Archæology: From Dig to Lab and Beyond

[ganimede]

A while ago I signed up for yet another MOOC on the FutureLearn site, this one is Archæology: From Dig to Lab and Beyond from the University of Reading. It's only a short course, just two weeks and three hours a week. It may be the last MOOC I do through FutureLearn as they've decided to introduce a charge. Previously, it was free to do any of

Comments

[meathiel]

That's a shame they start charging now ...

Oh - Stonehenge and stuff sounds really interesting. They discover so many new things - it's amazing.

[ganimede]

It is a shame that they've had to bring in a charge and such a large one too. They've been going for three years now, so I presume they're starting to struggle financially. Which makes you wonder how much longer they're going to be able to carry on at all.

If archaeology had been an option when I was going to uni, I rather think I'd have gone down that path. It's just all so interesting.

[meathiel]

I thought about studying archaeology as well ... but then chose the more "sensible" business admin.

[ganimede]

I don't think it was an option when I was at uni but it wasn't as popular then as it is now so I possibly wasn't even aware of it. I ended up doing Linguistics which has not been useful at all!

[tjoel2]

Sounds interesting. Bummer that they are going to start charging though...

[ganimede]

Considering that they initially said they wanted to make education available to as many people as possible, now it's more making it available to as many people that can pay for it.

[hobbitblue]

I'd forgotten about that course - and £39 for a 2 weeker is insane, especailly as I doubt you'd find the certificate had much value in the real world (one of the other reasons I've never bothered in the past, had blanked on that objection when I was grumbling the other day...). Sounds like they're going in-depth about the background though, I'd not thought of it as a last resort thing much either..

[ganimede]

It's a ridiculous price just for two weeks. I don't think the certificates have any value at all, they're more just a proof that you've done a course rather than any sort of qualification. It looks like the option to upgrade a course is getting to be quite prominent though, the second task was an introduction to the course and the team, and at the bottom, there was a large section all about upgrading and why you should do it. There's also a largish banner at the bottom of each weekly task list too, so it's all a bit blatant for my liking.

I suppose I always thought of archaeology as saving things that would otherwise be lost, but obviously, you have to destroy their surroundings in order to get to them.

[hobbitblue]

That's my main objection, that the certificates have little real-world value, plus often although I've enjoyed a course I don't feel the content and what I've learned from it is something I can apply and say I'm qualified in, so why pay for a bit of paper? *sigh* I thnk they're really going to have to push the certificate/upgrade thing cos no bugger really wants them, annoying they're doing so though :(

Yes, very true.

[ganimede]

I think a lot of people have said the same about the certificates, that they have no real value. I know there are some people who are doing the courses in order to bolster their uni course or employment but they're very much in the minority. It certainly seems like most people doing the courses are just doing it for fun, or to give a new subject a try. Those are not the sort of people who want or need a certificate so FutureLearn is really going to struggle trying to make them purchase one! I know they've got some degree course thing going now as well, just makes me wonder if there's going to be any value to that in the real world :-/

[chaquir]

it does sound interesting, and yeah, I guess nothing is for free anymore these days

[ganimede]

Their initial intention was to provide education to a wider audience, rather than just a paying one. Considering they have an international community of learners, it does rather reduce it to those who are in the UK, have access to a credit card and can afford the UK prices. That does cut out a large section of the world.

[ellierachael]

My brother did an Archaeology degree at Reading :) Hope you enjoy the course

[ganimede]

It wasn't quite what I'd hoped, it was very much a 'these are the people involved' and 'here's the basic process from planning to storing'. I was hoping it would be more about how to actually do the researching and digging. It was interesting though.