The first MOOC Italian language course is underway
Few languages in the world can boast such important literary works as Italian. But ours is also the language of opera, art, theatrical and poetic works that have become the cultural heritage of all humanity. Perhaps it is for this reason that Italian also has great appeal abroad. Aware of this, the University for Foreigners of Siena has planned an on-line Italian course with a modality that is technically defined as MOOC. https://www.youtube.com/embed/KQPQcig3MYw
What is a MOOC?
MOOC is the acronym for Massive Open Online Course, which is a free massive course done via the internet. The biggest novelty of this type of courses, in addition to being online and free, lies in the number of users who can follow them. The FAST, or Training and Updating with Technological Support born at the University of Siena under the direction of Professor Villarini, is in fact a course aimed at thousands of people around the world who want to learn our language. The first edition of this course started in May and saw the participation of over 48.000 students, mostly from foreign countries. While for the second edition which will start on 17 October 2016 there are already 10.000 registrations.
How does the FAST course work?
The teaching methodologies of the FAST program are very particular because they are applied on a large scale. This means that even though there are discussion forums, it is not possible to have direct interaction with the teacher. In addition to this, it is necessary to propose material that can involve as many users as possible, just like in a TV show. But unlike a show, FAST is a flexible tool, i.e. each user can decide when to attend the course, 24 hours a day.
All this, together with the passion and preparation of the teachers who made this project a reality, made this Italian course a huge success.
