Test drive online learning! Some say this is the future, because it reduces costs and is based on personal choice rather than an imposed curriculum; others think that, because it is Internet enabled, it will create wider gaps since not everybody has access to it.
We invite you to take a class or a lecture, or try to learn a new skill, in an Internet-enabled learning platform, and tell us about it. How long did it take and what was the subject? How were you taught or guided by others more knowledgeable than yourself? Describe how much you could interact with other learners? Was it synchronous (at a particular time) or asynchronous (learning in your own time)? How much do you think you progressed? Describe how it felt compared to traditional classroom learning? What was missing and what was added?
Here are some resources that can get you started:
- The Khan Academy (in English) is one of the most famous online schools, especially strong in math and sciences.
- The Saylor Foundation is pushing the open education movement forward by offering systematic online training, either through selected readings or videos
- Oilproject (started by a 14 years old founder!) offers a wide choice of video lectures, mostly in Italian: not just about curriculum subjects, but also featuring scholars commenting news and pressing problems of our time.
- Codecademy teaches people how to code; it offers free, interactive crash courses on basic programming, also on web development, web design.
- P2PU The Peer 2 Peer University is a grassroots open education project that organizes learning outside of institutional walls and gives learners recognition for their achievements. P2PU creates a model for lifelong learning alongside traditional formal higher education. Leveraging the Internet and educational materials openly available online, P2PU enables high-quality low-cost education opportunities.
- several free services enable people from all over the world to teach each other languages: some examples are Busuu, 101Languages and Babbel
This mission was designed in collaboration with Oilproject, thank you guys for the effort you put into this!
Good for you: By accepting this challenge you will learn something new, in a field of your choice, on a timeframe of your choice, and be instructed by someone you choose. What more to ask? 
Good for everyone: Others who are interested in similar fields can follow up. You can recommend a course so that they take it too, and then compare your experiences. Also, if it’s good, it makes it easier for the rest of us to find it in the infinite online space.
Like all missions, this one is worth 250 reputation, with extra points awarded for great content.
Count me in! How do I participate?
It’s easy! You could just send us your reflections in an email to: edgeryders@gmail.com
If however you’d like to share your insights as part of a conversation with people from all over Europe,
please sign in to the Edgeryders platform here.
And then submit your contribution by clicking on the “DO THIS MISSION NOW” button look up to your right on this page.This will open a WYSIWYG editor where you can write about your experiences.