The links this week include the first MOOC-based MS in computer science (brought to you by AT&T), libraries and pneumatic tubes, Wikispaces Classroom, and data visualization. Enjoy!
- Georgia Tech offers the first MS in computer science delivered via MOOCs. It will cost much less than a “traditional” master’s degree and is a result of a “teaming up” among Georgia Tech and Udacity and AT&T. From the linked webpage: “This collaboration brings together leaders in education, MOOCs and industry to apply the disruptive power of massively open online teaching to widen the pipeline of high-quality, educated talent needed in computer science fields.” Does the corporate sponsorship of AT&T coupled with the claim to “disrupt” the university’s ivory tower rub anyone else the wrong way?
- 5 Reasons Libraries Will Fail – Published in 1864 — Before you get too excited about pneumatic tubes installed in the home, be warned that this is satirical.
- If you’re thinking about moving away from Blackboard as your learning management system, a new option is available (and will be available soon for W&M wiki users) via Wikispaces: Wikispaces Classroom. I’ve messed around with it a little bit myself, and it looks like it will be really nice for group work in classes, as well as integrating discussion and Web-based assignments.
- The Art of Data Visualization — from Open Culture, a video and post about design and how it relates to the trend of data visualization.