Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 08:54 UTC

Asgardia MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses)  

Hello Asgardians!

Some of you may remember there was a discussion a while ago about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

We are currently looking for community feedback, that way we can make sure it suits the needs of our nation!

I will be opening this up for discussion for one month from todays date. This post will be locked on 6th May 2017, and suggestions will be compiled. Things to start thinking about:

  1. What do you believe constitutes a MOOC
  2. What will the end result look like?
  3. How will it benefit the community of Asgardia?
  4. When/how are we going to develop this?
  5. Why do you believe this is being done?
  6. How will it be different from the other Online/free courses available today?
  7. How will it be run?
  8. Will there be different levels of learning? i.e. grade school vs university/college
  9. Will it be free, or should there be a subscription per month/year that allows unlimited courses?
  10. What types of programs can we provide? Will it be purely scientific, or is there room for the development of arts, music, theology, marketing programs?
  11. Is there a possibility for a mentorship program

I understand this is a lot to think of, so take your time! Civic.Asgardia looks forward to hearing your suggestions


Regards,

Dominic Sturt

Civic.Asgardia Projects Coordinator

  Last edited by:  Rebekah Berg (Asgardian, Lead Admin)  on Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 14:41 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 12:26 UTC

Hi Dominic,

as the forum still lacks a Search feature, may you insert a link to the original discussion, so that one can have an idea on what was discussed there, please?

Thanks in advance

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 14:34 UTC

Have a problem with the link to get here, the address is doubled.

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 14:36 UTC

I really would like to do some free courses because I can not afford it.


English and Java / Android would be my priority.


Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 14:43 UTC

This is a great idea, but don't we have a plethora of MOOCs we can access already? You can take MIT courses for free, for example.  I just want to know what having an Asgardia-branded one will bring to the table before I make any suggestions.

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 15:16 UTC

I currently study with the Open University in the UK. It's a highly respected and fully accredited university geared towards meeting the needs of adult learners. It offers everything from a certificate up to a masters, and some people continue with the OU's doctorate program. Some of our professors famously worked on the ill fated Beagle Mars program and the far more successful Huygens Titan lander. 

Course material is provided online and by post, with virtual classrooms and occasional meet ups.

I think Asgardia should follow this model, in providing a complete education that will enable its graduates to develop into the engineers and scientists of tomorrow, on Asgardia's behalf. If our nation is to someday lead Humanity's efforts in space, then we better start training our people now. The quality of the study material will need to be improved to the point where Asgardia University can become accredited in the home nations. Asgardians live in a range of economic situations, and I in any case believe education should be free as far as possible.

Science, Math, Law, Engineering, IT, English - all appear to be fundamental to Asgardia's existence. The University should focus on bringing these up to speed first. All other subjects can be introduced as and when teachers become available, and the core subjects are well established.

This university would be the backbone of Asgardia.

Cheers.  


[should add : until and if Esperanto becomes official Asgardian language - I'm not convinced on that one, English remains the worlds 2nd language and would be a natural base subject for the University.]

  Last edited by:  Stephen Howell (Asgardian)  on Apr 7, 17 / Tau 13, 01 19:43 UTC, Total number of edits: 3 times
Reason: Clarity on English

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 15:57 UTC

There is a website I used  while ago called Udemy.com, it offers really reasonably priced courses on a variety or subjects, sometimes you can even get free courses, now not all may be practical for a budding society but there will be some that may relevant. Just my 2p's worth.   

The format of this particular website is that not only can you learn new skills you can also provide lessons, sometimes in a video format sometimes face to face depending on your choice.

Maybe once you finish a course you get an Asgardian certification of some sort?

I have known a lot of people use the Open University course network and they always speak very highly of it. If we are to decide to have an online learning facility then maybe both these formats would be a great opportunity to learn on how to approach the idea, and on which direction to take when it comes to completion of any courses.


Plus to the poster below Udemy also does different languages.

  Last edited by:  Hadden Bramham (Asgardian)  on Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 16:04 UTC, Total number of edits: 2 times
Reason: Additional text plus additional text

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 16:02 UTC

@Richard Howell
(...) Science, Math, Law, Engineering, IT, English (...)

Well, yes, especially if our official language will be Esperanto, I'm seeing the importance of "english", mostly 'cause 80% of asgardians are not english motherlanguage.
I bet we'll better need chinese courses indeed. ;-)

  Last edited by:  Luca Coianiz (Asgardian)  on Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 16:02 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time
Reason: formatting

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 19:01 UTC

1. What do you believe constitutes a MOOC?

It is an online web application environment dedicated mainly to conduct or deliver educational content to interesting parties or participants. Class format material and peer review examination in a self or team pace mode under a specific class rubric with a curriculum format with an instructor or supervisor is a typical constituent design format that is evolved. The output of an MOOC class must have the justification of participation prior and post the MOOC operations. MOOC records and other analytics entail special consideration which implies legitimate practices concerning transparency of the results and private handling data consent with the participants / third parties.

