Summarized from Straits Times
11 November 2014

BY AUDREY TAN

SINGAPORE – From learning about the material science of volcanic eruptions to the study of comic books and graphic novels, Coursera, an international massive open online course platform, has revolutionised the way students here can learn.

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has allowed its students to earn credits that count towards graduation by taking two such courses – An Exploration of Symmetry and Introduction to Forensic Science – on this platform.

There are now 532 courses offered on the popular massive open online course (Mooc) platform. These are offered in the categories of Physics, Arts and Music, Film and Audio, among many others.

Courses are conducted by professors or educators at organisations, usually universities, from all over the world.

As of October 2013, Coursera has 107 partner universities offering a wide range of courses.

Coursera’s aim is to provide free courses offered by top universities and organisations worldwide for anyone to take. To sign up for a course, create an account with your full name and e-mail address. Once registered, the learning begins.

Most of the students enrolled in courses on Coursera are working full-time.

audreyt@sph.com.sg

– See more at:

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/education/story/five-things-know-about-online-learning-platform-coursera-20141111#xtor=CS1-10