Earlier this year, I made a resolution to see a MOOC through to the end and earn a verified certificate of completion. I hoped the experience would provide an opportunity to study something completely new while answering a few burning questions I had about MOOCs. Questions like:
- How hard is it to earn a verified certificate?
- How will Coursera know that I did the work myself?
- Will I have to wear a Clockwork-Orange-style eyeball opener to stay awake through the video lectures?
- How many ideas can I steal and use when designing my own courses?
Here’s what I learned.
How hard is it to earn a verified certificate?
Not hard. So far, I’ve been able to meet the minimum requirements for the verified certificate by putting in one to two hours per week. As long as I get a perfect score on all the quizzes, I can earn a certificate “with distinction” and never participate in a single discussion or peer-reviewed activity. If I could bear the shame of a distinction-free certificate, I’d only need to maintain a B average on the quizzes. It’s also worth noting that all of the quizzes in my MOOC could be retaken once with no grade penalty, and only a minor penalty on the third and final attempt. Continue reading