I recently completed my Masters degree, and after spending a total of five years at university, I’ve become slightly addicted to learning. As I have found myself with quite a bit of spare time, I decided to try something completely new to me, so I signed up for my first online course, or MOOC. I must admit, I was slightly concerned about it, that it wouldn’t be engaging, that the content wouldn’t be challenging enough, or that it simply wouldn’t be that interesting. It turns out that I was very, very wrong.
Known as MOOCs (massive online open courses), these kind of courses have surged in popularity in recent years, and there are plenty to choose from, with a range of websites offering them. I decided to go with Futurelearn, as the majority of courses are from UK-based universities and institutions. As a history lover (and an Archaeology graduate), I also wanted a course that was relevant to me and that would be at the right level, rather than just an introduction, or too specific. There were plenty to choose from, and I decided to sign up for more than one, mainly because I couldn’t choose between them!
The first course I ended up completing was the University of Liverpool’s ‘Superpowers of the Ancient World: The Near East’. It was spread across around three hours each week, and in total lasted four weeks, although I tended to spend a little more time each week with all the extra bits of research.
There were a number of key themes that were discussed over the four weeks, and different civilisations, including the Egyptian, Mitannian and Hittite superpowers. Ideas that were discussed included travel, trade, warfare and diplomacy, and there was a great deal of historic context as well as current discussion of international relations, looking at modern parallels. One of the great things was the use of objects from the university’s Garstang Museum, and the input of experts discussing how the objects were used and what they can tell us about the past.
Each week was split into sections, each taking around 15-20 minutes. These included videos and articles, as well as activities. The course also had quizzes each week, to test your knowledge. For some courses, the activities and quizzes contribute to a final grade, and you have to complete at least 50% of the course to be able to buy a statement of participation. I do think the price (just under £30), is a little high, but when you consider the course is completely free, it is not a bad deal at all!
The course employed a number of different online tools really successfully, such as Google Maps, an interactive timeline, and my personal favourite, the ‘Padlet’ photo wall. This particular exercise involved selecting an image from Burton’s photographs of Tutankhamun’s tomb from the 1922 excavation. It was a really engaging tool, that looked fantastic and was very easy to use, and read other peoples’ contributions at the same time. One of the biggest features of the course was the comment section, and you are encouraged to take part in discussions and post questions to other users, as well as reply to their comments. This was a really useful tool, although it was quite difficult to read all of the comments and be able to fully engage with debates that people were having. Having since used another website that uses forums, however, I do prefer the simplicity of the comments.
Ancient Egypt (and a large dose of Time Team) was what got me interested in Archaeology when I was a child, but unfortunately I didn’t end up studying it at all during my Archaeology degree. This course, therefore, was perfect.
I really do believe that anyone, as long as they have an interest in archaeology or ancient history, would find the course engaging and be able to learn a great deal. The course is, I believe, being run again in the new year, so make sure to sign up to Futurelearn’s newsletter if you are interested in taking part.
I have, at the time of writing, managed to sign up for five courses on Futurelearn, and I am underway with another Egypt course on Courseara. Another great thing is that the conversation is ongoing, with a really active Facebook group that people still use to post their thoughts on articles and objects in museums around the world. The idea of community is central to these online courses, and is what makes them so great. Having educators that are engaging, who answer your questions and encourage debate is key to this, and was very successfully done by the team on this course. It is safe to say that I am an online course convert, and will be continuing with them for many years to come.
If you have any recommendations for other online courses, or your own experience with them, please feel free to share them!
Jess
