Goal: Never Miss Another Course Deadline Solution: Using Wunderlist to Track Assignments

Missing a course deadline is one of the biggest reasons students give for not completing a MOOC according to a recent article on Coursera's MOOC Talk, and I admit, after I have missed a deadline I will consider whether or not I should continue the course. Since MOOCs typically have very few graded assignments or quizzes, often times missing a single deadline in a MOOC can result in an unsuccessful attempt to achieve a certificate of achievement. This in mind I decided it was about time that I get a handle on my own MOOC assignments, and figure out some efficient way to keep track of it all.

Even so, with so many productivity apps available, it is easy to get side tracked from your actual tasks with just browsing the app store. I, personally, have found several apps which help me fight procrastination, track time, track costs, and even a website that will not only with assisting in documenting my learning path, but also acts as a means of additional verification of my participation.

Before realizing my need to use a some type of planner, I had tried the integrated Coursera  "upcoming deadlines" calendar feature. This feature syncs the calendars for a particular course with either iCal or Google Calendar. And yet, not all Coursera instructors use the "upcoming deadlines" feature and it definitely would not help me keep track of my assignments in one of my self-pace courses outside of the Coursera system.

I have tried a couple of other 3rd party planner options, but so far, nothing has really seemed to click for me. I needed a simple way to track my assignments from different learning management systems and within a learning management system without spending hours on setting up and learning a new app interface. Then I stumbled on Wunderlist. To be fair, I have used this app for various purposes over the last few years, but I never truly integrated the app into my day to day life. Nevertheless, I have decided it would be a good idea to give Wunderlist a new look. The simplicity of the app and the easy syncing seems to be a good fit for keeping track of school assignments, and the share features are an added bonus.

I will keep you updated with my progress using Wunderlist to track my assignments. In the meantime, I would love to hear if you have a productivity app you would like to share. If you would like to learn more about Wunderlist here is a link to their webpage: About Wunderlist.

Please add your suggestions to the comments below.

The Challenges of the MOOC Learning Environment

Finding ways to best fit the MOOC learning structure/method into a effective means of a documented learning path is proving to be quite the challenge.

I am fortunate in that I am finding my natural love of learning and a zest for understanding the learning process to be extremely helpful in transitioning to learning in a MOOC environment; and yet, this revolution in learning is different both from the traditional classroom and to to other forms of self-directed learning management systems. Despite the challenges,  I am still confident that I chose the best platform to support my dive into the world of Educational Data Science.

I was drawn to this method of learning and to Coursera for several reasons:

• Coursera offers me the chance to chart my own path for learning.
• MOOCs are still a relatively new disruptive technology, consequently, many of the courses currently being taught on Coursera are by taught by the university's department chairs, deans, and other nationally/internationally respected individuals.

Educational Data Science is a relatively new field, and so is the Coursera learning platform. To say that I am finding that having access to some of the top minds in the US as my instructors to be an illuminating experience is an understatement. However, over time, the novelty of the MOOC environment is likely to wear off, and soon the same courses may now longer be taught by the same caliber of individuals or perhaps not offered at all. Subsequently, I am actively trying to learn as much as I can from as many of the great minds as I can, while  I can. This desire can make for a large cognitive load and it is making it hard for me to complete all the requirements for "certificates of achievement".

So what is an extreme learner to do?

How can I balance my desire for achieving recognition for my work, with the time constraints inheritent disruptive technology?

eLearning Ecologies

eLearning Ecologies 

 Type: MOOC
 Provider: Coursera
 Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
 Link:  Coursera MOOC: e-learning Ecologies
 Signature Track: Yes


Course Description: An introduction to innovative approaches to learning and teaching, with a focus on the use of e-learning and social web technologies. **

My Rating: 4 out 5

• 21st Century Skills
• good for a variety of audiences
• well-structured
• thought proving

** course description listed is taken directly from the Coursera website

How Teach Character and Create Positive Classrooms

How to Teach Character and Create Positive Classrooms

 Type: MOOC
 Provider: Coursera
 Institution: Relay Graduate School of Education
 Link: Coursera MOOC: Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms
 Signature Track: Yes

Course Description: Positive psychology meets K-12 pedagogy. This course explores key ideas of positive psychology and shows how great teachers apply those lessons to maximize student engagement and accomplishment. Through lectures, discussions, interviews and footage of great educators in action, you’ll learn how to integrate character-based objectives into your own teaching.**

My Rating: 5 out 5

• this course was a game changer for me. 
• the need for specific skills and the correlation to learning outcomes was eye-opening
• this course would be good for any audience including educators, parents, grandparents (anyone interested in improving our society could benefit from this course.

** course description listed is taken directly from the Coursera website

What is this blog

I hope this blog will help to document my journey to become a more informed and more effective educator. May it provide light for others to join me on my journey. Articles will address:

• MOOCs directly related to Education and Professional Development
• Useful Professional Development Resources
• Data Science
• Learning Science
• Foundational Skills
• ICT Skills
• any many more