St Benedict’s Sixth Form students have the option to take MOOCs alongside their A Levels, so that they can extend their knowledge and add a new dimension to their learning. Thousands of MOOCs are offered by universities from all around the world, covering a vast range of subjects.

MOOCs are readily accessible and enable people to develop their education, knowledge and skills. The extra dimension they add to Sixth Form education is particularly beneficial; courses can enhance and extend A Level study, or allow students to do something new, such as learning a language.

MOOCs can also help students to achieve a specific goal: future medics might choose to explore Medical Ethics, for example.

Courses normally last around 4 -8 weeks and require about 1-2 hours of work per week. Students are encouraged to complete at least one MOOC. They attend two group sessions each half term to check progress and develop skills, including:

• Choosing the best MOOC
• How to create an effective online video
• How to create an effective presentation

Below, two students outline their chosen courses.

Callum: How to make a short film: An introduction to film making (British Film Institute)

What were some of the units/topics of study you learnt as part of your MOOC?

I studied general rules for film (180 degrees rule, record ten seconds before and after the action, not having someone directly in the middle of the screen, and not to film two shots at the same angle), camera angles and what they mean (a low angle shot gives someone power and dominance and a high angle shot makes someone seem weaker and vulnerable). I also looked at the impact of sound, the effect shot size has (close-up to show emotion, long shot to establish the scene) and how to make storyboards. I completed the MOOC through the practical film, short quizzes, small camera work activities on a website called Padlet, and comments on the MOOC to analyse a film.

What did you enjoy about your MOOC?

I enjoyed the practical side combined with the theoretical side, where I could analyse movies and learn how different angles or camera movements had meanings, then I could put it into practice by creating my own movie.

Who would you recommend your MOOC to and why?

Anyone interested in the film/ photography industry – it contains greatly useful knowledge whether you are an actor or the director

 

 Lucy: Language testing during awake brain surgery (University of Groningen)

What were some of the units/topics of study you learnt as part of your MOOC?

Neuroanatomy of language, types of tumours (including low grade and high grade gliomas), assessing whether a patient is eligible for a surgery, the stages of a typical awake brain surgery including an example of a real patient, the role of clinical linguists in the OR and in pre- and post-operative testing for the patient, how to design a good test, the future of neuroscience including an alternative to intraoperative mapping (DES) called nTMS.

What specific part of your MOOC struck you as being particularly interesting and what did you enjoy?

I particularly enjoyed designing my own language test for patients following the guidelines on how to produce a successful test given in the course. I also enjoyed the different formats the information was given in, for example there were articles but also many videos and discussions along the way which were more interactive and kept me engaged. There were also quizzes throughout and at the end of each week to test knowledge and these helped me learn/recap the key information effectively.

Who would you recommend this MOOC to?

I would recommend this MOOC to anyone interested in how language works or the crucial role the brain plays in language. I would also recommend to anyone interested in medicine, neuroscience, psychology or linguistics as this course is a mixture of all these fields.