by ALLIE ROBINSON GIBSON, Bristol Herald Courier
Open online courses might be the way of the future for higher education, said a local educator. Rachel Fowlkes, executive director of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Abingdon this week about MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, which are often free classes taught by professors worldwide. Several prestigious institutions — in Virginia, the University of Virginia is involved — offer MOOCs, and it’s an easy and inexpensive way for folks to take a quality class, Fowlkes said. “We’re constantly looking for new ways” to educate students, she said. “We have and will embrace MOOCs as a way for people to develop their skills and goals.” She said MOOCs won’t replace campus-based education, but can help at places like the Higher Ed Center, which is a collaboration of colleges and universities throughout the state.
http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_6d1686cc-025f-11e4-9dab-0017a43b2370.html
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