So, what is this class exactly?

Alternate Worlds: Learning the Future is an online class combining science fiction texts with an analysis of possible directions education might take in the future, taking technological advancement into consideration.

Wait, what? An online class?

Yep, the class is entirely online. No classrooms, no notebooks, no chalkboards, no desks (unless you’d like to supply your own)

Well, how exactly does that work?

The great thing about the internet is that it can work in all sorts of ways. An internet class can be done by video, video-chats, podcast lectures, you name it. It’s far more flexible than a standard classroom lecture/discussion format. This particular class has mini-lecture blog posts (instead of long in-class lectures) a forum (for class participation) student blogs (for informal responses) and email for papers and other communications.

Isn’t it confusing?

It takes a little getting used to. It’s nice to have everything neatly stored in one place in a normal class, where the syllabus and all assignments can be tucked into a folder. On the other hand, everything in the class is accessible from any computer with internet access, which can be incredibly handy.

But, what about meeting people in class?

You’ll probably end up knowing the people in a well-structured online class like this one better than most of the people in a normal class. You have a chance to have longer conversations, and you have a lot more time to share and organize your thoughts.

On the forum?

Yep. It’s just easier in a lot of ways. If you like participating in class, you won’t be restricted as much by time, and if you hate participating in class, you don’t have to talk in front of anyone. You can properly take the time to share whichever thoughts you’d like to share.

Are there any disadvantages to using the forum?

It’s sometimes frustrating to have such a time stagger on your conversations – you might post on Monday and not get a response all week. And you do lose out on the human connection a little bit.

What about the workload?

Well, this class has a decent workload – it’s not writing-intensive, but there’s a lot of writing. A blog post every other week, three papers and a final project. Plus the forum. And new readings in tandem with every blog post.

Wait, blog posts?

I think of them like short, informal papers. They’re fun, normally. Interesting topics and thought-provoking.

What about the longer papers?

They also have great topics. It’s not just spitting back information, like many papers. The topics are all about your thoughts and ideas, so you really have to think about what you want to communicate for each paper.

In fact, a lot of the class is like that. You have to share your thoughts and ideas with each other, which makes the class a lot more dynamic, in my opinion.

Ok, what are the readings like?

Fascinating. A combination of thoughts on education and science fiction stories, but it all comes together quite well over the semester.

Do you like it?

Love it! It’s fun and interesting and I love learning about education, considering I’ve spent the vast majority of my life in the educational system!