How, if at all, do you integrate these or similar resources into
particular areas of your curriculum? Does this integration work well
for increasing student learning?
I teach Python in a "Further Education" course- not university level but the modules compare well with many first-year BSc modules. Students tend to have little or no background in programming.
I learned a lot from completing MOOCs, and it is somewhat problematic that there is no single source of good materials...but, some of the materials are excellent. Unfortunately, not all learners find MOOCs to be a suitable format for learning.
I encourage students to try out a MOOC from EdX, Coursera, Udemy or Udacity, or another site. One assignment this coming year will be to document the "use cases" involved with a MOOC. Both of the assignments I set are variations from assignments on a Rice course and the fantastic CS50 given by David Malen.
For each lesson given, consider a "Further resources" section that allows a learner to view:
- Videos
- Tutorials
- Notes
- Examples
to cater to different learning styles. Consider setting a formative assessment to test learning, and perhaps hints to the solution are in the resources provided?
At the end of each class, use a minute paper, and it may provide an opportunity to clear up any points of confusion.
I use Moodle as my LMS, and for each part of the curriculum, I provide notes (in a folder) code and links, including videos, other courses, online discussions and tutorials.
Ultimately, it depends on the individual learner- you can lead a horse to water...etc.
