Open Campus Inside Look: How We Produce Our Online Courses
Some might argue that learning online is a less collaborative, engaging experience than taking a course inside four walls. But this behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to actually build an online course at Open Campus definitively disrupts this myth. In fact, an online learning environment can be the catalyst for thoughtful innovation. Find out how Ilan Jacobsohn, Senior Director of Online and Distributed Education, and our Open Campus faculty are constructing our new suite of online & short courses to be the type of collaboratively engaging experience that online students crave.
Ilan’s team is aware of what makes course content thrive beyond the classroom by crafting “an awesome mix of short video lectures, interviews with professionals, and discussions,” he says. Through the use of social media, group critique, and real world examples, “students are urged to ‘get right to work, applying teachings directly to their lives and projects.”
‘I taught this class last year and I had a student who produced two pieces for a book and [then] was published in that book,’ raves Niberca (Gigi) Polo, whose course on Making Impactful Infographics is offered this spring. Gigi previously worked with the Department of Education creating data visualizations, and feels that building community is one of the most important aspect of her course. “I think online you have a lot of potential to make connections and have networks growing, especially with international students coming into the same space. I’ve seen in my classes how some of the students make connections and they start collaborating on projects. Because we are sharing the same space, even if it’s a virtual space, it’s empowering. ”
Collaboration is also key for Jaime Tanner and Jacob Romer — the faculty team behindFundamentals of Data Visualization. They see an advantage in the cross disciplinary nature unique to our institution. “To me, The New School is a really special place because you get people from all walks of life, from different backgrounds. I came in being a programmer, sort of being used to hacking my way towards the final product and strictly fulfilling requirements, being in this bounded space. And Jamie comes from more of a scientific background where there’s a premium on truthfulness, a premium on being exact and honest about the conclusions that you draw, and the visual way of communicating this tends to be very different,” Romer remarks. With their course offered in both — an online and an on-campus format, they’ve been able to experiment with different approaches in organizing and presenting their content.
Lee-Sean Huang, co-founder and creative director of Foossa — a community-centered design consultancy, teaches our new short online course Design Thinking Fundamentals — beginning March 6th. One of the aspects of his new course that he’s most excited about, are the new ideas that spring forth when students from a range of backgrounds iterate on a creative solution to a challenge. “A lot of the problems we’re trying to solve require these different perspectives. We’re not asking lawyers to stop thinking like lawyers, or accountants to stop thinking like accountants. We’re just adding onto that, and giving everyone the same methods and mindset of design thinkers. And that’s where we see the magic happen.”
What does Lee-Sean hope that students take away from his course? “By taking this course, students can become ambassadors of design thinking to their organizations and to their professions and really help their professions, and their organizations move forward with innovation.”
Learn more about Online Learning and Short Courses offered through Open Campus.
