Short online courses

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[ podcasting | wikis | eNetworks | blogs | second life ]
[ what a course looks like | previous courses feedback ]

SHORT ONLINE COURSES
Each of our short online courses lasts 2 weeks (10 hours) and focuses on a different ICT tool. Participants can sign up on one or more courses, consecutively or simultaneously.

These courses are aimed at teachers, trainers, tutors, facilitators, lecturers and mentors from any discipline and any level of education, who are interested in working with one or more of these ICT tools or approaches, and implementing them effectively in their own teaching or training.

[ find out where our course participants come from with our participant map... ]

Podcasting course [ more… ]
A podcast is an audio or video file that is stored on the Internet, and can be downloaded to a computer and/or mobile listening devices (such as an MP3 player, or PDA). This short online course looks at how podcasting works, how it can help students learn, and what teacher needs to know and do to use audio podcasts with learners. This practical, hands-on course explores:

• free web-based software for audio podcasting - what it looks like, how it works, where to access it
• real examples of projects which use podcasts, set up by language teachers from around the world, for young learners, adults, Business English learners, teacher trainees, and a range of other disciplines
• how course participants might use podcasting with their own learners.
• Course participants will make their own sample podcasts (with their own learners if possible) during this course.

Wikis course [ more… ]
A wiki is a series of interlinked collaborative webpages that can be edited and added to by a group of people. This short online course looks at wikis, and how they can be used for collaborative projects with learners. This practical, hands-on course explores:

• free web-based software for wikis - what it looks like, how it works, where to get it
• real examples of wikis, set up by language teachers from around the world
• how course participants might use wikis with their own learners.

Course participants will make their own sample wikis (to use with their own learners if possible) during this course.

eNetworks: How to set up online communities and events [ more… ]
This two-week online course is for educators interested in learning how to set up online communities, and online training events or conferences. The practical, hands-on course includes:

• the theory and practice of online communities of practice (CoPs) – what are they, and what makes them work
• a tour of several functioning CoPs related to language teaching and training
• a look at examples of real online events and conferences, from short one-hour synchronous events to long-tem online conferences which use asynchronous communication and resources
• an exploration of various free web-based tools that can be used to create web communities and events (e.g. Yahoogroups, Ning, Moodle, WizIQ, skypecasts...)

Course participants will consider how they might set up an online community and/or training event for their own context, during this course.

Blogs [ more… ]
A blog (or web log) is an online diary or journal that is regularly updated by an individual, or by a group of people. This short online course looks at teacher, students and class blogs, and how they can be used by teachers both in and outside the classroom with learners. The practical, hands-on course explores:

• free web-based software for blogs - what it looks like, how it works, where to get it
• real examples of blog projects, set up by language teachers from around the world, for young learners, adults, Business English learners, teacher trainees, and a range of other disciplines
• how course participants might use blogs with their own learners.

Course participants will design and produce their own blog during this course, using free Internet-based blog tools.

Second Life: an introduction for educators [ more… ]
Second Life is an online virtual world which educators are increasingly using for teaching and training purposes, in a wide range of disciplines. This short online course consists of four timetabled synchronous (real time) sessions held on EduNation, The Consultants-E’s own virtual educational island in Second Life, as well as asynchronous discussion and reflection on Second Life as an educational tool. The course covers the following areas in Second Life:

• designing your Second Life avatar and the basics of movement
• inventory, archiving possibilities and working with basic objects in Second Life.
• teaching and training in Second Life, considering tools and approaches.
• issues and possibilities for learners in Second Life

Course participants will consider how they might use Second Life in their own teaching or training context, during this course.