Online and Hybrid Learning

Semester Online Update - Fall 2013  (NetID access is required to access this page)

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Daily Northwestern Opinion

Thousands Sign Up For Northwestern MOOCs

Why Are Students Taking MOOCs?

Northwestern Launches Its First Semester Online Course

Northwestern Partners With Coursera on MOOCs

Leading Universities Team Up To Transform Online Education

NEW ONLINE LEARNING INITIATIVES

We are proud to announce two new partnerships in online learning that will enable Northwestern to offer exceptional online courses. Partnerships with Coursera and Semester Online (SON) will help us lead the way in shaping the landscape of online higher education. We are offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) through Coursera and for-credit, undergraduate courses taught in small sections through SON.

What are the main differences between Semester Online courses and MOOCs?

Semester Online (2U)	MOOCs (Coursera)
Selective enrollment	Open enrollment
For credit	Not for credit (at NU)
Small classes	Very large classes
Tuition-bearing	Free (usually)
Synchronous & asynchronous instruction	Asynchronous course delivery
Semester length	Average length = 8 weeks
Production done by 2U	Production done by NU

SEMESTER ONLINE (SON)

Learn about this initiative and how to offer a course through Semester Online: FAQs for Semester Online (SON)

Son Request for proposals

Requests for proposals will be issued by the Provost periodically.  The proposal must be discussed with and approved by the faculty member’s department chair and Dean’s Office prior to submission. After obtaining department and school approval, faculty members should submit their proposals to onlinelearning@northwestern.edu. The Faculty Distance Learning Workgroup will then review proposals and make recommendations for further review by the Office of the Provost. Courses must ultimately be approved by the Curriculum Committee of the Semester Online Consortium. 

Interested faculty should refer to the FAQs for Semester Online classes for more detailed information about the proposal process and teaching SON courses.  Faculty are invited to consult with the Coordinated Service Center for online courses at any point in the process of proposing or developing a SON course by emailing onlinelearning@northwestern.edu.

COURSERA

Northwestern University is proud to partner with Coursera, a California-based education company founded in 2011 by two Stanford computer science professors. A variety of free online courses will be offered. Additional courses will be featured as faculty members develop new online strategies for delivering their course content to a global audience. Further details on developing a Coursera course and a Request for Proposals are forthcoming. 

Coursera Request for Proposals

A Request for Proposals for developing MOOCs will be issued later this fall by the Provost. Faculty are invited to consult with the Coordinated Service Center for online courses at any point in the process of proposing or developing a MOOC by emailing onlinelearning@northwestern.edu.

MORE ONLINE AND HYBRID LEARNING INITIATIVES

In addition to these two new online learning platforms, many schools at Northwester have developed their own modules and courses to offer students a variety of online, blended and distance learning opportunities. Listed here are just a few of these offerings.

School of Continuing Studies 

Read more about the School of Continuing Studies’ distance learning philosophy.

• MS in Information Systems - part-time program that can be taken partly or completely online.
• MS in Medical Informatics - part-time, fully online program offered in collaboration with the Feinberg School of Medicine.
• MA in Public Policy and Administration - part-time; can be taken partly or completely online. This course recently won a Blackboard Exemplary Course Award.

Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

• MS in Integrated Marketing Communications - program that offers the same faculty, curriculum, and degree as the on-campus program.

School of Education and Social Policy

• MS in Learning and Organizational Change - offers a part-time alternative schedule option that combines distance learning with intensive two- to six-day on-campus sessions.

Feinberg School of Medicine

• MS in Medical Informatics - part-time, fully online program offered in collaboration with the School of Continuing Studies.
• MS in Prosthetics and Orthotics - a twenty-one month program offered through a blended format. 

School of Law

• Executive LLM in Madrid, Spain - offered in collaboration with IE Law School, this program employs a blended approach, combining online instruction with periods of on-campus learning in both Madrid and Chicago.

FACULTY DISTANCE LEARNING WORKGROUP

The Faculty Distance Learning Workgroup advises the Provost on issues related to the development and implementation of distance learning opportunities at the University. Through active engagement with the schools, faculty colleagues and other groups across campus, this workgroup will help ensure that the core teaching, research, and service mission is at the center of all distance learning initiatives undertaken by the University.

Mary Finn, Chair, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs – WCAS
Gad Allon, Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences – KSM
Tom Bauman, Music Studies – BSM
Tom Collinger, Integrated Marketing Communications; Senior Director of Medill Distance Learning – Medill
Debra DaRosa, Surgery – FSM
Hannah Feldman, Art History – WCAS
Scott Garton, Department Head, Library, Branch and Off-Campus Services Department
Jeanne Herrick, Writing Program – WCAS; Educational Affairs Committee, Faculty Senate
Justin Martin, NUQ Journalism Program
David Meyer, Physics and Astronomy – WCAS
Rick Morris, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration – SoC
Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Director of Center for Talent Development – SESP
Chris Riesbeck, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – MEAS
Cynthia Robin, Anthropology – WCAS
Joel Shapiro, Associate Dean of Academic Programs – SCS
Katrin Voelkner, German; Director of the MMLC, Member of Council on Language Instruction – WCAS
Marianna Kepka, Facilitator, Assistant Provost for Academic Administration