Attending online classes is very much in mainstream nowadays. All leading universities and colleges offer this opportunity to connect students across the country. However, the ’humane’ aspect of an isolated classroom is a specific challenge in promoting the online education system. Students often refrain from taking up an online course because of the loneliness factor. Universities report many students stick to classroom coaching even when there are excellent online tutorial facilities available. This is an essential impediment to implementing the MOOP (Massively Open Online Courses) protocol. The Harvard Business School came up with an effective solution to the issue.
HarvardX, the online learning platform of the school is all set to launch the ‘Innovating in Health Care’ program from March 31st. The program already enrolled more than 10,000 students across the world. Before the course goes live, the Business School has a neat plan in place into encountering the isolation aspect of virtual education. Essentially, the top business school did their homework into finding connective traits between students groups. They made it imperative for candidates to collaborate and communicate on the projects. The very course structure design requires the participants to interact and follow a collective approach.
Regina Herzlinger, a veteran Harvard professor in business administration would be the first dedicated business school instructor to handle the virtual course. The experienced professor has been teaching innovation in health care for the past 43 years. She has been through the evolutionary system of healthcare to gain rich insights into the business processes connected with providing the commitment of good health. The key objective of her course conduction would be to promote collaborative understanding in students.
Herzlinger is collaborating herself with Svetlana Dostenko into integrating the project Lever to the HarvardX platform. Originally, the project design meant to connect students with the best resource options for their research works. In the new course, the software protocol would help students to connect with other participants following the same line of research. The professor confirms that it is easier to teach didactic courses than the practical ones via online.
Innovative courses must include teamwork and collaboration, and one needs advanced computing protocols into teaching them. The Project Lever protocol would look up time zones and student availability factors in assisting candidates to grow the right team. The new course also means to cover the overwhelming attrition rate for online students. Data from 2012-13 reveals 95% of students left the courses without taking the completion certificate. The professor hopes the team spirit would be a crucial factor in encouraging students to complete the programs.
Kuhudhuria madarasa ya mtandaoni ni jambo la kawaida sana siku hizi. Vyuo vikuu na vyuo vikuu vyote vya kuongoza hutoa fursa hii ya kuunganisha wanafunzi kote nchini. Hata hivyo, kipengele cha "binadamu" cha darasa lililotengwa ni changamoto maalum katika kukuza mfumo wa elimu ya mtandaoni. Mara nyingi wanafunzi huepuka kuchukua kozi ya mtandaoni kwa sababu ya upweke. Vyuo vikuu vinaripoti kwamba wanafunzi wengi hufuata mafunzo ya darasani hata wakati kuna vifaa bora vya mafunzo ya mtandaoni. Hii ni kizuizi muhimu kwa ajili ya utekelezaji wa MOOP (Massively Open Online Courses) itifaki. Shule ya Biashara ya Harvard ilipata suluhisho lenye matokeo kwa tatizo hilo. HarvardX, jukwaa la kujifunza mtandaoni la shule hiyo, imewekwa tayari kuzindua programu ya 'Kubuni katika Huduma ya Afya' kuanzia Machi 31. Programu hiyo tayari imesajili wanafunzi zaidi ya 10,000 ulimwenguni kote. Kabla ya kozi kwenda kuishi, Shule ya Biashara ina mpango safi katika mahali katika kukutana na kipengele cha kutengwa ya elimu virtual. Kimsingi, shule ya juu ya biashara ilifanya kazi yao ya nyumbani katika kupata sifa za kuunganisha kati ya vikundi vya wanafunzi. Walifanya iwe lazima kwa wagombea kushirikiana na kuwasiliana juu ya miradi. Muundo wa muundo wa kozi inahitaji washiriki kuingiliana na kufuata mbinu ya pamoja. Regina Herzlinger, profesa wa zamani wa Harvard katika usimamizi wa biashara, atakuwa mwalimu wa kwanza wa shule ya biashara kushughulikia kozi ya kawaida. Profesa huyo mwenye uzoefu amekuwa akifundisha uvumbuzi katika huduma za afya kwa miaka 43 iliyopita. Amepitia mfumo wa maendeleo wa huduma za afya kupata ufahamu mwingi katika michakato ya biashara inayohusiana na kutoa ahadi ya afya nzuri. Lengo kuu la mwelekeo wake wa kozi itakuwa kukuza uelewa wa ushirikiano katika wanafunzi. Herzlinger ni kushirikiana mwenyewe na Svetlana Dostenko katika kuunganisha mradi Lever kwa jukwaa HarvardX. Awali, muundo wa mradi huo ulimaanisha kuunganisha wanafunzi na chaguzi bora za rasilimali kwa kazi zao za utafiti. Katika kozi mpya, itifaki ya programu itasaidia wanafunzi kuungana na washiriki wengine kufuatia mstari huo wa utafiti. Profesa anakubali kwamba ni rahisi kufundisha kozi didactic kuliko wale vitendo kupitia online. Kozi za ubunifu lazima ziwemo kazi ya timu na ushirikiano, na mtu anahitaji itifaki za kompyuta za hali ya juu katika kuzifundisha. Mfumo wa Project Lever utaangalia maeneo ya wakati na sababu za upatikanaji wa wanafunzi katika kusaidia wagombea kukuza timu sahihi. Kozi mpya pia inamaanisha kufunika kiwango kikubwa cha kupoteza kwa wanafunzi wa mtandaoni. Takwimu za mwaka 2012 zinasema asilimia 95 ya wanafunzi walioacha masomo bila kupata cheti cha kumaliza. Profesa anatumaini kwamba roho ya timu itakuwa sababu muhimu katika kuwatia moyo wanafunzi kukamilisha programu hizo.