USU OpenCourseWare information | KVNU`s For The People

USU OpenCourseWare information | KVNU's For The People
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http://kvnuforthepeople.com/?p=3242
As per the discussion on Thursday’s For the People, here is more information on USU’s
OpenCourseWare program.
What is OCW?
OCW stands for OpenCourseWare. OCW is digital content used in the classroom, like
syllabi, lecture notes, readings, audio and video recordings, that is placed on the web as
a free and open resource. It is important to note that open means other people can use
and reuse the material, as long as they follow the licensing agreement.
How did Utah State get involved with OCW?
Utah State got involved early on in OCW. It started at MIT who has put all of their
courses online, but it was very expensive. USU got involved by creating open source
software (that can be used for free) that makes it easier for other universities to create
their own OCW site. USU has been involved in the OCW movement for over 4 years.
Why would a professor or the university want to give away courses? (i.e. What
benefits does the university or a professor get from OCW?)
How much traffic does USU OCW get?
USU OCW gets close to 50,000 unique visitors a month to the site. Well over half a
million every year. About half of this traffic comes from the United States, the rest from
countries around the world.
How many courses does USU offer on their site?
82 courses in 20 different departments.
What is the Utah OCW Alliance (UOCWA)?
The Utah OpenCourseWare Alliance is a group of 7 universities in Utah who have their
own OCW site, and have put at least 10 courses online.
Which schools are involved?
There are 7 schools in Utah involved with the Utah Open CourseWare alliance. They
include:
Utah State
Weber State
University of Utah
College of Eastern Utah
Western Governors
Utah Valley University
Dixie State
How many courses does the UOCWA have?
151 courses.
Can a person get credit by going through an OCW course?
A person does not get credit by going through the material, but it is possible to get credit
through various other ways such as clepping courses, independent study, or taking a
course through , and OCW could cer
Why would USU want to offer these courses to people beyond the state border?
It is just as easy to share this with the world, as it is to share it with the people of Logan,
or the people of Utah. There is no additional cost to make these materials available to
everybody.
11/21/2008 9:40 AM