MetaCourses
In today's world of global interconnection, the Internet has become a primary means of communication in all aspects of society, including education. Education is shifting from being primarily classroom-based, to include the rich content that the Internet offers: access to international expertise, worldwide communication with peers, and extensive multimedia capabilities. The MetaCourses seek to capitalize on these strengths while providing a means of communicating reliable information to students of all ages and backgrounds.
Although online courses are available through other universities, they often only provide a means for educators to lecture to a broader audience. These course go several steps further by providing interactive "tools" and dynamic solution-focused courses and by transforming the relationship between student and content.
One of the primary goals of the MetaCourses is to provide full access to the content to students and the general public, but also to educators all over the world. Many online courses developed by other universities have all their content within a 'blackbox,' one which can be access only through registration. Here, we make all the content freely available for students, educators, and the public to provide as wide distribution of the content as possible. Educators are free to use any content for the development of their own courses.
The courses are set up run off two sites. First is the public site which you are currently on. Here all the content resides. There is also the blackboard site; this is only for registered users. The blackboard site is where you get the opportunity to interact with the instructors and other students registered for the course. The connection between the two sites will be clear as you proceed through the courses.
Initially, two core courses required for the Ecological Economics Certificate have been developed. More courses will follow, including additional courses for this certificate and for an Ecological Design Certificate. The courses currently present and accessible are:
