The system also allows students to write notes in reading passages, in the same way they might scribble their thoughts in the margins of a textbook. Goodson said that’s especially helpful when the class is reading dense material, such as Plato or Cicero.
“It allows for student interaction in a way that we’ve never seen before,” Goodson said. “It’s been great.”
Kyle Harper, OU’s senior vice provost, said the system draws on the best aspects of social networking sites and brings them into education.
“Our students are social network natives,” he said. “That’s the way they grew up. They love that technology.”
Harper, who also teaches “Law and Justice,” said he’s been surprised by the aspects of the platform the students use most. Analytics data show students tend to watch videos on difficult subjects several times, he said.
Now that the site is open to the public, students can continue taking the courses for credit, while anyone can enroll in a free, noncredit version of any of the courses, Harper said.
Those who enroll in the open, noncredit version will have access to the same materials as students in the for-credit course, Harper said.
OU students who take the courses for credit will have more direct access to the professor.
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