Going Global | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post, Grace Haskin, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

ECU offers its first Massive Open Online Course


    Making education available to online learners around the globe, East Carolina University is now offering its first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

ECU professors Dr. John Drake and Dr. Elaine Seeman are collaborating on a new open online course focused on Asian economies. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
    ECU faculty members Dr. John Drake and Dr. Elaine Seeman, and Dr. Ramin Maysami of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, opened the course, "The Transformation of Asian Economies," on May 19.

    Drake and Seeman explained that with North Carolina's tightening educational budget, universities are being challenged to effectively educate more students with fewer funds. "This MOOC demonstrates that ECU can continue its leadership in distance education and better achieve its mission in these fiscally challenging times," said Drake.

    The free seven-week course was developed collaboratively by ECU and UNC at Pembroke with a grant from the UNC General Administration.

    The course focuses on successes and failures of government policies in promoting economic growth, the role of culture in shaping such policies and what lessons can be learned and applied to newly emerging economies. "Our primary goal was to help students understand the process that countries go through to move from developing to developed economies," said Drake, assistant professor of management information systems in ECU's College of Business.

    So far, more than 80 students from around the world have enrolled. "We have a lot of students from Russia, Peru, and professionals working in the world trade," said Seeman, associate professor of management information systems in ECU's College of Business.

    The course, which has been in development over the past year, incorporates online discussion forums for students to share their stories and personal experiences related to the topic. "What we're running right now is a kind of a pilot, or a proof of concept," Seeman said. "The idea is that over time, the course will get richer and richer."

    Drake said that offering the MOOC is one of many ways that ECU can serve the community. "Hopefully we can do more of this in the future," he said. "I hope that ECU can work together with professors to develop more materials that can reach out to much wider groups of people."

    Seeman, who has been developing and teaching online classes since 1995, said that MOOCs and other forms of distance education make learning available to people who may not have the opportunity to attend a university. "There are different ways that people learn, and this works very well for some people," she said.

    For more information about the course, visit https://mooc.northcarolina.edu/courses/UNCOnline/ECON3001/Summer2014/about.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Capstone Projects Provide A Way To Give Back To The Community East Carolina University, School News, The Region, Neighboring Counties Rehearsing Nursing


HbAD0

Latest Neighboring Counties

Members of the North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA) visited Washington, D.C., on Feb. 14, 2024, to meet with elected officials and advocate for policies to improve access to care in rural areas.
The US Supreme Court will not take the case of Virginia-based owners of a Dare County beach home who challenged the county's COVID-related shutdown in 2020.
The North Carolina State Fair is set for the Raleigh state fairgrounds from October 12-22, 2023
A $2.5-billion-dollar bond referendum is slated to be placed on the November ballot this year, as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) looks for support to fund 30 different projects in the school district.
Five Asheville-area residents are suing the city in federal court for refusing to appoint them to the local Human Relations Commission. The residents claim they were rejected because they are white.
Federal grant expands midwifery care for North Carolina
Pirates achieve historic sponsored activities funding
Innovative new MBA pathway provides leadership experiences for students, companies

HbAD1

Program immerses educators in conflict history, culture
5,400 students descend on campus for the new academic year
ECU undergrads find guidance in SECU Public Fellows Internship program
Psychology major inspired by role in data internship
Internship provides environmentally focused senior a real view of future work
Graduating senior receives career confirmation through PFI internship with art museum
Traditional, modern African art on display at ECU
ECU faculty, students are studying the impact of erosion on Sugarloaf Island
ECU, UNC Pembroke sign dental school early assurance agreement

HbAD2

 
Back to Top