{"id":277,"date":"2022-01-10T20:53:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T09:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/?p=277"},"modified":"2023-01-09T08:08:28","modified_gmt":"2023-01-08T21:08:28","slug":"mooc-free-quality-homeschooling-resource","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/mooc-free-quality-homeschooling-resource\/","title":{"rendered":"MOOCs | A free homeschooling resource for high school"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MOOCs-a-fantastic-free-high-school-homeschool-resource.png\" alt=\"MOOCs - a fantastic free homeschooling high school resource!\" class=\"wp-image-4293\" width=\"616\" height=\"924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MOOCs-a-fantastic-free-high-school-homeschool-resource.png 616w, https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/MOOCs-a-fantastic-free-high-school-homeschool-resource-480x720.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 616px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:41px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be difficult to find resources to homeschool high school, so we were really happy when we discovered MOOCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Free! High quality! Easily accessible! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And I think they&#8217;re perfect for any homeschooler interested in getting high-quality education resources for free (that\u2019s everyone, right?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a MOOC?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve heard of <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Khan Acadamy<\/a>? MOOCS are kind of like Khan Academy, but even better. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course, and they\u2019re exactly what they say &#8211; a course that usually has thousands of people enrolled, is open to anyone, and is delivered online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most MOOCs are provided by top universities and colleges and delivered by experts in the field. Many are actual courses offered by the university &#8211; you get the same resources as paying students, but you don&#8217;t get access to the teaching staff, or an academic transcript.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find MOOCs about virtually every topic &#8211; my kids have completed MOOCs about moons, becoming a vet, general science, anatomy and physiology, masonry, rhetoric, creative writing, and ecology (I\u2019ve just realised that we\u2019re definitely a science-loving family!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I completed two about dementia to complement my nursing degree, so they&#8217;re useful for the entire family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some provide free certificates, while others require you to pay for the certificate. Many include basic gamification, which my kids love &#8211; the small additions like progress bars and grading create intrinsic rewards. It&#8217;s enough to keep them going without detracting from the actual learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:53px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reasons to add MOOCs to your homeschool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>They\u2019re free and open access!<\/strong> Many paid courses like this would cost an awful lot of money to do, or require fulfilling entrance requirements. Both provide barriers to entry &#8211; many families can\u2019t afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a single subject of interest, and many homeschoolers don\u2019t have a formal academic history to rely on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Practice learning in a university \/ further education environment<\/strong> in a relaxed way &#8211; many MOOCs are delivered in a similar fashion to my external nursing degree. Most include text, videos, images, and online quizzes. Essay writing is all most are missing &#8211; but there are dozens of MOOCs teaching how to write academic essays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Try out interests before committing to a whole degree <\/strong>&#8211; if the interest doesn\u2019t prove strong enough to last for a whole degree there\u2019s been no money wasted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encourage and accelerate learning in areas of interest <\/strong>&#8211; my 11 and 12 year olds are capable of doing university level MOOCs in their favourite areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use certificates when applying for jobs or courses <\/strong>&#8211; the achievement of voluntary online certificates shows that related knowledge has been achieved, plus demonstrates interest and enthusiasm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get an actual qualification<\/strong> &#8211; MOOCs now offer online degrees and other recognised qualifications. There are entry requirements (and these do cost money) but it&#8217;s worth looking into if you have trouble <a href=\"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/homeschool-to-university-australia\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4969\">getting into university by our other unconventional methods<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized wp-image-286\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/FutureLearn-Moons-MOOC-result-from-an-11-year-old-homeschooler.jpg\" alt=\"FutureLearn Moons MOOC result from an 11 year old homeschooler\" class=\"wp-image-286\" width=\"431\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/FutureLearn-Moons-MOOC-result-from-an-11-year-old-homeschooler.jpg 713w, https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/FutureLearn-Moons-MOOC-result-from-an-11-year-old-homeschooler-300x255.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br>Gabrielle&#8217;s result at age 11, when she did a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.futurelearn.com\/courses\/moons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">university-level MOOC about moons<\/a>. Yes, I&#8217;m still proud!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:26px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The negatives of MOOCs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, nothing is perfect. Here are some problems with MOOCs that are worth anticipating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Some MOOCs are of inferior quality,<\/strong> or just plain boring (usually from the professors who haven\u2019t realised it\u2019s 2023, and droning in front of a whiteboard for an hour isn\u2019t enthralling anyone). We\u2019ve ditched some that looked interesting because they\u2019re ALL video, and we prefer a mixed approach.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Most will need parental help and input<\/strong>. Most homeschoolers won&#8217;t mind &#8211; but don\u2019t assume you\u2019ll be able to hand the computer over and have an hour of peace.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You may need to purchase or find complementary resources<\/strong> that cover the subject in more detail, or fill in the gaps left by assumed knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They definitely need to be audited first <\/strong>&#8211; one on creative writing used far too adult texts for my 11 year old daughter. Why do so many things rely on sex and violence?!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Some courses are paid, or only available for free for short periods.<\/strong> Not really a negative as they have to make money somehow, but you have to read the fine print.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall though, MOOCs are fantastic. Our children didn\u2019t use the computer for any of their work before MOOCs came along. We\u2019re pretty old-fashioned when it comes to technology use &#8211; any technology-related learning has to prove its merit before it is added to our work (the vast majority of what I\u2019ve seen touted as educational on computers \/ iPads etc. is nothing more than repetitive, mindless games with a thin layer of education slapped on top as a seeming afterthought, but hey, that\u2019s my archaic opinion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MOOCs were good enough for us to get our older three on the computer, and anyone who knows us will know that that\u2019s very high praise indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:49px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best places to find quality MOOCs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Have I convinced you to try a MOOC? Here are the best places to find high-quality online courses for homeschoolers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:33px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/edx.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">EdX<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/alison.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Alison<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Coursera<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/futurelearn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">FutureLearn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canvas.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canvas<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kadenze.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Kadenze<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.saylor.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Saylor Academy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.open.edu\/openlearn\/free-courses?sidebox\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>OpenLearn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/ocw.mit.edu\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">MIT OpenCourseware<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:42px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many other MOOCs that are run individually by universities &#8211; for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/mooc.utas.edu.au\/courses\/understanding-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UTAS\u2019s Understanding Dementia MOOC<\/a>, which I completed. A google search using the keywords \u2018MOOC\u2019 with your topic (eg. MOOC hula hooping &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/sheilamorr.wordpress.com\/2014\/07\/28\/mooc-lets-hoop-hula-hoop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one exists! Really!<\/a>) should show any available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:55px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n                <div class=\"ml-form-embed\"\n                     data-account=\"898199:t4g5t0k9v6\"\n                     data-form=\"4167244:k8i8l6\">\n                <\/div>\n            \n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:59px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope that helps you to diversify your learning resources without the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;d love to hear which MOOCs you and your children are doing, let me know in the comments below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 36px; left: 65px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 36px; left: 65px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 36px; left: 65px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 36px; left: 131px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 36px; left: 209px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px\/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% \/ 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer; top: 1768px; left: 311px;\">Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It can be difficult to find resources to homeschool high school, so we were really happy when we discovered MOOCs. Free! High quality! Easily accessible! And I think they&#8217;re perfect for any homeschooler interested in getting high-quality education resources for free (that\u2019s everyone, right?). What is a MOOC? You\u2019ve heard of Khan Acadamy? MOOCS are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6818,"featured_media":4306,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[8,7],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6818"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5731,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277\/revisions\/5731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fearlesshomeschool.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}