2.What will the end result look like?

In general, MOOC platforms can be preserved in online /offline mode, live or self-pace, modular or stand-alone and also can be classified under the type of their content. Would be quite interesting to see – ministries – sectoring their content platforms accordingly and using authorized provisions from other ministries interrelations as well, that are involved for the security of their data content for example, including the public MOOC certification for public services future job positions. That means a lot of background work for a well-defined chart of public operations book to generate public products and services with prioritization services in mind for the Asgardians.

3.How will it benefit the community of Asgardia?

Better organized content under educated and well-informed positioning. There is also interesting to say that public meritocracy will be increased when a MOOC system can be used to classify public roles dynamics and positions according to their class performance at least in a quantitative way. In general, a MOOC educational platform can raise the quality of demographics and can constitute provisions for the evolution of the Asgardian citizen especially to those early years where most of the Nation operations of the Asgardia are localized on Earth.

4.When/how are we going to develop this?

I think this is a very broad topic and it will require several inspirations and participations from the citizens of Asgardia in the long run. However, I think the initial Constitutional orders can shape the core work that can be created (the ministries and their operation books) and with selective participants upon the founder’s will.

5.Why do you believe this is being done?

The Quality of demographic and their characteristics in time with their roles dynamics and interplay interactions should be framed under the Constitutional provisions and in some extend in a vice versa route. The overall operations as a Nation are actually based on the Paideia of the citizens, educating the citizens to know how to discover these limits, something quite useful especially for the culture expression that will shape later on the values and the ideas of this newborn Nation. Something very useful for a Nation that has no border lines and its extensions is space oriented.

6.How will it be different from the other Online/free courses available today?

I think this is a very delicate and special discussion where the virtualization character of the Asgardia MOOCs platforms must have distinct operation profiling of services and under the nature of work that is prioritized by the ministries. Again, the founder has a say.

7.How will it be run?

The content organized in operation services from the ministries and the initial virtualization staffing - as and where needed - must be piloted prior the final versions.

8.Will there be different levels of learning? i.e. grade school vs university/college?

Certainly, (backward compatibility) with the educational accreditation Earth system is in need up to the extent where Asgardia has a legitimate recognition as a Nation or educational partnership. For spaceships enterprises scaling this could be set completely on a unique basis and under special agreements with interested parties.

9.Will it be free, or should there be a subscription per month/year that allows unlimited courses?

This question needs clarification for an answer.

10.What types of programs can we provide? Will it be purely scientific, or is there room for the development of arts, music, theology, marketing programs?

Everything under the scope of an education and with a noble learning merit and purpose by definition has its own room.

11.Is there a possibility for a mentorship program?

Yes.


  Last edited by:  Gavriil Michas (Asgardian)  on Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 23:05 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time

Apr 6, 17 / Tau 12, 01 21:30 UTC

I want to learn asteroid mining, terraforming and of course robotics in extreme environments   :)

Apr 8, 17 / Tau 14, 01 18:16 UTC

I have been using Alison courses for furthering my learning, with working and having kids I don't have a lot of time for classes, so being able to do it at my own pace works wonderfully. They have a lot of free courses, as well as a few that you can earn certificates through. Not sure who all accepts the certificates. I have been working on a few of the programming courses they offer, they also have things like anatomy, yoga, drone tech, robotics, among several others if any one is interested.

To our Mods and Admins: I apologize if this has come off as promotional, it's not intended to be, just offering a resource if anyone would like to use it.

Apr 8, 17 / Tau 14, 01 19:21 UTC

@pwmmal I checked them out.  They have great accounting courses.  If you find great accounting in a program, chances are the rest of the stuff they have is also great.

Apr 9, 17 / Tau 15, 01 20:21 UTC

Approach one of the already global open online schools.

Check out khanacademy.org (it's got to be my favorite) or even alison.com (used by usa military so it's got to be reasonably good). I'm sure either would love to be the official school of a space nation.
Asgardia could base qualifications upon successful examination after completion of pre-existing curriculum.

Apr 10, 17 / Tau 16, 01 05:36 UTC

Can we open an english course especially for non english people, like me haha

Apr 10, 17 / Tau 16, 01 14:45 UTC

I'm sure Asgardia will need an income before a University is possible, but that doesn't mean we can't discuss it.