A new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to help school leaders and teachers foster deep learning in their students has been announced by The University of Queensland, edX and Microsoft today.
Deep Learning Through Transformative Pedagogy has been developed by UQ’s School of Education and The Science of Learning Research Centre in partnership with UQx.
Queensland Brain Institute Director and Science of Learning Research Centre member Professor Pankaj Sah said the MOOC will be a valuable tool.
“It will aid school leaders seeking to transform their practice, and contribute to understanding the neurological theory behind how students learn, study and remember in a digital age,” he said.
The MOOC will be freely available to anyone worldwide interested in the deep learning process.
“It will be of particular relevance to school leaders, such as senior school principals who are grappling with the need to develop and implement innovative education delivery models to better prepare students for the future,” Professor Sah said.
“Understanding deep learning from a neurological perspective will be a useful step along that process, particularly in a rapidly changing digital world.”
“To be recognised in this MOOC is an enormous credit to the excellent work being done within the Science of Learning Research Centre, both here at The University of Queensland and at our partner institutions across Australia.”
Enabling teachers to improve learning
Head of the School of Education Professor Merrilyn Goos said UQ’s course would enable teachers to adopt and implement powerful teaching techniques that created inquisitive, creative and effective learners.
“The Deep Learning Through Transformative Pedagogy course will enable participants to develop a layered and nuanced understanding of deep learning from a psychological, neurological and educational perspective,” she said.
“The course modules will provide real classroom examples of teachers facilitating and students engaging in deep learning, with outcomes aimed at providing authentic learning activities to assist students to become independent thinkers, innovative creators and effective communicators.
“These lifelong learning skills will be vital, not just for tomorrow’s students, but for the educational institutions, school leaders and administrators around the world dealing with a rapidly transforming learning environment.”
Course forms part of Education Leadership series
The first MOOC of the series will begin in January, and registrations are now open.
The course forms part of Microsoft’s K-12 Education Leadership Series, a five-part program for school leaders launched by edX today.
The series also features courses on Change Leadership and Educational Design Thinking from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Gameful Learning and Leading Ambitious Teaching and Learning from the University of Michigan.
UQx represents UQ’s engagement with edX, the world’s largest non-profit MOOC provider, established by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard in 2012. UQ joined as a charter member in 2013.
Media: Zarese Kisielewski, z.kisielewski@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 6211.
