World-first Journalism MOOC gets another run

Journalism online course - Newspapers

The University of Melbourne’s Centre for Advancing Journalism will offer its online Journalism course again this year after last year’s inaugural course attracted 13 670 enrollments from 178 countries.

Coursera’s first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in journalism, Journalism Skills for Engaged Citizens, teaches students how to use new media to publish news, views and information.

Centre for Advancing Journalism Director and course instructor Margaret Simons said the course empowered engaged individuals to become ‘citizen journalists’.

“As technology advances and almost anyone can publish to the world within minutes, society is becoming increasingly reliant on its citizens to report the news,” Associate Professor Simons said.

“Our course requires no background other than an interest in journalism and invites students to enter a virtual town where they learn to report and negotiate the legal and ethical pitfalls through various scenarios.

“Journalism plays a vital part in any democratic society and with 33 per cent of last year’s cohort coming from emerging countries, we are thrilled the course has made such a broad impact and to be offering it again.”

Based on the core subjects offered in the Master of Journalism at the University of Melbourne, Journalism Skills for Engaged Citizens will run for eight weeks commencing on 12 September 2016.  For more information or to register visit the Coursera web page.