Every once in a while it is good to switch roles by becoming a student. It makes me a better professor by, not just upgrading my knowledge, but also giving me a better sense of the learning experience of my own students. Currently, I am taking two online courses on Coursera.
In case you have not heard of Coursera, it is an online provider of Massive Open Online Courses or, better known as, MOOCs. These courses are created by professors at some of the leading universities throughout the world. Participating universities include big American names such as Yale, Stanford and Princeton, a few Canadian institutions (McMaster and University of Toronto) and many others in Europe and Asia. Best of all, it is free and open to anyone! (By the way, completing a Coursera course will not earn you credit towards any degree or diploma.)
Right now, I am enrolled in:
- Internet Giants: The Law and Economics of Media Platforms by the University of Chicago Law School
- Rethinking International Tax Law by Universiteit Leiden
Courses I have done in the past are:
- Introduction to Sustainable Development by Columbia University
- Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects by University of California, San Diego
I have recommended that last course to many of my students to give them an insight into how their brains work so they can develop their own learning strategies.
“We are all lifelong learners” is an overused but true phrase. With MOOCs and other online resources, that learning is almost limitless.
Wayland
The Reflective Prof 