
The Pedagogy of FutureLearn: How our learners learn
By Mike Sharples, formerly Lead Academic at FutureLearn FutureLearn has been designed to support a pedagogy of social learning. This booklet sets out to explain why we chose this approach, and what it means for the way we create our courses and how people learn on the FutureLearn platform. Download the FutureLearn pedagogy white paper booklet to…
