Add as a preferred source on Google


Semester Online Goes International in For-Credit Course Program

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/06/13

A company that works with colleges and universities to place their courses online and grant credit to students from other institutions has added its first international offerings. Semester Online will be working with schools in Ireland and Australia to place two humanities courses into its catalog.

In spring 2014 Trinity College Dublin will offer "Ireland in Rebellion, 1798-1916," led by Associate Professor of History Patrick Geoghegan. The course will explore how rebellions between 1798 and 1916 transformed Ireland from being a part of the British Empire to a country on the brink of independence.

During that same term, the University of Melbourne will offer "Classical Mythology," taught by Professor Parshia Lee-Stecum.

"Participating in this innovative initiative will expand the influence of our institution beyond its physical borders while providing our students with a unique learning experience through our Semester Online partner schools," said Pip Pattison, academic deputy vice-chancellor at U Melbourne.

Added Patrick Prendergast, provost of Trinity College Dublin, "Trinity is anxious to explore the potential of online education, in partnership with Semester Online, delivering high-quality outcomes through an innovative learning model."

Semester Online has pulled together a number of institutions that are working with the company to provide courses that can be taken for credit by students from any school. Instructors use lecture, group projects, threaded discussions, reading assignments, and other components in their courses.

The company recently introduced a "bidirectional learning tool," a feature of its instructional platform, which was developed by 2U, that encourages student engagement by delivering pre-recorded video conversations with experts or top students and then calls on the online student to provide direct input by text, video, or multiple-choice questions.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Analyst or Scientist uses a computer and dashboard for analysis of information on complex data sets on computer.

    Anthropic Study Tracks AI Adoption Across Countries, Industries

    Adoption of AI tools is growing quickly but remains uneven across countries and industries, with higher-income economies using them far more per person and companies favoring automated deployments over collaborative ones, according to a recent study released by Anthropic.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • magnifying glass revealing the letters AI

    New Tool Tracks Unauthorized AI Usage Across Organizations

    DevOps platform provider JFrog is taking aim at a growing challenge for enterprises: users deploying AI tools without IT approval.

  • Graduation cap resting on electronic circuit board

    Preparing Workplace-Ready Graduates in the Age of AI

    Artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces and emerging as an essential tool for employees across industries. The dilemma: Universities must ensure graduates are prepared to use AI in their daily lives without diluting the interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that businesses rely on.